Researching my novella - THEY SHUT ME UP

It's almost here! My new novella launches on Friday 15th of September at Fantasycon in Birmingham. Click here to pre-order it from PS Publishing.

So what's it all about? Without giving too much away, this novella uses Irish folklore as a lens through which to revoice silenced narratives, and to restore agency to the contemporary protagonist through her female ancestry.

And so launches the first part of my new mission; to write redemption songs for older women; to revisualise them as imbued with the power of the Cailleach.

Massive thanks to the patient and wise Marie O'Regan, commissioning editor of Absinthe Books, an imprint of PS Publishing, for her work with me on this project.

I researched this project in County Clare, Ireland, where I live, and many notes were taken in historical locations, that I'll discuss over the next few days. However, I am much indebted to Clare County Library and their excellent Local Studies Centre (which features in this novella) - a restful and wonderful place to spend hours going through the archives, helped by the knowledgeable and kind staff. The Centre holds books, journals, newspaper cuttings, and all manner of historic papers. Although a lot of the content has been digitised and is available online, there's a special kind of analogue joy in reading the original documents.

If you're visiting Co. Clare, especially if you have any genealogical or historial queries, I warmly recommend the Centre.

Pre-order They Shut Me Up here.