A Hampton author has released his first novel, which looks at the possibility of harvesting water in Antarctica and taking it to Africa.

Titled ‘Forests in the Sahara,’ Paul Stidolph, writes about the melting ice caps in Antarctica. Whilst reading this, he discovered theories which detailed the possibilities of using the water from Antartica to combat drought in Africa.

He heard about Moringa Oleifera Tree in 2010, which can purify water. Following this discovery, he started writing the book, which took over four years.

Mr Stidolph said: “Forests in the Sahara has three main themes: adventure, intrigue and romance. The book is about the main character Jeffrey Harvey who is realising his dream, which is an ambitious project to use the icebergs of Antarctica to overcome drought in Africa.

“To some, Harvey is a visionary, to others a liability. His passionate, but complex, girlfriend, Anna, strives to protect him from the dangers he brings on himself, while she struggles with her own identity.”

Mr Stidolph spoke to several experts to help with the factual side of the book, including experts he met while working at hospitals in East Africa, South Africa, Nepal and in the UK.

“I wanted to write an enjoyable story out of an important issue which needs to be talked about, no matter the form,” Mr Stidolph added.

Mr Stidolph moved to Hampton with his wife in 1991. The couple live near Bushy Park and having spent considerable time in Africa, he said Richmond and Twickenham gives him ‘the same sense of space as the plains in Africa, Hampton has been a big part of my life’.

The book is available to buy online and starts from £4 for the Kindle version. The audiobook comes out at the end of August and will be available on the books website and Amazon.