Author Event: Martin Fitzgerald: the Umbrella Man and other stories - Mansfield Central Library

Martin will share the stories of accidental witnesses to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dealey Plaza on 22 November 1963, revealing the research behind his book and how fleeting moments shape history.

Discover the man with the umbrella, the mysterious Babushka Lady and others whose lives became tied to six seconds in Dallas. 

Adult Event

Martin Fitzgerald is an author and screenwriter from London, now based in Nottingham. His first book, Ruth and Martin’s Album Club (2017), was a collection of essays on classic albums written by celebrities upon hearing them for the first time. In 2020, he wrote his first screenplay, Campbeltown ’69, which focuses on Paul and Linda McCartney during the break-up of the Beatles.  

Martin’s particular interest is taking well-worn stories, approaching them from a new angle and finding the comedy and absurdity within them. The Umbrella Man and Other Stories was published in April 2026.