We recently hosted Stephen M Irwin, Australian film maker and author as he launched his debut novel ‘The Dead Path’ on a Big Book Club tour. Although ‘The Dead Path’, and the novel he is currently working on, are supernatural thrillers,  Stephen himself is a witty, humble and entertaining speaker without any trace of the macabre. Brisbane based Stephen talked about works that inspired his writing, including ‘The Dark is Rising’ by Susan Cooper, and Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings,’ and described how he likes to take historical legends and bring them into modern day.  ‘The Dead Path‘ takes some of its story from the mythical ‘Green Man’, and the ever present theme of a normal person thrust into extraordinary circumstances and how they rise to the challenge. Look out for Stephen M Irwin, as I suspect we will see more of him in the future.