A Fort 91原创 writer published a historical novel in honour of his great-grandmother who worked in the coal mines in the 1880s

Don Hunter grew up in a coal mining family in North England and has been writing for fifty years.

鈥淭here was always a hankering to write a story about coal mining,鈥� said Hunter.

His latest novel is called 鈥淢eg Tyson: Screen Lass,鈥� and is a historical fiction that was inspired by Hunter鈥檚 great-grandmother Eliza Jane Williamson who worked as a screen lass in her teens in an England coal mine.

Hunter explained a screen lass 鈥渨orked on the pit tops, sorting [and] screening the coal from rock and slate. Long hours of hard, dirty work.鈥�

The novel follows the story of protagonist Meg, who is an 18-year-old working as a screen lass in a small village in England.

After an ugly incident takes place, Meg leaves her home and immigrates to Vancouver Island to start a new life on the colonial frontier.

While fictional character Meg escapes her screen lass job, Hunter鈥檚 grandmother didn鈥檛 have such a fortunate fate.

鈥淢y great-grandmother stayed in the mines until she died. I use her as an inspiration for this.鈥�

And writing a historical fiction did not come without it鈥檚 challenges.

鈥淭here was a huge amount of research involved,鈥� explained Hunter.

鈥淢aking sure I got everything right, the details are so critical when you鈥檙e writing a historical fiction. You need to know exactly what does a screen lass wear when she goes to work.鈥�

The book can be enjoyed by all audiences of all ages.

鈥淎nybody interested in B.C. history. It鈥檚 not a limited audience at all,鈥� said Hunter.

When Hunter first moved to Canada from England, he worked at the Vancouver Province as a reporter, feature writer, and senior columnist.

鈥淚 was the first male in my family not to start his working life down in the pit.鈥�

He鈥檚 the author of four other books and is currently working on a future novel.

鈥淚 like the independence, and I like storytelling. I like making things up,鈥� said Hunter.