The Bath Short Story Prize 2025

I'm extremely delighted and grateful that my story, The Song of the Salmon, has won the Local Prize of The Bath Short Story Award. Thank you so much to the amazing team for their kind words:

‘This quirky tale about a couple who decide to cook a whole salmon in a house they’re only supposed to be minding for a neighbour is beautifully told. Occasional dead pan humour, an eye for detail and subtle imagery reveals so much about their relationship as well as how we view others. Like the salmon there are ‘hidden depths.’

I wrote this story years ago, in 2013, shortly after winning the Local Prize for the first time for a story called Fragments Left Behind. At the time, however, The Song of the Salmon didn't feel ready to submit to a competition. I've revised it many times since then, in small, but important ways, until at last I was confident enough to enter the 2025 Award.

And while I was waiting for the results, I painted the titular salmon in watercolours, because I quite missed him and am very happy he will be immortalised in print when the anthology is published!

Rubery Book Award Review

Here is the Rubery Book Award's review for Instructions for the Working Day!

I couldn't be more delighted with this wonderful response, especially the references to its offbeat nature and snatches of humour. I love that it is 'a pleasingly unconventional novel', as this was how it felt to me when I wrote it.

It is quite a challenge for a quiet, slightly strange literary novel like mine to gain a foothold, attract attention and gather reviews. I hope this accolade will help Instructions for the Working Day to reach more readers.

Published by Fairlight Books and available in hardback, paperback, audio or Kindle from all good bookshops

A Shortlisting for Instructions for the Working Day!

It's a great honour that Instructions for the Working Day has been shortlisted for The Rubery International Book Award! Thank you so much!