"Fascinating, beautiful and emotional... will have an
impact on the reader well after they close the book"
ADRIAN BEAN
Adrian Bean was born in Cardiff, Wales, and grew up in rural Nottinghamshire. He read English Literature at the University of Leicester, where his first play Exquisite Corpse was staged. Whilst directing in the professional theatre he also wrote original plays and adaptations for the stage, before joining the BBC, first as a Radio Drama Producer, and later directing Television Drama.
He has had many radio and television scripts produced, but only recently moved into writing fiction and creative non-fiction.
His short story collections L FOR LANC and W FOR WIMPY, and memoir WHAT HAPPENED (Another Small Press) reflect his passionate interest in aviation, military history and telling compelling and emotional human stories.
He lives in Newark in Nottinghamshire.
Bookshop
My books are available to buy online from Amazon but readers can also order direct from the publisher and help to keep independent publishing alive. To order a copy simply click Another Small Press or on the book image and you'll be directed to the Another Small Press bookshop.
All of the Another Small Press titles are available to purchase from the independent Newark Bookshop on Queens Head Court.
SHORT STORIES AND CREATIVE NONFICTION
"A wizard read!"
ISBN 978-0-99-571271-3
119 pages
£7.99
.png)
"W For Wonderful!
ISBN 978-0-9957127-2-0
122 pages
£7.99
"Beautifully written... a great story, sensitively told"
ISBN 978-0-99-571275-1
349 pages
£9.99
Reviews
5 star reviews on Amazon say:
WHAT HAPPENED
"...will have an impact on the reader well after they close the book."
"...an emotional but enjoyable read, with an unexpected twist early on that really grabs your attention."
"Beautifully written."
"...research is meticulous, detailed and accurate."
"I can highly recommend this book whether you are a mystery reader, a WW2 buff or into family history."
"A great story sensitively told."
"...got me back into reading after a three year gap."
L FOR LANC
"A collection of cleverly interconnected character-based short stories."
"A real page-turner with a real twist at the end."
"A warts-and-all depiction of the controversial role of city bombing and the impact on civilians and crews alike."
"...life on and around the station has been beautifully observed."
"A wizard read!"
W FOR WIMPY
"W For Wonderful!"
"A great collection of short stories, engaging from the first page and held me throughout."
"...exquisite storytelling."
"His evocative style captivates you from page 1 and has you believing you are with him on the airfield as he is telling the stories."
News and events
Never Mind The Dambusters podcast
Available to download from August 2025
Adrian joins hosts Jane and James on the popular RAF Bomber Command podcast to talk about his books L FOR LANC and WHAT HAPPENED. They also discuss Adrian's next book, and chat about BOMBER, the BBC Radio 4 production of Len Deighton's ground-breaking novel, which he directed in 1995.
RAF Ingham event
In September 2026 I was proud to be invited to launch W FOR WIMPY at the Polish Squadrons Heritage Centre on the site of the former RAF Ingham near Lincoln. This wonderful visitor attraction boasts fascinating exhibits celebrating the important contribution made by Polish men and women in WW2.
Ingham also served as a base for 305 Polish Bomber Squadron. Among the guests were Paula and Piotr Pietrzak, family of Sgt Jerzy Krawczyk, who served with the squadron when it was at RAF Syerston and was the wireless operator on board the Wellington bomber which played a pivotal role in the story of WHAT HAPPENED.
