THE daughter of Heartbeat author Peter Walker has won recognition of her skills as a writer and film producer.

Tricia Walker, who grew up in Ampleforth and went to school at York’s Bar Convent, received a special award for Outstanding Achievement at the Nat West-sponsored Venus Women Awards which recognise the achievement of women in business.

Tricia’s award was given in recognition of her work “as an author and producer on the forthcoming film of her acclaimed novel Benedict’s Brother”.

Tricia, 49, originally published Benedict’s Brother as an internet blog. The book tells the story of a woman who discover’s her uncle’s past as a Japanese prisoner-of-war before making a journey to meet her long-lost brother, a Buddhist monk in Thailand. It was subsequently published by Coppice.

It made the top three in Publishing News’s “book of the year”, and is now in development as a film. Hollywood stars Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan are said to be among the cast.

“The Venus Award was very unexpected,” said Tricia, who now lives in Dorset.

“It is a tremendously exciting time as we head towards filming next year – especially as we plan to be shooting the opening scenes in Yorkshire.”

Tricia’s father Peter, from Ampleforth, wrote the Constable books on which the TV series Heartbeat is based.