What a week it’s been up in Liverpool. I’m still buzzing. I had the absolute privilege of seeing my debut graphic novel for Titan, Anfield Road, take on a life of its own as Homebaked Café and the Everton Library Trust hosted my first-ever exhibition dedicated to the book.
And this wasn’t just a one‑night event, it’s a full exhibition that will be living at Homebaked for the next few months. It’s completely free, and you can wander in, grab a coffee, and get up close to original artwork from the novel.
The whole thing came together thanks to the brilliant work of Polly Moseley, Ange McKay, Tom Doubtfire, and Richard Scott, who poured so much care into setting it up. Their dedication mirrors the heart of the event itself: raising awareness and support for the restoration of Everton Library, a beautiful historic building that deserves to be brought back to life as a community resource. Find out more about that here.
But what truly made the whole week unforgettable was a walking tour I did around the Anfield Road area. Stepping out onto the streets that shaped Anfield Road, and doing it alongside people who carry the city’s history was something I’ll never forget.
I had the absolute honour of leading the tour with Pete Carney, a Hillsborough survivor and a tireless campaigner for Justice for the 97. Pete is one of those rare people whose presence alone shifts the atmosphere. He carries the strength of Liverpool’s story, and he shares it with a generosity that’s deeply moving.
Pete guided us through the top end of Anfield Road, stopping at the murals that have become landmarks in their own right. My favourite was the mural of Anne Williams. Standing in front of her portrait, rooted in community pride. It’s one thing to draw these stories; it’s another to stand where they happened, surrounded by people who lived them.
I took the group through the bottom end of Anfield Road, which gave me the chance to revisit many of the locations from the book, 37 years after the story is set. To see those streets again, to feel how much has changed and how much hasn’t, was like walking through a memory you didn’t realise you still carried. It brought the book into sharper focus for me, grounding the fiction in the very real textures of the place.
Here are a few Anfield Road highlights from the tour.
I was always told I learned to walk in the King Harry on Anfield Road. According to family legend, I didn’t toddle from sofa to coffee table like a normal child, I went straight from the table to the bar. Eileen and Donny, the landlords, would plonk me on a stack of beer crates so I could mimic them pulling pints, tiny hands wrapped around imaginary taps. With that kind of upbringing, it was inevitable that I’d be the one to choose the venue for Connor’s spectacularly terrible 18th birthday party. Some kids grow up in playgrounds; I seem to have grown up in a pub!
The house at 42 Anfield Road became the inspiration for Conor’s home. It’s a modest terraced place, the kind you could walk past without a second glance, yet in the book it sits quietly at the centre of everything. Just a few doors down from the King Harry pub, it’s part of a block built in the 1880s. This single stretch of terrace is the backbone of the story’s world, the place where the rhythms of Anfield Road unfold.
The Isla Gladstone Palm House also appears in the book. Today it’s a magnificent wedding venue and it has even featured in Peaky Blinders and a host of other films. Hard to believe, really, when you think back to 1989. The palm house was in a sorry state then, vandalised, neglected, and leaving many of us wondering whether it had any future at all.
Seeing it now, restored to such glorious condition, feels nothing short of miraculous.
And finally, here’s the iconic road leading up to Liverpool Football Club: Back Rockfield Road. On match days it would be alive with noise and colour, packed with supporters and the smell of hot dogs drifting through the air. I often find myself wondering just how many people have walked this stretch since 1989.
At the end of day, I did a talk about the book and many Anfield friends turned up which was really special. A massive thanks to everyone who came and biggest thanks to Polly, Ange, Rich and Tom. If you would like to read Anfield Road get your copy here and don’t forget that the exhibition at Liverpool’s Homebaked continues for a couple of months at 197-199 Oakfield Road, Anfield, Liverpool, L4 0UE which is directly opposite Liverpool Football Club. Also don’t forget to get a pie while you are there.
