The Fire Hills was written between December 2021 and November 2022.
Reflecting the first year of the author's move to Fairlight in East Sussex, this collection explores new landscapes armed only with a pen and unwarranted optimism.
Henry Normal co-wrote and script edited the multi-award-winning Mrs Merton Show and co-created and co-wrote the first series of The Royle Family. With Steve Coogan, he co-wrote the BAFTA-winning Paul and Pauline Calf Video Diaries, Doctor Terrible, Tony Ferrino, Coogan's Run and The Parole Officer.
In 1999, Henry set up Baby Cow Productions Ltd, script editing many and executive producing all of the shows throughout his tenure as MD. Highlights during this time include the Oscar-nominated film Philomena, Gavin and Stacey, Hunderby, Moone Boy, The Mighty Boosh, Nighty Night, Red Dwarf, Uncle, Marion and Geoff, Camping and Alan Partridge.
Henry retired from TV in 2016 and was honoured with a special BAFTA for services to television the following year. He has since written and performed ten BBC Radio 4 shows for his award-winning, 'occasional series' A Normal..., featuring poetry, comedy and stories about his life and family.
Henry founded the Manchester Poetry Festival (now the Literature Festival) and co-founded the Nottingham Poetry Festival. He is a National Poetry Day ambassador, a patron of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, and regularly performs poetry at literature festivals around the UK. He has also had a bus and a beer named after him in his home city of Nottingham, and received honorary degrees from both of the city's universities.
