Cayleigh Bright- Close to Home author

Cayleigh Bright is the newest author in town and Close to Home is the debut novel that is about to be the next biggest read.

Photo credit: Rose Kotze

A mysterious death interrupts the privileged, indulgent lifestyle of a group of Cape Town university students. This a great coming-of-age read with a dark twist that will keep you wanting to lick your finger to turn the pages more.

I interviewed the beauty and the brains behind the ink and got to know lowdown that inspired the publishing of Close to Home.

LM: How old were you when you started writing?

CB: Pretty young. My mom and gran are great at telling stories and to read to me a lot, so I couldn't wait to start stringing words together when I learned to write. I would cringe very hard if anyone ever found those.

LM: Who's your favourite author and why?

CB: I'd probably have to say Bret Easton Ellis. His books are funny, clever and ultimately heartbreaking.

LM: What are you reading lately?

CB: I am reading Masande Ntshanga's The Reactive, which is touching and brilliant and makes me feel very proud to have been in the author's creative writing class. Next up, I'll be reading everything that Megan Abbott has to offer- Lauren Beukes suggested that I try The Fever, and now I'm hooked.

LM: Are there any writers whose success mystifies you?

CB: Definitely, but there are probably more people who are mystified by the success of my favourite authors.

LM: What inspired your debut novel, Close to Home that you recently published?

CB: I find the group dynamics of schools and universities pretty fascinating.

LM: Give us an insight into your main character?

CB: Well, this depends on who you think is my main character. Most people seem to think of Faye as central, so- she's an extremely confident person in a positive, brave way but also in a darker way that stems from being privileged to the point of feeling above the criticism and consequences.

LM: What genre is your novel and what drew you to this specific genre?

CB: It's written in the college novel tradition, which is something I've loved since I picked up The Secret History in high school, and got really hooked on when I read The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis in my first year of varsity. Its got all the nostalgia of coming-of-age novels wonderful, but usually with a darker twist. I did my Honours thesis on how gender works in this sub-genre, which was really interesting.

LM: What was the hardest thing about writing your book?

CB: Editing it. Getting rid of the bits that you love, but simply aren't working is not easy!

LM: How do you think you've evolved in terms of creative writing?

CB: Well, stuff actually happens in my stories now, I guess. I've always been a very self-indulgent writer who loves creating characters and scenes, without really moving the plot forward. Luckily I have some amazing readers who take a look at my first drafts and put a stop to this by suggesting a murder here and there.

LM: What are your thoughts on writing a book series?

CB: It sounds like a great idea to me! There won't be any sequels to Close to Home, but I think that a series of interlinked novels would be fun to create.

LM: What advice would you give to your younger self?

CB: Spend more time working on things that you know you're good at (writing and art), and less time trying to be okay at what's clearly not your thing (hockey, trigonometry). Luckily, my maths teacher eventually stepped in with exactly this piece of advice.

LM: If you could have been a the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

CB: That would have to be The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Not only is it beautifully written- with places evoked beautiful and characters so well-realized that you really miss them when the story finishes- but I'm just impressed with the fact it's so long and detailed.

LM: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

CB: Not everyone is going to like what you do, so don't waste your time trying to impress everyone. Getting some advice from people whose opinion you respect and trust is a great idea, but you show your work to everyone you meet you'll soon feel confused about what direction to take.

LM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

CB: Follow me on twitter (@CayleighBright) and random retweets of my more brilliant friends, or keep up to date with Close to Home news by liking the book's Facebook page: (Close to Home by Cayleigh Bright)

Close to Home now available at your nearest bookstore.

Happy reading. :) 

Till next time. . . .