Tinder profile for Portsmouth author's new book is more popular than him

AUTHOR Ben Aitken has seen success on a dating app – after setting up a profile for his new book.
Ben Aitken has witten a book about his year in Poland which is more popular than he is on Tinder. Pictured in Fratton.     Picture: Chris Moorhouse .       (210719-46)Ben Aitken has witten a book about his year in Poland which is more popular than he is on Tinder. Pictured in Fratton.     Picture: Chris Moorhouse .       (210719-46)
Ben Aitken has witten a book about his year in Poland which is more popular than he is on Tinder. Pictured in Fratton. Picture: Chris Moorhouse . (210719-46)

The 33-year-old, from Clive Road, Fratton, penned A Chip Shop In Poznan, writing about his experiences living in Poland for a year.

But without a big publisher behind him, he decided to advertise his new book on Tinder under the name ‘Will Read’ – and was amazed when he found himself striking up conversations about reading with seemingly endless women.

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The book tells readers about Ben's experiences of life in Poznan, Poland, where he spent a year working at a chip shop for minimum wage.

Ben Aitken has witten a book about his year in Poland which is more popular than he is on Tinder. Pictured in Fratton.     Picture: Chris Moorhouse .       (210719-45)Ben Aitken has witten a book about his year in Poland which is more popular than he is on Tinder. Pictured in Fratton.     Picture: Chris Moorhouse .       (210719-45)
Ben Aitken has witten a book about his year in Poland which is more popular than he is on Tinder. Pictured in Fratton. Picture: Chris Moorhouse . (210719-45)

Ben said he wants the book to get people thinking differently about Poland.

Selling his book both in Portsmouth and on Amazon, Ben said he wanted to ‘think outside the box’.

He just expected a couple of chats with women about his new book.

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But the response he actually got was far greater than that – with a stream of women swiping right.

Ben Aitken has witten a book about his year in Poland which is more popular than he is on Tinder. Pictured in Fratton.     Picture: Chris Moorhouse.       (210719-47)Ben Aitken has witten a book about his year in Poland which is more popular than he is on Tinder. Pictured in Fratton.     Picture: Chris Moorhouse.       (210719-47)
Ben Aitken has witten a book about his year in Poland which is more popular than he is on Tinder. Pictured in Fratton. Picture: Chris Moorhouse. (210719-47)

‘It was meant to just be a bit of fun to meet new readers,’ he said.

‘But I ended up speaking to loads of women – staying in character the entire time – and a few of them ended up buying the book.

‘Will Read is more successful with the ladies than I am, as it turns out.’

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Ben travelled to Poland in 2016 to find out why Poles were leaving the country, and ended up making firm friends.

Ben Aitken's Tinder profile for Will Read. Picture: Ben AitkenBen Aitken's Tinder profile for Will Read. Picture: Ben Aitken
Ben Aitken's Tinder profile for Will Read. Picture: Ben Aitken

Single Ben said: ‘I wanted to make the most of having free movement before Brexit, and wanted to feel as out of place as some Polish people must do when they move to the UK.

‘One of the things that struck me was the beauty of Poznan – it was a gorgeous town, so vibrant.

‘I kept a diary while I was out there, keeping track of life in a minimum wage job to the colourful political climate of the time.’

The book is available at Waterstones in Portsmouth and Chichester, as well as on Amazon.

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