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Fairlight Books

@fairlightbooks.bsky.social
144 followers 76 following 51 posts

We’re an independent publishing house dedicated to standout storytelling, from inventive literary novels to page-turning book club favourites. Looking for a tea-break read? Browse our short story platform: www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/our-short-stories

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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Check out our new short story by Madeleine Foster! 👥 A story about aspirations versus reality's harsh truths, 'A Certain Romance' follows a group of old friends whose meetup takes a sour turn. www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/short.../a-c...
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Enter for the chance to win an early copy of Strange Talk! Closes 18th October 📚 buff.ly/DAKH95E #Giveaway #BookGiveaway #Competition #Storygraph #StrangeTalk @lyndac.bsky.social @thestorygraph.com
A graphic with a digital mockup of Lynda Clark's Strange Talk in the centre. Above it reads 'GIVEAWAY', and below is 'Enter on The StoryGraph'
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Once again, we'll be publishing wintry short stories on our website throughout December. ❄️ For a chance to feature in this year’s line-up, find our call for submissions here: fairlightbooks.co.uk/interview-bl... (Deadline 17th October) #ShortStory #CallForSubmissions #OpenForSubmissions #WriteSky
fairlightbooks.co.uk
Call for Submissions: Winter Short Stories | Fairlight Books
We will be publishing wintry short stories throughout December. For a chance to feature in this year’s line-up...
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
As autumn gets closer, so do the cosy evenings spent wrapped up warm with a book… Are you looking forward to it as much as we are? 🍂🕯️📙
A cosy, dim photograph of Pete Sherlock's The Mask of Merryvale Manor on a plaid blanket, beside two lit candles
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Check out our new short story by Nicholas Sheppard! 🍼 A psychological story, 'Hylas' follows a woman whose desire for love has become misdirected as she snatches a boy from his stroller. www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/short-storie...
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Today the author spotlight is on Clare O’Dea, the author of Voting Day (2022), a Fairlight Moderns novella, and the novel Before the Leaves Fall (2025), which is loosely connected to Voting Day. #AuthorSpotlight #AuthorInterview #ClareODea
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Allan Radcliffe @allanradcliffe.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
🚨The Audiobook of The Old Haunts is here! It has taken three years (I speak slowly) but I'm proud to have narrated the audiobook of my first novel. Thanks to @fairlightbooks.bsky.social for making this happen, and I'm grateful to Offbeat Recording Studios for their care with a novice voice artist! 😍
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Out Now... The Old Haunts audiobook, written and narrated by Allan Radcliffe! 🎧 Buy here: www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/books/the-ol...
A graphic of The Old Haunts audiobook, written and narrated by Allan Radcliffe. The text beside it reads 'Audiobook Out Now!', with logos for Audible, Google Books, Kobo, Spotify and Apple Books
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Check out our new short story by Fiona Vigo Marshall, author of Find Me Falling and The House of Marvellous Books! 🧡 Inspired by an old Greek fairy tale, 'Mr Marzipan' tells the tale of a girl who makes a lover with her own hands. www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/short-storie... #ShortStory #WriteSky
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
We interrupt your doomscroll to bring you pocket-sized lit fic set around the world 🌍 Do you have a favourite #FairlightModern? shorturl.at/jIOZU
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
We’re so excited for you to meet Amie and her quirky found family this November… Pre-order your copy of Strange Talk today! 💛 www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/books/strang...
A purple graphic with yellow text:

Strange Talk – Lynda Clark
Pre-order Now!
Weird Girl Lit - Found Family - Unconventional Romance - Darkly Funny
5 Nov 2026
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Lynda Clark @lyndac.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
It's here and it's a physical thing! (Also, look at my favourite page - thanks so much @fairlightbooks.bsky.social for pulling that off!)
