About Sam Young

He reckons his love of the blues and Leeds are made for each other! Dancehall Days is his first novel. The story has been in his head for over twenty years. It is fiction, based on things his late mother told him about growing up in Omagh and events that affected her throughout her life. Never having written anything before, he bought a jotter and started scribbling. Three years and a hundred edits later, the first of three heartwarming stories based on the life of his late mother was published.

The dedicated husband – whose wife, Mae, lives with relapsing MS – says: “For years I’ve wanted to write Dancehall Days and I can’t believe it’s finally out there. At first I wrote everything out by hand. Eventually I typed it out on a laptop and realised I had so many words it would have to become a trilogy! The response to the book has blown me away. I’ve even had people say they’ve read it twice and can’t wait for the second in the series.

“My wife Mae has been such a huge support throughout the whole process. My mother died in the same week that she was diagnosed in September 2019, and the two events became inextricably linked in my head. I decided that the proceeds had to go to MS Research to help try and alleviate and maybe even find a cure for the condition that affects so many people as well as their carers and their families.” 

Over 5,300 people live with MS in Northern Ireland. The condition affects the brain and spinal cord, impacting how people move, think and feel. Symptoms vary for everyone but can include fatigue, pain, vision problems, and mobility issues. Most people are diagnosed in their 30s or 40s, but it can affect people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and genders.    

Stewart Finn, Northern Ireland County Director at the MS Society, says: “We are hugely grateful to Sam for donating sales of his books. MS can be relentless, painful and disabling, and without the hard work and dedication of our amazing supporters like Sam, we simply wouldn’t be able to provide the services and support we do.”