A new review for 'The Quarantined City'

Always nice when you see proof something you wrote years ago is still finding new readers... a friend on Facebook recently shared this review of The Quarantined City (among others) on a substack called The Upstairs Window. I'd never come across the site before, but it seems to be a real gold-mine of bookish recommendations. And, it's a really lovely review that made my day:

"When I was about a quarter of the way into this book, I went back to the beginning and started again. I had a burgeoning feeling it was something special..."

Do check out the rest of the site, it's obviously written by someone with a real passion for books and literature and all the right things in life. 

And if you'd like to check out The Quarantined City yourself, there's links here and here.

UK Ghost Story Festival 2026

Very pleased to say I'll be taking part in the UK Ghost Story Festival next year at the Quad in Derby, organised as ever by the indefatigable Alex Davis.

There's a whole host of talented writers there, including a few good writing chums of mine I'm looking forward to catching up with. I will be doing a panel and running a writing workshop on Ghost Stories & Ambiguity which you can sign up for here - but do check out the full lineup of events!

World Fantasy Con

World Fantasy Con, in Brighton, was an absolute blast. I bought a load of books, chatted with a load of talented people, took part in the NewCon Press launch for Blood In The Bricks (featuring my story 'The Call'), drank some v. expensive beers in the hotel bar, and had some of the best Chinese food I've ever had.

More importantly, as ever with these events I came back tired, but exhilarated that I'm part, in whatever small a way, of a community of such creative and friendly writers. There's always an afterglow from Fantasy Con and similar events where that positivity and enthusiasm for writing persists for a bit back into my real life and I'm spurred on to write and submit more than normal. I'm hoping to make that feeling last as long as possible this year. So here's some photos, to try and trick my brain that I'm still there...

View from the stage at NewCon Press launch.

The best Chinese food.

Brighton looking photogenic & creepy.

NewCon launch.

Did I mention the Chinese food?

Ending an evening with sophisticated literary chat drunken garbage.

A Strange Little Story...

I have a "Strange Little Story" coming soon in the substack of the same name from excellent writer and good egg David Surface. Make sure you're subscribed, if for some crazed reason you're not already: Strange Little Stories.

The story, along with a short chat between David and me, can be found here.