Strange Talk (a novel with a yellow cover, a picture of purple and red Lava Lamp, and the title and my name in purple and red speech bubbles respectively)A chapter called Pain. At the top is a rendering of a print nozzle clean page which just says "PAIN" in large letters and scattered across the page, symbols that resemble words like "pain", "hurt" and "sharp"
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Katherine Mezzacappa @katmezzacappa.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Cottage Orné, my 21st published #shortstory out today with @fairlightbooks.bsky.social; an unlikely friendship and a satisfyingly dark ending: www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/short-storie... Photocredits: Hermitage, Hanwell and Cliffs at West Runton Wikicommons: PGChampion and Evelyn Simak
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Check out our new short story by Katherine Mezzacappa, author of the Maiden of Florence! ✉️ A story about new beginnings, 'Cottage Orné' explores a friendship blossoming between two people yearning for connection. #ShortStory #WriteSky buff.ly/kLz9d9M
fairlightbooks.co.uk
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Millennial vs Gen Z marketing… Who did it better? 👀
A graphic split into two columns. The left reads 'Millennial Marketing', with the cover for Bookshop Tours of Britain by Louise Boland, followed by 'A slow-travel guide to Britain, navigating via bookshops with gorgeous illustrations – a delightful gift for book lovers'. The right reads 'Gen Z Marketing' with the same book cover, followed by 'who cares that your tbr is already miles long? visiting more bookshops is lowkey self-care 💅'A graphic split into two columns. The left reads 'Millennial Marketing', with the cover for Beyond Kidding by Lynda Clark, followed by 'A dark, quirky and poignant read about dysfunctional father-son relationships, with a Black Mirror-esque twist'. The right reads 'Gen Z Marketing' with the same book cover, followed by 'sad loser man gaslights everyone and somehow acquires a child'A graphic split into two columns. The left reads 'Millennial Marketing', with the cover for The Moon and Stars by Jenna Warren, followed by 'An uplifting tale of conquering fears and chasing dreams; a romantic comedy celebrating musical theatre'. The right reads 'Gen Z Marketing' with the same book cover, followed by 'it's giving... phantom of the opera with crippling anxiety'
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
From the author of Walter Scott Prize-winning Matchbox Girl, A Saint in Swindon by Alice Jolly reminds us of the importance of literature in an increasingly dark world. #AliceJolly #LiteraryFiction
fairlightbooks.co.uk
A Saint in Swindon by Alice Jolly | Fairlight Books
When a stranger arrives in town, with a bulging blue bag and a whiff of adventure, the neighbourhood takes notice. When he asks for his...
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
It’s National Paperback Book Day! While we love eBooks, nothing will ever be quite as good as the smell of a good old paperback. 📖
The rainbow spines of the Fairlight Moderns stacked on top of one another, with the corners pointed towards the camera.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Check out our new short story by C. H. Simko! 🟢 A story set in the near future, 'Green Lights' by C. H. Simko follows a man who becomes reliant on time-altering technology to navigate a social situation. #ShortStory #WriteSky www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/short-storie...
fairlightbooks.co.uk
'Green Lights' by C. H. Simko | Fairlight Books
'Green Lights' by C. H. Simko follows a man who becomes reliant on time-altering technology to navigate a social situation.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Amie Azoic's house is alive with voices: smug comments from the fridge, needy cries from the smoke alarm, romantic overtures from the toaster. But when her nephew comes to stay unexpectedly, Amie is forced to engage with the outside world. Pre-order now! buff.ly/hUb0S76 🗨️
A graphic displaying Strange Talk by Lynda Clark with various arrowed labels: weird girl lit, unconventional romance, from award-winning author of Beyond Kidding, darkly funny, and found family. Beneath is bold text that reads '5 NOV 2026'
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Check out our new short story by Becky Jones! 🌹 A story about resilience, 'Pressed for Meaning' by Becky Jones follows a woman battling self-doubt as she begins a new chapter of her life. #ShortStory #WriteSky www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/short-storie...
fairlightbooks.co.uk
'Pressed for Meaning' by Becky Jones | Fairlight Books
A story about resilience, 'Pressed for Meaning' by Becky Jones follows a woman battling self-doubt as she begins a new chapter of her life.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Here are some more snippets from the free-to-read short stories on our website! Explore 300+ high quality short stories here: www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/our-short-st... #BookSky #LiteraryFiction #ShortStories
A graphic with a typewriter keyboard and two people cycling. On it is a piece of paper with tape that reads 'I can see my son, in a few years' time, here on a night out. One of hundreds of kids converging on the town from the dozens of quiet villages. He'll be part of the war zone, part of the shouting, screaming and drinking, part of the smashed bottles and kebabs. I want to get him through, safe to the other side, but there's only so much I can do. The lad's got to grow up somehow.'
