MA Creative Writing graduates continue publication success

Published: 6 February 2020 at 11:51

Paul Linggood to release debut novel; Guin Glasfurd publishes her second

Congratulations to MA Creative Writing graduate Paul Linggood (pictured), whose debut novel Just a Small Town will be published later this year.

The book is about four young people trying to survive in the declining town in which they grew up. Though a fictional tale, it is inspired by events in Paul's own life which, after he dropped out of school at age 16, took him to the 'dark side' described in the story.

Thankfully, Paul’s own story took a happier turn. Having completed the BA English Literature at ARU, he then went on to the MA Creative Writing, where he found an outlet for his past in the form of this novel.

Speaking about his time on the course, Paul said: "The uni was brilliant and I owe all my development to them. The workshops were very helpful; receiving criticism and taking positives from it is very important on the road to publication as there are many setbacks and rejections."

We look forward to reading Paul’s book later in the year when it is published by Hookline Books.

Meanwhile, Guin Glasfurd has just released her second book, which is already receiving impressive reviews on both Amazon and GoodReads.

The Year Without Summer is about the 1816 supervolcanic eruption in Indonesia that led to famine, poverty and riots. A story of the cultural and personal effects of the eruption, it follows six people in different parts of the world as they come to terms with the fallout from the disaster, including ship surgeon Henry Hogg, writer Mary Shelley and painter John Constable.

Published by John Murray Press, the book is available now in hardback, paperback and ebook formats.