AN AUTHOR has received a grant to write a thriller set in a world where the Nazis won the war.

Billericay born Guy Saville, 34, who lived in the town for 30 years before moving to Colchester, fended off competition from thousands of other writers to secure a four figure sum from the Arts Council.

His book, the Africa Reich, is a fast-paced conspiracy thriller which imagines what the Nazis would have done in Africa had they won the Second World War.

Mr Saville said: "Receiving the Arts Council grant has been a huge boost to my career.

"It means I can write full time for the next six months and get my book finished."

Mr Saville based the book on real plans drawn up by the Nazis.

He said: "I've done a lot of research and managed to obtain a declassified British intelligence document."

Mr Saville was one of ten people from the east of England to win the prestigious Escalator Literature Award last year.

Organisers of the award, New Writing Partnership, backed his application to the Arts Council for the grant.

New Writing Partnership is looking for new candidates for its 2008 Escalator award.

Anyone interested can visit www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk or call 01603 877177.