The credit below reads '"A Bridge Across" – Tom Harvey'.A graphic with a typewriter keyboard and a starfish beside the shore. On it is a piece of paper with tape that reads 'Below the surface, a mysterious world lurks, filled with strange, half-imagined creatures. I watch them scurry for shelter in the nooks and crannies as I peer and poke and prod. The seaweed knows a fabulous trick. Black as liquorice when it floats beneath the water, but when you pull it free and hold it up to the light you see it is actually a dark bottle-green, a transformation which always makes me gasp. Nothing is ever as it seems.'
The credit below reads '"The Truth About Starfish" – Jennifer Harvey'.A graphic with a typewriter keyboard and people dancing in a dimly lit room. On it is a piece of paper with tape that reads 'I wasn't really thinking about anything. I was gloriously dumb. It felt like my skin might burst, like I was the first person on earth to discover music – to let it shatter me, to feel how it tugged apart the air. Every word in every line felt purposeful, and wise, and enduring. Every note and trill and thrum and chord so incomprehensibly clever.'
The credit below reads '"Lie Dream of a Casino Soul" – Madeleine Foster'.A graphic with a typewriter keyboard and a lit cigarette balancing on a railing. On it is a piece of paper with tape that reads 'I step outside, tear the plastic off the pack and pull out a cigarette. There's something comforting about the ritual of it. The flick of the lighter. The inhale. The first rush of smoke curling into the cold air. She used to say that smoking felt like pressing pause on time. A small, stolen moment in the middle of everything. We met that way – standing outside a club in Piccadilly, both lighting up at the same time.'
The credit below reads '"Last Pack of Cigarettes" – Saket Tagade'.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
We’re officially halfway through 2026 – can you believe it? How are your yearly reading goals going?
A graphic depicting a close up of a calendar for July. In the centre, surrounded by a scribbled blue circle and arrows, is 2nd July, which contains 'Halfway through 2026!'
Surrounding dates contain writing such as 'Fairlight Newsletter', '~4 months until Strange Talk', and 'Review short story submissions'.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Check out our new short story by Debbie Rainer! 🦋 A story about memory, 'Handing It On' is someone's recollection of a young girl who used to frequent their local library. #ShortStory #WriteSky
fairlightbooks.co.uk
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Did you know you can get a free sample of Lou Gilmond’s Palisade? 😉 In a world dominated by AI, there is no hiding place. So, when Kanha and Colbey join forces to investigate suspicious deaths in Parliament, they must tread carefully. Grab your free sample here: linktr.ee/fairlightbooks
A graphic that reads 'FREE EBOOK SAMPLE' / 'WHAT CAN SEE WATCHES, WHAT CAN HEAR LISTENS'. Below is an iPad displaying the cover for Lou Gilmond's Palisade, with a yellow banner that reads 'FREE SAMPLE'.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
This National Writing Day, we’re sending love and luck to all writers working on their WIPs – you’ve got this!
A close-up picture of Fairlight Books' office bookshelf. A typewriter sits in the centre, surrounded by copies of various books published by Fairlight.
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Lynda Clark @lyndac.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I can't wait to introduce you all to Door and Amie in November. In the meantime, here's my first ever book promo video for anyone who missed it this morning.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
We're excited to share the cover for Strange Talk by @lyndac.bsky.social! Publishing this November. More info here: buff.ly/hUb0S76 #NewFiction #WeirdGirlLit #BookSky
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Check out our new short story by Nomi McLeod! 🩵 'Blue' is a story about loss and grief, following a woman who can suddenly no longer see the colour blue. #ShortStory #Loss #Grief #Blue #BookSky #WriteSky www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/short-storie...
fairlightbooks.co.uk
'Blue' by Nomi McLeod | Fairlight Books
A story about loss and grief, 'Blue' by Nomi McLeod follows a woman who can suddenly no longer see the colour blue.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
It's #IndieBookshopWeek! 📚 What better way to celebrate than reading The Hometown Bookshop, or perhaps spending the weekend following a tour from Bookshop Tours of Britain? www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/books/the-ho... www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/books/booksh...
fairlightbooks.co.uk
The Hometown Bookshop by Jenna Warren | Fairlight Books
Actress Charlotte has it all: a starring role in a West End show, a glittering social life and an equally high-flying boyfriend. But when...
