Arriving at Cambridge University to study music, with a northern accent and oblivious to the societal norms of elite education, the protagonist of And He Shall Appear is a proverbial fish out of water. Surrounded by privately educated students for whom eating breakfast in an opulent dining hall is the norm, he strives to fit in. An outsider at secondary school, due to working hard and learning two instruments (one of which is a bassoon), he thought he’d finally belong, only to discover an impenetrable tribe he’ll never quite be a part of.

Although the above paragraph describes the central character in Kate van der Borgh’s debut novel, it transpires that the words also apply to her. ‘I grew up in Burnley,’ she says, ‘and I had a very broad accent when I first arrived at Cambridge. I also studied music, played the same instruments as him, and had a slightly hard time at school for being a bit nerdy. I think you have to take the advice about writing what you know with a pinch of salt, but there was something very helpful about being able to walk down those corridors in my mind and remember details that add colour.’

Lived experience enabled van der Borgh to build a vivid picture of the colleges and halls of Cambridge. That, however, is where reality ends and imagination begins: And He Shall Appear is most definitely a work of fiction. The young man at the centre (who remains nameless throughout) is van der Borgh in situation only. In thrall to wealthy fellow-first year Bryn Cavendish, our narrator pulls out all the stops to infiltrate his inner circle. Cavendish’s interest in the occult makes him an irresistible showman, turning everyone around him into acolytes. ‘I wanted to say something about the power of platonic relationships,’ says van der Borgh, ‘and the idea that the breakdown of a friendship can be just as devastating as the breakdown of a romantic relationship. I wanted there to be a strong magnetism between these two characters, but for it not to be a romance.’

During drink-fuelled parties, where the lines between inebriation and magic blur, van der Borgh’s protagonist neglects his studies and genuine friendships in a desperate bid to climb the class ladder. So alongside ghostly undertones, which leave the reader guessing until the very end, the novel also captures the feeling of being outside looking in. ‘His great fear is that he’ll never shake off his personal history and move into this glorious new world he’s skirting the edges of rather than really inhabiting. He’s done everything he’s been told to do, but it won’t quite make him one of them. What he sees in Bryn is not just someone who’s charming, funny and attractive to women, but someone who is completely in control. And that control is absolutely linked to his privilege and background.’

Having incorporated her first-hand knowledge of the architecture and classism of Cambridge, it seems only right that van der Borgh also injects her musical knowledge into the book. ‘I tried to find a balance and not get too technical,’ she says. ‘You can sprinkle in musical terms and allow your reader to just gloss over them. So I can say he’s on the way to a harmony and counterpoint lecture and you don’t need to know what that means. But all the musical things I mention are the lens through which the narrator sees the world and how it makes him feel. And everyone knows what it’s like to be moved by music; it’s an emotional resonance we can all relate to.’

And He Shall Appear is published by Fourth Estate on Thursday 16 January.