Debut novelist, Emily Fairfax*, graduated in the 1980s with a degree in English. Now retired from a long and successful career in teaching, she has just published her first novel, ‘Things Bad Begun’ - a quotation from ‘Macbeth’.

The protagonist, Elaine, narrates her story in a combination of flashbacks to her undergraduate experiences at Lancaster University, alongside a present day narrative, set ten years later. The book begins with a viscerally shocking description of her husband, Fraser’s, final violent attack, in which Elaine is nearly murdered in the living room of her own home.

The book highlights the sadly, all too prevalent issue of domestic abuse which occurs behind the façade of respectability, in homes where the ‘Habitat book cases are full of Shakespeare, Austen and Dickens’, homes where no one would ever guess at the violence and abuse taking place behind neatly painted front doors.

Whilst essentially a work of fiction, the writer’s undergraduate experiences at Lancaster were pivotal and formed the basis for her novel, describing how she met and fell under the influence of an ostensibly charming, well-educated man who went on to become her first husband. Descriptions of her time on and off campus, capture the excitement and expectations of being an undergraduate and living away from home for the first time, but also highlight the dangers inherent in naively accepting things at face value.

“The painful juxtaposition of all that innocent anticipation crashing into the realities of undergraduate life was something which has stayed with me,” says Emily Fairfax. “Starting my degree at Lancaster was like a dream come true. I never wanted to leave the campus! In my book, I wanted to convey how easy it is to be subsumed by unimaginably dark forces when you least expect it, when you are not aware of being manipulated and controlled. Sadly, young women today need to have their wits about them and their eyes wide open.”

Fraser turns out to be far from the delightful, polite and popular man she meets in a Victorian Literature seminar. In reality, he is psychologically deeply damaged and complex, prone to violent mood swings and inexplicable outbursts. This manifests gradually, culminating in the shocking events which finally propel Elaine out of her marriage and to safety.

“I have been astonished and humbled by the response to ‘Things Bad Begun’. It has resonated with so many readers. I hope my story helps and supports other women who find themselves in similarly destructive relationships and gives them the courage to leave. Whilst my book is undoubtedly graphic and harrowing in places, I am thrilled that it has also been praised for being humorous and uplifting. Being told that readers were unable to put my book down is just the best feeling!”