We chat with author Holly Seddon about 59 Minutes, which is full of suspenseful thrills in this unputdownable novel following three women as they face an incoming nuclear attack.
Hi, Holly! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Absolutely! I’m a British thriller author and I wish I had something very exciting to say here but most of the time I’m writing from my sofa, swimming or walking my little dog. I live in the English countryside with my family but in my head, I am wherever my work in progress is set…
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I always had a book in my hand, probably even before I could read, and it just seemed obvious to me (as a small child) that I would become a writer. But as I grew up, it became clear it wasn’t quite that simple, so I found other ways to make a living that felt sort of… author adjacent. I worked as a copywriter, a journalist, an online community manager. But the desire to write books never left me.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Ladybird Classics abridged version of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
- The one that made you want to become an author: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
Your latest novel, 59 Minutes, is out November 18th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Tense, epic, pacey, surprising, moving.
What can readers expect?
An intense, page-turning thriller that also has a lot of heart. Three women must do everything in their power to get to their loved ones before the ultimate worse case scenario – nuclear missiles strike the UK. It’s about what matters most to us when soon, nothing will matter at all. I’m extremely proud of it and moved by the positive reactions from early readers.
Where did the inspiration for 59 Minutes come from?
I was driving to a crime writing festival, listening to a podcast about nuclear missile alerts and I thought, what if it happened here? From there, the rest of the idea followed. I knew there would be a ticking clock structure – I’ve wanted to use one since I first watched 24 – and I knew I would follow just a handful of characters’ stories to tell a bigger story through them.
Sub-consciously, there have been other influences throughout my life. From experiencing a bomb scare as a child to being in central London as a young woman when suicide bombers struck the London transport system.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really enjoy writing characters who are completely different to me. Carrie, one of the characters in 59 MINUTES, is an upbeat, optimistic, lighthearted person – even when facing a genuine, worldchanging catastrophe. As someone more on the cycnical and anxious side, I found it inspiring to imagine myself into that mindset and it’s left a mark on me, I think I’m more optimistic as a result.
Plus the novel features the best twist I’ve ever written but I can’t talk about that without giving away spoilers!
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Not exactly a challenge but I was writing another novel – all signed off and anticipated – when the idea for 59 MINUTES hit me like a lightning bolt. I tried to carry on with that other one, but I was so desperate to write 59 MINUTES that it soon won out. I was lucky that my UK publisher got on board, and then we sold the book to a brilliant US publisher once it was finished.
What’s next for you?
I am afraid I can’t say very much about my next book at all as it’s still being edited. It’s a thriller, of course, with an ambitious premise and some of my favourite world-building so far… Besides this, I’m looking forward to writing my next next book. Sitting down to write in my comfiest sweats, just me and the laptop, that’s when I’m at my happiest.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up in 2026?
On the thriller side, I loved The Death Of Us by Abigail Dean and Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke, both of which do something really fresh with the genre. On the speculative side (my other love), I enjoyed The Quiet by Barnaby Martin, a grounded dystopian novel about a world presided over by a strange ‘soundcloud’ where people are forced to live at night to avoid the deadly heat of the day.
I’m really excited for Exit Party, Emily St. John Mandel’s 2026 release and I was lucky enough to read an early copy of Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister which is brilliant, and out next year.
