Alumni authors of Leeds Beckett University

Adrian GRist

Adrian graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in 1995 with a BA in Social Policy and Administration. He published his memoir in 2022, “Transplanted & Exposed”. It recounts a long period of ill-health during which he lost his sight, required a wheelchair and was on kidney dialysis. ‘After a double organ transplant, numerous eye surgeries and a lot of foot care, I now have the outward appearance of a relatively normal human being,’ he says. The book details, in a light-hearted way, the period his health spun out of control, and living with the hidden disabilities he is now left with. The book has given him the opportunity to speak to student nurses and school children about ableism. You can read more about the book here.

Martina Topic

Martina completed her PhD in Marketing, Public Relations & Communications from Leeds Beckett in 2019 and was also a Senior Lecturer in Leeds Business School. She started working on books as a research assistant at the University of Zagreb in 2008. She loves writing and editing books because ‘once it is published, there is no feeling like it’. Her latest book is called “The Workplace Culture in Mass Communication Industries”, a culmination of a programme of research projects she designed and led from 2018 to 2021. The book looks at the workplace culture in mass communication industries using Bourdieu's habitus theory and from a behavioural sociological perspective. Martina has written three monographs (two as a sole author) and edited six books. She is working on a few more edited volumes now. Learn more about Martina here.

Sir Bob Murray CBE

Leeds Beckett University’s Chancellor, Sir Bob Murray CBE, graduated from the university in 1972, qualifying as a Chartered Certified Accountant. He is a leading businessman and philanthropist with an enduring passion for education and football. He is best known for his role as the former Chairman of Sunderland AFC. His vision for the city led to the building of the Stadium of Light. His Foundation of Light continues to support the region he is originally from. At the age of 77, he published his first book titled “I’d Do It All Again”. The memoir details various stages of his life—from growing up in a small town in the north of England to becoming a successful businessman and leaving his mark in his community. Read more here.

Peter Laufer

Peter Laufer obtained his PhD in Cultural Studies from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2009. Since then, he has established a successful career as an independent journalist, an author, and an academic. His books include “Slow News: A Manifesto for the Critical News Consumer” and “Up Against the Wall: The Case for Opening the Mexican-American Border”. He also writes about human-other animal conflict (“The Dangerous World of Butterflies” and “Dreaming in Turtle”). His latest book is set to come out later this year, titled “Neon Nevada”, a unique book about the study of neon signage in the development of Nevada culture. This book is co-written and photographed by his wife, Sheila Swan. Learn more Peter here.

Richard Bower

Graduating from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in 2002, Richard has worked as a freelance writer for the BBC, OCD UK, and Gitanjali and Beyond. His most recent publication, “An Expedition Around My Garden”, gained particular traction in India after comparison were made between his writing philosophy and that of Nobel Prize winning polymath Rabindranath Tagore. He was subsequently invited to Visva-Bharati University to give talks on his work and creative processes. Read more about his book here.

Viet Anh Nguyen

Anh graduated with an MA in Education 2021 and an MA in Public Relations and Strategic Communication in 2023. He is now the Founder of D-Hub (an educational consulting agency), a published author, and is working in the higher education sector in the UK, combining his two areas of expertise—education and communication. He recently published a book reflecting on his personal growth and experiences over the last 10 years, encapsulating the unforgettable moments of his youth. “Diligence Today, Freedom Tomorrow” (2023) serves as a narrative that inspires readers to strive for personal fulfilment, emphasising the notion that one need not become someone for anyone else but should strive earnestly to become the best version of oneself. Read more about him here.

Elinor Brent-Dyer

Elinor Brent-Dyer was born on 6 April 1894 in South Shields. She received her education at a small private school in South Schields until 1912. Soon after, she trained to become a teacher at the City of Leeds Training College, a predecessor institution of Leeds Beckett University, teaching a variety of subjects. She also studied music at the Newcastle Conservatoire.

In 1922, Elinor published her first book of the La Rochelle series, “Gerry Goes to School”, followed by six more. She also wrote another popular series of novels called the Chalet School. These consist of 58 school stories published between 1925 and 1970.

Sam McGrath

Major Sam McGrath was one of the youngest soldiers since World War II to achieve the rank of Major in the British Army. He ran the physical training selection for the legendary elite Parachute Regiment for three years. In his forties, he left the military to enter the world of business and is now Managing Director of a FTSE 100 company in Singapore. He completed an MA Business & Executive Coaching from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2009.

He published his book, “Be PARA Fit”, in 2020. Sam brings unique insight into the legendary Paras unit through this book and shares the core values he learnt that will enable one to be mentally and physically balanced in day-to-day life. His holistic approach to training prioritises sleep, nutrition, and mobility rather than training routines in isolation, helping accelerate progress and maintain long-term fitness. Read more about Sam here.

Elizabeth Cartwright

Elizabeth Cartwright graduated in 2018 with a first-class honours degree in Media Communication Cultures. She published her first novel in 2021. ‘The process of writing my book, “Seeking Shadows”, took me 10 years, mostly because I hit a wall of writer's block for several of those years. But in 2018, inspiration struck, and I pushed on to complete it in early 2020,’ she says. She is now working on here next book. Read more about her here.