As a Rebecca myself, I’m obviously delighted to announce that 2026 is apparently the year that the Rebeccas will be rising up and taking over the (literary) world!

Kind of.

How do I know this?

Well, in the debut WhatsApp chat that I’m part of, there are a whopping eight Rebeccas including myself. Which, in a group chat of around 47, means we make up approximately 17% of the debut population, apparently! (Although, honestly maths has never been my strong point, so please no one @ me about these dubious figures!)

So, without further ado, may I introduce you to the debut Rebeccas set to take the book world by storm in 2026 with their brilliant books!

My debut year is finally here and I both can and can’t-quite believe it!

Honestly, I’m not normally one to wish the days away, but when you’re counting down to publication, it can be hard not to want time to hurry up just a little.

I signed my book deal back in autumn 2024, at which point summer 2026 felt like a whole lifetime away, but suddenly here we are! At the start of 2026! And I can finally say, ‘My book comes out this year!’

I’m just dropping by to let you all know that my debut novel The Call of the Void has had a change of title!

What’s In a Name?

I think lots of readers assume that the title a book has when it hits the shelves is the one it’s always had - certainly that’s what I used to think - but in reality, that’s almost never the case!

There are lots of reasons why a book title might change before publication…

I’m SO excited to share some fantastic news with you all today…The Call of the Void is going overseas!

Rights have now sold in a number of countries…

Even typing that feels so utterly surreal, but it’s true!

I’m delighted to share that I’ve signed a two-book deal.

The moment I met my brilliant editor Christina Demosthenous, I knew she was the one, and I couldn’t be happier that The Call of the Void has been picked up by Renegade/Dialogue (Hachette) for publication in July 2026.

I’m beyond thrilled to share that I HAVE A LITERARY AGENT!!

I’m now represented by Laura Williams at Greene & Heaton Literary Agency.

Laura’s enthusiasm for my novel is infectious, which is helping hugely as I work my way through revisions and polish it up, ready to send out to publishers (eek!)

Once a Nurse, Always a Nurse…Right? Well, Kind-of…

Earlier this year, I returned to my roots and enrolled on a Return to Nursing Practice program with the intention of restarting my nursing career after a ten-year break. Here’s how it went.

What an exciting couple of months it’s been! First I learned that I’d been longlisted for the Women’s Prize Discoveries Prize, and then, a few short weeks later, I found out that I was shortlisted for The Northern Writers’ Awards Sid Chaplin Award for working class writers.

I’m over the moon to share that I’ve been longlisted for Discoveries 2022!

A partnership between the Women’s Prize, Curtis Brown, and Audible, the Discoveries Prize is aimed at unpublished female writers in the UK and Ireland, and aims to find and support new talent.

Being longlisted out of over 2,000 entries is an incredible feeling and such an enormous boost (not to mention a huge vote of confidence for my current WIP!)

Hello! I’m Rebecca and I was named after a Daphne du Maurier novel.

I’m the kind of person who says ‘sorry’ when someone else stands on my foot, and then apologises for saying it. What I lack in assertiveness and social grace, I make up for with sparkling wit. Or something.

Let’s Banish the Term ‘Guilty Pleasure’ From Our Reading Conversations

The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘guilty pleasure’ as:

“something that one enjoys, despite feeling that it is not generally held in high regard.”

I.e. something we should feel embarrassed about enjoying.

When it comes to books, most of us could name a so-called guilty pleasure, either our own or someone else’s. We’ve certainly been told often enough what sorts of books qualify for the title. But I’d argue that these books — and we as readers — deserve better.

I think when it comes to reading, our pleasure should come without a side-order of guilt. Here’s why I think you should read what you want — whatever that might be — without apology.

After 5 Years, Here Are the Things I’ll Miss Most (and a Few I Won’t!)

After over five years of working in libraries, last month I hung up my badge, shrugged off my cardigan, sheepishly returned my long-overdue books, and bid a tearful farewell to librarian life.

Here, I’m sharing some of the highs and lows of my career in libraries.

10 Tips For Raising a Bookworm

We’re all individuals, so not every child will fall in love with reading instantly but there are ways that you can encourage a love of reading without seeming like a pushy parent. So if you want to learn how to get your kids to love reading, here are my top ten tips for raising a bookworm.

The Hidden Joys of a DNF Pile

I went from someone who couldn’t bear the thought of not finishing a book, to someone who frequently sets books aside after five, ten, fifty, even two hundred pages if I decide it’s not working for me.

I’m now the proud owner of a long DNF (Did Not Finish) list, and here’s why I think you should join me…

Yes, Even If It’s the Best Book You’ve Ever Read!

The End. You turn the final page and close the book you’ve just finished reading. You take a few moments to gather your thoughts before picking up your phone ready to recommend it to your mum, your sister, your best friend, the new bloke at work and your neighbour’s iguana. After all, the whole world needs to read it, right?

Wrong.

I know, I know, it’s a literary masterpiece and you can’t quite believe you existed in a world without it BUT before you rush off to recommend it to anyone and everyone you’ve ever met, here are five important things you should consider first…

Falling In (and Out) of Love All Over Again

I know people who have never read the same book twice. After all, why bother, when you already know what happens?

For some of us, though, reading isn’t about where you end up, but how you get there, and knowing all the twists and turns in advance can leave us free to enjoy the journey.

A few years back I decided to give myself permission to do something I’d never done before: I made a list of twelve of my favourite books and vowed to re-read them all during the course of one year.

I left in August 2018, as the long, hot, summer drew to a close.

After months of uncertainty, endless house viewings, and many sleepless nights wondering if I was doing the right thing, it was finally happening.

I was moving house...and leaving Manchester.