#sheishere — Public Fediverse posts

Project Censored

I have a new interview up, this one is with Eleanor Goldfield for Project Censored (my part starts about 8 mins in—though if you have the time it’s worth listening from the beginning):

In the first segment, Eleanor Goldfield sits down with author Nicola Griffith to talk about her recent book release, She is Here. Nicola digs into her work on understanding history as stories, not hard, immovable facts, and that history depends on who tells it. She discusses writing history as an embodied experience, extracting ourselves from binaries and embracing nuance, how the lack of disabled perspectives in literature shapes our ableism, and more.

This is the online version. There’ll be video and transcripts up in the next few days, and it will air on terrestrial radio stations throughout the week. And of course available wherever you get your podcasts. [EDIT TO ADD: And here’s the video.]

It’s been a while since I’ve done such an overtly political interview. I mean, yes, everything is political; the personal is political—and certainly some of my essays directly address culture and politics—but it was very interesting looking at fiction I wrote a long time ago through a political lens tuned to today. So maybe worth a listen. If you do, let me know what you think.

Project Censored

I have a new interview up, this one is with Eleanor Goldfield for Project Censored (my part starts about 8 mins in—though if you have the time it’s worth listening from the beginning):

In the first segment, Eleanor Goldfield sits down with author Nicola Griffith to talk about her recent book release, She is Here. Nicola digs into her work on understanding history as stories, not hard, immovable facts, and that history depends on who tells it. She discusses writing history as an embodied experience, extracting ourselves from binaries and embracing nuance, how the lack of disabled perspectives in literature shapes our ableism, and more.

This is the online version. There’ll be video and transcripts up in the next few days, and it will air on terrestrial radio stations throughout the week. And of course available wherever you get your podcasts. [EDIT TO ADD: And here’s the video.]

It’s been a while since I’ve done such an overtly political interview. I mean, yes, everything is political; the personal is political—and certainly some of my essays directly address culture and politics—but it was very interesting looking at fiction I wrote a long time ago through a political lens tuned to today. So maybe worth a listen. If you do, let me know what you think.

Event Report: Third Place Ravenna

I’ve just done my last local She is Here-focused book event.1 It was small, and lovely, a very community affair in Edmonds with cookies and soda and lots of conversation, and a great introduction by Leila Norako, a medievalist at UW. Sadly I don’t have pictures—but then I remembered I do have pictures of the Ravenna event that I haven’t posted, and in fact haven’t had time to write about.

Ravenna was a great event—just right. Third Place Ravenna is a small store, which struck me as a perfect venue for this book.2 She is Here is not like any of my other books—it contains my first published poetry, for instance; my first published artwork; and a very candid interview. For those reasons I wanted something intimate for this book—not the great echoing space of Elliott Bay or the even greater-capacity Third Place Lake Forest Park (where I’ve done my last few events).

The events folks were initially concerned that the store wouldn’t be big enough but eventually they came round to my way of thinking (thanks Spencer, thanks Bailey!). As it was, it turned out perfectly. Bailey rearranged the store so that the reading was a sort of 270-degree, reading-in-the-(almost)-round affair, with several blocks of chairs. (This meant I had to swivel my head a lot when talking, to make sure everyone felt included, but, hey, that’s a small price to pay.) And in the end every seat was filled and only a handful of people had to stand. I tried to find the best photo to show everyone, but even so, you can’t see two of the blocks of folks on the other sides of bookshelves—but I drew some helpful arrows so you can imagine:

Most of the photos (thanks, Bailey) seem to be me talking—but I assure you Kelley talked too and asked lots ofo ifty questions—as did the audience. Here are a few more pix:

As you can see from all the coats and hats it was a cold night—I was truly delighted that so many people made the effort. The Q&A session ran a little long, and then the signing line was long, so I’m sorry that the booksellers were kept late. But also, y’know, not sorry because it was such a splendid evening.

And then we all went to the pub and carried on until they kicked us out. Oh, well. Even the best nights must come to an end…

1. I have an event coming up at Charlie’s Queer Books, but that’s focused not on me but on my conversation partner, Olivia Waite, for her new book, Nobody’s Baby. And I’ll be reading from and talking about SiH at ICFA later this month. Thee are also more interviews and reviews to come… ↩︎
2. Plus, of course, they have the pub downstairs that sells Guinness. Plus plus, it is a beautifully accessible store. I recommend it highly. ↩︎

Event Report: Third Place Ravenna

I’ve just done my last local She is Here-focused book event.1 It was small, and lovely, a very community affair in Edmonds with cookies and soda and lots of conversation, and a great introduction by Leila Norako, a medievalist at UW. Sadly I don’t have pictures—but then I remembered I do have pictures of the Ravenna event that I haven’t posted, and in fact haven’t had time to write about.

Ravenna was a great event—just right. Third Place Ravenna is a small store, which struck me as a perfect venue for this book.2 She is Here is not like any of my other books—it contains my first published poetry, for instance; my first published artwork; and a very candid interview. For those reasons I wanted something intimate for this book—not the great echoing space of Elliott Bay or the even greater-capacity Third Place Lake Forest Park (where I’ve done my last few events).

The events folks were initially concerned that the store wouldn’t be big enough but eventually they came round to my way of thinking (thanks Spencer, thanks Bailey!). As it was, it turned out perfectly. Bailey rearranged the store so that the reading was a sort of 270-degree, reading-in-the-(almost)-round affair, with several blocks of chairs. (This meant I had to swivel my head a lot when talking, to make sure everyone felt included, but, hey, that’s a small price to pay.) And in the end every seat was filled and only a handful of people had to stand. I tried to find the best photo to show everyone, but even so, you can’t see two of the blocks of folks on the other sides of bookshelves—but I drew some helpful arrows so you can imagine:

Most of the photos (thanks, Bailey) seem to be me talking—but I assure you Kelley talked too and asked lots ofo ifty questions—as did the audience. Here are a few more pix:

As you can see from all the coats and hats it was a cold night—I was truly delighted that so many people made the effort. The Q&A session ran a little long, and then the signing line was long, so I’m sorry that the booksellers were kept late. But also, y’know, not sorry because it was such a splendid evening.

And then we all went to the pub and carried on until they kicked us out. Oh, well. Even the best nights must come to an end…

1. I have an event coming up at Charlie’s Queer Books, but that’s focused not on me but on my conversation partner, Olivia Waite, for her new book, Nobody’s Baby. And I’ll be reading from and talking about SiH at ICFA later this month. Thee are also more interviews and reviews to come… ↩︎
2. Plus, of course, they have the pub downstairs that sells Guinness. Plus plus, it is a beautifully accessible store. I recommend it highly. ↩︎

Counter-programming the State of the Union

So, tomorrow—Tuesday, 24 February, 6:00 PM PT/9:00 PM ET—I’m doing a virtual book event for City Lights in San Francisco. I’ll be reading from She is Here, and talking with the editor, Nisi Shawl, about the book, the editing process, and—yes!—politics. What, you’re surprised? Come on, it’s City Lights; the Outspoken Author series, “designed to fit your pocket and stretch your mind,” is all about “today’s edgiest fiction writers” showcasing “their most provocative and politically challenging stories,”; and, well, the State of the Union. How could we not get political? Therefore, as well as poems and art and fiction, we’ll talk about manifestos and activism and what role writers can play in creating change.

