Q&A: author and Selfies Award winner Jason Mann

What inspired The Echoing Shore?

'I've swum and surfed in Cornwall most of my life, but the biggest inspiration has been the epic tales of lifeboat rescues and tragedies. These stories have fascinated me since I became a shore-based volunteer for the lifeboat service. Hundreds of lifeboat crew have lost their lives going to the aid of stricken vessels. Cornwall has been hit hard with fatalities at stations in Newquay, Padstow, St Ives and Mousehole. I wanted my story to bring out not only the raw majesty and beauty of Cornwall but also the deprivations that persist in rural areas and small coastal towns.