Murder and mystery at FOUNDRY, as author takes up residence

Alexandra Benedict has taken up residence in FOUNDRY in The Beacon, Eastbourne. She finds the atmosphere and location perfect for her thought-process and creative writing.

“FOUNDRY is a fabulous place to work,” Alexandra explained. “I find a quiet space, put my headphones on and focus on writing. But if I want a break, there are comfy sofas, good coffee, and friendly faces.”

Alexandra was born and raised in the Poole area of Dorset, so is watching with interest the growth of FOUNDRY’s second work and retail hub in Poole.

“I have fond memories of Poole and the surrounding countryside,” Alexandra said. “It’s a beautiful place to open a new Foundry site. I bet Poole Foundry will be brilliant for local businesses and freelancers.”

Alexandra is an award-winning writer of short stories, novels, and scripts, but took a rather circuitous route into the profession.

“I read English at Cambridge, then studied Creative Writing at the University of Sussex, but didn’t go straight into the world of writing,” Alexandra explained. “I was a rock singer, an actor, a clown, a composer and a university lecturer, before moving into full-time writing.”

Writing as A K Benedict, her debut novel, The Beauty of Murder (Orion), was nominated for the eDunnit Award, and The Evidence of Ghosts (Orion), and The Stone House (BBC Books) were published in 2016 to widespread acclaim.

Many of her radio dramas are within the Doctor Who universe, one of which, The Calendar Man, won the Scribe Award 2019 with her 6th Doctor story, The Lost Resort also nominated in 2022.

Her adaptation, co-written with Guy Adams, of Children of the Stones for BBC Sounds/Radio 4 was shortlisted for the BBC Audio Drama Podcast Award 2020.

As Alexandra Benedict, she writes bestselling Golden Age-inspired mysteries with a darker, contemporary edge that have been featured as Independent Booksellers’ Book of the Month and been nominated for a Gold Dagger Award.

Alexandra is putting her time at FOUNDRY to great use and is working on her latest book,

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders (Simon & Schuster). “It’ll be published in hardback on November 9th,” Alexandra said. “It’s Christmas come early!”

Alexandra lives in Eastbourne with writer, Guy Adams, their daughter, Verity, and dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.