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Jenna Warren @bookcornershop.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
It's Independent Bookshop Week, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to shout about my latest novel, set in an indie bookshop. Lovely graphic by @fairlightbooks.bsky.social. If you like any of these things, please check it out! Get your copy here: www.jennawarrenwrites.com/books/p/the-...
The cover of The Hometown Bookshop, annotated with what it's all about: LGBTQ+ romance, local theatre, found family, cosy bookshop, grumpy x sunshine friendship.
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Allan Radcliffe @allanradcliffe.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
🚨Tomorrow!🚨Delighted to be taking part in this showcase at The Wee Bookshop, Dollar, as part of Independent Bookshop Week, with @samanthadooeymiles.bsky.social, @lucaserra.bsky.social, Joy Hendry and Pat McTaggart. Drop in for readings, chat & signings 12-3pm. 😍 www.weebookshop.co.uk/events/local...
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
So exciting to see Lorraine Wilson on the shortlist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award – huge congratulations, @rainewilson.bsky.social! We're proud to have published Lorraine's stunning novel Mother Sea a few years back 🌺🌊 www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/books/mother... #BookSky #ClimateFiction #LitFic
fairlightbooks.co.uk
Mother Sea by Lorraine Wilson | Fairlight Books
In an island community facing extinction, can hope rise stronger than grief? Sisi de Mathilde lives on a remote island...
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Tote bags were made for the sole purpose of carrying books, right? 📚 #BookSky #FairlightBooks #LitFic #LiteraryFiction #Novellas #ToteBag
A picture of a tote bag that says 'I heart Indies', with several books spilling out: How to Sleep by Lucinda Ford, Temper by Phoebe Walker, The Fairlight Book of Short Stories, Dancing in the Shallows by Clare Reddaway, Red Dust, White Snow by Pan Huiting, Inside the Bone Box by Anthony Ferner, and The Two-Tailed Snake by Nod Ghosh. The background is a plaid, picnic blanket-like pattern.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
In case you missed it! 👀 #BookSky #Giveaway
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Check out our new short story by Tom Harvey! 🚴‍♂️ 'A Bridge Across' follows a father and son cycling through a village in the morning, pondering the events of the previous night. #ShortStory #Fatherhood #Cycling #BookSky #WriteSky
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Allan Radcliffe @allanradcliffe.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Blurred Faces has been reprinted with an updated cover and lots of lovely quotes on the back. Thank you to my publisher @fairlightbooks.bsky.social for their support, to the many bookshops that stock my books, and to everyone who has bought, read and reviewed Blurred Faces in the past six months. 😍
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Happy #PrideMonth! Here are some of our #LGBTQ+ titles that are perfect for your #TBR: ❤️ The Fish - Joanne Stubbs 🧡 The Old Haunts - Allan Radcliffe 💛 The Prince of Mirrors – Alan Robert Clark 💚 A Good Year - Polis Loizou 🩵 The Hometown Bookshop - Jenna Warren 💜 Blurred Faces - Allan Radcliffe
The text reads 'Happy Pride Month', with a rainbow heart replacing the O. Six book covers are featured below: The Fish by Joanne Stubbs, The Old Haunts by Allan Radcliffe, The Prince of Mirrors by Alan Robert Clark, A Good Year by Polis Loizou, The Hometown Bookshop by Jenna Warren, and Blurred Faces by Allan Radcliffe. The background is a faded, swirly marble pattern.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
It’s National Biscuit Day, and to celebrate we’ve made minor adjustments to some of our book covers! 👀🍪 (We almost included Jaffa Cakes in this, but didn’t want to spark controversy…) #BookSky #NationalBiscuitDay
The cover for The Prince of Mirrors by Alan Robert Clark, set against a background of bourbon biscuits. The cover depicts a large, regal estate, with a large suited figure looming behind it – but the image has been Photoshopped to replace the man's head with a bourbon biscuit.The cover for A Good Year by Polis Loizou, set against a background of digestive biscuits. The cover depicts a shadowy, clawed hand reaching out, surrounded by a circle of leaves that gradually decay as the circle progresses. What was once a yellow circle behind the hand has been Photoshopped to be a digestive biscuit.The cover for There Are Things I Know by Karen B. Golightly, set against a background of cookies. The cover depicts a boy with his eyes closed, surrounded by what once was numbers in coloured circles connected by dotted lines, but the numbers have been replaced by several chocolate chip cookies.The cover for Blue Postcards by Douglas Bruton, set against a background of shortbread biscuits. The cover depicts a man observing a framed art piece that originally contained abstract blue shapes, but the blue has been replaced with shortbread biscuits.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Don't miss this event with our wonderful author @allanradcliffe.bsky.social at The Wee Bookshop in Dollar, in celebration of Independent Bookshop Week! #IndieBookshopWeek #BookSky 🖋️📚
