Rich harvest for writer

Charmian Hussey: "It's just a huge pleasure"

A book written by a farmer's wife from Cornwall has become a literary phenomenon.

Charmian Hussey based The Valley of Secrets on the childhood fantasies of her son, nearly 20 years ago.

The hardback edition of 225 copies has sold out and is now being traded at up to £2,000 each by collectors who expect it to be a best-seller.

The initial 3,000 print run of the paperback has also sold out.

A glorious curvilinear landscape of running fields and boundary walls Extract from The Valley of Secrets

Mrs Hussey, 64, got the idea for the story from her son Nicholas when he was a young boy - a tale of mystical creatures transported from the Amazon to a magical Cornish valley.

And it was the rich Cornish landscape around her farm near Callington that inspired the setting for the novel.

She said: "His idea was that the story would be set here. I just draw my inspiration from that.

"I've only got to sit down somewhere on a rock and things start coming out about the story and I can then I write it up later."

The book is tipped to be a best-seller by collectors

The book was published locally on a small scale, but after a magazine review Mrs Hussey and husband John were inundated with interest from all over the world.

Mr Hussey said: "I'm a little bemused really if I told the honest truth - but after saying that, I think Charmian's put a huge amount of work into the book and I think it's terribly important that she reaps the reward."

Mrs Hussey said: "It's just a huge pleasure, a huge bonus. This is what it's all about, that you've written something that people love and find worthwhile."

Another print run is now under way and Mrs Hussey is considering whether to write a sequel.