How a tragic personal plot twist turned The Chilliman's Rik Alker into a best selling children's author

Rik Alker, 54, from Adlington, was an Economics and Business lecturer at UCLan before deciding to leave over two decades ago for a life off-grid and found fame as his alter ego - a colourful, whacky chilli grower and champion of local producers from Lancashire aka The Chilliman. The Chilliman, which was televised was a local colourful food evangelist which saw him paint his face as a chilli, entertaining many who tuned in. Such was the popularity of the show at the time that he appeared on BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC News and even as a finalist on the late Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes.

However, during the recession, he changed career to serve on the North West Emergency Ambulance Service and, while helping on the frontline during Covid 19, damaged his knee so badly that he had to take leave.

The father of two girls – Frankie, 9, and Charlie, 6, decided to use this dark time to venture into a 30-year-old passion for writing children’s books.

He said: “I performed everything from the beginning of life delivering babies, through trips, falls, breaks, cuts, bruises, road traffic and major incidents to life-saving work at the end of life. During my entire career on the 999 emergency ambulances, every single patient that entered my ambulance alive left it alive.

“I was injured helping someone, which ended my career on the 999 emergency ambulances in my fiftieth year and left me immobile and unemployed at the height of Covid. My injuries launched a journey into the love of writing for my children. I could not run and play with my kids, but the imaginary world released me from my broken body, and together, we explored as I wrote the book."

The result was his debut – My Grandad vs The Fangazoo – a funny, self-published, illustrated children’s adventure book for ages seven to 12 and accompanying colouring and activity book. The book charts the expedition of Frankie and Charlie and their archaeologist grandad who has been looking for a dragon his whole life. Can this ageing explorer complete one last big adventure with the girls and their cousins?

Such was the success of his debut book, he achieved a top 20 Amazon best-selling position; US sales and Lancashire Libraries also purchased copies. He is now creating a second book in which his children –characters in his book, go on a Blackpool Zoo burglary which ends up going horribly wrong.

Rik added: “The book will cater for the same age group and I would love to release it by Christmas. I am looking for a publisher and a backer. It would be great if Blackpool Zoo were reading this and would like to help.”

If you would like more information on Rik and his books click HERE.