Authoring Their Own Success
Meet the RELX colleagues who are published authors
International Literacy Day is 8 September. We decided to mark this day at RELX by showcasing our colleagues who are also published authors in addition to their day job.
The diversity of literature they have written is impressive. Poems, children's stories, deeply personal memoirs, historical novels and books on everything from speeding up your career to hacking the universe. Somehow, we feel like we may have only scratched the surface in this showcase.
Learn more about our people, what they have written and why, in this stunning collection of unexpected dedication, creativity and imagination.
The Storytellers
Suzanne Krauss
Manager - Exhibitions: USTo Vegas and Back
A riveting, gut-wrenching memoir tells in astonishing detail what went on behind closed doors in Suzanne's childhood home. This Amazon best selling page-turner is a true testament of her perseverance, resilient human spirit and how the unconditional love between a mother and daughter can lead to forgiveness and healing.
"I always wanted to write my mother's story, because it is simply incredible. It melded into my sister’s story and mine. Writing a memoir of this magnitude while working and being a mother of two young children took me five years. I had many family interviews to conduct and lots of fact checking to do. I will always be grateful to RX, allowing me to balance work, life and writing."
Find out more.
Darren Sugrue
Publisher - STM: NetherlandsShred of Doubt
In 2015, Darren's first novel The Prediction reached #4 in the Amazon Best Seller list of Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. His second novel The Shattered Conscience was released in 2016 and reached #1 on Amazon Canada. His third novel Shred of Doubt was released in summer 2020.
"Earlier this year I signed my first foreign deal. A publishing house in Slovakia purchased the rights to my first novel The Prediction. It will be translated into the Slovak language and published in Slovakia in 2022. I have never been to the country, so perhaps next year will be a good year to visit."
Find out more
Anira Pather
Finance Business Partner - Legal: South AfricaTrials By Fire
Trials by Fire is a fictional saga, which sees the lives of three women, wrestling with and conquering their inner demons, become intertwined by fate. It is a tale of love, heartache, betrayal and loss with the theme of women empowerment, gender-based violence, mental health issues and survival resonating throughout.
"I always immersed myself in reading and writing and was often told by others that I lived inside my own head. For me, the pleasure of seeing characters come to life was an unparalleled joy that spurred my desire to write a book of my own. Growing up, I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged liberal thinking, allowing me to express my individuality. So, when it came to writing my book, I was not afraid to address topics that are considered taboo. I am working on my second novel right now..."
Find out more
Melanie Tucker
Senior Content Strategist- STM: USSuper Scar
Super Scar tells the story of a young boy who has a scar from open-heart surgery for his congenital heart defect. Although he may face difficult situations, his super scar gives him the confidence he needs to remember how brave and special he really is.
"I wrote and self-published this book for my four-year-old son, who has a congenital heart defect and has had multiple open-heart surgeries that left a scar down his chest. Now that he is getting older, I wanted him to be able to identify with and see characters in books with scars like his and be proud."
Find out more.
KenNETH D Phelps
Global Customer Success Engineer, Team Lead - Legal: USAnd Justice for all?
Attorney Julius Phelps-Felton, a rising star in the Obama County State Attorney’s Office and author of the New York Times bestseller Know Your Rights, is tragically killed in a police-involved shooting while trying to defend his fiancée, R&B musician Laura Mae, from being sexually violated by a police officer. And Justice for All? addresses some of the most critical questions facing Americans today: Is justice blind? Is it really an inalienable right for all?
"I have been employed with LexisNexis for 33 years and I am also a minister of the gospel. I am the author of several papers, books, blogs and devotions."
Find out more
Susan Higginbotham
Enhancement Editor - Legal: USThe First Lady and the Rebel
As the Civil War cracks the country in two, Mary Lincoln stands beside her husband praying for a swift Northern victory. But as the body count rises, Mary can’t help but fear each bloody gain. Because her beloved sister Emily is across party lines, fighting for the South, and Mary is at risk of losing both her country and her family in the tides of a brutal war.
"I write historical fiction and nonfiction set in medieval and Tudor England and, most recently, nineteenth-century America. My latest novel, The First Lady and the Rebel, was published in 2019. It tells the story of Mary Lincoln and her Confederate half-sister, Emily Todd Helm. My forthcoming novel, John Brown’s Women, focuses on three women associated with the abolitionist. It should be out in December 2021."
Find out more
Connie KuyKendall
Legal Editor - Legal: USLove Ain't No Reality Show
A struggling soap hunk with multiple sclerosis and his curvy Southern fiancée become viral celebrities after she’s shamed about her weight and virginity on a disastrous wedding dress reality show.
"When I was a plus-sized teenager, I couldn’t find any books featuring a heroine who looked like me. If there was romance for bigger girls, it involved her having to lose weight before the hero could fall in love with her. It angered and motivated me to write books encouraging women to believe that they are loved and loveable, whatever their size."
Find out more
Michelle Orloff (Michelle McCraw)
Business Program Manager - Risk: USFriend Me
I’m so excited someone finally got tech jobs right in romance! I can’t recommend this book enough...
