Severely dyslexic Rochdale author overcomes major challenges to publish his first novel

A 74-year-old writer has achieved a lifelong dream by publishing his first book, despite struggling with severe dyslexia since childhood.

Ronnie Evans, who grew up in Middleton and now lives in Castleton, wrote his debut novel after his son bought him an iPad, teaching him to use predictive text, Google searches and spell checking tools to piece together his masterpiece.

The fantasy novel, called Ghost Centurion, has already garnered praise on platforms like Goodreads and Amazon since its release in March 2024.

Ronnie revealed that his dyslexia went undiagnosed during his school years, a time when the condition was little understood. “When I was at school, it wasn’t recognised, so if you couldn’t spell, you weren't clever,” he said. “You had to hide it most of your life.”

 

 

The idea for his novel dates back to when he was just 14, but he explained that his difficulties with writing made it seem an impossible goal.

He said: “I had an idea for this book when I was 14 but I couldn’t write it down.

“Only when I retired did I have more time, so I tried again. But when I tried to write something, the next day I couldn’t read my own writing.”

A turning point came when his son gifted him an iPad. Ronnie credited the device with transforming his ability to express himself. He added: “My son gave me an iPad, and it changed everything!” 

Using tools such as spellcheck, Google, and predictive text, Ronnie was able to piece together the story that had been locked in his imagination for decades. He continued: “When I learned how to use the iPad, I wrote a whole chapter there and then. It’s made the impossible possible after all these years.”

The novel centres on Marcus, a Roman centurion cursed to live forever. Deprived of the pleasures of life, Marcus is pursued relentlessly by a demon that kills anyone who gets too close to him, while an angel ensures his personal safety.

The narrative takes a dramatic turn in the 20th century when Marcus meets Laura, a woman who falls in love with him and discovers his secret. Marcus must confront the demon to break his curse, all while guarding a dark truth: he was the man who killed Christ.

Ronnie continued: “This is a story about how a cruel man becomes a kind man. There are people in this world who enjoy being powerful and cruel, and they enjoy it. He was like that.”

Ronnie opted to self-publish his book after struggling to secure an agent. “I’m not very good at letters to people, so I decided to self-publish."

The book is now available to readers and marks an extraordinary achievement for a writer who once thought his dyslexia would prevent him from telling his story.

For Ronnie, the power of technology and determination have combined to make a lifelong dream come true.

 

 

Ronnie's book can be easily purchased from Amazon and Goodreads.