So what would you rather listen to for ninety minutes: lively book-and-art-as-activism chat, or some bloated rambling about the (very sad) State of the Union?

Assuming you know the right answer, you can register here: it’s free and open to all.

See you tomorrow!

Counter-programming the State of the Union

So, tomorrow—Tuesday, 24 February, 6:00 PM PT/9:00 PM ET—I’m doing a virtual book event for City Lights in San Francisco. I’ll be reading from She is Here, and talking with the editor, Nisi Shawl, about the book, the editing process, and—yes!—politics. What, you’re surprised? Come on, it’s City Lights; the Outspoken Author series, “designed to fit your pocket and stretch your mind,” is all about “today’s edgiest fiction writers” showcasing “their most provocative and politically challenging stories,”; and, well, the State of the Union. How could we not get political? Therefore, as well as poems and art and fiction, we’ll talk about manifestos and activism and what role writers can play in creating change.

So what would you rather listen to for ninety minutes: lively book-and-art-as-activism chat, or some bloated rambling about the (very sad) State of the Union?

Assuming you know the right answer, you can register here: it’s free and open to all.

See you tomorrow!

Counter-programming the State of the Union

So, tomorrow—Tuesday, 24 February, 6:00 PM PT/9:00 PM ET—I’m doing a virtual book event for City Lights in San Francisco. I’ll be reading from She is Here, and talking with the editor, Nisi Shawl, about the book, the editing process, and—yes!—politics. What, you’re surprised? Come on, it’s City Lights; the Outspoken Author series, “designed to fit your pocket and stretch your mind,” is all about “today’s edgiest fiction writers” showcasing “their most provocative and politically challenging stories,”; and, well, the State of the Union. How could we not get political? Therefore, as well as poems and art and fiction, we’ll talk about manifestos and activism and what role writers can play in creating change.

So what would you rather listen to for ninety minutes: lively book-and-art-as-activism chat, or some bloated rambling about the (very sad) State of the Union?

Assuming you know the right answer, you can register here: it’s free and open to all.

See you tomorrow!

Counter-programming the State of the Union

So, tomorrow—Tuesday, 24 February, 6:00 PM PT/9:00 PM ET—I’m doing a virtual book event for City Lights in San Francisco. I’ll be reading from She is Here, and talking with the editor, Nisi Shawl, about the book, the editing process, and—yes!—politics. What, you’re surprised? Come on, it’s City Lights; the Outspoken Author series, “designed to fit your pocket and stretch your mind,” is all about “today’s edgiest fiction writers” showcasing “their most provocative and politically challenging stories,”; and, well, the State of the Union. How could we not get political? Therefore, as well as poems and art and fiction, we’ll talk about manifestos and activism and what role writers can play in creating change.

So what would you rather listen to for ninety minutes: lively book-and-art-as-activism chat, or some bloated rambling about the (very sad) State of the Union?

Assuming you know the right answer, you can register here: it’s free and open to all.

See you tomorrow!

Tomorrow! Reading at Third Place, Ravenna

Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Third Place Books Ravenna, Seattle.

• Event: 7:00 – 8:00 PM Pacific. Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave NE, Seattle WA 98115
• Lovely cosy bookstore—with pub (more Guinness!!) next door
• I’ll be reading from and talking about She Is Here—mostly solo, but then a conversation with my favourite interlocutor (Kelley!), and if you’ve attended one of our joint things before, you know how much fab fun those are!
• This is one of those free-and-everyone-is-welcome events—RSVP isn’t required but it is a kindness. It helps the bookstore know how many books to order and how many chairs to set out, all that good stuff that makes an event comfortable for all.
• But if for some reason you don’t get around to registering, please don’t let that get in the way: come and join the fun.

Tomorrow! Reading at Third Place, Ravenna

Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Third Place Books Ravenna, Seattle.

• Event: 7:00 – 8:00 PM Pacific. Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave NE, Seattle WA 98115
• Lovely cosy bookstore—with pub (more Guinness!!) next door
• I’ll be reading from and talking about She Is Here—mostly solo, but then a conversation with my favourite interlocutor (Kelley!), and if you’ve attended one of our joint things before, you know how much fab fun those are!
• This is one of those free-and-everyone-is-welcome events—RSVP isn’t required but it is a kindness. It helps the bookstore know how many books to order and how many chairs to set out, all that good stuff that makes an event comfortable for all.
• But if for some reason you don’t get around to registering, please don’t let that get in the way: come and join the fun.

Guinness and grins and good times

On Monday—a cold night!—I popped into Phinney Books for forty minutes to sign stock and pre-orders, and personalise copies of She Is Here for anyone who showed up.

It had been a hard day for me,1 which meant I was tired and a bit crumpled when we first got there. And damn it was cold—if I hadn’t had to be there I wouldn’t have been, so I wasn’t expecting much in terms of attendance.

• Phinney Books display. Photo by Jennifer Durham—all photos byJennifer Durham.
• starting out cold, and signing pre-orders

But! A couple of dozen people did (hardy souls!), and a fair few of those came with me next door to the pub. We ate, we laughed, we chatted, we drank a few pints. And I got progressively happier and more relaxed.

• The food was particularly tasty that night—
• —and the Guinness is always great! As you can probably tell, I drank…a few
• Lovely to see friends like Neal for the first time this year

This made the next day much easier to face,2 so thank you to every single friend, reader, and soon-to-be-friend who showed up. And to Tom of Phinney Books for making it as seamless as possible.

The first official event for She Is Here will be when we come back from the UK: Third Place Books in Ravenna, on Tuesday, 17 February. I’ll talk about the book, and read, and then Kelley will ask me questions and then you get to ask me questions. (Meanwhile, here’s a question for you: if you’re planning to be in Ravenna, what are you most interested in—what would you like me to talk about and what would you like to read: essay, poem, a whole short story, a chunk of the new novella? I haven’t had time to think about this yet, so here’s your chance to get what you want.)

But that’s not for two and a half weeks. For now, I declare She Is Here well and truly launched! May the muse bless all who sail in her!

1. Insert long, complicated story of visiting two different hospital labs, being told they couldn’t do the tests as ordered, racing to internist’s office to get other orders written, getting back to the lab to find it closed…and knowing I’d have to do it all again the next day, only this time with the added fun of the prize of success being having eight tubes of blood sucked out, woo hoo! ↩︎
2. It went exactly as expected, sigh, and now I have an enormous bruise on my arm for the trip to the UK. And when I got home I had time for a cup of tea and then I had a virtual book event for the Out In Tech reading group, who were reading Ammonite. But they were lovely people, so it was a pleasure. ↩︎

#74thStAleHouse #friends #guinness #phinneyBooks #sheIsHere

Guinness and grins and good times

On Monday—a cold night!—I popped into Phinney Books for forty minutes to sign stock and pre-orders, and personalise copies of She Is Here for anyone who showed up.

