A DROITWICH author has launched her first novella based on her experiences as a young mum.
Sarah Leavesley was inspired to start writing ‘Kaleidoscope’, a story about an over-pressured young mum coming to terms with loss and heartbreak, after the birth of her eldest son James in 2003.
After years of research, writing and editing, the manuscript was shortlisted in the Gatehouse Press New Fictions Prize in 2015 and then accepted for publication with Mantle Lane Press.
The mum-of-two, who is also an award-winning poet and was secretary of Droitwich Arts Network in 2011 for four years, said: “This was a hard story to write as I suffered from depression after the birth of both my sons and the story features some of my own worst fears as a young mum.
“I also wanted to create a fictional work of beauty and understanding from some of the real-life pain I’d watched others go through.
“Short novellas are an unusual length to find a publisher for, so I was absolutely delighted when I heard that Mantle Lane wanted to publish it, it felt like a lucky, kaleidoscopic, twist of fate.”
Visit www.mantlelanepress.co.uk/product/kaleidoscope to purchase the book directly from the publisher Mantle Lane Press.
