Berwick author Laura Steven hits New York Times bestseller list for seven weeks with fantasy novel

Born and bred in north Northumberland, Laura has had dreams of becoming a bestselling author for as long as she can remember.

After studying journalism at Northumbria University, she landed a graduate role at lifestyle magazine Living North – but she always felt a call to be writing creatively.

Alongside the day job, she dedicated her spare time to writing her debut novel. Over ten years and ten books on, Our Infinite Fates, a young adults fantasy romance, became an instant number one New York Times best seller.

Laura explained: “I was very bookish as a child. I was always writing stories and I loved that creative aspect but I think once you become a teenager you become a lot more self conscious and self aware, and you think it isn’t a cool thing to do.

“When I graduated and landed a job, I really enjoyed the writing but I always had this itch I should be writing completely creatively. My first book got picked up by Harper Collins and when it didn’t do very well I thought I had blown my shot for the next 12 years.”

But that wasn’t the case at all as Our Infinite Fates, published in February 2025, was acquired in a major six-figure deal by Penguin Books.

Laura added: “It feels amazing but its also incredibly surreal. It feels like its happening to someone else, it is something I fantasied about for 12 years.

"If you had said to me back then, do you want to click your fingers and be a bestselling author I would have said yes but now I am so grateful my journey has been what is. I have sturdier legs underneath me now, all that matters really is what comes next.”

And what comes next for Laura is the debut of her first adult fantasy novel and beginning of a trilogy, Silvercloak, launching in July.

She added: “I have always wanted to write adult fantasy and I knew I had struck on something quite original. Within 48 hours, I was offered a seven figure deal which was completely mad.

“This book was all about me having an immense amount of fun writing and I think that really shows in the finished product, you can tell when an author is having the time of their life.”

Laura gives her advice to aspiring writers living in Northumberland: “When I was growing up I knew I wanted to write but I didn't have any examples of that where I was from.

“I had this flawed idea that authors only came from London, LA or New York and weren't normal people like me. I didn't have any connections, I lived as far North as you can get in the UK.

“My advice would be to read very widely but figure out exactly what it is that you like. It’s really difficult to write before you have the sense of what you enjoy, chances are if you love to read something, someone else will too.

“Anyone can query a literary agent, this isn’t something I knew. As soon as I learnt that I thought ‘oh my god, what is stopping me then?’”