"Under my pen name, Michelle McCraw, I write quirky contemporary romance with a STEM slant. So far, I’ve published two books, Work with Me and Friend Me, both in 2021, with plans to continue the series this year and beyond. While I’ve always loved a story that ends with a happily ever after, it was my 20+ year career in technology that made my writing geeky. In my novels, you’ll find characters who are programmers, scientists and technical professionals."
Find out more
Jeffrey Langley (Jeremy Lawrence)
Architect - Risk: USAlready Gone
How far will the rich and beautiful of Dallas go to keep the depths of their perversion and depravity a secret? Two unlikely partners, Detectives Chance Waters and Carlie McBayne, are about to find out. For adult audiences only.
"Our family joke is that I’ve written more books of fiction than I’ve read. I typically read non-fiction. I am self-published and have sold about 1,500 copies and have 40 5-star reviews, which is pretty good for a first-time novelist and I am still working on getting it made into a movie."
Find out more
Kathleen Walker
Sales assistant supervisor - Risk: USThe Crazy Widow Lady's Grand Experiment
What happens next? That's the question Myra O'Malley is facing after losing her husband of fifty years. Her friends pressure her to find a hobby, and at first Myra resists. But then she comes up with an idea for a grand experiment.
"I’m a huge Maeve Binchy fan and love reading her novels. My team bought me a signed first edition of Silver Wedding and it’s one of my treasured possessions. I love ensemble cast novels and wanted to try writing one myself. I didn’t know that the Crazy Widow Lady would be that book when I started writing it, but it turned out to be the perfect choice. Angela Lamb on my team drew the artwork."
Find out more
Michelle McCann
Chief Marketing Officer - Risk: UKMelancholy Madness
Melancholy Madness, A Coroner’s Casebook was published in 2003. It details the true stories of the death and murder of almost 900 people in Waddell’s handwritten famine casebook, which covers the post-Famine years of 1856-76 in Ireland.
"I’m American, moved to Ireland in 2000 to do research and write a book, met my husband, got married and stayed. My inspiration for writing my first book and my continued study is my love for County Monaghan, which is my ancestral home. I search for research that puts Monaghan on the map as it is often overlooked in historical studies."
Find out more
Ken Sebastian Palafox Montes
Sales Manager - Exhibitions: MExicoTales of death
A short story about death in a collection published in Mexico in 2015.
"This is a book with a compilation of tales about death. My tale won the first place at the ‘Dia de Muertos Festival’. My inspiration was the magic smell of the chicken soup made by my mom. This book is sadly out of print but, right now, I’m writing more tales for my first full book."
Vidya Madabushi
Technical Writer Manager: Risk: AustraliaBystanders
Six-year-old Hari believes his mother died from tuberculosis. It’s what his father, Vasan, has always told him. But when a couple arrive on his doorstep claiming to be his parents, his life will take an unexpected course. Set in India and spanning decades, Bystanders is the story of the unintended consequences of pursuing one's own happiness.
"I am a writer because I am a reader. I believe good works of art raise more questions than they provide answers and that's what I like to do with my novels. Bystanders was shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize. I have a new work in the making that received a New South Wales Writers Grant."
Find out more
Karina Miñano Peña
Senior Manager, Digital Marketing - STM: NetherlandsRemolino de Sueños
Remolino de sueños (Whirlwind of dreams) is a book that tells a different story from what has been told so far. In this story Latifah, a doctor, goes back to her people, Afghan refugees in Pakistan, to bring education to girls and women. The purpose is so strong that she decides to leave her western life behind and establishes the first refugee Afghan camp in Pakistan. This story is based on the fight for equality and the right to education for girls in the Middle East. It has shades of hope and love.
"Whirlwind of dreams was born when I arrived in Europe in 2004. I started reading, observing and, where possible, talking with Muslims about their culture, women and their ambitions and limitations. I learned a lot, but I didn't know that I was going to write a book that would seek empathy with Afghan refugee women."
Find out more
The NonFictioners
James Weekley
Head of Internal Communications - RELX: UKWorkability
Crises and upheavals, anxieties and fears, are an inevitable part of today's workplace. Through a series of highly readable stories from his own 60,000 hours of corporate expeience, James highlights the human qualities that can resolve situations for the better or worse, sometimes the much worse...
"Lockdown presented me with an opportunity to write the book I have been itching to write for some time. I wrote a few articles about followership, anxiety and influencing at work by way of a pilot. The response was overwhelming. YS Chi, the Chair of Elsevier, dared me to write a book of my ideas. So I did. He very graciously agreed to write the foreword too."
Find out more
Lucia Osborne-Crowley
Reporter, Law360 - Legal: UKMy Body Keeps Your Secrets
In her first full-length book, Lucia, author of the acclaimed essay I Choose Elena, writes about the secrets a body keeps, from gender identity, puberty and menstruation to sexual pleasure; to pregnancy or its absence; and to darker secrets of abuse, invasion or violation.
"Through the voices of women, trans and non-binary people around the world, and my own testimony, My Body Keeps Your Secrets tells the story of the young person’s body in 2021."
Find out more
Sean Simms
Content Transformation Lead - STM: UKFishing Under the surface
A former individual course fishing national champion and fishing obsessive turns author of books on angling.
