Carole Hailey completed a six-month Guardian/UEA novel writing course taught by Bernardine Evaristo, then promptly abandoned her career in law to undertake an MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths and a PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea University. Her debut, The Silence Project, was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick, Waterstones Welsh Book of the Month and a Kindle No. 1 bestseller. Carole's second novel, Scenes from a Tragedy, was shortlisted for the 2026 CWA Twisted Dagger.