It had been a hard day for me,1 which meant I was tired and a bit crumpled when we first got there. And damn it was cold—if I hadn’t had to be there I wouldn’t have been, so I wasn’t expecting much in terms of attendance.

• Phinney Books display. Photo by Jennifer Durham—all photos byJennifer Durham.
• starting out cold, and signing pre-orders

But! A couple of dozen people did (hardy souls!), and a fair few of those came with me next door to the pub. We ate, we laughed, we chatted, we drank a few pints. And I got progressively happier and more relaxed.

• The food was particularly tasty that night—
• —and the Guinness is always great! As you can probably tell, I drank…a few
• Lovely to see friends like Neal for the first time this year

This made the next day much easier to face,2 so thank you to every single friend, reader, and soon-to-be-friend who showed up. And to Tom of Phinney Books for making it as seamless as possible.

The first official event for She Is Here will be when we come back from the UK: Third Place Books in Ravenna, on Tuesday, 17 February. I’ll talk about the book, and read, and then Kelley will ask me questions and then you get to ask me questions. (Meanwhile, here’s a question for you: if you’re planning to be in Ravenna, what are you most interested in—what would you like me to talk about and what would you like to read: essay, poem, a whole short story, a chunk of the new novella? I haven’t had time to think about this yet, so here’s your chance to get what you want.)

But that’s not for two and a half weeks. For now, I declare She Is Here well and truly launched! May the muse bless all who sail in her!

1. Insert long, complicated story of visiting two different hospital labs, being told they couldn’t do the tests as ordered, racing to internist’s office to get other orders written, getting back to the lab to find it closed…and knowing I’d have to do it all again the next day, only this time with the added fun of the prize of success being having eight tubes of blood sucked out, woo hoo! ↩︎
2. It went exactly as expected, sigh, and now I have an enormous bruise on my arm for the trip to the UK. And when I got home I had time for a cup of tea and then I had a virtual book event for the Out In Tech reading group, who were reading Ammonite. But they were lovely people, so it was a pleasure. ↩︎

#74thStAleHouse #friends #guinness #phinneyBooks #sheIsHere

Books Are In the House!

They arrived last night just as Kelley and I settled down by the fire with a bottle of wine. So, yay! She Is Here is here. She is real! The book exists. Go forth and buy (well, okay, preorder) a bazillion copies.

I’m intensely curious about how this wee creative commonplace book will be received. I have to say, from my admittedly influenced perspective, not to mention author bias, it’s a fine-looking and perfectly-formed specimen with a lovely feel to cover…

#authorCopies #sheIsHere

Books Are In the House!

They arrived last night just as Kelley and I settled down by the fire with a bottle of wine. So, yay! She Is Here is here. She is real! The book exists. Go forth and buy (well, okay, preorder) a bazillion copies.

I’m intensely curious about how this wee creative commonplace book will be received. I have to say, from my admittedly influenced perspective, not to mention author bias, it’s a fine-looking and perfectly-formed specimen with a lovely feel to cover…

#authorCopies #sheIsHere

Dear Reader: a note about SHE IS HERE

I have a new book coming VERY SOON. I, of course, want you to read it. I’m also trying to find time to prep the events—y’know, what bit/s to read, how to talk about the book—before those events actually begin. Which means I’ve been working out how to talk about the book.

I thought you might like to see what I came up with.

Dear Reader,

Novelists learn very early in their careers to summarise every new book with a pithy phrase. (My first novel Ammonite: “Change or die.”) But today, less than a month before the publication of She Is Here, I am still struggling to define it. Perhaps that’s because it’s not a novel—nor all fiction, nor even prose. Not even text. 
      She Is Here is a selection of various published and unpublished creations spanning my career from before the publication of that first novel through to today. The fiction ranges from very short, to very early, to a novella about the magic of music published here for the first time. The poems were written to express emotion in private—grief, refusing ableism, dangerous lust, and the despair of degenerative illness. None are previously published—in fact, this marks the first publication of any of my poems anywhere. Similarly, I made the art purely for its own sake—in this case, images (very) loosely inspired by the illuminations of Early Medieval gospels. The non-fiction ranges from manifesto to Op-Ed to epistolary criticism to musings on etymology and the double-edged tool that is branding. Different facets from different eras of my creative life.
      That long-ago tagline, “Change or die,” was perfect for Ammonite. More than 30 years later I find it has become the bedrock principle of my life. Writers are often advised to write what we know. I believe, rather, that we write from our deepest self, from who we are. If we want our work to change and grow, we must, too. Life is change—constant discovery.
      The last words of “Glimmer,” the shortest fiction in the book, are “She is here. She has arrived.” The narrator has made a galaxy-spanning journey through time and space, past reality—astonishing, impossible—a miraculous achievement. But the achievement, the arrival, isn’t the point; the rest of her life is about to begin. Because it’s always about to begin.
     She Is Here, then, is a snapshot of a moment in time, containing, as do all of us, bits of the past, present and future. A kind of creative Commonplace Book.
      She is here. I am here. But where, exactly, is that? I have no idea; that’s the point! The joy lies in continuing to find out…

If you like the sound of that, perhaps you’d like to join me for one of those events in Seattle or Edmonds or virtually, before or during publication. I’m curious about what aspect of the book you’d like to know more about—so if you have an opinion, comment, or question, just drop it here.

Meanwhile, feel free to pre-order the book. Or put a hold on it at your library. It’s all good.

#bookBirthday #essays #interview #novella #poems #publication #sheIsHere #shortFiction #zoomorphics

Dear Reader: a note about SHE IS HERE

I have a new book coming VERY SOON. I, of course, want you to read it. I’m also trying to find time to prep the events—y’know, what bit/s to read, how to talk about the book—before those events actually begin. Which means I’ve been working out how to talk about the book.

I thought you might like to see what I came up with.

