Firestarter

Firestarter is part true-crime mystery, part historical investigation. Set in the early 19th century, it is
the tale of a farm worker who gains notoriety for setting multiple fires on farms in a village near to Cambridge. It is also the story of how that village determines to rid itself of a man whose actions are not only disruptive but are a distraction from the drive for ‘progress’. Was Stallon a revolutionary or a compulsive sociopath? A wronged man or a terrorist? History can’t tell us with certainty which of these labels fits John Stallon best, but each reader can make their own judgment, based on the evidence Firestarter claws back from history’s obscure sources.

This book is both the compelling story of ‘the firestarter’ together with a beautifully written and meticulously researched portrait of pre-industrial Cambridgeshire.

Fraser Grace is the author of ten stageplays, including Breakfast with Mugabe, winner of the Arts Council’s John Whiting Award for Best Play. It was first produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and later broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and the World Service.
He is currently a Senior Teaching Associate at the University of Cambridge, co-directing the Masters’ programme in Writing for Performance.