This Saturday, 22 September is the Milton Keynes Literary Festival and I’m very much looking forward to this event. Join me for a Book Club talk about White Chrysanthemum. We’ll discuss the book, ‘comfort women’, haenyeo divers, Hana and Emi, and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about writing, publishing, and first books (and the trials of writing the second)! More info here: MKLITFEST

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I’m here on this cold, drizzly day anticipating this wonderful event tonight with Wu Ming-Yi and Lee Randall. When I was a student writing my novel, I had no idea of the life that awaited me. I’m so pleased to be here, honored to be among so many brilliant writers, and humbled by this beautiful event. ‘Digging into Trauma’ is an apt title for our session as both our novels travel far below the comfort of normal lives, venturing into the grief stricken, the lost and the painful. Within those lives there are also moments of beauty, love and sometimes forgiveness. It is in these lives we can hope to one day find peace.

Arrive a bit early to listen to us read writing from survivors of torture. This important event highlights true stories from real people suffering today.