Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry for Culture has today launched the novella ‘Into the Shadows’ by Jared Cruz. Jared was selected for the GCS writing initiative from a pool of candidates who applied to be on the mentor scheme for young aspiring writers. The scheme aimed to provide young people with the tools, skills and network to write and print their own book. 

A statement from the Government follows below:

The year long process has seen Jared meet with various mentors in the field ofliterature and others to explore and develop his understanding of his chosen subject ‘Into the Shadows’, a psychological thriller. His journey has taken him to meet with mental health professionals, teachers Melissa Bosano and Natalie Cocklan and established author Janine Galliano to ensure a high-quality standard of work. Jared was also part of the Rock Retreat residency, taking advantage of the expertise and knowledge of published authors and learning more about publishing options. The 25 year old has also worked with local artist Monica Popham to design the cover pages of the novella and with local printers to ensure a high-quality finish that met his expectations. 

Now printed and ready for sale, Jared is immensely proud of his final product and has gained an insight and understanding of the timeline and challenges of producing a book. From initial conception, to developing ideas, proof reading, to layout and design and the launching of a book online and in hardcopy. Jared will be taking part in Gibraltar Literature Week to talk about his experiences both at schools and as part of the Lightning Talks initiative. 

The novella on sale from the John Mackintosh Hall reception or online from Amazon. For further information please contact GCS Development Unit on telephone 20049161 or email [email protected]