DEBUT author Daniel James will give the first public reading from his novel at Books on Tyne 2017 next week after a successful crowdfunding campaign.

The writer and journalist from Cullercoats, North Tyneside, will share a packed bill at this year’s festival, alongside bestselling authors such as Val McDermid (The Wire in the Blood), Ann Cleeves (Vera), LJ Ross, and many more.

Tickets are free for the event on November 28 at 6pm, at Newcastle’s City Library, but must be booked in advance from Newcastle Libraries Eventbrite page.

The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas is a mystery about a journalist searching for the truth about a reclusive artist through six decades of fabricated history.

Mr James, 36, said: “It felt as if the whole North-East got behind me during crowdfunding and I was thrilled to not just make the target, but to smash it.

“It seems that people can’t wait to get their hands on the book and discover the truth about Ezra Maas for themselves.”

The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas will be published in late November by Dead Ink Books.

Mr James added: “What happened to Ezra Maas is one of the biggest mysteries of contemporary art.

“He was one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century until he disappeared in mysterious circumstances, but no one has been able to write a book about his life or work until now due to legal issues with his estate and the intense secrecy of his friends and cult-like followers.

“Maas first became famous in the 1960s alongside the likes of Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Joseph Beuys, but his rejection of celebrity and refusal to be photographed or interviewed meant that very little was known about who he really was or where he came from. Naturally, this made him a very intriguing and compelling character.

“In today’s era of post-truth and fake news, it seemed the perfect timing to uncover the true story of such a mysterious and reclusive figure, but it wasn’t easy, what began life as a biography gradually turned into a surreal detective story which left me questioning what was real and what was fiction, not just in Maas’s life, but also in my own.”

The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas from Dead Ink Books will be available from book stores, including Forum Books in Corbridge, Northumberland, Waterstones, Foyles and Amazon.

Books on Tyne 2017 takes place from November 25 to December 3 and is a partnership between Newcastle Libraries and Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society.

To book tickets for Mr James’ event go to: www.booksontyne.co.uk/events/item/the-unauthorised-biography-of-ezra-maas