Sara Allerton’s first novel takes a pivotal wartime battle as its theme, writes ANDREW FFRENCH.

TWO former Oxford University students are making waves with a debut novel inspired by the memories of a Second World War maritime veteran.

First-time novelist Sara Allerton studied English at Worcester College in the 1990s.

She has teamed up with St Catherine’s College graduate Sara Hunt, who has published the novel with her Glasgow-based firm Saraband.

Making Shore, a tale of disaster and survival, is now a leading contender for this year’s People’s Book Prize.

The story is based on the reminiscences of 86-year-old merchant seaman Brian Clarke, a survivor from the sinking of the British merchant ship SS Sithonia in the Battle of the Atlantic.

The vessel was torpedoed by a German U-Boat and some of the central characters are left adrift, slowly dying of thirst.

Mum-of-three Mrs Allerton, 40, said: “Brian is an old family friend and though I had always been aware he had survived a terrible ordeal during the war, I had no idea of the rich potential of his story for a novel.

“We had long and detailed conversations about his experiences and when I was writing Making Shore I tried to capture the essence of Brian’s story and weave together its horrors with the emotional drama it inspired in me.

“I came second in a short story competition and when Brian saw it he asked me if I could help to tell his story from the war.”

Following Mrs Allerton’s interviews with Lancashire-based Mr Clarke, she researched the history of the SS Sithonia, other Merchant Navy vessels, and Second World War Atlantic operations.

The novel has already won praise from several eminent readers, including BBC presenter Edward Stourton and historian Andrew Wheatcroft.

Sara Hunt set up Saraband in the 1990s, but until the publication of Making Shore, the firm has specialised in illustrated non-fiction titles on history, architecture and the environment.

Mrs Allerton is the daughter of former England rugby captain John Willcox, who also studied at Worcester College.

Making Shore is competing for the fiction section of the People’s Book Prize and readers can vote for their choice by visiting website peoples bookprize.com before the deadline of August 31.

* Making Shore, by Sara Allerton, pictured, is published by Saraband, price £9.99.