Lyra McKees book Angels With Blue Faces will be published today

Lyra McKee’s book Angels With Blue Faces will be published posthumously at a private event in Linenhall Library this afternoon.

The book was completed shortly before Lyra died from a single gunshot fired by a dissident republican gunman in Derry on April 18 this year.

Lyra spent six years methodically researching the murder of UUP MP, Robert Bradford in November in 1981, uncovering many aspects of the case that had never before come to light.

Bradford’s death, and that of 29-year-old Ken Campbell has been the subject of speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding allegations that the MP was about to expose sordid details about who was involved in the Kincora.

Lyra interviewed Bradford’s friends, colleagues, and acquaintances as well as a number of other sources – and reveals how the MP’s killing might have been prevented by intelligence services.

Trawling through public records and documents she had procured during her search for the truth, Lyra spent most of her journalistic career in the pursuit of answers.  In many cases, she came up against more questions.

It’s taken a long time to get this book into print.

Lyra's writing is almost poetic, as seen in her description of her homeland, "Northern Ireland is a beautiful tragedy, strangled by the chains of its past and its present. It’s a place full of darkness and mysteries. It’s also my home. Sometimes, I love it and hate it in equal measure. Yet, despite being a tiny country, we disproportionately contribute talent to the rest of the world.”

Lyra’s sister Nichola McKee Corner said she was proud to see Lyra’s book being published. “Lyra put years into this project,” she said. “It is so sad that she never got to hold the final copy of Angels With Blue Faces in her hand. I am just so proud of you now as I was of you every day or your life”.

In January 2018 Lyra struck a deal with indie publishers Excalibur Press to finally put her work into print. She then set about researching the book further and spent time editing and re-editing to her final draft.

Tina Calder, owner of Excalibur Press said: "Publishing Angels With Blue Faces has been an emotional time for the team at Excalibur Press but it has been an immense honour to be able to bring Lyra's life's work into the public eye.

Image result for lyra mckee

“Just a short time before her death Lyra had approved her cover and sent the final changes for her book, she should have been holding it in her hand at the end of April.

“Lyra's investigation into the death of Northern Ireland MP Robert Bradford was a passion project for her, for years it became her obsession as she followed lead after lead in the pursuit of the truth.

“Excalibur Press will be donating our commission to our not-for-profit entity The Merlin Project where we hope to run a series of events, workshops and potentially courses for young reporters wanting to learn some of the practical aspects of the industry.

“Taking inspiration from Lyra and her talent, we hope to teach young journalists the art of research as well as interview techniques and more.”

 Angels With Blue Faces published by Excalibur Press is available now, priced £9.99, from excaliburpress.co.uk/lyra-mckee

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