Rebecca, who lives in Silsden, Bradford, joined the MA course at Leeds Trinity in September 2022 as a part-time student and is due to graduate in 2024.

Her book, described as a ‘funny, heart-warming and relatable debut’, follows the story of Emily Turner who, after watching a TV programme about the average human realises that she is the average human. The only thing making Emily not average is the fact that she was a twin. Her sister died when they were eight and Emily is convinced that Claire wouldn’t have been average at all. Emily decides to embark on living the kind of life that would have made Claire proud – an extraordinary one.

Rebecca, a former history teacher, now full-time writer alongside her studies said: “When I was 12, I watched a TV programme like the one that Emily does. I remember being fascinated by it. It made me think about the fact that even an average life is a pretty amazing thing and, even as a child, I thought it was a great idea for a book. I wanted to write something that ordinary people could relate to and to highlight that life isn’t about being amazing all the time, living well and authentically in the day to day is what really counts.

“‘I decided to do an MA in Creative Writing because a lot of what I was doing writing-wise was instinctive and I wanted to be able to take a more evidence-based approach. I also wanted to meet other writers, as publishing can be quite London-centric. So far, I’m really enjoying the course. It’s definitely helping me to feel more confident in what I write and I’m learning lots about publishing as an industry too.”

Martyn Bedford, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing and leader of the prose strand of the MA at Leeds Trinity, said: “We’re all delighted for Becs. She’s a shining talent who has only been with us for a few months but is already living the dream of being a published writer. We have a thriving creative writing community at Leeds Trinity, with monthly Open Mic nights, book launches and our annual Writers’ Festival, which provide opportunities to come together and have our work seen and heard. I know we’re all excited to see what will come next for Becs.”

Rebecca’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, is one of the leading general book publishing companies in the UK, with sister companies in the United States, Canada, Australia and India.

Senior Commissioning Editor for Simon & Schuster, Molly Crawford, said: “I’m so thrilled to be publishing Rebecca’s wonderful debut! My (Extra) Ordinary Life is everything you want in an uplifting novel. A characterful and engaging voice, poignant humour, and a compelling and realistic romance. I love that Emily decides she won’t fall in love… because we all know what finds you when you least expect it. But this is also everywoman fiction at its very best, where the protagonist learns to love herself first and then finds love. It ultimately asks what is wrong with an ordinary life lived well and I cannot think of a better message for readers. Rebecca is an exciting new voice in relatable fiction and I can’t wait to launch her career.”

Simon & Schuster acquired UK and Commonwealth Rights for Rebecca’s novel and a second title, due to publish in January 2024, in a three-way auction. German translation rights also sold at auction to Bastei Luebbe.

Published in early January, My (Extra) Ordinary Life is available from bookshops, as well as online.

For more information about the Creative Writing MA course at Leeds Trinity University, visit the website.