Tracy Fells is a British writer of short fiction and novels. She is best known for her short story collection The Naming of Moths (2023) and award-winning short stories published in Granta and Brittle Star.
She grew up in Devon and later studied Zoology at university. She handwrote her first full-length book during her degree, which she has since kept at the back of her wardrobe. After graduating, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Research. This career occupied her for two decades, during which she wrote little. She later took a career break to focus on her son’s education.
In 2010, she started writing fiction again. One of her earliest short stories, 'Household Gods', was inspired by her experience in a special care baby unit when her son was born prematurely. It was later shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize and included in her MA dissertation at Chichester University.
Fells' breakthrough came in 2017 when she won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize (Europe and Canada) with the title story from The Naming of Moths. She described the prize ceremony in Singapore as a highlight of her career. In 2018, she was a finalist in the Richard & Judy ‘Search for a Bestseller’ competition. Her novella-in-flash, Hairy on the Inside (2021,) was shortlisted for the International Rubery Book Award in 2022.
The Naming of Moths (2023) is her first short story collection. It includes stories published over thirteen years and features transformation and pivotal change themes. Fells arranged the selection using coloured index cards, balancing genre and emotional weight. Her Fly on the Wall Press editor, Isabelle Kenyon, helped finalise the collection.
The title story, 'The Naming of Moths,' reimagines the Hebrew golem myth. It follows Sofia, a refugee and former entomology student who cares for the elderly Miss Bethan, and Adam, a young man who may be a golem. The story leaves room for interpretation, though Fells has stated that Adam was always intended as a golem created for kindness, not revenge.
Fells enjoys writing speculative fiction with elements of magical realism. She credits Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber as a key influence, describing it as an epiphany that permitted her to write in the genre. She believes myths and fairy tales allow complex themes to be explored without overwhelming the reader.
Alongside her writing, Fells is a reader for international short story competitions and leads fiction workshops. She enjoys running, dancing, and walking.
Tracy Fells lives in West Sussex near the South Downs with her husband. She is currently writing a crime mystery novel set in Plymouth.
Photo credit: tracyfells.com
She grew up in Devon and later studied Zoology at university. She handwrote her first full-length book during her degree, which she has since kept at the back of her wardrobe. After graduating, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Research. This career occupied her for two decades, during which she wrote little. She later took a career break to focus on her son’s education.
In 2010, she started writing fiction again. One of her earliest short stories, 'Household Gods', was inspired by her experience in a special care baby unit when her son was born prematurely. It was later shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize and included in her MA dissertation at Chichester University.
Fells' breakthrough came in 2017 when she won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize (Europe and Canada) with the title story from The Naming of Moths. She described the prize ceremony in Singapore as a highlight of her career. In 2018, she was a finalist in the Richard & Judy ‘Search for a Bestseller’ competition. Her novella-in-flash, Hairy on the Inside (2021,) was shortlisted for the International Rubery Book Award in 2022.
The Naming of Moths (2023) is her first short story collection. It includes stories published over thirteen years and features transformation and pivotal change themes. Fells arranged the selection using coloured index cards, balancing genre and emotional weight. Her Fly on the Wall Press editor, Isabelle Kenyon, helped finalise the collection.
The title story, 'The Naming of Moths,' reimagines the Hebrew golem myth. It follows Sofia, a refugee and former entomology student who cares for the elderly Miss Bethan, and Adam, a young man who may be a golem. The story leaves room for interpretation, though Fells has stated that Adam was always intended as a golem created for kindness, not revenge.
Fells enjoys writing speculative fiction with elements of magical realism. She credits Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber as a key influence, describing it as an epiphany that permitted her to write in the genre. She believes myths and fairy tales allow complex themes to be explored without overwhelming the reader.
Alongside her writing, Fells is a reader for international short story competitions and leads fiction workshops. She enjoys running, dancing, and walking.
Tracy Fells lives in West Sussex near the South Downs with her husband. She is currently writing a crime mystery novel set in Plymouth.
Photo credit: tracyfells.com
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