Bulwell author Charles Towlson talks his new novel Creep

What made you settle on the title Creep?

It really initiated itself very early on, because of the opening scene; it starts off with that word, which then recurs throughout the whole novel, so I knew from that it was going to be the title.

How much of Creep is inspired by real events, and what inspired you to tell this particular story?

In 2025, I was working around the pond when I found this item… (Charles pulls a metal fairy with glass amber wings and a heart-shaped gem in the centre from a pouch.) I’d never seen it before in the garden. When I found it, I was absolutely amazed that I'd never come across it before. I just thought, “Wow, this is fantastic.” Two weeks later, I got a card from someone I didn’t know. This was the card. (He shows me a card with a similar fairy on the front). It was written to me to tell me that my friend Pat had died. It made me think these two items appearing together, just two weeks apart, were like a sign. That became my main source of inspiration. 

Pat was an old friend who I used to work with in the late 70s. We were very close, and although she was just a friend, she was a very good friend. Creep is really about what happened to her over 47 years, from 1978 to 2025, when she died.

Why did you choose the basement as such an important part of Zeek's world?

I chose a basement as a key setting because they’re quite shady places at times. In films, when someone goes down to the basement, you know something bad is going to happen; they have a certain vibe, so it seemed like the right place for Zeek to live.

The novel explores the fine line between being misunderstood and being exactly what people think you are. Do you think this is a central question?

Absolutely. A lot of people like Zeek as a character, and they like some of the things he does or says, but then on the very next page, or even in the very next sentence, you suddenly don’t like what he does or says.

Many times, people understand him and feel a kind of sympathy for him, but then, at the flick of a coin, he suddenly loses all that respect. So, in some ways, he is both understood and misunderstood.

Is there a particular take away your hoping readers will have from this story, a feeling or idea you would like to have stick with them? 

I haven’t got an immediate answer to that, but I do like the religious and faith-based aspects of the book. The Biblical quotations and statements sometimes make you think in a very psychological way, but also in a way that can ground you and make you think about life as a whole. 

One of the key moments is when Zeek talks about how much he hates the world at times, but then has these beautiful small moments that bring him hope and comfort. There’s also this idea of people feeling a little disconnected from one another at times, which gives some commentary on how the world can feel sometimes.

So I hope it encourages readers to reconnect with the people in their lives, or the people they once knew as well. 

What has been the most surprising reaction or takeaway you have heard from readers of the novel so far? 

The storyline has definitely surprised a few people. A couple of the characters have come across very strongly. My personal favourite is Ron, and people’s reactions to him. He is a bit of a chameleon, and he’s someone I’d quite like to be. People have mentioned characters and aspects of them which they see in themselves or in other people, both aspects they like and things they aren’t, but perhaps would like to be. 

Zeek is described as someone people trust without knowing why. How did you create a character who feels both caring and unsettling?

I think the kindness in him came from experiences, my age, and some of the work I’ve done over the years, including the many jobs I’ve had helping people. But I also know that there is an undercurrent in most people that can sometimes be surprising. 

I developed this character who was helpful to virtually everybody, but at the same time had this background and unknown life that he lived both inside his mind and physically in some ways. Sometimes the two didn't quite marry up. 

It’s always nice to hear, because this is part of why we read: to discover characters, to escape, and to find characters we relate to who can help us understand a deeper part of ourselves, as well as characters we might not relate to or like at all. 

Without giving too much, is there a particular moment readers have responded to?  

I think if I had to say anything, it would be when Zeek sees Pam’s granddaughter and realises she’s the spitting image of the young Pam he knew back when they worked together. It gives him a sense of hope that he can be with her again in some small way. I think people liked that point because it’s a full-circle moment; he’s able to go on walks in the park and have conversations with her, just like he did with Pam in his younger years. 

The blurb promises that by the last page we'll understand Zeek completely, but won't know what to do with that. What made you want to leave readers feeling that way? 

Book two, really; I’d like people to want to come back for more.

I’ve actually written a first draft of the sequel, which is in Poland at the moment. My wife is Polish, so we go to visit a few times a year, and it’s a great escape that allows me the opportunity to write.

I left book two over there on purpose, though, so I can come back to it with a fresh head and fresh ideas when I redraft. The sequel starts where this one leaves off, but goes in a new direction, with similar psychological themes.