WISECRACK PRODUCTIONS AND TYNESIDE IRISH CULTURAL CENTRE PRESENT.... BOOK LAUNCH THE MAGIC IN THE TIN (1)

Former Newcastle United player Paul Ferris is Lisburn-born, Paul was a teenage footballing prodigy, becoming Newcastle United’s youngest-ever player in 1982, just months after arriving in the city from his native Northern Ireland. He was aged 16 years and 294 days.

Having broken through to the first team alongside Kevin Keegan, Paul Gascoigne and Peter Beardsley, and publicly hailed as the "one to watch" by Geordie superstar Jackie Milburn,  tragedy struck when Paul's playing career was prematurely ended through injury in 1986.

Despite this terrible set back, Paul successfully forged a post-football career as a physiotherapist (Newcastle United), barrister and a latterly as the CEO of a sports business. He was part of Alan Shearer's management team when Alan briefly took over the reins of Newcastle United in 2009, in the early days of the Sports Direct takeover of the club.

In 2013, Paul suffered a heart attack, and in 2016, at the age of 51, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. A man of many talents, Paul turned his hand to writing about his extraordinary life and his determined battle against this iniquitous disease.

The result was his incredible and remarkable multi-award-winning memoir, The Boy on the Shed.

Paul's follow-up book is the equally brilliant The Magic in the Tin. Inspired by the birth of his beautiful granddaughter Isla, this fantastic memoir continues with Paul's successful battle against prostate cancer, providing belly laughs and tears aplenty.

Paul tells the story of what happened next; from harrowing surgery, humiliating procedures and excruciating consultations. He candidly opens up about his fight against cancer and, having survived, the life-changing consequences as he strives to become the man he used to be once again.

Courageous, life-affirming and beautifully written, The Magic in the Tin, is a brutally honest, yet frequently funny book, a memoir that is both deeply moving and rich in humour.

Like his books, Paul's talks are a tremendous experience. He delivers them with the same raw emotion and humour whenever he speaks about his life’s journey.

Paul's talk will overflow with the same very rare male honesty that has underpinned The Boy on the Shed and The Magic in the Tin.  An evening with this exhilarating Irish/Geordie raconteur guarantees an occasion not to be missed.