Noëlle Harrison is a first-year part-time student on the MA, but that hasn't stopped her getting a novel published by Edinburgh imprint Black and White. The Gravity of Love [due out May 24th] is a tale about love, loss and the search for answers, moving between the Swinging Sixties in London and late 1980s life in Arizona and Ireland.
This isn't Noëlle's first published novel, but she joined the Creative Writing MA at Edinburgh Napier to challenge herself creatively. 'This book was written before I joined the course, but I changed the last chapter after taking the First Person Narrative.'
Author Sandra Ireland described The Gravity of Love as 'a vivid, gripping tale of family secrets and lost love', while writer Liz Nugent says 'Noëlle Harrison connects her beautifully drawn characters and weaves them into a story that entangled, enchanted and entranced this reader' - high praise!
The First Person Narrative module also proved fruitful for full-time student Vicki Ridley. She used feedback to revise a short story she wrote for that class, and entered it into the prestigious Margery Allingham Short Story Competition. Run by the Crime Writers' Association, this contest attracts hundreds of entries from around the world, many by published authors.
Vicki's story Dead Coral was one of twelve longlisted from all the 2018 entries - not bad for a module assessment! 'It's a huge honour,' Vicki said on Twitter when the final twelve were announced, 'I am so excited!'
Alas, Vicki's tale of a murderous diving trip didn't make the shortlist but getting on the longlist is a notable achievement for someone still completing their Masters in Creative Writing. We can't wait to read what nefarious narratives Vicki and all our other talented students write next!
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