A 25-year-old islander has described the past few weeks as “surreal” after her debut novel about post-war London girl gangs was named as historical fiction book of the month in The Sunday Times.

The Kings Head, written by former Express reporter Kelly Frost and published by Atlantic Fiction, follows a group of young women fighting to establish their place in 1950s London.

Pictured: Kelly at her book launch in Stoke Newington Bookshop earlier this month.

The novel was launched at a bookshop in Finsbury Park on 6 February – just streets away from the pub where Kelly first discovered photographs of a real-life gang of young women that inspired her novel back when she was a student. 

Several days before the launch, Kelly secured one of the most sought-after endorsements in British publishing.

“Being named The Sunday Times historical fiction book of the month was very surreal,” she said. 

“Throughout the publication process, I have tried to manage my expectations and not assume or even hope that anything as huge as that would happen, so I’ve now had to adjust those expectations and ambitions, and shift my mindset, in the best way possible. 

“Now that we’ve reached this level of publicity, and this national audience, I’m looking forward to the future and how big this can become.

“It really is a huge step for me and my career.”

The Sunday Times praised Kelly’s debut novel as “a compelling story” and “an understated celebration of female friendship.“

Meanwhile, the publisher’s synopsis conveys something of the book’s energy – which is based on Kelly’s own experiences and research while she was studying.

It reads: “1957, London. A gang of girls called the Kings rule the bomb-struck streets of Finsbury Park.

“When Harry, their unpredictable but charismatic leader, tries to encroach on the territory of the rival Seven Sisters gang, the Kings know they’re in for a fight.

“Armed with flick knives and fists, they do battle in dancehalls and on football fields.

“But with the authorities closing in and conscripted boys threatening to reclaim what was once theirs, the Kings must ask if they’re willing to pay the price of loyalty.

“Bound by wild friendship and brutal competition, these young women will do anything to carve a space for themselves in this ruthless city.”

Kelly spent years refining her manuscript before securing a publishing deal in 2023 – all while keeping it secret from her family. 

Pictured: Kelly with her book in Foyles Southbank.

“I didn’t really write it with anyone else in mind,” she said.

“I mean, anyone who says they didn’t write with publication in mind, I think, is lying, because why would you write the book? But I didn’t really care too much about that.

“I was just trying it out and seeing how I went, and I didn’t really think about whether it was good or not.”

Kelly added: “One thing I will say is I will never be able to have that experience again of that first time I wrote it, because I had no pressure on me.

“I had no one waiting. No one knew about it. It was mine, literally. No one knew about it apart from me. So I had no kind of worry about who was going to read it.”

Kelly, who has a BA in English Literature and Language from UCL and an MA in English and American Studies from Lincoln College in Oxford, hopes to continue working in historical fiction – and aspires to one day see The Kings Head adapted for the screen.

“Historical fiction is definitely my bag, purely because I just can’t write about people with phones – it just makes me cringe,” she said.

Pictured: Kelly took her book for a visit to the real Kings Head on Blackstock Road.

Kelly added: “If The Kings Head is made into the film, I’d love to have a part in it, a part in the writing.”

The 25-year-old also hopes her journey will encourage others to pursue writing who do not realise that being an author is a valid career path. 

“When you’re growing up, there’s no one at the careers fair who’s telling you you can be an author,” she said. 

“At uni, it was always in the back of my mind, it’s what I wanted to do.

“You talk about being a lawyer, or you talk about journalism and all these things, and in some ways they are very similar careers, basically other versions of being a writer.”

The Kings Head is available to purchase on Amazon and Waterstones.