Dear Reader,

Novelists learn very early in their careers to summarise every new book with a pithy phrase. (My first novel Ammonite: “Change or die.”) But today, less than a month before the publication of She Is Here, I am still struggling to define it. Perhaps that’s because it’s not a novel—nor all fiction, nor even prose. Not even text. 
      She Is Here is a selection of various published and unpublished creations spanning my career from before the publication of that first novel through to today. The fiction ranges from very short, to very early, to a novella about the magic of music published here for the first time. The poems were written to express emotion in private—grief, refusing ableism, dangerous lust, and the despair of degenerative illness. None are previously published—in fact, this marks the first publication of any of my poems anywhere. Similarly, I made the art purely for its own sake—in this case, images (very) loosely inspired by the illuminations of Early Medieval gospels. The non-fiction ranges from manifesto to Op-Ed to epistolary criticism to musings on etymology and the double-edged tool that is branding. Different facets from different eras of my creative life.
      That long-ago tagline, “Change or die,” was perfect for Ammonite. More than 30 years later I find it has become the bedrock principle of my life. Writers are often advised to write what we know. I believe, rather, that we write from our deepest self, from who we are. If we want our work to change and grow, we must, too. Life is change—constant discovery.
      The last words of “Glimmer,” the shortest fiction in the book, are “She is here. She has arrived.” The narrator has made a galaxy-spanning journey through time and space, past reality—astonishing, impossible—a miraculous achievement. But the achievement, the arrival, isn’t the point; the rest of her life is about to begin. Because it’s always about to begin.
     She Is Here, then, is a snapshot of a moment in time, containing, as do all of us, bits of the past, present and future. A kind of creative Commonplace Book.
      She is here. I am here. But where, exactly, is that? I have no idea; that’s the point! The joy lies in continuing to find out…

If you like the sound of that, perhaps you’d like to join me for one of those events in Seattle or Edmonds or virtually, before or during publication. I’m curious about what aspect of the book you’d like to know more about—so if you have an opinion, comment, or question, just drop it here.

Meanwhile, feel free to pre-order the book. Or put a hold on it at your library. It’s all good.

#bookBirthday #essays #interview #novella #poems #publication #sheIsHere #shortFiction #zoomorphics

Dear Reader: a note about SHE IS HERE

I have a new book coming VERY SOON. I, of course, want you to read it. I’m also trying to find time to prep the events—y’know, what bit/s to read, how to talk about the book—before those events actually begin. Which means I’ve been working out how to talk about the book.

I thought you might like to see what I came up with.

Dear Reader,

Novelists learn very early in their careers to summarise every new book with a pithy phrase. (My first novel Ammonite: “Change or die.”) But today, less than a month before the publication of She Is Here, I am still struggling to define it. Perhaps that’s because it’s not a novel—nor all fiction, nor even prose. Not even text. 
      She Is Here is a selection of various published and unpublished creations spanning my career from before the publication of that first novel through to today. The fiction ranges from very short, to very early, to a novella about the magic of music published here for the first time. The poems were written to express emotion in private—grief, refusing ableism, dangerous lust, and the despair of degenerative illness. None are previously published—in fact, this marks the first publication of any of my poems anywhere. Similarly, I made the art purely for its own sake—in this case, images (very) loosely inspired by the illuminations of Early Medieval gospels. The non-fiction ranges from manifesto to Op-Ed to epistolary criticism to musings on etymology and the double-edged tool that is branding. Different facets from different eras of my creative life.
      That long-ago tagline, “Change or die,” was perfect for Ammonite. More than 30 years later I find it has become the bedrock principle of my life. Writers are often advised to write what we know. I believe, rather, that we write from our deepest self, from who we are. If we want our work to change and grow, we must, too. Life is change—constant discovery.
      The last words of “Glimmer,” the shortest fiction in the book, are “She is here. She has arrived.” The narrator has made a galaxy-spanning journey through time and space, past reality—astonishing, impossible—a miraculous achievement. But the achievement, the arrival, isn’t the point; the rest of her life is about to begin. Because it’s always about to begin.
     She Is Here, then, is a snapshot of a moment in time, containing, as do all of us, bits of the past, present and future. A kind of creative Commonplace Book.
      She is here. I am here. But where, exactly, is that? I have no idea; that’s the point! The joy lies in continuing to find out…

If you like the sound of that, perhaps you’d like to join me for one of those events in Seattle or Edmonds or virtually, before or during publication. I’m curious about what aspect of the book you’d like to know more about—so if you have an opinion, comment, or question, just drop it here.

Meanwhile, feel free to pre-order the book. Or put a hold on it at your library. It’s all good.

#bookBirthday #essays #interview #novella #poems #publication #sheIsHere #shortFiction #zoomorphics

Dear Reader: a note about SHE IS HERE

I have a new book coming VERY SOON. I, of course, want you to read it. I’m also trying to find time to prep the events—y’know, what bit/s to read, how to talk about the book—before those events actually begin. Which means I’ve been working out how to talk about the book.

I thought you might like to see what I came up with.

Dear Reader,

Novelists learn very early in their careers to summarise every new book with a pithy phrase. (My first novel Ammonite: “Change or die.”) But today, less than a month before the publication of She Is Here, I am still struggling to define it. Perhaps that’s because it’s not a novel—nor all fiction, nor even prose. Not even text. 
      She Is Here is a selection of various published and unpublished creations spanning my career from before the publication of that first novel through to today. The fiction ranges from very short, to very early, to a novella about the magic of music published here for the first time. The poems were written to express emotion in private—grief, refusing ableism, dangerous lust, and the despair of degenerative illness. None are previously published—in fact, this marks the first publication of any of my poems anywhere. Similarly, I made the art purely for its own sake—in this case, images (very) loosely inspired by the illuminations of Early Medieval gospels. The non-fiction ranges from manifesto to Op-Ed to epistolary criticism to musings on etymology and the double-edged tool that is branding. Different facets from different eras of my creative life.
      That long-ago tagline, “Change or die,” was perfect for Ammonite. More than 30 years later I find it has become the bedrock principle of my life. Writers are often advised to write what we know. I believe, rather, that we write from our deepest self, from who we are. If we want our work to change and grow, we must, too. Life is change—constant discovery.
      The last words of “Glimmer,” the shortest fiction in the book, are “She is here. She has arrived.” The narrator has made a galaxy-spanning journey through time and space, past reality—astonishing, impossible—a miraculous achievement. But the achievement, the arrival, isn’t the point; the rest of her life is about to begin. Because it’s always about to begin.
     She Is Here, then, is a snapshot of a moment in time, containing, as do all of us, bits of the past, present and future. A kind of creative Commonplace Book.
      She is here. I am here. But where, exactly, is that? I have no idea; that’s the point! The joy lies in continuing to find out…

If you like the sound of that, perhaps you’d like to join me for one of those events in Seattle or Edmonds or virtually, before or during publication. I’m curious about what aspect of the book you’d like to know more about—so if you have an opinion, comment, or question, just drop it here.

Meanwhile, feel free to pre-order the book. Or put a hold on it at your library. It’s all good.

#bookBirthday #essays #interview #novella #poems #publication #sheIsHere #shortFiction #zoomorphics

Dear Reader: a note about SHE IS HERE

I have a new book coming VERY SOON. I, of course, want you to read it. I’m also trying to find time to prep the events—y’know, what bit/s to read, how to talk about the book—before those events actually begin. Which means I’ve been working out how to talk about the book.

I thought you might like to see what I came up with.

