Huddersfield graduate publishes first novel

I was always passionate about English Literature and loved reading and writing at school. It was the natural choice for me to study a subject I excelled at and once I achieved my First Class honours at undergraduate level, I pursued Master's study after being awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship. I chose Creative Writing as I was eager to get started with my lifelong dream of writing a novel. This then progressed onto PhD study where I finished working on what became my first novel - The Family Tree.

It’s a big jump going from undergraduate to postgraduate

Both of my postgraduate degrees were research degrees which meant no taught lessons. You work on a project that is solely your own which means independent working almost all the time. The experience can be rather isolating so it is important to seek out opportunities to collaborate with your peers and meet with your supervisor regularly.

Getting my novel published

I attended a publishing panel at the Bradford Literature Festival in 2017. A senior figure from HarperCollins was in attendance and I had the opportunity to chat with her at the end of the event. She was very interested in reading my book so I sent it to her the next day. Luckily, I had just finished editing the novel with my supervisor at uni so the timing was perfect. I received an email a few weeks later saying that she loved my book and wanted to be my publisher!

What’s happening now

The Family Tree was published in February 2020, just before bookshops closed due to Covid-19. Although much of the planned promotion either became virtual or was cancelled altogether, I’m pleased with how well the book has done. I’m currently writing my second novel. I’m also going to start teaching Creative Writing to first years this term at the University of Huddersfield which feels really special as it wasn’t that long ago that I was in the same position as them.

Interested in writing a novel?

Choose an idea you are really passionate about because you will be working on it for years to come! From writing first drafts to structural edits to rewrites with your publisher, be prepared to be in it for the long haul. Also, don’t feel as though you have to write about a certain subject in a certain way. The choice is yours to be as experimental and as bold as you want to be. Writing should be a liberating experience.

My favourite places in Huddersfield

A great place to think about what you want to write about is a local cafe and my favourite cafes in Huddersfield are definitely Northern Teahouse and Choosy’s. Also check out Med One for delicious Lebanese food.

Are you a Huddersfield graduate?

Why not join the University of Huddersfield's Alumni LinkedIn page. Find out more about the benefits of joining here: University of Huddersfield Alumni Society

Are you interested in postgraduate study?

Join us at our Postgraduate Study Fair for more information, ask any questions, and chat to current postgraduate students.

Interested in the Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship?

Take a look at Tabassum's blog about applying for this scholarship: How to apply for a Vice-Chancellor's scholarship