Kate Sawyer was born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK where she grew up in the countryside as the eldest of four siblings, after briefly living with her parents in Qatar and the Netherlands.She has worked as an actor and producer on everything from film and theatre to festivals and weddings. She has previously written for theatre and short-film before turning her hand to fiction.Having lived in South London for the best part of two decades, with brief stints in Australia and the USA, she recently returned to East Anglia to have her first child as a solo mother by choice.
So Thrilled For You (2025) Holly Bourne "Bourne's propulsive plot pulls her readers through an emotionally charged day whilst exploring the tenderest, most shameful and funny aspects of the divisive experiences of motherhood, almost motherhood and being child-free by choice, culminating in an explosive, but ultimately universally empowering, denouement."
Second Self (2023) Chloë Ashby "SECOND SELF is thoughtful and beautifully formed and written in almost hypnotically perfect prose. About the big questions surrounding becoming a mother and being a daughter to ageing parents. A delight. I can't wait to read all of Chloe's work."
73 Dove Street (2023) Julie Owen Moylan "A corker. It's the story of three working class women in 1950's London. It's so evocative, you can *smell* the gas fires, the lard, the perfume, the talc, the gin. It's bleakly honest about women's lot at the time (not so very long ago) and the tale is deftly woven. I loved how the strands came together, very satisfying."
Wild Things (2023) Laura Kay "Laura Kay has taken it to the next level - real Emily Henry vibes but gay. Joyous, funny, sexy, and romantic - a triumph!"
Ghost Girl, Banana (2023) Wiz Wharton "Ghost Girl, Banana is an epic yet deeply intimate novel. I was rapt throughout, propelled by Wiz Wharton's taut, immersive prose. She swept me up in Sook-Yin and Lily's mirrored journeys of discovery, spanning decades and continents, but always I could feel the vibration of these women existing in the wider world; their stories are so skilfully shot through with the hum of change."
Sounds Like Fun (2023) Bryan Moriarty "A perfect literary romcom that is compelling and warm without missing out the vagaries of Grindr, drunken nights out and the loneliness of London."
The Hollow Sea (2022) Annie Kirby "An atmospheric tale shot through with folklore. Annie Kirby's writing shimmers as she weaves together the threads of Scottie's forgotten past and her journey to face a future where she won't be the mother she always hoped to be. Beautiful & hopeful."
Okay Then That's Great (2022) Susannah Wise "An exploration of grief and what it means to loose ones grip on reality wrapped around a hilarious portrait of a vivid and dysfunctional family. I ripped through this unusual, interesting and delightfully off-kilter novel!"
The Seawomen (2022) Chloe Timms "An allegorical love story with echoes of fairytales and told with a visceral brutality. At its heart it is about whether to believe what we are told over what we feel to be true."
Young Women (2022) Jessica Moor "A brilliantly written dissection of different types of male abuses of power. With strong characterisations and a compelling plot, it is subtle, nuanced and deals with a challenging subject matter with a deft touch."
Theatre of Marvels (2022) Lianne Dillsworth "Zillah is a brilliant character who leads us through a Victorian London little spoken of, making for an illuminating, page-turning tale of self-actualisation. Loved it."
The Flames (2022) Sophie Haydock "Thought provoking and illuminating and a fascinating - I so enjoyed discovering the world and the women behind works of art I adore."
The Gifts (2022) Liz Hyder "I loved The Gifts. Brilliant storytelling, magical realism, historical fiction that discusses feminism, religion, art and motherhood. Shades of Angela Carter and fans of Elizabeth MacNeal will enjoy it too."
Cunning Women (2021) Elizabeth Lee "Beautiful, tense (at points breathless!) historical fiction with meticulously researched description. I loved it."
