5 day countdown...
Hello loves 💛
So, my debut novel Girls of Little Hope (with Dale Halvorsen) comes out in 5 days. COOL COOL COOL. I'm SUPER relaxed about this. NO HYPERVENTILATING PANIC HERE, NO SIREE.
In fact, I've been so zen and not-at-all-anxious that I decided to go and hide out on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for two weeks without Internet access. You know, entirely chill adult behaviour.
But I got back to discover that the book reviewers and early readers have started saying things about the book. And they're very nice things!
"Sharp as a DIY-piercing, with a fierce punk heart - I loved the hell out of this" - Lauren Beukes
"A riot (grrl) from start to finish, GIRLS OF LITTLE HOPE is the creepy 1980s true-crime-meets-STRANGER THINGS book of your dreams. Beckbessinger and Halvorsen have a deft way with character, and all their protagonists stay heart-achingly relatable right up to the gruesome I-can't-believe-they-went-there climax. A real joy of a story." - Ally Wilkes
“A dark, strange, and joyful book about sticking by your best friends in the face of a monstrous world.” - Sam Humphries
“Girls of Little Hope is a tremendously confident, thrilling debut… I stayed up all night to finish it” - Alex de Campi
“Funny, uncanny, rich with dark nostalgia. Girls of Little Hope lures you deep into the woods, switching up the trail of breadcrumbs so you never quite know if you're getting closer to safety, or nearer to the truth. A comfortingly creepy reminder that friendships are the greatest adventure, and that we're never in this alone.” – Dr Nechama Brodie
“Twisty and clever, it grips you from the first page and doesn't let you go. This book kept me up at night, for all the right reasons.” - Jen Thorpe
I could cry!
London launch party 🍾
Londoners, I'm throwing a launch party in Hackney on 15 June. I'd love to have some of you there to help me celebrate. I'll be signing books, doing a Q&A with the magical Lauren Beukes, and showing you cringey photos of myself as a teenager. There are only 10 spots left, and it's first come, first served. Get in touch if you'd like to claim one of the spots (you're welcome to bring a +1). Can't wait to see you there!
South African pre-orders 📚
Saffas, good news! We've managed to set up pre-order links at Loot and Wordsworth Books.
I've heard that SA Kindle readers are still having inconsistent results pre-ordering the book on Amazon, sorry about that.
The book should be available through all other bookshops from next week.
So many of you have already messaged to ask how you can help promote the book launch, and I appreciate that more than I can tell you.
I am beaming enormous (entirely nonpanicked) hugs to every one of you, individually!
Sam