I’ve been dabbling in fiction for a while, but it wasn’t until 2013 that my debut novel was ready to make its way confidently into the world. The Birds That Never Flew was published by Thunderpoint, not too long after the novel was shortlisted for the Dundee International Book Prize in 2012 under the working title of The Dandelion Clock.
The novel is written with a strong Glasgow influence and tragically conveys the impact of poverty, drugs and abuse, with the surreal vision of a Glaswegian Virgin Mary acting as guardian angel to the lead character.
After publication it was longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize, 2014. Hurrah!
If you’d like to purchase a copy of TBTNF, you can do so here, and if you don’t agree with buying from Amazon the novel is available from all good bookshops, just do a wee search online.
My second novel, which I had promised myself I would complete before the end of 2014, is still a work in progress. An incredibly busy work year meant a period of five months without working on it at all but it’s well underway again and I’m aiming to have a draft before the summer visits in 2017. Some days I’m absolutely in love with it, others I digress and feel that writer anxiety I’m sure you’re all familiar with, but I’m excited to be sharing my new story nonetheless.
At the moment, it’s called ‘wee voices’.
