She is a short story writer and screenwriter and now her first novel, The Pharmacist, has just hit bookshelves. The twists and turns in this brilliantly written, post-apocalyptic tale make for compulsive reading

In the dystopian, speculative thriller, people are living in what is known as the bunker while the outside world suffers the after-effects of what appears to have been nuclear war. Atalla nails the atmosphere of claustrophobia and brings this world to life convincingly, as well as fostering sympathy for her protagonist, despite her flaws. This debut author is one to watchSet in the near future, The Pharmacist follows Wolfe, a 34-year-old pharmacist living in a post-war nuclear bunker. The synopsis reads: "Forming an unlikely alliance with the young Doctor Stirling, her troubled teenage assistant Levitt, and Canavan, a tattooed giant of a man, Wolfe has to navigate the powder keg of life underground, while knowing her every move is being watched by increasingly erratic and paranoid authority figures. It's not long before she is forced to question the sacrifices she's made for her own personal survival, and how much more she is willing to give to stay alive." The Pharmacist follows Wolfe, one of the pharmacists in a bunker as her dull life administering meds for her fellow residents is disrupted by a request from their mysterious Leader. Dystopian fiction, yes, but so much more. This book forces its readers to consider what it means to be good or evil, what motivates us to act as we do, and what matters to us in the end. A wonderful mix of tense drama and provocative ideas, I loved it The Pharmacist is the perfect dystopian novel. Post-apocalyptic fiction masterfully handled. Addictive, claustrophobic, tense. I'm obsessed with this novel. Easily in my top reads this year The Pharmacist is a confident debut, in which Rachelle Atalla fully lives up to the promise of her New Writers Award . . . This literary thriller is highly original, asking difficult questions about morality and motherhood. And its claustrophobic atmosphere perfectly reflects the setting. She says: “I qualified as a pharmacist in 2008 and started locuming. There’s a lot of responsibility with the job and I found it quite anxiety-inducing because I was worried I might make mistakes. This horrendously claustrophobic, utterly absorbing debut. The fiercely controlled narrative beautifully translates the horrendous grip of dismal routines and tiny, stolen pleasures

It's really hard to watch someone dealing with fractured memories. Alice wakes up wondering where her husband is. All his things are gone. Has he left her? There are shades of George Orwell in this stunning writing debut, but Rachelle Atalla’s voice is highly original. And wholly her own’ THE HERALD A compulsive, claustrophobic but wonderfully compassionate read, beautifully written and set within a brilliantly realised world. Rachelle Atalla is a major talent and I can't wait to see where her mind goes next' KIRSTIN INNES, AUTHOR OF SCABBY QUEEN Rachel tells her Tom had died four years ago, and that Barney was also gone….and that there was no Millie! Alice was totally confused and she couldn’t remember. The Pharmacist is not an easy read, but it is cleverly composed so that the slowly mounting tension of the two groups of survivors is tangible and solid. Rachelle Atalla is obviously a talented and gifted writer and I would like to see more of her work, but perhaps in a lighter vein.

Though set in a speculative future, The Pharmacist is very much a book for our own broken times. Its story grips and never lets go, unflinching in its portrayal of abused power, moral confusion and betrayal, but also fully alive to the redemptive possibilities of compassion, resistance and love. This is a powerful and memorable debut from an exciting new voice’ WAYNE PRICE A woman’s mind begins to spiral as she tries to sort out truth, lies, and mysteries about her family in a novel by the bestselling author of Abduction. Starring Tam Dean Burn, the film was commissioned by the Scottish Film & Talent Network in 2020 and has enjoyed success at festivals including the LA Shorts International Film Festival. It was probably the first time I wondered if I could write speculative fiction. You get to ask big societal questions that are harder to ask in a world that already exists.” There are shades of George Orwell in this stunning writing debut, but Rachelle Atalla’s voice is highly original. And wholly her own.

I would have liked to have known who chose the people who got the privilege of entering the bunker. No babies and no old people. And yet, there are the usual number of useless politicians and unnecessary soldiers.I liked the idea of the role-playing that went on within the bunker. Very clever and passed the time for what for some must have been arduous indeed. Who can she trust to tell her the truth? And if they do tell her the truth, will she ever believe them? Sarah Wolfe is one of two pharmacists charged with dispensing medicines to the universally depressed survivors living a rigidly controlled life underground while they wait for the world to recover from an unexplained apocalypse. She’s unsure why she was chosen to survive, and feels unresolved guilt about leaving her family behind. When the bunker’s leader summons her to his quarters and offers the temptations of real food in exchange for information about her patients, she is powerless to refuse, but his escalating demands force her to question just how much she’ll compromise to survive. Though set in a speculative future, The Pharmacist is very much a book for our own broken times. Its story grips and never lets go, unflinching in its portrayal of abused power, moral confusion and betrayal, but also fully alive to the redemptive possibilities of compassion, resistance and love. This is a powerful and memorable debut from an exciting new voice' WAYNE PRICEUnsure what she would be good at, Rachelle started attending evening writing classes at Glasgow University and began writing short stories. As for style, the book is written entirely from Wolfe's point of view, and totally without speech marks (similar to Ling Ma's "Severance"). It's a modern and perhaps brave choice, but takes a bit of getting used to. I am personally not keen because it makes the characters seem dispassionate and detached, and a lot of the 'bigger picture' is missing. Alice Roberts and retired husband Tom had just moved into their retirement home, moving closer to be near their daughter, Rachel and granddaughter, Millie.