The debut novel from a visiting lecturer at the University of Chester has been shortlisted for a prestigious literary prize.
The Monster’s Wife written by Kate Horsley, a writing fellow in the department of English, has been shortlisted for the Saltire Scottish First Book of the Year Award. Awarded to both fiction and non-fiction books, the prize seeks to celebrate emerging talent and is open to first-time authors who have not previously been published.
The Monster’s Wife is the first novel for Kate who has had her previous poems and short fiction published in a number of magazines and anthologies. Set in the Orkney Isles, the book is a darkly-wrought answer to the classic Mary Shelley novel, Frankenstein, from the perspective of the bride Victor Frankenstein fashioned for his monster.
Kate, who is currently working on her second novel said: “I was thrilled when my publisher called to tell me I’d been shortlisted for the Saltire First Book Award. I never expected anything like this, so it was a lovely surprise!”
The winner will be announced at a special ceremony in Edinburgh on November 11, 2014.
