An Ayrshire author has celebrated the launch of her debut novel, centred around a reclusive protagonist who hasn’t left her house in 1,214 days.
Surprisingly author Claire Alexander, of Troon, began writing Meredith, Alone six months before the pandemic hit the UK, with her main character Meredith experiencing striking similarities to the world unfolding around Claire in 2020.
The moving story focuses on Meredith’s battle to overcome her issues, make peace with her painful past, and ultimately take brave steps to move forward with her life.
And as Meredith explored the four walls around her, finding ways to occupy her time, author Claire soon found herself stepping into her character’s shoes.
Claire said: “Meredith definitely came before Covid.
“I actually started writing the book in October 2019, long before the pandemic.
“And by the time we went into the first lockdown, I was more than half way through the book.
“It was really bizarre because for months I’d been working on this character and writing about a woman who never left her house, who had to find ways to fill her time, occupy her mind and stay connected to people.
“She did lots of jigsaws, baked, and had online friendships, and then all of sudden I was kind of in that situation.
“And I was like ‘right I better order some jigsaws and bake some cakes’ — it was very bizarre.”
Meredith, Alone navigates the themes of loneliness and finding connection, which Claire says “lots of people can relate to”.
She said: “Even if we do see lots of other people and we’re out in the world, or you might live in a busy household but still be feeling really lonely, and that’s a mental health thing.
“I just wanted to explore those themes and the idea of connection and how we connect to people.”
Between being a busy mum-of-three and working as a freelance writer, Claire managed to squeeze in time to work on her book, including in the gallery at Ayr’s Citadel Leisure Centre, while her eldest swam, or in the carpark.
She said: “I didn’t have anything else demanding my time — like laundry or the other kids — so it was a decent chunk of time to get some words down.
“I think that’s something that all working mums can relate to, just really carving out those moments for yourself, whatever you want to do with them.
Claire held an official book launch in Waterstones on Argyle Street before holding an event closer to home at giftshop The Herbary in Troon.
She praised owner Claire O’Donnell for pulling out all the stops to make the night a success, including having a replica of her book made out of cake.
“I just enjoyed every second,” she said.
“The cake and the window display, Claire just went to so much effort.
“It was really special to do something in Troon. Everyone was just so supportive.
“The feedback from the book has been wonderful.
“Lots of people have contacted me just to tell me how much they’ve connected with the story and how much Meredith has resonated with them.
“That’s what I think every author wants- you want to know that your story has touched them in some way.”
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