Rachel Hubbard

I have always written stories. As a child, I filled exercise books with tales written in felt-tip pen. In those days, I used to illustrate my own books.

For me, it is always about the narrative. I want you hooked. I want you to be unable to stop reading. The ultimate compliment is for a reader to find my stories compelling. If I make you laugh or unsettle you in the process - even better.

I grew up reading a lot about the paranormal and ghost stories were my particular favourite even though I used to give myself nightmares. Sane and perfectly rational adults claim to have seen a ghost. In Cambridge where I live, the highly respected scientist, Dr Tony Cornell, became one of the leading lights in the field of parapsychology and was instrumental in setting up the Society for Psychical Research. However, others believe that those of us who see things or hear voices are deluded. Like many writers, I love ambiguity and most of my stories pivot around the question of whether my characters are in touch with something beyond the physical realm or whether they are fooling themselves.

Social realism is another strong focus for me. My characters are struggling to find a foothold in a world which is not always kind to them.

My ambition as a writer is to write the book I would have loved to have read as a young person. If my stories speak to you, then I am overjoyed!