An award-winning Eden author is overjoyed to release her fourth novel.
Charlotte Fairbairn, who lives in Kelleth – at the foot of the Howgills – is set to release Cried Out the River for Love, a fable, set on a barge with a moon-and-stars clock and a camomile lawn on a mythical river.
Under the surreal, breathless story hangs a sensitive exploration of complex family relationships and in particular what its like for a parent to love a child and lose her.
“I am totally thrilled and overjoyed and delighted that this novel is being published,” said Charlotte.
“It’s been rather a long time, my last novel having come out in 2004. Linen Press publishes women writers only and has Scottish roots and is a proud independent voice in a noisy publishing universe – all of that chimes totally with me.”
Her publicist added that the story tumbles and flows with the energy of the river, breathless yet poised, the words sparkling with a fierce and perfect originality. This is a fable but it is also real and profoundly original look at the unfathomable complexity of family relationships.
The 2015 Northern Writers Award recipient and 2018 Lakeland Book of the Year runner-up, released her first novel, A Bear with an Egg in her Paws, in 1999.
The fictional exploration of her Scottish upbringing was well received and landed her a two-book fiction deal, cementing her place in the literary scene.
An author-to-watch, her writing has been praised by The Bookseller, Waterstones Review and Harpers and Queen, with the latter describing her work as a poetic allegory with hints of Thomas Hardy and a dash of magic realism.
Now an adopted-Cumbrian she is head of content at Lowther Castle, where she has published two guide books and its gardens, along with permanent exhibition, The Story of Lowther.
Beyond this she is also co-founder and editor of Spinacle, a new audio and ebook platform.
The book is having four launches in London, Edinburgh, Cornwall and at the Farmers Arms, in Lowick, on March 11 – a week prior to publication.
Everyone is welcome and the celebration will last from 6pm-8pm.
