Recent graduate publishes debut dystopian thriller following completion of Creative Writing MA
English Literature and Creative Writing alumna Sally Grey has recently celebrated the publication of her first novel, Fertile Ground, a story that began life on campus while Sally was completing her Master’s.
22 February 2024
We caught up with Sally to find out more about the inspiration behind Fertile Ground and her experience of studying at Newcastle University.
Congratulations on the publication of your first book, Sally! Can you tell us a bit about Fertile Ground and how this endeavour began?
I started writing Fertile Ground as part of my MA at Newcastle University. Having completed my English Literature undergrad at Newcastle, it was a no brainer for me to continue there when I had decided to focus on Creative Writing – it helped too that the course was ranked joint first in the country at the time!
I knew I wanted to write something that featured a strong, female-led perspective and incorporate themes around motherhood, fertility and the natural world – all subjects that fascinate me.
I was studying during the COVID-19 pandemic and there was a lot of discussion around overpopulation and extremist views around bodily autonomy. These views have seeped into the story too (such as the cult-like group #stopoverpopulation my main character meets) along with the more recent news of the overturning of Roe vs. Wade in America. It made me think about the terrifying situation we find ourselves in, as women, when the ability to decide what happens to our own bodies can be taken away from us by those people currently in power.
That sounds fascinating! What made you want to be a writer?
My parents and my older sister instilled a love of reading in me going back to my early years and when I began to write silly short stories as a kid, they were my biggest cheerleaders.
English Literature was always my favourite subject at school, and I knew I wanted to write for a living. I am endlessly inspired by Margaret Atwood’s work – both the way in which she is able to craft worlds and also her writing style. I also love a murder mystery and count Agatha Christie, Tana French and Donna Tartt as strong inspirational influences.
Closer to home, I was also inspired by my dissertation adviser, Professor Preti Taneja. It was during Preti’s module that I first formulated the idea for Fertile Ground and her encouragement gave me the confidence to continue writing about these characters after I finished my MA.
That’s lovely to hear. Can you tell us a bit about the process of writing Fertile Ground alongside studying for your MA during the pandemic?
Studying for my Master’s was very different to my undergraduate experience at Newcastle, as the entire course was delivered from home. I moved back home to the North Yorkshire countryside and this area ultimately inspired the setting for my novel. However, the social aspects of the MA group were still strong, and it was lovely to actually meet everyone in person at the graduation!
I don’t tend to do a lot of intensive plot work or character mapping at first – this stage usually comes later for me. Initially, I start to work from a simple image or idea, such as the image of the pheasant bobbing across my parents’ garden, who I would watch from the window while writing at my desk!
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Usually, my characters will arrive in my head almost fully formed with their names, opinions and appearances already pinned down. I then sit and ‘chat’ with my characters, placing them in different situations and writing about their reactions. From this exercise, a story begins to form.
I can feel when a story has potential when I feel almost compelled to carve out time to write. I tend to write in long bursts of a few hours at a time, following these intense periods with shorter moments of proofing and editing. I’m sometimes so consumed by my writing that hours can go by without me realising – this was definitely the experience I had when writing Fertile Ground.
I love that your garden pheasant has a cameo! Do you have any plans for future stories?
I’m working on a number of short stories and some longer-form ideas at the moment. I feel as though I’ve always got ideas bubbling away in the background! I do also have a novel-length piece that follows on from Clem’s story in Fertile Ground – focusing on the same family but set years in the future. It also features lots of new characters and is far more dystopian in atmosphere and setting than Fertile Ground.
What was your university experience like pre-pandemic?
When I visited Newcastle University for an open day, I knew instantly this was the university for me! I realised Newcastle combined the buzz of city life with a thriving yet peaceful main campus – the best of both worlds.
My Mam also went to Newcastle University to study law as an undergraduate. It was lovely to know I was sitting in some of the same lecture halls and enjoying the same cafés and restaurants as she did at my age.
During my undergraduate degree I lived in both student halls and shared student houses – my favourite house was on Fern Avenue in Jesmond where I lived with my best friend. I was also a part of the Baking Society and the A Cappella Society, where I met some of my closest friends who I still see today!
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What were the stand-out moments from your student days at Newcastle?
I particularly enjoyed the feminist modules that I studied with Dr Stacey Gillis and the historical literature modules with Dr Leanne Stokoe. Leanne later became my dissertation supervisor and encouraged my idea to write about one of my favourite novels, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
The biggest stand-out moments for me though, were the completion of my undergraduate dissertation, gaining the confidence to read out my creative writing in a seminar setting and receiving positive feedback on my creative pieces from both lecturers and my fellow students. I also have some amazing memories exploring the city and enjoying nights out with friends.
How can your fellow graduates buy your book and find out more?
You can buy my book online from Waterstones, WHSmiths, Blackwell’s and Amazon, as well as The Book Guild website. I’m also stocked in a number of local stores, including the Waterstones Northallerton and Yarm stores.
Please also follow me on Instagram: @sallygreyauthor. I’ll be posting more updates about Fertile Ground as well as book reviews and thoughts about reading and writing.
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