"I have published two books. Fishing Under The Surface was created to show the whimsical side of fishing, with fishy quips, amusing sketches and wacky scenarios to which every angler can relate. The free pencils allow the publication to double up as a colouring book – ideal as a fun and educational introduction to angling for young people. All the writing and illustrations are my own work and all my fishing is catch and release."
Find out more.
Michael Bundock
Professional Support Lawyer - Legal: UKThe Fortunes of Francis Barber
The story of the extraordinary relationship between Francis Barber, a former slave, and Samuel Johnson, England’s most distinguished man of letters
"Researching and writing the book took me about five years and convinced me that legal skills provide a good grounding for life-writing. Two highlights stood out for me. One was meeting Cedric Barber, Francis’ direct descendant. The other was examining a scrap of paper on which, in 1755, the young Francis (just a few years out of slavery) practised writing his name – astonishing and very moving."
Find out more
David De Hilster
Consulting Software Engineer - Risk: USPrincipia Mathematica 2
Newton’s Principia Mathematica is extended to include the entire physical universe by incorporating work by contemporary critical thinkers who followed in Newton’s footsteps. After decades of work, father and son team Robert and David de Hilster have come up with the Particle Model that explains every force in the universe as moving mass.
"My father found a solution to the wave particle duality problem in 2015. We love to hack the universe with our model and when we find a new hack, say like how rainbows are physically formed, we write it down and make graphics. Our model is very visual and intuitive with no math. It’s only recently released but we have had many pre-sold orders from friends and family."
Find out more.
Paul Abrahams
Head of Corporate Communications - RELX: UKLa Haute-Savoie contre elle-même 1939-1945
A Ph.D. thesis turned into a book, which examines how the French resistance and local population interacted during the occupation.
"A decade after my thesis was published, I checked in the university library where it was deposited and discovered that just seven people had read my magnum opus. However, imagine my delight when I was approached by a local history society in Haute-Savoie who wanted to translate it and turn it into a book. In 2006, at the launch at the chateau in Thonon, more than 100 people turned up. I was thrilled. The next day I went to a leading bookshop in Annecy for another signing. I sat waiting patiently, but nobody came. I asked the bookseller if he wanted me to sign some copies, but he told me absolutely not, because he couldn’t return them to the publishers."
Find out more
Guangliang Li
General Manager KEAI - RELX: ChinaHarvard University Press - a History
This book gives Chinese readers deep insights of not only Harvard University Press, but the history of the international scholarly publishing industry in general, which is of help for promoting mutual understanding and collaboration between Chinese and international stakeholders.
"I co-translated the book from English to Chinese. So, I guess I’m what’s called a published translator rather than an author. The translation received very positive feedback since publication. The vice minister of general administration of press and publications of China, and many industry leaders have written book reviews to recommend it. The original English version of the book was written by Max Hall and was published by Harvard University Press in 1986. My Chinese translation was published in 2020."
Sam Lorimer
Regional Account Manager - Risk: USCommon Sense Sales
Common Sense Sales provides key insights in four key areas where every seller should hone their skills - regardless of experience. Sam draws on years of experience in fast growth companies, having closed hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. Sam is also the author of Click 'Send' and Sell - three unconventional emails with extraordinary sales results.
"I really enjoy hearing from sales professionals and sales leaders who have taken something from my book and translated that to success. I didn’t get rich by writing the books, but they have sold all over the world and that is very satisfying."
Find out more
Howard Fulmer
Program Manager - Risk: USAutoCAD guides
Three step-by-step guides for building a foundational knowledge and use of AutoCAD software.
"I co-authored AutoCAD Release 13c4, AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD 14 Fundamentals reference textbooks. All three were published over 25 years ago for earlier software versions and are still available through several online bookstores. For over 20 years I have trained, customised and supported AutoCAD and AutoLISP software for many clients. I conducted courses, seminars and workshops for university and industry audiences. They were truly labours of love. I was thrilled when each book hit the best-seller list of its genre."
The Poets
Billy Mills
Change and communications manager - STM: IrelandCollected Poems
An experimental poet, influenced by modernism, haiku and early Irish nature poetry – concerned with the relationship between the human and natural worlds, and with the separateness of the natural.
"I’ve been writing poetry since my teens and for me it’s just a part of life, something that I do without thinking of publishing - the publication, the books, come after the work. It’s a way of understanding myself and the world."
Find out more
Robert (Bobby) Price
Lead Management, Sales Ops - Risk: USPeephole
Bobby Price's bold new collection of poetry tackles the many hardships of the African American experience through the pandemic, police brutality and vigilantism.
"I’ve written two poetry collections during the pandemic. My first collection is titled War Peace Love. I call it a collection of thoughts on love, conflicts between society and striving for peace. It was published in August of 2020. My second collection is titled Peephole and was published in November of 2020. The collection explores the relationship between marginalised people, patriotism and the American dream. I treat writing as a friend that I haven’t seen in a long time. We may not speak for a while, but when we get together, we can talk for hours."
Find out more
“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
Toni Morrison
American author, editor and professor who won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature
Built with Shorthand