Elspeth Stevenson, former Spalding school student, publishes children's fiction book Seal/Girl

A former Spalding High and Grammar School student has published her first fiction book.

Elspeth Stevenson (45), whose parents Angela and John King still live in West Pinchbeck, has written the ecological fantasy story Seal/Girl.

Aimed at children aged 8-12, the book is set in West Cornwall, where Elspeth now lives. It tells the story of 12-year-old Gorran, who has an accident and meets a mysterious girl called Sylvie. She saves his life.

When their paths cross again, Gorran and his two friends Tick and Grace become involved in a much bigger story that reflects current concerns about plastic waste and marine pollution.

"I always loved writing, and had such inspiring English teachers at school who helped keep my passion for books alive in my teen years, when many young people sadly read less," Elspeth explained.

"Drama was a big part of my life at Spalding Grammar School, and it’s because of that I have the confidence to write short plays to use with my pupils in Drama lessons today.

"I studied some Creative Writing at university and taught the A-Level for a while, which re-ignited my interest in writing fiction and creative non-fiction.

"I’d read about self-publishing, but initially thought I’d try and get the book picked up by a small publishing house first. I decided to self-publish when the lockdown hit, as the traditional route is very slow in any case.

"Sending off the manuscript to individual publishers one at a time can take months, and obviously there’s a chance at the end of the process that your book isn’t right for any of them and you’re rejected.

"Reading more about it persuaded me that being an ‘indie author’ is an increasingly popular choice for fiction writers today. I wanted to get my story out there for kids to read during lockdown, even though that meant sporting a lockdown haircut for the book jacket!"

'I always loved writing, and had such inspiring English teachers at school.'

Part of the inspiration for her book comes from a childhood memory.

Elspeth added: "I loved seals as a kid, and remember going to see one hauled out at Surfleet Seas End left a big impression on me.

"The idea of selkies who could transform into humans really captured my imagination. All mermaid and selkie stories have at their heart that idea of the human/animal barrier being crossed, and that feeling we all have that the grass could be greener on another side.

"That’s the story of the Little Mermaid. Seal/Girl has at its heart a relationship between a boy on land and a girl from the sea, but it’s not a romance.

"They’re friends, they have a deep connection, but it’s more about where our ethical responsibilities lie and the sacrifices we might need to make to make our environment a better place."

Married to Doug, and mum to 8-year-old Miles, Elspeth today teaches Media Studies and English to secondary school students.

Over the years, she has co-authored several A-Level text books and GCSE resources.

• Seal/Girl is available on Kindle format and paperback via Amazon.

PREVIOUSLY:

Surfleet school welcomes children's author

Surfleet in the 1950s: Book's author is looking for historic photos for new project

Spalding author charts history of the RAF through the lives of three pilots