A former sports editor has drawn on his time in regional journalism to write his debut novel.

Max Hall has launched Heathens, which tells the stories of the lives of people working in the warehouses and factories of a fictional Black Country town.

Max worked on the Stourbridge News, Worcester News and Birmingham Post and also supplied football copy for Wolverhampton daily the Express & Star before going on to work for North Wales title the Daily Post and the Surrey Advertiser.

He also had a spell on the subs’ desk at The Independent and has lived in Genoa, Italy, since 2019.

Max’s book is being serialised on the Wattpad.com website, with a new chapter every Friday.

The book draws on his journalism career as well as his upbringing in the pubs and clubs managed by his parents in and around Stourbridge.

It also calls upon Max’s time spent working in warehouses and glassworks to help pay his way through university.

The first chapter of the book can be found here.