Arts & Culture
Wiltshire author to release new children's book

Local author David Phillips is due to release his new story at the end of August.

‘The Monster on the Hill’ will be available to the public on 31 August. 

The book aims to show how creative a child’s imagination can be and teams David’s words with Mariah Sibley’s imaginative artwork. 

David Phillips lives in Wiltshire with his wife Samantha, and two dogs Austin and Barney. He says he is young at heart and likes to see things in an imaginative, fun and childlike way. He said he will often make up stories using rhyme as he sees things whilst walking his dogs in the countryside. 

The blurb of the book aims to capture David’s vision:

“Ben, it is time for your bed, you have had your tea.”

“I can’t go to bed, there is a monster out on the hill you see.”

Follow the story of the monster thats stops Ben from going to bed. Ben is convinced that the monster is real and wants to eat him for his tea.

“I am invisible to mum,” said the monster, “and we don’t lie.”

Ben screamed! “It has a big round back and scales all along.”

Is there really a monster on the Hill? Ben’s mum doesn’t think so. Will Ben really become the monster’s tea?

Now it’s time for you to read the story and see.”

The Monster on the Hill is David’s first children’s book and has taken a number of years to complete. The story is said to already have gathered rave reviews, due to it being read to a wide range of primary school age children. 

This increase in popularity has led to it finding a publisher. 

David has also worked on writing a second picture book, The Horse That Could Not Trot. 

More information around purchasing The Monster on the Hill can be found at https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/monster-hill

ISBN information: Paperback ISBN: 9781398407367

EBook ISBN: 9781398415560