Katheryn's novel is a real page turner

A WARRINGTON student who says she can’t imagine a life without books has had her first novel published.
Katheryn Thompson, who has just completed five AS Levels at Priestley College, wrote “Brown Leather Shoes” when she was just 15.
Her 217-page thriller impressed several publishers but it was Book Guild Publishing that backed it and it is available via Amazon, Waterstones and the Guardian Bookshop.
“It’s all very surreal at the moment,” said Katheryn, who is now just 17.
“It didn’t seem real, but each time I tell someone the reaction is incredible and it makes me realise what has actually happened.”
The novel took Katheryn less than a year to write while she was studying for her GCSEs at Penketh High School.
It tells the story of Superintendent Andrew Arling who wakes in his living room to find he can move his head, but the rest of his body is fixed to the armchair.
He is actually in a coma after being attacked and the twists and turns of the story play out in his mind as
well as through the investigations of his daughter who is also trying to solve the crime.
“I’ve always had a vivid imagination and a passion for reading and writing, so I often get ideas for stories, some of which I might start writing until I exhaust the idea and then I’ll just get rid of it,” said Katheryn.
“When I got the idea for ‘Brown Leather Shoes’ I started writing and I got hooked. I found myself planning, editing, and writing whenever I had the time, as it was just a way for me to relax.”
English teacher Hazel Norman recommended that Katheryn send her story to publishers and she did, receiving a positive response from several of them.
Now the book is available to buy as a paperback or e-book. For Katheryn, a steward at Penketh Methodist Church, it could be the start of an unexpected chapter in her life.
“I am already working on the sequel,” she said. “I like the characters and an idea came to me straight away about what I would like to do with them.”
Katheryn, is studying English Language, English Literature, Law, History and Maths and is also a part-time receptionist for Kumon in Warrington.
She is also working towards her Grade 6 flute, is learning Latin and is on Priestley College’s graduate course which prepares high-flying students for life at the UK’s top universities.
Ann White, head of English at Priestley, said: “It is incredibly inspiring for the other students to hear about Katheryn’s success.
“We hope she will be speaking to some of our first years about what she has achieved and how she went about having her novel published.”
Katheryn, who lives in Penketh, added: “I’ve just finished my AS exams at college and, fingers crossed, I would like to continue at Priestley next year, and then go on to university to read Classics and English.
“English literature is my passion, and I couldn’t imagine a future that wasn’t filled with books. I definitely hope to keep writing.”
Picture: Katheryn Thompson with her new novel.