THE Shuttle puts the spotlight on one of the authors appearing at next month's Bewdley Book Week.

At first sight Angela Douglas is not an obvious literary choice as she is best remembered for her roles as a bubbly blonde in the Carry On films of the 1960s.

However, she is also the author of a frank and deeply felt autobiography about the private side of a showbiz life.

Fame turned to notoriety for Angela when she fell in love with Kenneth More, one of Britain's best-loved actors.

Through his leading-man roles in films such as Genevieve, Reach for the Sky and The Admirable Crichton' he had become something of a British national institution.

He was twenty years older than Angela and was already married with two children.

In her book Swings and Roundabouts, Angela tells of the joy of finding her feet as an actress and of her helpless love for More - very married man'.

She describes her seven-year wait for his divorce and how she was shunned by his former friends. Angela recounts their years of joyful companionship until More's battle against terminal illness.

The book is a portrait of a particularly passionate and eventful life.

Angela's husband Bill Bryden described his first reaction to her story: “The book really surprised me because I'd expected it to be one of those showbiz biographies. But it is uniquely written, deeply moving and highly emotional.

“Angela has a genuine talent for writing, but she's so modest that sometimes I don't think she believes in her own abilities.”

Bewdley Book Week, in association with The Shuttle, will take place between Monday, September 9 to Sunday, September 15.

The launch lunch will be held at the Mercure Hotel in Kidderminster on Monday, September 9, and will feature a conversation between Angela and Bewdley Book Week’s Neville Farmer when they will discuss the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight.

Tickets are £30 and include lunch and wine. Call 01299 404808 or email admin@bewdleyfestival.org.uk