Mackem novel canters onto bookshelves

A North East writer is celebrating the release of a new novel that captures the grit, humour and heart of life growing up in Sunderland.

Sunderland-born author Nicky Moon has published Ponies on the Riviera, a debut novel set entirely on Wearside and written in the city’s unmistakable Mackem dialect. 

Spanning 25 years, the story follows Paula, a girl navigating poverty, family pressures and the realities of post-industrial Britain while clinging to her dreams and her love of horses.

The book charts Paula’s coming-of-age from the late 1970s to the early 2000s, mirroring Sunderland’s own journey through hardship and regeneration. 

From Roker Beach to council estates and surrounding countryside, the novel pays tribute to the city’s landscapes, language and resilient spirit.

Nicky, who grew up in Grindon, drew heavily on the region’s character and identity to create an authentic portrait of Wearside life. 

The cover artwork, designed by the author herself, also references her grandparents’ family home where she spent much of her childhood. 

Nicky, who is a science writer by day, said: “This book isn’t just set in Sunderland – it’s born of it. 

“The characters speak the way we speak; they see the world the way we see it.

“Ponies on the Riviera is a love letter to the people who make the place what it is today. 

“The book explores how working-class women have limited choices, yet they are fierce, resourceful and loyal. 

“So, after 25 years of living ‘down South’, I decided to put pen to paper and write this epic Mackem novel while weeping into my Villa Sasp!”

Ponies on the Riviera is available now.

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