A creative writing course that changed everything

Your book is not a standard crime novel - what makes it different?

I have always been fascinated by characters on the margins of crime genre, the witnesses who see it happen, the dog walker who finds the corpse. What happens next? Are their lives destroyed by random chance? Although A Bad Bad Place has many conventions of crime fiction - red herrings, withheld information, suspects – I hope it is the characters who stand out. Janey and Maggie have both suffered trauma and loss, they live in a violent and unstable world, but it is the support and love they have for each other which is at the heart of the novel.

It's set in a Glasgow scheme, places that often have a bad reputation, what's your take on them?

A Bad Bad Place is set in Possilpark where I grew up, and I wanted to show that even in the most deprived, notoriously crime ridden communities, there are good people who look after each other. Behind the statistics and negative press, these areas are supportive and resilient, and filled with humour. I hope I have captured these special qualities in the book.

This is your first novel, when did you start writing?

Because of a long-term illness, I hadn’t worked for some time, and I decided to study as a way of building self-confidence. After hunting for scholarships, I began a Creative Writing Masters at Glasgow Uni and graduated in 2022. I chose creative writing because I love reading and had enjoyed an Open University writing course. I had no ambitions to write crime fiction, or even a novel, but was lucky enough to be taught by leading Scottish author Lousie Welsh. It was when Louise kindly suggested my short assignment was strong enough to sustain a novel that my path was set.

Has a two-book deal with Penguin made a difference to your life?

At 64, getting a book deal was completely unexpected, I truly believed that only a dozen people would read the novel. Being able to sign off benefits and to treat my lovely family has felt like a wonderful, and very surreal, dream! I’ve recently started treatment with a new immunosuppressant drug which has improved my health too, so this period of my life is much more exciting than I ever planned! It’s a very privileged position to be in, and I will always be grateful.

It's the National Year of Reading - what's a book you would recommend to others?

I love a novel where an ordinary life is made to shine, and Seascraper by Benjamin Wood is a great example. Tom Flett is a shrimp fisherman who longs to escape mundane work for more exciting horizons, and Wood’s sparse prose and authentic dialect make this a very special read. Deserved all the prizes.

See Frances at the festival on Sunday 4 October.