A man who had always wanted to write a novel but was never able to devote the time he needed until he lost his job is set to launch his book in Stevenage today – which also happens to be his birthday!

Aquilinus Odong from Stevenage – who penned his book ‘When An Elephant Cries’ after he lost his finance job following a career of thirty years – will be signing copies from 12 noon until 4pm at Barclays in the town centre.

Triggered by the loss of his job, Mr Odong – who uses the nom de plume Lacere – started putting all his thoughts together which eventually culminated in his tome, which traces his life from his birth in Uganda up to the time he landed at Heathrow to begin his new life in England.

The book is a story of a boy searching a dream far bigger than the confines of his remote village in Amuru, Uganda, leading to a dramatic first journey of discovery.

Mr Odong said: “I worked as an accountant for 20 years and was a finance manager for a building society in London during the financial crisis which saw me lose my job, so I decided to write this book.

“I have been told it could end up being a Hollywood film but I need to secure the funding for the screenplay first. I look forward to signing as many copies of my book as possible tomorrow – which is also my birthday.”

The book costs £15 paperback, £25 hardback, or you can buy it on Amazon at www.amazon.co.uk/When-Elephant-Cries-Lacere/dp/1504993217.