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Enter for the chance to win a copy! Closes on 18th June 📚 The Hometown Bookshop by @bookcornershop.bsky.social: app.thestorygraph.com/giveaways/79... Beyond Kidding by @lyndac.bsky.social: app.thestorygraph.com/giveaways/81... #giveaway #bookgiveaway #competition #storygraph
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
We can’t wait to read your work! #BookSky #WriteSky 🖋️📚
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
In case you missed it… Our short story submissions are open again! All guidelines can be found here: www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/submissions/ #fairlightbooks #bookstagram #shortstory #submissions #opensubmissions
fairlightbooks.co.uk
Literary Submissions Direct to Publisher | Fairlight Books
Fairlight Books is open for direct submissions of short stories. We read and respond to all submissions sent to us.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Check out our new #ShortStory by Saket Tagade! 🚬 'Last Pack of Cigarettes' is a story about a #breakup, where someone #reminisces on their lost #love. www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/short-storie...
fairlightbooks.co.uk
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Lynda Clark @lyndac.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
For alt-text users, the image is of each of the book covers. Beyond Kidding is a silhouette of a boy on a background of black and white stripes with red text. The Hometown Bookshop is a bold graphic art illustration of a book shop with a seagull flying overhead.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Enter for the chance to win a copy! Closes on 18th June 📚 The Hometown Bookshop by @bookcornershop.bsky.social: app.thestorygraph.com/giveaways/79... Beyond Kidding by @lyndac.bsky.social: app.thestorygraph.com/giveaways/81... #giveaway #bookgiveaway #competition #storygraph
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Simon Thomas @stuckinabook.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
I really enjoyed The Driveway Has Two Sides by Sara Marchant - another gem from @fairlightbooks.bsky.social Fairlight Moderns series
stuckinabook.com
The Driveway Has Two Sides by Sara Marchant – #ABookADayInMay – Day 20
I’m continuing my reading of Fairlight Moderns with The Driveway Has Two Sides (2018) by Sara Marchant – with another lovely cover illustration by Sam Kalda. Honestly, I can’t spe…
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
And if you’re a writer looking for a publishing opportunity, we’re happy to say that short story submissions for our online platform are currently OPEN! You can find our submission guidelines at www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/submissions 🖊️ #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WriteSky
fairlightbooks.co.uk
Literary Submissions Direct to Publisher | Fairlight Books
Fairlight Books is open for direct submissions of short stories. We read and respond to all submissions sent to us.
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Polis Loizou 🐺🎃 @polisloizou.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Just came across a Cypriot's review of my book "A Good Year", written in Greek, and their observation that I write with a Cypriot essence, despite having lived in England since 2001 and writing in English, made me choke up a bit.
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Hello Bluesky! We’ve been a bit quiet on here so far, but we thought it was time for a little reintroduction to Fairlight Books. 🧵 #BookSky
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Fairlight Books @fairlightbooks.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
We’re so happy to be publishing a new novel by the incomparable Lynda Clark (@lyndac.bsky.social) this coming November! STRANGE TALK is a genre-bending novel about unconventional love, dysfunctional families and sentient household appliances. If you like your fiction weird, this one’s for you 👀
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