Creative Writing graduate launches debut novel

A York St John University Creative Writing graduate is celebrating after landing a book deal and launching her debut novel.

Nuala Casey studied an MA in Creative Writing whilst putting the final touches to 'Soho, 4am', a novel she began writing in her twenties whilst living in London. 'Soho, 4am' is a psychological thriller set in the 24 hours between London winning the Olympic bid and the horrors of 7/7. It follows the stories of four different characters whose lives are set to unravel as the night progresses.

Nuala, who was working as a copywriter, had reached a crossroads in her life when she decided to take an MA in Creative Writing. She said:

"I decided that it was now or never and if I was going to write my novel I would need deadlines and discipline. I started looking into MA courses in Creative Writing and as we had just moved to York, the course at York St John was ideal. The MA prepared me for life as a professional writer, one where you must write each day and not wait around for some elusive muse to strike. The MA also gives you deadlines to work to. This helps whatever career you want to go on to – novelist, journalist copywriter, tutor – all of these roles require delivering high quality work to a deadline.

During her time studying for her MA she secured the support of a literary agent and subsequently signed a two-book deal with Quercus. Nuala added:

"York is a great city with a really healthy literary scene. The York Literary Festival takes place once a year and attracts some really interesting writers and speakers - a lot of these events take place at York St John."

For more information on the MA in Creative Writing and postgraduate study at York St John University, please visit the Postgraduate section on our website.