Dear Reader,

Novelists learn very early in their careers to summarise every new book with a pithy phrase. (My first novel Ammonite: “Change or die.”) But today, less than a month before the publication of She Is Here, I am still struggling to define it. Perhaps that’s because it’s not a novel—nor all fiction, nor even prose. Not even text. 
      She Is Here is a selection of various published and unpublished creations spanning my career from before the publication of that first novel through to today. The fiction ranges from very short, to very early, to a novella about the magic of music published here for the first time. The poems were written to express emotion in private—grief, refusing ableism, dangerous lust, and the despair of degenerative illness. None are previously published—in fact, this marks the first publication of any of my poems anywhere. Similarly, I made the art purely for its own sake—in this case, images (very) loosely inspired by the illuminations of Early Medieval gospels. The non-fiction ranges from manifesto to Op-Ed to epistolary criticism to musings on etymology and the double-edged tool that is branding. Different facets from different eras of my creative life.
      That long-ago tagline, “Change or die,” was perfect for Ammonite. More than 30 years later I find it has become the bedrock principle of my life. Writers are often advised to write what we know. I believe, rather, that we write from our deepest self, from who we are. If we want our work to change and grow, we must, too. Life is change—constant discovery.
      The last words of “Glimmer,” the shortest fiction in the book, are “She is here. She has arrived.” The narrator has made a galaxy-spanning journey through time and space, past reality—astonishing, impossible—a miraculous achievement. But the achievement, the arrival, isn’t the point; the rest of her life is about to begin. Because it’s always about to begin.
     She Is Here, then, is a snapshot of a moment in time, containing, as do all of us, bits of the past, present and future. A kind of creative Commonplace Book.
      She is here. I am here. But where, exactly, is that? I have no idea; that’s the point! The joy lies in continuing to find out…

If you like the sound of that, perhaps you’d like to join me for one of those events in Seattle or Edmonds or virtually, before or during publication. I’m curious about what aspect of the book you’d like to know more about—so if you have an opinion, comment, or question, just drop it here.

Meanwhile, feel free to pre-order the book. Or put a hold on it at your library. It’s all good.

#bookBirthday #essays #interview #novella #poems #publication #sheIsHere #shortFiction #zoomorphics

In Seattle? Get SHE IS HERE before everyone else

Image description: Photo, taken on a bright spring day with an old disposable camera, of a friendly neighbourhood street: cars parked in the shade of a tree growing on the sidewalk in front of Phinney Books and its next-door neighbour, the 74th Street Alehouse.

My new book She Is Here is officially for sale on 10 February—but I’ll be in the UK seeing friends and family and doing a scary exciting Thing.

So for those who live in Seattle and like to support their local bookstore, and who might just want to get their book two weeks earlier than anybody else, I’ll be at Phinney Books on Monday, 26 January, starting around 4:30 pm, signing stock and personalising any pre-orders, then repairing to the pub next door for a well-earned pint. (I’ll sign any book of mine—whether an old tattered favourite you bring with you or one you buy right there.) This is a quiet pre-launch, as much for me as for readers. She Is Here was an unexpected book—a risky, strange book in some ways—and I want to mark the occasion among friends and fellow readers and new acquaintances before I go off to do the (also unexpected—very very VERY unexpected—and sort of amazing) Thing in London. And what better way to do that than a quiet, satisfied Guinness in your local pub? Feel free to join me there. Think about it: here in Seattle what better way is there to spend a cold dark and probably wet night but in warm and welcoming company with good food, fine ale (and/or cocktails or coffee or wine) and a new book to take home? Also, maybe—just maybe, if I drink enough beer—I’ll tell you what this whole Thing is about…

Seriously. I would love to see you there. As Kelley and I have watched so much in this country and the world go to hell the last year, we have renewed our commitment to life, not just existence in the face of stress and overwhelm; to seeing people and being social—friends, neighbours, colleagues, readers; lots of people. We all need each other. It’s comforting to spend time with like-minded folk. And life is now.

I’ll be back from the UK on the 12th February, so there will also be opportunities for people to come chat at other events in Seattle (Third Place Ravenna), online (City Lights, in conversation with Nisi Shawl), and Edmonds (Edmonds Library). Do check my Events Page for details and updates.

So. If you want to say Hi and get a signed and/or personalised copy of She Is Here, or a matching set of Aud books, or any of my other books (Slow River, Ammonite, Hild, Menewood, Spear, With Her Body, and So Lucky1)—either drop by that afternoon/early evening to get them signed in person or call in/email your order now and have it mailed to you first thing the morning of Tuesday, 27th January.

Also, I was tickled to see a squib in Autostraddle the other day: “Between new Jeanette Winterson and new Nicola Griffith, we’re getting fresh work from some of the greats in the queer literary canon this month! This new book contains essays, poems, art, and stories. Griffith can indeed do it all.” Chortle.

Ha! My new name: Nicola A-Great-of-the-Queer-Literary-Canon Griffith. Oh, I soooo deserve that pint!

1. Check the Phinney Books page for what’s available—it changes from time to time. Some of my books are heading for reissues later this year and consequently are becoming harder to find in some places. But if they’re available, Tom will find them for you. ↩︎

#events #guinness #phinneyBooks #preorder #sheIsHere #signings

In Seattle? Get SHE IS HERE before everyone else

Image description: Photo, taken on a bright spring day with an old disposable camera, of a friendly neighbourhood street: cars parked in the shade of a tree growing on the sidewalk in front of Phinney Books and its next-door neighbour, the 74th Street Alehouse.

My new book She Is Here is officially for sale on 10 February—but I’ll be in the UK seeing friends and family and doing a scary exciting Thing.

So for those who live in Seattle and like to support their local bookstore, and who might just want to get their book two weeks earlier than anybody else, I’ll be at Phinney Books on Monday, 26 January, starting around 4:30 pm, signing stock and personalising any pre-orders, then repairing to the pub next door for a well-earned pint. (I’ll sign any book of mine—whether an old tattered favourite you bring with you or one you buy right there.) This is a quiet pre-launch, as much for me as for readers. She Is Here was an unexpected book—a risky, strange book in some ways—and I want to mark the occasion among friends and fellow readers and new acquaintances before I go off to do the (also unexpected—very very VERY unexpected—and sort of amazing) Thing in London. And what better way to do that than a quiet, satisfied Guinness in your local pub? Feel free to join me there. Think about it: here in Seattle what better way is there to spend a cold dark and probably wet night but in warm and welcoming company with good food, fine ale (and/or cocktails or coffee or wine) and a new book to take home? Also, maybe—just maybe, if I drink enough beer—I’ll tell you what this whole Thing is about…

Seriously. I would love to see you there. As Kelley and I have watched so much in this country and the world go to hell the last year, we have renewed our commitment to life, not just existence in the face of stress and overwhelm; to seeing people and being social—friends, neighbours, colleagues, readers; lots of people. We all need each other. It’s comforting to spend time with like-minded folk. And life is now.

I’ll be back from the UK on the 12th February, so there will also be opportunities for people to come chat at other events in Seattle (Third Place Ravenna), online (City Lights, in conversation with Nisi Shawl), and Edmonds (Edmonds Library). Do check my Events Page for details and updates.

So. If you want to say Hi and get a signed and/or personalised copy of She Is Here, or a matching set of Aud books, or any of my other books (Slow River, Ammonite, Hild, Menewood, Spear, With Her Body, and So Lucky1)—either drop by that afternoon/early evening to get them signed in person or call in/email your order now and have it mailed to you first thing the morning of Tuesday, 27th January.

