So I finally get to tell you the news I've been keeping to myself all these months ... My new novel, No Flowers, will be published on 18 March 2027.There's been quite a hiatus since the publication of my debut novel, He Is Mine and I Have No Other in 2018 - not because I haven't been writing, but just because it's so difficult to connect with the right editor, to find a publishing house that likes your book enough to take a punt on it.
I absolutely loved writing No Flowers. Briefly, and without giving too much away, it's about Bee, a young widower who is stuck in
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limbo at her parents' rural Irish home with her seven-year-old son. Unable to return to her life in London, she begins attending strangers' wakes, a ritual sparked by her late sister Melodie's journal, which reveals a complex, painful history between the two of them. The book is darkly funny (I think) and cathartic and ultimately life-affirming (I hope), despite the body count.
Here's a lovely early endorsement from Rebecca Hooper, author These Glass Bodies:
'I devoured No Flowers ... I absolutely loved it! Such a stunning meditation on grief and finding our way home, and so gorgeously written.'
And that's me, for now, with the self-promotion.
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As you already know, The Moth Nature Writing Prize 2026 is now up and running. We're delighted to have Sean Borodale on board as this year's judge. The prize considers fiction, non-fiction and poetry that best conveys the writer's relationship with the natural world.
If you're looking for writing inspiration, you could do worse than to join Arvon's FREE five-day writing challenge with novelist and short story writer Claire Fuller. A writing prompt and supporting materials will be sent to you each morning (UK time) via email between Monday 20 July and Friday 24 July. You can sign up here. |
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And if you're thinking of getting away somewhere quiet and inspiring (and in cooler climes), remember we're taking bookings for The Moth Retreat here in Ireland from September onwards.
Last but not least ... My darling husband, Will Govan, is returning by popular demand to the Museum of Literature Ireland this summer. Performances every Sunday throughout July and August (excluding 23 August, when he'll be down in Kenmare with the play). You can find all tour dates here.
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I'll leave you with Lorcan Brady's gorgeous tribute to David Hockney from a recent Moth Studios challenge ...
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