AN author and journalist from Carlisle has released a new book about the people we choose to memorialise in the form of statues.
Roger Lytollis, 51, has written On a Pedestal: A Trip Around Britain's Statues.
The book is being published by Little, Brown, whose other clients include writers like J.K. Rowling and Val McDermid.
It is the first book to explore statues across the UK.
Somewhat surprisingly, Mr Lytollis is not particularly a statue enthusiast.
"It’s more about people than about statues," he says. "Writing about statues is a way of writing about people.
"Who is the person? Why did they get a statue?
"What people think about the statue? Do they like it or do they ignore it?"
Mr Lytollis was asked to write the book after the debate around statues which emerged last year.
The most memorable part of this was when the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was torn down by a crowd of people in Bristol.
But the ex-Cumberland News writer said that the book does not only examine controversial statues.
"It looks at the trend for portraying musicians, sports stars and comedians rather than monarchs, politicians and generals," he said.
"It tells the amazing tales of many of those commemorated on our streets.
"It features interviews with sculptors, including Sir Antony Gormley, telling the stories behind some of our most popular modern statues.
"There's also a lot of travelogue, as I went around the country talking to people about various statues."
Mr Lytollis was a journalist at The Cumberland News between 1995 and 2019. He worked primarily as a feature writer and columnist.
He described his new book as 'an 80,000 word example of journalism'.
"It’s all about research and interviews, which is what journalism is.
"I’ve spent 26 years researching things and talking to people.
"I’m used to writing about things that I don’t know much about and that’s part of every journalist’s job."
On a Pedestal by Roger Lytollis is published on November 4.
Mr Lytollis will be discussing the book with crime writer Mike Craven at Cakes and Ale on Castle Street, Carlisle on Tuesday November 9 at 7pm.
Tickets are £5 and are redeemable against the purchase of either book.
Copies can be purchased from Bookends bookshop or bookscumbria.com.
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