I have written two separate blogs and a website for many years. It was becoming a little unwieldy so now I have brought all my writing activities under one roof at www.alanwhelan.co.uk But you're welcome to scroll through the posts below, which will remain as an archive for the three amazing journeys I made through Africa. Continue reading

I have written two separate blogs and a website for many years. It was becoming a little unwieldy so now I have brought all my writing activities under one roof at www.alanwhelan.co.uk You will find all future blog posts under... Continue reading

The third Word festival is almost upon us. If you are a writer (of any hue) in the northwest of England or just have a love of the written word, put September 20 2014 in your diary now. Or better... Continue reading

I have just finished a very interesting job writing about a great manufacturing company in north Manchester. The chairman of the plc had commissioned a corporate history in 1995, but it was now out of date and needed a fresh... Continue reading

Terrific and much appreciated testimonial from a recent client. "Thank you for your hard work. Amazingly, you have captured my somewhat unique lifetime experiences in their entirety. Now I am sure all readers of A Call From the Future will... Continue reading

The Word is almost upon us. Tickets for the one-day festival of writing on September 21 are going fast. There is a strict limit on the number of people we can accommodate at Astley Hall in Chorley, so please buy... Continue reading

Recently, literature festivals have proliferated as fast as daisies after a summer shower. But The Word is a little different - it's a writing festival for writers. I have organised it with my writing group. The Lancashire Word. Set in... Continue reading

The Travel Book Club on the Holiday & Cruise channel has voted African Brew Ha-Ha their travel book of the season. Broadcasting on Sky 284 this week, presenter Colette Walsh said, 'Alan's won us all over. Tea really does unite people.' Another reviewer said, ''His writing was like a breath of fresh air. I loved it from the word go.... Continue reading

I have rarely looked at the Goodreads book review website; I used to think it was a bit of a review cul de sac. But it was recently purchased by Amazon, so it must be doing some business. Yesterday I checked it out and noticed a number of reviews for African Brew Ha-Ha. So it's not such a minority sport... Continue reading

Thank you Ghana Rising for republishing my interview with Wanderlust magazine. Glad you enjoyed it. Click through for a gallery of photos from Ghana's past: some amusing, some troubling, all fascinating. Left, perhaps a little overkill with the Kente cloth. Continue reading

I'll be speaking at this year's Leigh & Wigan's Words Together festival. For those who have not heard about my travels, it's a good (FREE!) opportunity to see what I get up to when I hit the road. I get to tell the stories behind the stories from my books African Brew Ha-Ha and The Black Stars of Ghana. The... Continue reading

I'll be speaking at this year's Leigh & Wigan's Words Together festival. For those who have not heard about my travels, it's a good (FREE!) opportunity to see what I get up to when I hit the road. I get... Continue reading

I've just finished another great ghostwriting commission. Here is the cover from a proof copy of the new book, A Call From the Future. It's the story of a life of extraordinary coincidences and a woman's search for a theory... Continue reading

Nice piece in the Blackpool Gazette about The Black Stars of Ghana last week. Except, somebody should buy them an atlas – 'On arrival in Accra, not far from the Cape of Good Hope'... ! I suppose it's not far if you're in the space shuttle! Continue reading

Overland magazine are running an extract from The Black Stars of Ghana in the current issue of their glossy and rather upmarket publication. Some great photos, too. Check them out here for biker stories and adventure ideas. Continue reading

Since publication, The Black Stars of Ghana has been available in print and Kindle versions. Now it's also available on the Kobo, Sony Reader, Nook, iBooks, e-reading apps Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, and other formats suitable for most other electronic reading devices. Download at Smashwords. Continue reading

The Black Stars of Ghana has been warmly reviewed by biker website Visordown Here's the best bit... "Alan Whelan's journey to the far reaches of this extraordinary country is documented with startling clarity... The Black Stars of Ghana is an insightful, well-written memoir which positively sparkles with energy and colour - a snapshot of a defining moment in the recent... Continue reading

After eight blog posts, I have now finished ghostwriting the memoir which, because the client was so busy, has taken longer than expected. The final word count is 71,000, longer than she anticipated but it doesn't read long. In the... Continue reading

I shall be returning to the Adventure Travel Show this winter. The event at London's Olympia is Britain's top get together for people who love travelling off the beaten track. January is the perfect time to explore travel options to warmer climates and listen to some great travellers and speakers – including me. I'll be talking about The Black Stars... Continue reading

Wanderlust magazine is running an extract from The Black Stars of Ghana on their terrific website. Perfect for the adventurer with nowhere to go. If you want to read more for free, you can read the intro to the book here. Continue reading

I have a new website that combines most of the writing I do – ghostwriting, business writing, PR, editing, critiques and travel writing. Have a look http://www.alanwhelan.co.uk Continue reading

I finally held the official launch of The Black Stars of Ghana - A motorcycle adventure in West Africa. It has been on sale for a couple of months but because I went on another motorcycle adventure - to East Africa - I haven't had time to plan the promotion of Black Stars. But now it's out of the traps... Continue reading

The unique writing project, Throwaway Lines, has been transformed into an exhibition. Lead by 26 member Andy Hayes – who collected handwritten pieces of 'throwaway' from the streets of London – a bunch of writers (including me) wrote short stories... Continue reading

It's good to meet fellow writers in a generous spirited, communal environment. Which is why I try not to miss the annual get together of 26, a 'collective for writers who want to inspire a greater love of words, in... Continue reading