Nonfiction, Fantasy & Historical Fiction
(includes works in progress)
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Andy Sparrow was born in 1954 and grew up in Salisbury. In his mid-teens he became an enthusiastic caver, a pastime that eventually became a vocation when he qualified as a caving instructor. For forty years Andy has lived and worked in the Mendip Hills of Somerset passing on his skills and knowledge to generations of cave explorers. Much of this expertise was distilled into 'The Complete Caving Manual' which was published by Crowood Press in 1996, which was followed by a second edition in 2010. There are many other activities that Andy has enjoyed over the decades including climbing, trekking, paragliding, skiing and cycling. His latest book, The Ultimate Adventure Guide, lists, describes and illustrates the diverse adventure activities that exist today and outlines the huge benefits of participation. Andy is now working on 100 Cycle Routes of Somerset which is due for publication in January 2026.
Creative writing is another of Andy's passions which began in his early twenties but it was another two decades before he published his first novel Slow Turns The World. This was followed by a sequel, The Gospel of Torrin, in 2010; a third book, Tryanny of Truth, completed the trilogy in 2019. Andy is currently working on the historical novel Beth which will be a series of six books.
In 1980 Andy met film-maker Pete Isaacs and together they founded Third Eye Films. This collaboration resulted in a series of films which included both dramas and instructional videos. The most ambitious of these projects was undoubtedly The Last Change - a feature length science fiction thriller shot on super 8 film. The 1990s saw the transition from film to video and the production of the Cave Safe series of videos which allowed Andy to communicate his knowledge of caves and caving to a wider audience. Having developed skills in underground filming Andy went on to write and direct two award winning cave related dramas - Solo (1997) and A Rock and a Hard Place (2003).
Film and television are Andy's favourite genres even though the chances of commercial success are remote. Andy has completed four feature films scripts these being The Last Change (1982), Super 8 (1999), Ark (2002), and Black Mountain (2003). In 2022 the wrote Beth, a six part historical drama, which he is now turning into a series of novels.