Congratulations on winning the Debut Novel category in the East Anglian Book Awards! Tell us a little about your journey from practicing writer to published debut novelist.

I began writing seriously after I retired, proving it’s never too late to start! My novel, Silver Harvest, is a historical story and family saga set in Lowestoft, Suffolk. I studied the town’s history while learning the craft of fiction; the setting deeply influenced my characters, and the interplay between the two drove the plot. My process is simple: I type and allow ideas to flow, then return later to edit and refine. I believe honest feedback is invaluable, so I shared drafts with other writers and local historians, and also hired a professional editor. Though I initially offered the manuscript to agents without success, the first small, independent publisher I approached accepted it. I recommend that new authors consider taking that route.

How have courses and resources from NCW and beyond helped you to reach this point? What has been the impact for you of connecting with other writers through learning? 

The National Centre for Writing was the single best resource I found as an aspiring writer. I enrolled in several courses led by Ian Nettleton, a knowledgeable and encouraging tutor. While writing can often feel like a solitary pursuit, the NCW courses provide a brilliant way to learn new techniques and engage with a creative community. Working in a group helps generate fresh ideas and provides the necessary support to move past the hurdle of sharing your work – an essential step for any writer’s development. A writers’ group emerged from those classes, becoming a source of both inspiration and friendship. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the NCW on my doorstep, but the centre also offers fantastic online courses for those living further afield.

Your novel Silver Harvest was published by Story Machine, a local independent publisher. Could you tell us a bit about the process of working with them and what you’ve learned? 

Securing a publishing offer is just the start of the next stage. You have to let go of the idea that your accepted manuscript is the finished product—it is still very much a work in progress. My relationship with my publisher was primarily editorial, involving a back-and-forth dialogue to achieve the most polished version of the book.

It’s important to remember that your book isn’t the publisher’s only project, so patience and flexibility are essential. With the editorial complete, Story Machine handled the production and distribution, but wait – you’re not done yet! Take off your writer’s hat and put on your marketing hat. Visibility is the key to success. In a market competing with thousands of other titles and big-budget houses, you have to be proactive: contact booksellers, offer presentations, seek out interviews, and stay active on social media.

You currently live in Norwich, having been born and raised in Lowestoft. How does the East Anglian landscape inform your writing? Tell us a little about the inspiration you’ve found here.

I grew up during a time when Lowestoft was vibrant and successful, and I have a strong, emotional bond with my home. The town has a genuinely interesting history, rising from a nondescript community of some 4000 inhabitants in the early nineteenth century, to become one of the premier ports and resorts along the East Coast by the Edwardian era. I became fascinated by that huge transformation and how it must have affected local lives. The sea is a primal force that shapes both geography and the livelihoods of those on the coast. It is a source of sustenance and peril. People must work with it: building ships, sea walls, and harbours; creating promenades and piers and hotels; going out on voyages to fish and to trade, but they must also endure the unpredictable hazards of storms and floods, which can change everything overnight. Ultimately, Silver Harvest became a story of a family swept along by the forces of ambition and survival.

Can you tell us what’s next for you? Are you currently working on a new project?

I am writing the sequel to Silver Harvest, picking up from where it left off in the 1950s. The narrative is told through the lives of the same family who were the focus of the original, exploring how three generations navigate the social and economic shifts of the 1960s and beyond, when social attitudes changed, youth culture developed, and relationships between old and young, men and women, were in transition. The sea, as unpredictable as ever, continues to influence events, challenging the town’s core industries of fishing and tourism. The manuscript is still in its early stages, and nothing is set until the final full stop but the main thing for me as a writer is to enjoy the creative journey.