Local Writers
We are lucky to have such energy and talent in our pool of local writers. Louise Kennedy is making a huge international impact with her short stories and then best selling novel Trespasses, but there are many others too! Anna Burns has won NI its first Booker Prize, for Milkman.
Pauline Burgess, Sheena Wilkinson and Kelly McCaughrain are inspiring our young writers with their teen/YA fiction, whilst Jan Carson, Michelle Gallen, Susannah Dickey, Rosemary Jenkins, Jamie Guiney, Olivia Rana and Bernie McGill are producing compelling short stories and fiction, to name but a few. Come in and browse or email for recommendations.
Thriller lovers are well catered for by Claire Allan, Sharon Dempsey and Steve Cavanagh, plus many others writing in the south of Ireland.
We also try to support debut writers and those just starting out on their publishing journey, by stocking their books in store - look out for Jim Simpson, Rosemary Mairs and others in store. Please email to ask for new writing recommendations.
And of course, the wonderful children and picture book writers, such as the by now legendary Oliver Jeffers ( yes, he's from Northern Ireland!), Barry Falls, Chris Haughton, Paddy Donnelly, Martin Waddell and other new and emerging authors and illustrators.
Dara McNulty and Kerri Ni Dochartaigh are bringing new insights to nature writing for young and old.
And politics ... always a fresh take, always someone with brains to consider how best to address this troubled corner of the world. Look to Glenn Paterson, Malachi O'Doherty, Eamonn Mallie and Susan McKay for insight and wisdom.
The Sun Is Open, Gail McConnell (paperback 2021)
£9.99
The Sun is Open sifts through a boxed archive of public and private materials related to the life and death of the author's father, who was murdered by the IRA outside their Belfast home in 1984. Moving between child and adult voices, past and present, this startlingly innovative debut attempts to decode the fragments left behind and, with them, piece together a history and a life. 'Each page of The Sun Is Open is rich with exquisite and surprising language, pain, and wisdom.' - Maggie Nelson'The Sun is Open employs a grammar in which everything is significant, from Wendy Houses, to the very hairs of your head, to the poetry of First Aid instructions, to slaters.This is meticulous and painstaking - sometimes pain-making work - making the words fit the columns, be they inches of newsprint or entries in an Account Book, negotiating or nudging the meanings into alternative senses.
The Troubles With Us, Allie O’Neill (Paperback out June 2022)
£9.99
A hilarious memoir about growing up in Northern Ireland in the 90s towards the end of the Troubles and a brilliantly propelling narrative of the extraordinary background story of her mother. Her mother's vivid personality and witty colloquialisms dominate the book and help to give a social history of life in Belfast from the 1950s onwards. Growing up on the Falls Road in 1990s Belfast, Alix O'Neill has seen it all - burnt-out buses blocking the route to school, the police mistaking her father for a leading terrorist and a classmate playing hide and seek with her dad's prosthetic hand (blown off making a device for the IRA).Not that she or her friends are up to speed with the goings-on of the resistance. They're too preoccupied with the obsessions of every teenage girl - booze, boys and Boyzone - to worry about the violence on their doorstep. Besides, the odd coffee jar bomb is nothing compared to the drama about to explode in Alix's personal life.
Desperate to leave Northern Ireland and the trials of her mother's unorthodox family - a loving yet eccentric band of misfits - behind, she makes grand plans for the next stage. But it's through these relationships and their gradual unravelling that Alix begins to appreciate not only the troubled history of where she comes from, but the strength of its women. Warm, embarrassing and full of love and insight, The Troubles with Us is a hilarious and moving account of the madness and mundanities of life in Northern Ireland during the thirty-year conflict.
It's a story of mothers and daughters, the fallout from things left unsaid and the lengths a girl will go to for fake tan.
The Watch House, by Bernie McGill (paperback)
£9.99
THE WATCH HOUSE by Bernie McGill is the story of the modern world arriving on Rathlin, a remote Irish island, at the very end of the nineteenth century, with dramatic consequences for a young woman named Nuala. As the twentieth century dawns on the island of Rathlin, a place ravaged by storms and haunted by past tragedies, Nuala Byrne is faced with a difficult decision. Abandoned by her family for the new world, she receives a proposal from the island's aging tailor.
For the price of a roof over her head, she accepts. Meanwhile the island is alive with gossip about the strangers who have arrived from the mainland, armed with mysterious equipment which can reportedly steal a person's words and transmit them through thin air. When Nuala is sent to cook for these men - engineers, who have been sent to Rathlin by Marconi to conduct experiments in the use of wireless telegraphy - she encounters an Italian named Gabriel, who offers her the chance to equip herself with new skills and knowledge.
