A Port Shepstone-born author has put his hometown on the map with a debut novel inspired by his own experiences of growing up on the KZN coast and later moving overseas.

Steve Attwell, who now lives near Brighton in England, has self-published ME Caveman You Narcissist, a psychological thriller which follows Carl, a South African expat who leaves the KZN coast for London in search of a new life.

Port Shepstone features directly in the novel, with Carl’s story beginning on the South Coast.

Attwell attended Port Shepstone Junior Primary, Senior Primary and Port Shepstone High School. He left the coast in 1997, spending six years in Johannesburg before moving to London. He is now based in Hassocks, England.

The novel draws heavily on Attwell’s own life experiences and explores trauma, identity and destructive relationships.

Carl’s journey includes surviving cancer, addiction, sharks at Mbango Beach in Port Shepstone, and a difficult childhood before becoming entangled with Bash, a wealthy and charismatic man whose charm gradually becomes increasingly controlling.

The story examines how trauma can lead people to mistake control for love, and the difficulty of breaking free from trauma-bonded relationships.

Flashbacks drawn from Attwell’s life are woven throughout the novel and are marked by a distinctive fleeing woolly mammoth icon.

Attwell said the book was triggered by an experience in his own life and became a way of processing those events and understanding the roots of his trauma.

The novel also tackles class disparity, the reality of apartheid and the challenges faced by people attempting to leave destructive relationships.

The book has received five-star reviews from readers and has already attracted international attention. It was recently featured in an interview with Beaux Hommes magazine, is under consideration for the Stonewall Museum’s archive, and Attwell is due to appear on the Pink Dot podcast.

The novel is available through Amazon, with paperback editions available internationally. Attwell is also currently awaiting responses from two UK publishing houses.

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