Anglia Ruskin lecturer relishes challenge of writing for Peter Capaldi’s incarnation

With the latest Doctor Who TV series just 10 days away, a new Doctor Who novel, written by Dr Una McCormack of Anglia Ruskin University, is published tomorrow by BBC Books.

  Doctor Who: Royal Blood sees the Doctor embroiled in a plot involving the Holy Grail, and is Una’s first story to feature Peter Capaldi’s incarnation of the character.   Having previously written two books about Matt Smith’s Doctor, Una has relished the challenge of writing for Capaldi, who made his first appearance as the Time Lord on Christmas Day, 2013.   Una, a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Anglia Ruskin, said: “After Matt Smith’s clownishness and sense of fun, Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is much more exasperated and impatient, but with the Doctor’s trademark sense of justice and unerring ability to find trouble.   “There’s a lot less physical comedy with Peter Capaldi’s Doctor; more directness and grumpiness.  I really like his performance and the chemistry with Clara, his companion.   “My novel, Royal Blood, is one of a trio of books called the Glamour Chronicles, all linked by the Doctor’s encounters with a dangerous substance called the ‘Glamour’, which has strange powers over people.   “In my book, the Doctor joins the Glamour Knights on their quest to find the Glamour – a quest not unlike King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail.”   Una, who made it onto the New York Times bestseller list in 2013 with her book Star Trek: The Crimson Shadow, also wrote ‘In Search of Lost Time’ for The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who released earlier this year, also published by BBC Books, and edited by Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula.   Una will be signing copies of Doctor Who: Royal Blood on Thursday, 10 September at Forbidden Planet on Burleigh Street in Cambridge (1-2pm).   *****  
For more press information please contact:

Jon Greenon t: 01245 68 4717, e: jon.green@anglia.ac.uk

Jamie Forsython t: 01245 68 4716, e: jamie.forsyth@anglia.ac.uk



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