As her friendship with Gabriel opens up horizons beyond the rocky and treacherous cliffs of her island home, Nuala begins to realise that her deal with the tailor was a bargain she should never have struck.
One of our bestselling novels. Vividly imagined and with a page turning suspense. A great read - Linda
The Welcome Centre, Peter Hollywood ( paperback March 2023)
£12.99
The Welcome Centre features an eclectic selection of 15 stories, many of them packed with literary references and allusions – from familiar book titles and author names to actual cameos by characters from other works. He even gives us a full-blown noir fiction follow-up to The Great Gatsby, which includes an appearance by Dashiell Hammett's boozy husband and wife crimebusters, Nick and Nora Charles, just for good measure.
The Wild HooBoo, Barry Falls (hardback August 2025)
£12.99
When the selfish King captures the wish-granting wild HooBoo, he is taught a lesson he won't forget!The wild HooBoo sings a magical song – coo, chit churp churee! – that can grant you anything you wish for, if your heart is good and true. But the King’s only desire is selfish and cruel, so when he captures the HooBoo and starts making demands, things don’t quite go as he’d planned . .
. Stunningly illustrated and bursting with colour and kindness, this is a new cautionary tale with a classic feel from award-winning Irish children's author Barry Falls.
The Wishkeeper’s Apprentice and The Magician Next Door, Rachel Chivers Khoo ( paperback Feb 2024)
£7.99
A beautifully illustrated and magical classic about the power of wishes for readers aged 7-10 "A story full of wishes and a big dollop of magic." Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear "Ideal for newly confident readers." I'm often asked to recommend books for young Harry Potter fans and this sweet, funny fantasy adventure with age-appropriate peril is perfect. If you're moving up from Isadora Moon, or enjoy Loki, this is great!
The Wishkeeper's Apprentice
When Felix makes a very special wish, he doesn't expect to be offered a job as an apprentice to wishkeeper Rupus Beewinkle. Now Felix must save the town's wishes from the wishsnatcher, who wants to destroy hopes and dreams everywhere.
The Magician Next Door
Late one night a flying house crash-lands in ten-year-old Callie's garden in Northern Ireland. It is the home of magician Winnifred and all of her magical artefacts.
Winnifred asks for Callie's help finding her lost Wanderdust – until she realizes it is Callie's sadness that is causing her malfunctioning magic. With Winnifred's most precious magical possessions at risk from malicious fairies and dangerous giants, can Callie and her friend Sam find the Wanderdust in time to save the magician?
The Wishkeeper’s Apprentice, Rachel Chivers Khoo ( paperback May 2023)
£7.99
A beautifully illustrated and magical classic about the power of wishes for readers aged 7+ "Ideal for newly confident readers." The Independent
"A story full of wishes and a big dollop of magic." Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear"
Wanted! A wishkeeper's apprentice. When Felix makes a very special wish, he doesn't expect to be offered a job as an apprentice to wishkeeper Rupus Beewinkle.
Now Felix must save the town's wishes from the wishsnatcher, who wants to destroy hopes and dreams everywhere. Beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Rachel Sanson.
Plenty of dialogue and chapter imagery to keep newly independent readers encouraged." - Irish Examiner
The Wonderful Discovery of Elizabeth Sawyer, Jonathan Vischer
£9.99
The year is 1621: a time of paranoia following the English Reformation. In London's Newgate prison, Elizabeth Sawyer, the mother of eleven children, lies shackled in her cell. Denounced as a witch by her woodland neighbours and condemned to death by the court, Elizabeth has one last chance to make her peace with this world.
By way of confession, she tells the prison chaplain three stories about her life. Chaplain Goodcole at first responds with revulsion. Like the court he condemns Elizabeth as wicked and depraved but as her execution draws near, his opinion shifts.
Does this 'ignorant' countrywoman know something that he doesn't? Has she indeed made a wonderful discovery, or has he, as his colleagues suspect, fallen under the spell of a wily and malign witch?Based on a true story, this novel is rooted in the struggles of rural women 400 years ago. Exploring different types of power, it unravels the fear and superstitions surrounding any girl or woman who spoke her mind.
Copies are usually signed !
These Days, Lucy Caldwell (paperback March 2023 )
£9.99
The new novel from the Winner of the BBC National Short Story Award 2021.
Two sisters, four nights, one city. April, 1941. Belfast has escaped the worst of the war - so far.
