A new autobiographical novel, Cut Him Out in Little Stars, based on the sudden disappearance of the author’s husband has proved an inspiration for her and readers alike.

When Hexham member, Sheila Auld’s husband, Len, disappeared without trace, her world fell apart but years later she has written about how she coped and how her three-year-long search for him ended tragically in the beautiful but wild Northumbrian hills of Simonside.

Sheila completed a BA in English and History in 1987 before working with children and families for the Cedarwood Trust, a pastoral care project on the Meadwell Well Estate in North Shields. One of her tasks there was to lead the women’s writing group which she has done for eighteen years and still does, every Wednesday, even though she is now retired. The writing group has had two books published, about their lives on the estate.

‘We began to “perform” our work, first in York for the Church Urban celebrations, then at churches, women’s groups and international women’s day events culminating in entertaining at the Archbishop of Canterbury’s garden party at Lambeth Palace,’ says Sheila.

To keep ahead of the group and to glean new workshop material, she applied for an MA course in creative writing at Northumbria University.

Her final piece of work there was a novella written in prose poetry which was the basis for Cut Him Out in Little Stars. She was advised to make it into a full-length novel by an agent.

‘I am often asked if it helped come to terms with what had happened. Was it a “closure”? It certainly was not. On the contrary it has given me the opportunity to talk openly about Len. People are often reluctant to ask questions but now when they talk about the book, it gives me the chance to keep Len’s memory alive,’ she explains.

Her publisher, Brian Lister of Biscuit Publishing, who was on the same MA course, said that he would look at her book through the usual channels and was so impressed he agreed to publish it.

Sheila has had some work published by Wild Goose Publications and also contributed to the Cedarwood Women’s books.
‘I am now working on a between-the-wars novel, based on a time when my grandparents lived in the Black Mountains,’ she says.

‘A reservoir was built up there and my Nana was landlady to ten of the workers, while my grandfather installed generators. A village was built especially for the workers, and my mother and aunt were there as children.

'I have heard many tales throughout my life about “goings on” there and thought it would make a good background for a novel.