Christian White steps onto the ledge

AUTHOR Christian White has returned to the world of storytelling, publishing his latest book and embarking on a national tour in celebration.

The former Ocean Grove resident released his fourth book, The Ledge, in September following the story of four teenage boys, when one goes missing and the others have to work out what happened.

The book alternates between storylines in the 1990s and 20 years later when human remains are discovered beneath a ledge where the teenagers used to hang out.

The coming-of-age thriller is a story White has always wanted to write.

“As a teenager, they just formed me and I hold them very close to my heart, so I wanted to write a love letter to those stories,” he said.

“What inevitably happens with stories as you start to put more and more of yourself into it, the more I wrote myself as a teenager, the more I remembered and the more I thought about my friends from that time.”

Although not intentional, the book turned out to be a really personal story for White.

“Writing those things with the teenage boys was so fun because they talk about all the things I would talk about when I was a kid,” he said.

“I know for teenage boys in particular, and men, this concept of loyalty is valued above all else, it’s valued so high and I started to think about what do you do, or what do I do when that sense of loyalty smashes up against your sense of self and morality.”

Also writing for film and TV shows, White has been working on The Ledge for about a year.

“Writing books is sort of my true love, as soon as I could, I started working on it and then I was working on it and juggling multiple projects, but I just kept smashing away.”

White has taken his books on tour in the past, with a big part of touring being able to talk to readers and hear their experiences.

“The rest of my working life, I’m just in a little office by myself, writing, just me and my computer, so that’s the best part, going around meeting readers, there’s such an electric mix of people,” he said.

White’s national tour will head here tomorrow (Saturday, October 26), with a talk at the Queenscliffe Literary Festival before making its way into Geelong and Torquay.

For more information and his national tour schedule, head to affirmpress.com.au/ChristianWhitetour