He is the author of four widely acclaimed novels for adults and children, mainly centering on the countryside of Dorset in southwest England.
In the course of his life, Norman has lived and worked in Greece as an olive farmer, been features Editor of the English-language Turkish Daily News in Ankara, taught in several universities, and served as a consultant on missions for several United Nations agencies examining agriculture and economic development.
[2] Albion’s Dream, first published in 1990, tells the story of a 12-year-old schoolboy and his cousin who find a home-made boardgame in a farmhouse cupboard.
Tree-Time, 1997, is a fantasy novel for younger children about a night that happens once every century when trees come to life and walk around while the world sleeps.
The story builds up to a shattering tragic climax on the eve of All Saints' Day, at Dorset's famous prehistoric monument Giant Hill at Cerne Abbas.