Hucknall cafe continues to inspire Nottinghamshire author as he publishes another book

Keith Cutts, aged 73, from Rise Park, published his first book of children’s stories, called Sweet Enough, under the pen name Cutzy, through Austin Macauley, after creating characters and stories in his head while regularly visiting The Sweet Cafe on High Street in Hucknall.

Keith and his wife used to go in the Sweet Cafe regularly several years ago and the jars of sweets there was what got him thinking about the stories.

Keith’s wife sadly died in 2021 after suffering a stroke – and it was while sitting outside the stroke unit at the hospital that he told his daughter about his book idea.

He tested the stories out on his grandchildren, Ruby and Lily and they both loved them and his daughter said he should send them off to a publisher – which is how the first book came about.

Now, Sweet Enough is back with a brand new book of adventures.

Keith said: “The first book went down very well, quite a few people who read it gave it a good review.

"This new one is all inspired by The Sweet Cafe again because I used to take my wife to Radford Day Centre as she had dementia and before that we used to go to the Sweet Cafe and that’s where the ideas came from.

"It’s a family effort too as my granddaughter Ruby has done all the drawings for the book."

With the writing bug coming to him late in life, Keith wasted no time in creating more Sweet Enough adventures and he hasn’t stopped there, revealing there are plans for another book release later in the year in time for Christmas.

He continued: "I’ve actually written that book as well but that’s completely different to these so we’re bringing this one out first.

“Then the next one I want to get out for Christmas, even though it’s got absolutely nothing to do with Christmas.

"It’s nothing to do with the Sweet Cafe either, or anything to do with sweets, but it all comes from the same inspiration and it will be good to see it published.”