Hope alumna Millie Blue Capon always dreamed of writing and publishing a book. In fact, that was the driving factor when she first embarked on a Creative Writing degree at Liverpool Hope University.
That dream is now a reality as Millie is celebrating the publication of her first book, Yours, Sincerely, a creative non-fiction personal essay collection written in the style of letters. Millie spoke about how her time at Hope shaped her personally and professionally, and encouraged her to follow her aspirations after graduating in 2021.
Citing her lecturers as being a supportive influence on her, Millie said, “My lecturers really inspired and encouraged my creativity. I never felt pushed into a certain genre; I was given the freedom to embrace my somewhat niche writing style and run with it. I was encouraged to try different creative styles and the writing principles that I learnt at Hope have shaped my approach to this first publication.”
Millie’s first published book is composed of a series of letters in response to a call out for topics and questions online. Inspired by contributors from all over the world, each with a story of their own to tell, Millie spent over three years crafting her work, commenting, “I started on this project as my degree drew to an end; that season of my life has influenced some of the challenging themes in the book. I was taken aback by the response I had online when I first asked people to contribute, but the community behind the book makes it all the more special to me.”
In light of the book’s powerful messages, a portion of profits are being shared with PAPYRUS, the national charity for the prevention of young suicide, and the project itself champions a message of hope.
This is not Millie’s first foray into writing as she has previously penned poetry and short stories for anthologies, but this is her first time being published in her own right. Mille said, “I was so lucky to find a publisher that believed in me and was willing to take a chance on me. Blue Poppy Publishing is a small publisher based in North Devon and it really was a great professional fit. It’s been wonderful to work with them and I have retained a lot of creative control over my project. I was even able to commission a close friend of mine to design the cover which was very special to me.”
Millie balanced the writing of Yours, Sincerely with a role in marketing and a Masters Degree. Admitting that juggling these elements of her life came with challenges, she shared that, “this project was a real labour of love but it is so rewarding to be here now as a published author. My lecturers at Hope gave me the confidence to believe in myself and advocated for my niche writing style. While my writing style is unique, I write what moves me. In this case, by staying true to myself, I was able to produce work that I am proud of”.
Millie is not ready to put the pen down yet and is keen to write and publish more in the future, with her next concept inspired by themes of identity but grounded in reflections of woodland animals, environments, and experiences.
Yours, Sincerely by Millie Blue Capon has been published by Blue Poppy Publishing and is available to purchase in store at select independent bookshops or online at milliebluecapon.com and Waterstones.