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ADVANCE INFORMATION

Magpie

And Other Stories

Sarah Hegarty

KEY SELLING POINTS

Thirteen stories with international settings, from the now-vanished hutongs of 1980’s Beijing to the ruins of
present-day Syria; from suburban Britain to a clinic in Kenya.
In their longing for escape, and yearning to connect, men and women reveal their hidden desires – and their
humanity.
Stories written in prose that is vivid, perceptive and brave.
Author’s short fiction has been published and placed in numerous competitions.

Set in a range of deftly realised locations, these compelling stories take the reader from the hutongs of Beijing,
on the cusp of change in 1980, to present-day Syria. We meet Mahmoud, confronting his son in the ruins of a
museum; Jill, searching for clues to her son’s life in Kenya. Stranded on a nightmarish holiday island, Steve is
sure his dark secret can remain hidden, despite an unsettling encounter with a stranger who seems to know
everything about him. In suburban Britain, Madeleine faces the loneliness of an empty nest and grapples with
the echoes of a past affair. In a small town in the heart of Spain, William discovers that his plans for his dream
holiday home – and the fate of his family – are more entwined with the life of his elderly neighbour than he
could ever have imagined. Close relationships are stretched to breaking point; past secrets are revealed to
haunt the present.

In stories that surprise and entertain – yet leave the reader with room to think – Sarah Hegarty’s sharp-eyed
prose examines the complexities of human relationships, and our enduring longing to connect.

Sarah Hegarty’s short fiction has been published in Mslexia and The Mechanics’ Institute Review. Her work
has twice won the Yeovil Literary Prize, and been shortlisted for the Bridport, Exeter and Manchester Prizes.
After graduating in Modern Chinese Studies from Leeds University she worked as a journalist. She has an MA in
Creative Writing and lives in Surrey with her family

Publication Date: 28th September 2024 £9.99 ISBN: 9781805145004
Thema subject category: FYB – Short stories
paperback 216 x 138 mm 144 pp Portrait Author location: Surrey

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