Llandeilo Litfest – Sara Gethin

This weekend, I’ll be taking part in the Llandeilo Online Lit Fest

There’s a packed programme and across Saturday 24th April and Sunday 25th, a whole host of writers will be talking about books and writing generally, from fiction and poetry, to politics and writing for media. There are events, too, for children.

On Sunday at 2pm, I’ll be talking live to local publisher Seonaid Francis of Black Bee Books and ThunderPoint Publishing about my novels for adults in a session called ‘Broken Families and Forbidden Friendships’ – themes both my debut novel, ‘Not Thomas’, and soon-to-published ‘Emmet and Me’ have running through them.

In ‘Not Thomas’, Rhiannon is very half-heartedly attempting to keep her son, five-year-old Tomos, living with her, having split up his happy foster home. Although Tomos terribly misses his beloved Nanno and Dat, his foster, parents, he also truly loves his mother. But she seems intent on causing irreparable damage wherever she goes. Tomos’s supply teacher, Lowri, takes him under her wing, but as she gets more involved than she should in his home-life, her own begins to fall apart.

In ‘Emmet and Me’, set in 1960s’ Ireland, ten-year-old Claire’s family implodes when her mother runs away and Claire and her brothers are sent to stay with their formidable Granny Connemara. In her remote cottage, tragic family events are never spoken of, but they have deeply left their mark. With no sign of their Uncle Jack picking them up at the end of the summer holidays, the children are faced with new schools. Claire’s only friend at hers is a boy called Emmet from the orphanage. She shouldn’t be talking to him, and their forbidden friendship will change her life forever.

I’ll be talking about my new novel ‘Emmet and Me’ at Llandeilo Lit Fest

I’ll be discussing broken families and forbidden friendships, the inspiration behind the characters in my novels, and lots more with Seonaid Francis at the Llandeilo Lit Fest on Sunday at 2pm, and I’ll be taking questions too. If you’re able to join us, it would be wonderful to see you there. If you can’t make it on the day, the session will be available for ticketholders to watch online for a limited time afterwards (instructions on how to watch will be released after the event).

Here’s to a fantastic literary weekend – 24th & 25th April

Thank you for reading!

Sara x

Tickets and details of all events available here

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Yes, it probably should be the second version, because that’s how it feels – the reality of my new novel delivered to my door: proof that I actually reached the end of the process of creating a second book.

Well, the process isn’t quite finished…

but my part is complete. My editor at Honno has just sent off the typeset to the printers. In a few weeks, the final version of ‘Emmet and Me’ will be on its way to bookshops, ready for publication day on 20th May. But for now, I’m making the most of the proof copies.

They’re not for me to keep, no matter how much I’d love to – they’re to send out to reviewers; but when I opened the parcel I couldn’t help taking a moment to hug them and breathe in that beautiful smell of new book. A little bit odd, I grant you.

And when Simon and I went out to the country park, I couldn’t leave them at home.

So here’s ‘Emmet and Me’…

in the woods…

at the beach…

and back home on the lawn…

with a few items that feature large in the story of Claire O’Connell and Emmet.

(I towel-dried the grass to keep the cover clean! Spot the difference between this image and the one at the top of the page.)

Soon, I’ll be packing up the proofs again and sending them off to reviewers, and the next time I’ll hold a copy, it’ll be the final article, complete with a gorgeous cover-quote from a fabulous book-blogger who’s been generous enough to give up her time to read an even earlier version (more about that to come).

I’m extremely grateful to that wonderful book-blogger, and all book-bloggers, reviewers and readers everywhere!

Thank you, too, for reading this post by a very excited writer!

Until next time,

Sara x

PS. On Sunday 25th April at 2pm I’ll be discussing my novels with Seonaid Francis of Black Bee Books as part of the Llandeilo LitFest which is happening online this year. It would be lovely to see you there! Tickets for the event called ‘Broken Families and Forbidden Friendships’ available now.