A lesbian novel has been named Welsh book of the month by leading retailer Waterstone’s.
Silence, the debut novel by Josie Henley-Einion is described as a ‘powerfully-written, stark and stylish novel with changing narrators and strong agendas.’
The book is an examination of sexual violence and its repercussions. Jackie Harris, prison counsellor and ex-drag king, kills her lesbian lover’s rapist in what she insists is self-defence.
Henley-Einion, who lives in Cardiff, with her civil partner Alys and their son, wrote the novel while studying for an online MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University.
“It’s great to have my first novel named as Book of the Month. I worked so hard while writing it, without hope of it seeing anything other than a niche market. I am now starting to see the fruits of that labour as it is close to publication.
"As Waterstone’s Book of the Month, Silence will be in promotions throughout August and I’ll be visiting some of the stores in Wales to sign copies. I wouldn’t have imagined that a book so explicitly lesbian would be promoted in the mainstream, but it is and I’m glad. Here’s to liberation!” says Henley-Einion
Josie will be doing a book-signing in Waterstone’s Swansea on August 9. See legendpress.co.uk for more details.