Novelist turns adversity into impetus

DEBUT novelist Haylee Lester has a point to prove.

Born with chronic illness gastroschisis and unable to absorb food because of her resulting short gut syndrome, she spent much of her childhood and teenage years stuck in hospital.

Lester said because of her illness she has often been told “you’re sick so you don’t have to do anything with your life”.

“I wrote this book – Torn in Two – to say that you can still achieve things just like a healthy person can,” she said.

“I want people to know that illness doesn’t define them, they just need the confidence to try.”

Torn in Two tells the fictional story of Scarlette Anderson, a teenager also living with short gut bowel syndrome, and is described as a heartfelt journey of resilience, identity and learning that being yourself is the bravest thing of all.

Lester said she came up with the idea in 2019 and it was during the “lockdown days” when she decided to start writing.

“I gave it a shot and spent those years writing my book,” she said.

“I was pretty sick in 2023 so I had to pause but I started writing again in 2025.

“I finished the last five chapters and sent it to the Rural Publishing Company – they were happy to help me turn it into a reality.”

She explained that while much of the novel is “made up”, she wrote a lot about what she has experienced in order to make it realistic.

“It did bring back a lot of memories, but hospital wasn’t always bad,” she said.

“I’ve gained a lot of friends there and I try to focus on that and not the bad times, because I’m not going to lie, I’ve nearly died.

“Writing this has helped me cope with the reality of it because chronic illness isn’t easy.”

Lester said after missing so much school during her younger years it was good to accomplish something like this.

“It was pretty rewarding to make it myself,” she said.

“If you’re someone that’s chronically ill you can still achieve things – you don’t need to be defined by your illness, it’s just one aspect of you. “Maybe if you’ve lost a lot of opportunities due to chronic illness, there’s still things you can find that may take time but are still achievable.”

Torn in Two will be officially launched tomorrow, Saturday 6 June, at the National Hotel Complex from midday.

Personally signed paperback copies will be available for $30. Visit hayleelesterauthor.com