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It’s 1556. Perotine is abandoned, faithful – and on trial for heresy.
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Perotine – a forthcoming novel
It’s 1556. Perotine is abandoned, faithful – and on trial for heresy.
Coming Soon – a powerful new novel, inspired by the true story of The Guernsey Martyrs.
Why Perotine?
In the mid-1990s, I was studying for a PhD (that I have yet to finish). The topic was the representation of witchcraft in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama. Although The Guernsey Martyrs were not witches, and their prosecution happened a few years earlier, I came across an image of them. I was struck by the pain and cruelty of their story.
Being from the Channel Islands myself, I was amazed I hadn’t heard the tale before (and still, to this day, the vast majority of those I speak to are unaware).
And so the story of these women – Perotine, Guillemine, and Catherine – has stayed with me ever since.
(image: Engraving of the Guernsey Martyrs from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs)
The Process
Writing this novel was not easy. Having only ever written contemporary or at least twentieth-century work, this was a leap that landed me far outside my comfort zone. I was unfamiliar with the Marian Persecutions. I had never written something inspired by ‘real’ people. Even stylistically, I had a lot to learn. And so I waited until I had completed other novels before attempting something so mammoth.
I knew I would need to immerse myself in the story in order to do it justice. In early 2023, I applied for a development grant from ArtHouse Jersey (Jersey Arts’ Trust), which enabled me to visit Guernsey and the site of many events, plus the archives and local historical library. Subsequently, I have travelled back to the island several times. I now feel connected to the women and their home in a real and visceral way.
Along the way, the story has morphed from a dual narrative to Perotine’s story alone, and I have re-drafted more than any other book I’ve produced.
Now, it’s getting closer to publication. And I can’t wait to share their story with others.
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I was interviewed by the Jersey Evening Post! If you’d like to read more about Perotine and my writing process, you can find an article here.
I spoke about the novel and the process at the Jersey Festival of Words in September 2026.
Perotine was a top ten finalist in the Marlowe and Christie Unpublished Novel Prize. Click here to visit the website.
(image: On-site research in Guernsey)
And Then She Fell
Ten tall stories. One cruel truth.
