"Girl in a Blue Dress’, a fictionalised life of Charles Dickens’s long-suffering wife Catherine, was turned down by several publishers and one agent before being taken on by giant-killers Tindal Street Press. It is the second year running that the publisher has been selected by both Booker and Orange. At 63, Arnold has been a social worker for 40 years, and has been writing for pleasure for much of that time."

Rising Star: Gaynor Arnold Author - Features, Books - The Independent