Shropshire Star

Chloe's picture perfect phonebox shot calls to author

An amateur photographer's picture perfect shot of a postbox rung true with an author - who has chosen it for the front cover of his new book.

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Trainee teacher Chlöe Edwards, 19, took the picture while on holiday in Devon, and the artistic image has been selected by author Nic Outterside for his book Contacts - Collusion, Cover-up, Conspiracy and Corruption

Chlöe, who is from Whitchurch and is studying for a BA in Education at the University of Chester, developed a hobby in photography and her work caught the eye of Wolverhampton-based editor and publisher Nic.

His latest book pulls together 18 investigations from Nic's 28 years in the newspaper and magazine industry in series of eye-opening stories from radiation contamination to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Nic, who scooped more than a dozen awards in his journalism career, said: “The idea for this book came to me last year while sorting through old newspaper cuttings and I suddenly realised just how many investigations I had broken over the years.

“The book is a culmination of 30 years research, 30 consecutive days writing and almost six months of editing, revising and proofing. It is titled Contacts because every good journalist relies of his or her contacts to break front page stories.

Chlöe Edwards' picture was chosen for the front cover of a new book

“But I needed a strong picture for the cover. Then I discovered Chlöe’s work on Instagram and saw the red phone box photo and immediately thought 'wow - that’s the picture'.”

Chlöe is a former school friend of Nic’s son Nathan while both were students at Sir John Talbot’s School in Whitchurch, which makes the book tie unique.

Chlöe said: “This whole experience has been amazing from start to finish. I couldn’t believe that a quick edited snap could go so far. It has been a real confidence boost and has shown me what an amazing tool social media is too.”

One of Chlöe’s other photographs has already been selected for the cover of another of Nic’s books Western Skies, scheduled for publication next spring.

Contacts is Nic's 12th paperback and he has had two Amazon bestsellers - Death in Grimsby and Bones, which involves spooky tales about his former home in Whitchurch.