Also, I was tickled to see a squib in Autostraddle the other day: “Between new Jeanette Winterson and new Nicola Griffith, we’re getting fresh work from some of the greats in the queer literary canon this month! This new book contains essays, poems, art, and stories. Griffith can indeed do it all.” Chortle.

Ha! My new name: Nicola A-Great-of-the-Queer-Literary-Canon Griffith. Oh, I soooo deserve that pint!

1. Check the Phinney Books page for what’s available—it changes from time to time. Some of my books are heading for reissues later this year and consequently are becoming harder to find in some places. But if they’re available, Tom will find them for you. ↩︎

#events #guinness #phinneyBooks #preorder #sheIsHere #signings

One week left

A reminder that books make great gifts for readers. And of course a great gift for an author is a preorder for a forthcoming title. In my case that would be She Is Here—which I just saw as one of the recommended queer memoirs for 2026.

– She Is Here by @nicolagriffith: essays, poems, and stories that think rigorously about disability, gender, art, and power…

I hadn’t thought of SiH as a memoir before but when considering the interview, the poetry, and the essays—all of which are, on some level, autobiographical—then, yes, I suppose it is. So yet again I learn something about one of my own books from a reader :) I love that!

You can preorder the book in North America and the UK, and book professionals can download a galley from Edelweiss or Netgalley—though on the latter the galley will be archived at the end of the month, so there’s just one week left to take advantage of it. Enjoy!

#memoir #NetGalley #sheIsHere

One week left

A reminder that books make great gifts for readers. And of course a great gift for an author is a preorder for a forthcoming title. In my case that would be She Is Here—which I just saw as one of the recommended queer memoirs for 2026.

– She Is Here by @nicolagriffith: essays, poems, and stories that think rigorously about disability, gender, art, and power…

I hadn’t thought of SiH as a memoir before but when considering the interview, the poetry, and the essays—all of which are, on some level, autobiographical—then, yes, I suppose it is. So yet again I learn something about one of my own books from a reader :) I love that!

You can preorder the book in North America and the UK, and book professionals can download a galley from Edelweiss or Netgalley—though on the latter the galley will be archived at the end of the month, so there’s just one week left to take advantage of it. Enjoy!

#memoir #NetGalley #sheIsHere

Rivers and Dragons and Cats and Books

For the Solstice—which here in Seattle is 7:03 am tomorrow—I’ve made a special fiction bundle, three stories downloadable as either a PDF or epub. Two of the stories are snowy, one is not; one is grim, two are not; and there’s a dragon. That bundle will be available to Patrons, a special thank you for helping fund publicity efforts in the US reissue of Aud, the UK first publication of Aud, and up-coming She Is Here.

Speaking of which, a couple of the February events may have to be rescheduled. I can tell you more about that after the holidays but for now I’ll just say it’s not bad news. In fact it’s gobsmackingly, knock-me-down-with-a-feather, amazing news. Chortle.

Our tree is up and decorated—but not yet destroyed. Mainly because I haven’t had time to figure out any kind of new SFX. This year I may have to resort to a old favourite—maybe that dragon…

The cats are well, though very fighty. I think it’s partly the weather (endless drenching rain of atmospheric rivers, one after another) and partly the latest trio of raccoons who have been trundling fatly around our neighbourhood at night, trying to get into everything, including our house. George, sensibly, hides under the bed, but Charlie takes exception. He desperately—desperately!—wants to get out there and take them on and gets very cross when we won’t let him (pound for pound he’d be outweighed six to one). So he takes it out on George.

And speaking of rivers, Slow River and Ammonite will be reissued with spiffy new covers and bonus content in June next year—just in time for pride. I’m pretty pleased about that.

I have other news, too, some of it very pleasing—but that, too, can wait for January. Meanwhile, for the holiday season, I’m changing my website avatar to a winter wren. I love these little birds: like tiny feathery brown truffles I could pop in my mouth. It’s based on one I created for my black and white zoomorphics series. I really do have an outrageous number of those things now. One day I’ll figure out what to do with them. For now, back to stopping Charlie murdering George because he can’t murder the raccoons…

#ammonite #CharlieAndGeorge #christmas #sheIsHere #shortStories #slowRiver #solstice

Rivers and Dragons and Cats and Books

For the Solstice—which here in Seattle is 7:03 am tomorrow—I’ve made a special fiction bundle, three stories downloadable as either a PDF or epub. Two of the stories are snowy, one is not; one is grim, two are not; and there’s a dragon. That bundle will be available to Patrons, a special thank you for helping fund publicity efforts in the US reissue of Aud, the UK first publication of Aud, and up-coming She Is Here.

Speaking of which, a couple of the February events may have to be rescheduled. I can tell you more about that after the holidays but for now I’ll just say it’s not bad news. In fact it’s gobsmackingly, knock-me-down-with-a-feather, amazing news. Chortle.

Our tree is up and decorated—but not yet destroyed. Mainly because I haven’t had time to figure out any kind of new SFX. This year I may have to resort to a old favourite—maybe that dragon…

The cats are well, though very fighty. I think it’s partly the weather (endless drenching rain of atmospheric rivers, one after another) and partly the latest trio of raccoons who have been trundling fatly around our neighbourhood at night, trying to get into everything, including our house. George, sensibly, hides under the bed, but Charlie takes exception. He desperately—desperately!—wants to get out there and take them on and gets very cross when we won’t let him (pound for pound he’d be outweighed six to one). So he takes it out on George.

And speaking of rivers, Slow River and Ammonite will be reissued with spiffy new covers and bonus content in June next year—just in time for pride. I’m pretty pleased about that.

I have other news, too, some of it very pleasing—but that, too, can wait for January. Meanwhile, for the holiday season, I’m changing my website avatar to a winter wren. I love these little birds: like tiny feathery brown truffles I could pop in my mouth. It’s based on one I created for my black and white zoomorphics series. I really do have an outrageous number of those things now. One day I’ll figure out what to do with them. For now, back to stopping Charlie murdering George because he can’t murder the raccoons…

#ammonite #CharlieAndGeorge #christmas #sheIsHere #shortStories #slowRiver #solstice

In 8 Weeks!

She Is Here is out in exactly 8 weeks! What is it, exactly, where can you get your hands on it, and why is it such a serendipitous little miracle? Well, I’ve already talked some about the who, where, what, why, and how.

I’m beginning to line just just a few events—so do check my Events page closer to the time. Meanwhile, please be aware that some of what I have might change.

Today I just want to point out that book professionals can download a galley from NetGalley or Edelweiss, or, if you’d prefer, you can talk to my publicist, Holly Watson, about reviews, interviews, etc.

And for the general reader: if you want to read that juicy new novella (and poems! and essays!) you can pre-order from your favourite indie, brick and mortar chain, the publisher, or your giant online retailer.

