JONATHAN Grant - who created the hugely successful Lovejoy novels - is back in his home town of Bolton tonight.

Grant, who was born John Gash in Bolton, will be appearing at the Octagon talking about his career, his novels and his life as a doctor.

"I still consider Bolton to be my home," he said from his adopted home in an Essex village, "and I love coming back. I still have many relatives there - it's where my roots are."

Jonathan left Bolton at 19 and went to study medicine at the University of London and, like any hard-up student, he decided to take a part-time job.

"I worked at an antique market, just off Petticoat Lane, three days a week. I use the term 'days' very loosely," he says, "because I started work at 2am and usually finished at around 10am. Then I'd go to my classes until the early evening."

It was at the market that Jonathan, 67, discovered a love of antiques and also sowed the seed of Lovejoy in his mind.

"The dealers were a great bunch, very colourful, and I would listen to what they said and file it away in my brain.

"When I came to write the first Lovejoy novel in 1975 I simply remembered everything that had happened on those early morning markets."

After qualifying as a doctor, Jonathan, his wife and three young daughters moved to Hong Kong where he worked for the next four years before returning to Britain.

He continued to write in between working as a doctor and Lovejoy was made into a hugely successful TV series staring Salford-born actor, Ian McShane.

All this and more will be revealed when Jonathan, who was born in York Street and attended St Peter and St Pauls School and Thornleigh College, appears at the Octagon at 7.30pm.