DESPITE being better known locally as a photographer and painter, with a librarian father, it was only a matter of time before Jean Akam's creative side leant itself towards books.

The Colchester artist has had exhibitions all over the area, as well as London, but has recently put that aside to concentrate on her writing, the result of which is her first children's book, The Virtual Reality Space Pirates.

"I've been painting since my O Levels," she smiles, "but I've not done any for a while because I'm mainly writing now. I've always been creative and if it wasn't photography or painting, I was making jewellery or greetings cards.

"I wrote this book back in 2002 and then started reading it to my grandchildren. They're one of the inspirations for publishing it. They appear as the heroes of the book, the Earth children who misbehave in the museum and find themselves on a space ship. That's Gemma, Jake, Molly Brown and also Rory Dunbar, who was the first person to read the book and give it his approval when he was 13. He liked it better than Harry Potter and wanted more."

Aimed at seven to 12 year-olds, the book is a proper intergalactic space adventure set in the year 2051 as four children decide to enter a door to a space museum where they discover a virtual reality world beyond their wildest dreams.

"I've always liked children's books, even as an adult," Jean says. "I tend to think on a children's level and I have lots of ideas for more books such as Emily and the Maloots. The Maloots are furry creatures that live in crab apples and their history runs parallel with ours so they are able to help Emily with her history homework."

Originally from Swansea, Jean grew up in Shropshire and eventually ended up in Thetford, before moving to London where she worked as a state registered nurse. Moving out of nursing and into HR and management, Jean moved to Wivenhoe in 1983 and her current home just outside the centre of Colchester three years later.

"I suppose being the daughter of a librarian it was inevitable that I would do something with books eventually," she admits. "When I was nine I won a writing competition and I've been writing bits and pieces ever since. Although it wasn't until very recently that I started to take it up seriously, after I had the children and stopped working. I joined Colchester's Write Night Group and I met a guy who had his book published by this company. I thought about some of my children's books and sent them The Virtual Reality Space Pirates, which they loved."

Priced £4.99 The Virtual Reality Space Pirates is now available in all good bookshops.