Over the next two months, it's going to be destroyed from above, so that people will say, in horror, My God, Belfast is finished. Many won't make it through, and no one who does will remain unchanged. Following the lives of sisters Emma and Audrey - one engaged to be married, the other in a secret relationship with another woman - as they try to survive the horrors of the four nights of bombing which were the Belfast Blitz, These Days is a timeless and heart-breaking novel about living under duress, about family, and about how we try to stay true to ourselves.
WINNER OF THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION
WINNER OF THE E. M. FORSTER AWARD
AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4s BOOK AT BEDTIME
Thin Places, Kerri Ni Dochartaigh (paperback Jan 2022)
£10.99
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING - HIGHLY COMMENDED'
Remarkable' Robert Macfarlane'Beautiful' Amy Liptrot'Powerful, unflinching . . .
Part hymn to nature, part Troubles memoir' Guardian Kerri ni Dochartaigh was born in Derry at the very height of the Troubles. One parent was Catholic, the other Protestant. In the space of a year Kerri's family were forced out of two homes and when she was eleven a homemade petrol bomb was thrown through her bedroom window.
For families like hers, terror was in the very fabric of the city. In Thin Places, Kerri explores how nature kept her sane and helped her heal, and how we are again allowing our borders to become hard and terror to creep back in. Kerri asks us to reclaim and rejoice in our landscape, and to remember that the land we fight over is much more than lines on a map.
Through a Vet’s Eyes, Dr Sean Wensley ( paperback April 2023)
£9.99
One of the Financial Times' Best Summer Books of 2022'. This book has stayed with me, and I learned a great deal from reading it! Linda
Written by Bangor based vet, Sean Wensley, who is originally from the NW of England.
A compelling account of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of life as a vet - and a lesson to us all on how we should treat the animals with which we share our lives.' - Stephen Moss, naturalist and author of The Robin: A biography.
Our lives are intrinsically linked to those of animals - whether that's the animals we farm for food, those living in the wild, those we use for sport or the ones we choose to keep as pets. We all have a responsibility to consider our impact, and even small changes in our own lives could significantly improve the quality of theirs. Dr Sean Wensley is an award-winning vet and lifelong naturalist, advocating animal wellbeing around the world.
Fusing keen scientific insight with tender meditations on the natural world, Through a Vet's Eyes reveals the injustices which animals experience every day and raises an important question: how can we choose a better life for animals? Compelling and compassionate, Through a Vet's Eyes helps us to see things from the animals' perspectives, and illuminates the ways we can better care for our fellow creatures.
Tiny McToot, Barry Falls ( paperback Sept 2024)
£7.99
From acclaimed picture book maker Barry Falls, a pitch-perfect story about being GIANT . . .even when you’re tiny! Tiny the giant lives in a shoe, and as the smallest giant in the land, he is always overlooked. But, when a HUGE and dastardly troll comes along, could it be Tiny’s diminutive size (along with his HUGE courage) that saves the day? A joyfully exuberant rhyming story about being seen, heard and accepted – however small you may be! From the critically acclaimed creator of It’s Your World Now, Dare We Be Dragons and Alone!, shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2022.
Trespasses, Louise Kennedy ( paperback March 2023)
£9.99
One by one, she undid each event, each decision, each choice. If Davy had remembered to put on a coat. If Seamie McGeown had not found himself alone on a dark street.If Michael Agnew had not walked through the door of the pub on a quiet night in February in his white shirt. There is nothing special about the day Cushla meets Michael, a married man from Belfast, in the pub owned by her family. But here, love is never far from violence, and this encounter will change both of their lives forever.
As people get up each morning and go to work, school, church or the pub, the daily news rolls in of another car bomb exploded, another man beaten, killed or left for dead. In the class Cushla teaches, the vocabulary of seven-year-old children now includes phrases like 'petrol bomb' and 'rubber bullets'. And as she is forced to tread lines she never thought she would cross, tensions in the town are escalating, threatening to destroy all she is working to hold together.
Tender and shocking, Trespasses is an unforgettable debut of people trying to live ordinary lives in extraordinary times.
True Colours, James Simpson ( paperback August 2024)
£12.99
Derry on a plate ( with a side order of Strabane)… this book has joy, poignancy and humour all wrapped up in a Derry shaped package. Thoroughly enjoyable, quirky and heartwarming.
- signed copies available!
Truth Be Told, Sue Divin ( paperback April 2022)
£7.99
The gripping new YA novel from Sue Divin, the acclaimed and Carnegie shortlisted author of Guard Your Heart. She's writing about contemporary Derry and it's brilliant!