Pre-order

US: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | PM Press
UK: Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | WH Smith

#arc #bookBirthday #events #netgalley #preOrder #sheIsHere

In 8 Weeks!

She Is Here is out in exactly 8 weeks! What is it, exactly, where can you get your hands on it, and why is it such a serendipitous little miracle? Well, I’ve already talked some about the who, where, what, why, and how.

I’m beginning to line just just a few events—so do check my Events page closer to the time. Meanwhile, please be aware that some of what I have might change.

Today I just want to point out that book professionals can download a galley from NetGalley or Edelweiss, or, if you’d prefer, you can talk to my publicist, Holly Watson, about reviews, interviews, etc.

And for the general reader: if you want to read that juicy new novella (and poems! and essays!) you can pre-order from your favourite indie, brick and mortar chain, the publisher, or your giant online retailer.

Pre-order

US: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | PM Press
UK: Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | WH Smith

#arc #bookBirthday #events #netgalley #preOrder #sheIsHere

I have a new book coming out in January: SHE IS HERE. Every time I look at the cover I smile—and am struck by just how unusual both the photo and book itself are. Let me explain using many visual aids...
#SheIsHere #NetGalley

http://nicolagriffith.com/2025/11/05/black-and-white-through-the-writing-ages/

I have a new book coming out in January: SHE IS HERE. Every time I look at the cover I smile—and am struck by just how unusual both the photo and book itself are. Let me explain using many visual aids...
#SheIsHere #NetGalley

http://nicolagriffith.com/2025/11/05/black-and-white-through-the-writing-ages/

I have a new book coming out in January: SHE IS HERE. Every time I look at the cover I smile—and am struck by just how unusual both the photo and book itself are. Let me explain using many visual aids...
#SheIsHere #NetGalley

http://nicolagriffith.com/2025/11/05/black-and-white-through-the-writing-ages/

I have a new book coming out in January: SHE IS HERE. Every time I look at the cover I smile—and am struck by just how unusual both the photo and book itself are. Let me explain using many visual aids...
#SheIsHere #NetGalley

http://nicolagriffith.com/2025/11/05/black-and-white-through-the-writing-ages/

I have a new book coming out in January: SHE IS HERE. Every time I look at the cover I smile—and am struck by just how unusual both the photo and book itself are. Let me explain using many visual aids...
#SheIsHere #NetGalley

http://nicolagriffith.com/2025/11/05/black-and-white-through-the-writing-ages/

Black and white through the writing ages

Every now and again I remember: I have a new book coming out in January! And then I have to go look at the cover.

And every time I see that photo I smile—it’s one of those absolutely-unaware-of-the-camera pictures of me that I wish I had more of. PM Press had asked for something in black and white, unusual, and ‘not like an author photo’. I was familiar with the Outspoken Author series design aesthetic, so I went on a hunt through my files for B&W shots that might fit. I assumed they’d want ones that most clearly resembled the over-60 writer I am now, so I sent them a handful taken from the Hild era onwards. But it turned out they didn’t like those: I looked too writerly and they wanted something less formal/more arresting. So then I dug a bit deeper and came up with stuff going back to age 20—at least those that I like, which tend to be unposed1, unselfconscious pictures taken when I was not aware of the camera, whether laughing or drinking, performing or lost in my inner thoughts.

The early ones—right through to the one shot at Whitby—were taken with old school analogue cameras loaded with black and white film. The later ones were colour and digital but, in my opinion, look better as black and white. I thought you might like to see them, in chronological order, starting when I’m 20 and moving through to 63.

• Age 20, in Pearson Park, Hull. Photo by Heidi Griffiths (no relation).
• Age 21, rehearsing with the band. Photo by Heidi G or maybe Jan Gordon.
• 22, hungover after an epic night. Photograph by Heidi G.
• 24, playing guitar at home in Hull. Photo by Carol Holmes
• 27, playing beer can percussion at Clarion in East Lansing. Photo by Mark Tiedemann
• 30, at Whitby Abbey. Photo by Kelley Eskridge
• 43 (?), at an awards ceremony. Photo by Mark T
• 45, drinking Guinness at Murphy’s pub in Wallingford for a calendar photoshoot to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Association. Photographer, er, I don’t remember.
• 53, at a local SFWA reading. Photo—I think—by Jennifer Durham
• 54, a reading for one of the multiple HILD tours. Photo by Jennifer D
• 54, another HILD reading. Photo by Jennifer D.
• 58, signing books after winning my second Washington State Book Award. Photo by Kelley E
• 61, me and Charlie Bean one cold but lovely winter morning. Photo by Kelley E
• 63, expounding on the Queer Medieval at Town Hall Seattle. Photo by Libby Lewis
• 63, at World Fantasy mass signing. Photo by either Mark T or Kelley E

The PM Press folks decided that the one taken at Whitby was the one. I thought that was a bit odd. I mean, why choose a photo of a 30 year-old author for a book of collected works by someone who is now 65? I couldn’t quite make it make sense. That is, until I considered the actual contents of the book, which is 150 pages long, the majority of which (86 pages) is fiction. Let me explain.

The 39-page section of nonfiction begins with the oldest piece, a blog post, “A Writer’s Manifesto.” That’s followed by a 2018 Op-Ed I did for the New York Times, then three essays—two of which are from a planned series of epistolary criticism—all written around the same time (2014 and 2015) and published (and republished) in various venues since. There are three drawings, all made in 2024 (none previously published; none of my drawings have been published, except a handful on Patreon). Then four poems, mostly written in my 40s and 50s (none previously published; none of my poetry has ever been published, except a few on Patreon). But the meat of the matter, the bulk of the book, is fiction—and that, interestingly, is in ascending word length and (mostly) reverse chronological order: the earlier I wrote it, the longer it is.

It starts with the shortest and most recently published story, “Glimmer” (2018; 1,000 words; SF). Then “Cold Wind” (2014; 3,600 words; Dark Fantasy). Followed by “Down the Path of the Sun” (4,400 words; 1990; post-apocalyptic SF). Although that last wasn’t published until I was 29 it was actually the first real short story I finished (since I was a fifteen-year old schoolgirl), written when, at aged 25, I decided to teach myself to write with short fiction. It was one of two I used as my submission pieces for Clarion. (The other was “Mirrors and Burnstone—not included in this collection—which just as I turned 28 ended up being my first professionally published piece, in Interzone.) These three are probably my least anthologised stories—in fact, I think “Glimmer” might be the only fiction I’ve ever published that hasn’t been either reprinted (until now) and/or translated into a variety of languages.2

But the biggest thing in the whole book, fully half the page count (17,750 words and 75 pages) is a previously-unpublished novella, “Many Things in Dumnet.” I wrote it in 1989, when I was either 28 or 29, not long before I moved from the UK to the US. It was a commissioned work-for-hire (originally called “Blood and Earth”) for which I was well paid, but when that project collapsed I fought for and got the rights back.3 I made one half-hearted effort in the early 90s to get it published but then withdrew it—because I’d started to see it as part of a larger work: an alt-history/sfnal apocalypse/virus-as-magic novel.4

I rewrote the novella to fit that concept at which point it seemed to me that, shorn of its surrounding-novel concept*, it no longer really made sense as a standalone.

