Cover Reveal

When I saw the cover image for the first time, I was captivated by the silhouette of the main character, Neil Fischer. It was so good to see him.

With the blind-dark foreground, the softly filtered moonlight, the blue hues of dusk and the distant grain silo—both watchful and a little menacing—I couldn’t love this cover more for the way it captures both the mood and atmosphere of the novel.

It is fascinating to be shown a visual interpretation of your book, to recognise the character you have only imagined, to take in the landscape you have invented. It’s one of the moments that remind you why you write: to make connections with others.

Grateful thanks, to Fairlight Books and designer, Jack Smyth

Sybilla wins the inaugural NFFD Novella-in-Flash Award

Sybilla, a novella composed of interlinked flash-fiction stories, has won the 2021 National Flash Fiction Day Award.

Set in a second-hand bookshop in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, Sybilla is a story of separation, betrayal, and ultimately, the power of love.

The competition was judged by Sophie van Llewyn, author of Bottled Goods, which was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2019:

"A wall, a city divided, lives impacted in so many different ways. This novella-in-flash is a little gem. While the story focuses primarily on Felix, the owner of a bookshop that sells reconditioned books, and Lara, his employee, we also see how the wall impacts the lives of so many people. Underneath the seamless storytelling, I could truly see the rigorous editing – while the story moves forward at a great pace, everything is tight, and pulled together. Not a single secondary character is superfluous. And I do love a good love story!"