CHERRY BURROUGHS

I started writing when I was in my teenage years. I kept a daily journal, wrote short stories and some poetry. Those early years instilled a writing habit which has remained with me, and I write something creative every day, even if it is only a line or two. I am an avid reader of all types of fiction which provides a drip feed for improving my creative writing.

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I had always wanted to write a book but could not find a subject matter that interested me to the extent I could commit my time and energy to a full novel. I had heard about the great North Sea flood as a child and in the last three years started to read more about it. I love reading history and spent about eighteen months researching the topic. I also had many conversations with my husband and his farming colleagues about the impact of the great flood on the farming community in Essex. Some of them had experienced the flood first hand, and all of them had a relative or knew someone who lived through that devastating time.

‘The Farmer and the Fury’ is my debut novel. I am thrilled it is finished and available. What was important to me when I wrote this book was to respect the historical event but to weave a story that made connections and resonated with the reader. ‘The Farmer and the Fury’ does that on many levels.

The great North Sea flood of 1953 was an event which is embodied in our local history, not just because of the tragic loss of lives but also because it reminds all of us of our own vulnerabilities when faced with the power of nature. It is a theme that is as important today as it was in 1953.