Northern Ireland. 2019. Tara has been raised by her mam and nan in Derry City. Faith lives in rural Armagh. Their lives on opposite sides of a political divide couldn't be more different.
Until they come face-to-face with each other and are shocked to discover they look almost identical. Are they connected?In searching for the truth about their own identities, the teenagers uncover more than they bargained for. But what if finding out who you truly are means undermining everything you've ever known?
Twelve Paintings of Colin Davidson, by Mark Carruthers ( hardback)
£30.99
Twelve Paintings is an intimate and compelling exploration of the life and work of the renowned Irish artist Colin Davidson. Structured around a series of deeply personal conversations with the broadcaster Mark Carruthers, the book uses twelve key works – from early Belfast street scenes to iconic portraits of figures like Queen Elizabeth II, Seamus Heaney and Ed Sheeran – as gateways into broader reflections on art, memory and place.
Combining memoir and artistic manifesto, Twelve Paintings delves into Davidson’s creative process and the powerful human stories behind his work. Rooted in a long-standing friendship, the conversations accompanying the paintings offer a rare glimpse into the artist’s evolving practice.
Through these wide-ranging dialogues, Davidson reveals not only the technical and emotional depth behind his work but also his personal convictions – about creativity, identity and the role of the artist in bearing witness. With warmth and candour, he invites readers into the world behind the canvas, bridging the gap between private reflection and public expression.
Two Kinds of Stranger, Steve Cavanagh ( hardback 31 July 2025)
£16.99
Ellie Parker had everything. Perfect husband.
Perfect apartment. Perfect friends and the perfect job. As an internet celebrity - famed for her random acts of kindness - everyone knew it.
So when a betrayal causes her to lose it all, millions of people are watching. But even at her lowest, Ellie will always help someone in need. Which makes her the perfect target for a sadistic game.
Because as she soon learns, you can never trust a stranger - and a seemingly random encounter plunges her into a nightmare worse than she ever imagined. The only person she can turn to is conman turned trial lawyer Eddie Flynn, who must take on a case where nothing is what it seems. With the most cruelly ingenious mind manipulating events from the shadows, everyone is in danger - including Eddie and his family.
The award-winning, Sunday Times Top Five bestseller returns with a brand new thriller featuring the unforgettable Eddie Flynn. 'This crime thriller is fast and relentless and the plot throws some real shockers.
Under The Stone, Heather McConnell
£8.99
When Ellen and Kate return to Belfast after scattering their mother Betty’s ashes in her native South Africa, Ellen is given a letter that changes everything. It is from her dying mother.
Betty reveals a long-held secret and asks Ellen to keep it hidden. For the ever-inquisitive Ellen, her mother’s bequest is more a burden than a gift. How can she resist the lure of further revelations? As her pursuit of the truth becomes an obsession, Ellen feels increasingly isolated by her disapproving family.
But how far will Ellen go before realising that digging into the past can sabotage the present and the future – for herself and all those she holds dear?
About the author
Belfast-born author Heather McConnell first developed a love of telling stories and capturing character as a singer-songwriter and portrait artist. She is fascinated by the undercurrents in complex family relationships. Under the Stone is her debut novel.
Wandering Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, Paul Clements ( paperback)
£13.99
Following the spirit of the world's longest coastal driving route, Paul Clements sets out to discover the real west of Ireland. Along the way he encounters memorable characters living on the Atlantic edge and presents a unique portrait of their lives. We meet the last man standing on a remote Galway island, listen to the banter at Puck Fair, and hear from a descendant of the original sixteenth-century wild Atlantic woman. Tagging along on his meandering journey is the swashbuckling presence of the Celtic sea god, Manannan Mac Lir. For his first travel book in 1991, Paul hitchhiked the same route. Now retracing his steps along the Wild Atlantic Way - this time by car and bike, on horseback and on foot - he looks at how Ireland has changed and realises everyone still has a story to tell. Laced with wry humour and endless curiosity, this is a distinctive mix of travel writing, social history and nature.
What We’ll Build, Oliver Jeffers ( paperback March 2024)
£7.99
A spectacular new title, now in paperback, from world-renowned artist Oliver Jeffers, creator of the global phenomenon Here We Are! What shall we build, you and I? I’ll build your future and you’ll build mine. We’ll build a watch to keep our time. A father and daughter set about laying the foundations for their life together.Using their own special tools, they get to work; building memories to cherish, a home to keep them safe and love to keep them warm. From renowned, internationally bestselling picture-book creator and visual artist, Oliver Jeffers, comes this rare and enduring story about a parent’s boundless love, life’s endless opportunities and all we need to build a together future.
