We are delighted to announce that we have chosen the winner of our Daily Mail First Novel Competition — and entrants will be relieved to hear that, unlike the Booker prize, the judges’ decision was unanimous.
Thousands of you submitted a synopsis and first chapter for consideration, and we were hugely impressed by the breadth of talent and imagination.
Our winner is Louise Morrish, 45, a secondary school librarian from Alton in Hampshire. She says she owes her success to her late grandmother, Betty, who not only taught Louise to read, but also inspired the main character in her novel.
‘I didn’t have the best time when I was at school,’ says Louise. ‘Academically I did well, but socially it was difficult for me, so books were a form of escape.
Louise Morrish, 45, (pictured) from Hampshire, revealed the inspiration behind her novel that won her the Daily Mail First Novel Competition
‘I’m very lucky because at the school where I now work, reading time is built into the curriculum. Our library is designed to be a relaxing space to give you a break from social media. You can sink into a beanbag with a book and forget screens.’
Louise wins a £20,000 advance, a publishing contract with Penguin Random House and the services of leading literary agent Luigi Bonomi.
Her novel, The Coffin Club, is a wonderfully complex story about wartime memories, ghosts, old age, ambition, secrets and murder.
It follows the story of Betty Shepherd, 110, and her carer, Tally, as the secrets of Betty’s past catch up with her and the other members of the Coffin Club, a group where everyone is over 100 years old.
Louise says: ‘The inspiration came partly from my mum, who told me about a club in New Zealand where people got together to talk about death and make plans for their funerals — including designing their own coffins.
‘But my grandmother also played a part in this book. She lived through two world wars — I was doing some research into the period she talked about and discovered lots of incredible stories about the Special Operations Executive, a secret organisation that operated in World War II.
‘I started to think my centenarian could have a secret past in the SOE that she had never told anyone about. That’s why I named my main character Betty Shepherd, after my grandmother. ’
Mother-of-three Louise (pictured) who has been writing for 20 years, revealed she hopes to use her £20,000 prize to help her eldest son at medical school
Louise is married to Darren, an English teacher and songwriter, and they have three children: Andrew, 19, and 16-year-old twins Ellen and William.
Louise squeezes her writing in to what little time she has left between work and her sports routine, which includes endurance running, kickboxing and touch rugby.
‘I’ve been writing for 20 years, but more seriously for the past ten,’ she says. ‘I signed up for an online writers’ course with the Faber Academy and that was a big step.
‘The group all made comments and suggestions. It makes you feel quite vulnerable, but it is incredible how supportive everyone was and how helpful I found it. I am so thrilled to have won this competition, but I have no illusions about how hard it is to make a proper living out of writing. I know I’ll keep working part-time at my job, which I absolutely love.’
And as for that £20,000 prize? Louise’s eldest son, Andrew, is in his second year of medical school in London, which is very expensive, so she’s hoping to help him out.
And the family has always longed to see the Northern Lights.
‘It’s been on my bucket list, so now perhaps we could all go.’
Literary agent Luigi Bonomi, says she fell in love with Louise’s (pictured) character Betty, the moment that she first read about her
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
Selina Walker
Publisher, Century and Arrow
The Coffin Club really stood out. I loved 110-year-old Betty, who is sympathetic, believable and funny. The book is original, warm and just a little sad. I can’t wait to read the full novel.
Luigi Bonomi
Literary agent
I fell in love with Betty the moment I first read about her. People who played an important role in her life come back to her in hallucinations, and secrets that she has long kept hidden might soon be unravelled.
Peter James
Bestselling author
This is a highly original and very compelling story. Profound, funny and sad, it unflinchingly addresses a challenging issue of our modern, changing world.
I loved it.
Fern Britton
TV presenter and author
I am delighted that The Coffin Club has won. Louise Morrish delves into the taboo of death in a truly original, heartfelt and human way.
Sandra Parsons
Daily Mail Literary Editor
I was immediately pulled in by Betty, who is old but not past it. The sudden appearance of her former security instructor is as entertaining as it is unexpected, and there are delicious undercurrents of secrecy and menace.