So why is it included in She Is Here? Because, er, well, I made a mistake :)

When Nisi Shawl, the series co-editor, asked me to send initial selections of nonfiction, poetry, and short fiction, I combed through my work and divided each category into three folders: Yes, Maybe, and Hell No. She wanted me to send her about 3 times the amount of work that might end up in the finished volume to give her a wide pool from which to draw and so shape the collection. Given that she didn’t want fiction or nonfiction that had been too widely anthologised, translated, and/or reprinted, and given that I have no notion of myself as poet and am incompetent to judge, I decided to send both the Yes and Maybe folders for all three categories. And while I sent her the right sets (Y, M) of poems and essays, by mistake I sent her all three sets (Y, M, HN) of fiction. And because no two editor’s tastes are alike, Nisi chose the two shortest from Y, a medium-length from M…and the longest HN, the novella. (Hell No not because I thought it badly written but because of * above.)

I baulked. No, I said. This is meant to be a career-spanning retrospective—and what I write best, the short fiction that’s most representative of me, is supercool sex-and-tech SF and sex-and-shivers Dark Fantasy! To me, this novella, stripped of its sfnal alt-history context, reads as an old-school, music-as-magic secondary world fantasy. Sure, but I really like it! she said. But there’s no sex! I said. So what? she said. To which I had no real answer. Plus, look, she said. The book will get more attention if it includes something never before published. I pointed out that the poems were unpublished, the interview was unpublished, and the drawings were unpublished. Sure, she said again. But I really love this story, I really want it, and I mean to have it!

I was still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that for this entire collection—the nonfiction, the fiction, even the poetry—Nisi had consistently chosen pieces with no sex in them. I wasn’t sure that felt entirely true to me. In particular the fiction she chose feels more gentle and lonely than both my usual short work and my novels: very different to the sharp-edged crime fiction of Aud, the Early Medieval visceral embodiment of the Hild sequence, the seamy dark corners of Slow River, or molten rage of So Lucky.5

But in the end, between them Nisi and Kelley persuaded me that, as a collection—the combination of drawings and interview, poems and essays, as well as the fiction—it works, and more to the point highlights different emotional facets of my creative production. The poems are raw, the nonfiction stern, and the drawings pure, joyful whimsy. So, well, perhaps they have a point: perhaps the more gentle fiction turns She Is Here into a well-rounded showcase of who I am as a creator, not just a writer of fiction: who I am, period.

And of course, now finally seeing the collection typeset and proof-read, and being able to recognise that well over half the book is fiction written before that cover photo of 30-year-old me was even taken, perhaps PM Press chose the right picture after all: the young Nicola standing in a place steeped in the Long Ago dreaming of her own future reworking the past to a purpose.

But don’t take my word for it. You’ll be able to judge for yourself on January 27th. You can pre-order the finished book and book professionals may request a digital galley.

Pre-Order

US: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | PM Press
UK: Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | WH Smith

Request a digital galley

• NetGalley
• Edelweiss

1. With one exception, which I’m sure will be obvious to you—but I like it anyway. ↩︎
2. Ooops, spoke too soon. I just agreed for it to be translated into German for an anthology. ↩︎
3. Note to all creators, whether newbie or old-timer: always get your rights back! ↩︎
4. I still do. Every now and again I go write a bit, or rewrite another bit, or make some notes… ↩︎
5. I think you could argue there’s a kinship with Ammonite, though. ↩︎

#authorPhotos #collection #essays #interviews #newBook #nisiShawl #outspokenAuthorSeries #photos #pmPress #poetry #sheIsHere #shortFiction #zoomorphics

Black and white through the writing ages

Every now and again I remember: I have a new book coming out in January! And then I have to go look at the cover.

And every time I see that photo I smile—it’s one of those absolutely-unaware-of-the-camera pictures of me that I wish I had more of. PM Press had asked for something in black and white, unusual, and ‘not like an author photo’. I was familiar with the Outspoken Author series design aesthetic, so I went on a hunt through my files for B&W shots that might fit. I assumed they’d want ones that most clearly resembled the over-60 writer I am now, so I sent them a handful taken from the Hild era onwards. But it turned out they didn’t like those: I looked too writerly and they wanted something less formal/more arresting. So then I dug a bit deeper and came up with stuff going back to age 20—at least those that I like, which tend to be unposed1, unselfconscious pictures taken when I was not aware of the camera, whether laughing or drinking, performing or lost in my inner thoughts.

The early ones—right through to the one shot at Whitby—were taken with old school analogue cameras loaded with black and white film. The later ones were colour and digital but, in my opinion, look better as black and white. I thought you might like to see them, in chronological order, starting when I’m 20 and moving through to 63.

• Age 20, in Pearson Park, Hull. Photo by Heidi Griffiths (no relation).
• Age 21, rehearsing with the band. Photo by Heidi G or maybe Jan Gordon.
• 22, hungover after an epic night. Photograph by Heidi G.
• 24, playing guitar at home in Hull. Photo by Carol Holmes
• 27, playing beer can percussion at Clarion in East Lansing. Photo by Mark Tiedemann
• 30, at Whitby Abbey. Photo by Kelley Eskridge
• 43 (?), at an awards ceremony. Photo by Mark T
• 45, drinking Guinness at Murphy’s pub in Wallingford for a calendar photoshoot to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Association. Photographer, er, I don’t remember.
• 53, at a local SFWA reading. Photo—I think—by Jennifer Durham
• 54, a reading for one of the multiple HILD tours. Photo by Jennifer D
• 54, another HILD reading. Photo by Jennifer D.
• 58, signing books after winning my second Washington State Book Award. Photo by Kelley E
• 61, me and Charlie Bean one cold but lovely winter morning. Photo by Kelley E
• 63, expounding on the Queer Medieval at Town Hall Seattle. Photo by Libby Lewis
• 63, at World Fantasy mass signing. Photo by either Mark T or Kelley E

The PM Press folks decided that the one taken at Whitby was the one. I thought that was a bit odd. I mean, why choose a photo of a 30 year-old author for a book of collected works by someone who is now 65? I couldn’t quite make it make sense. That is, until I considered the actual contents of the book, which is 150 pages long, the majority of which (86 pages) is fiction. Let me explain.

The 39-page section of nonfiction begins with the oldest piece, a blog post, “A Writer’s Manifesto.” That’s followed by a 2018 Op-Ed I did for the New York Times, then three essays—two of which are from a planned series of epistolary criticism—all written around the same time (2014 and 2015) and published (and republished) in various venues since. There are three drawings, all made in 2024 (none previously published; none of my drawings have been published, except a handful on Patreon). Then four poems, mostly written in my 40s and 50s (none previously published; none of my poetry has ever been published, except a few on Patreon). But the meat of the matter, the bulk of the book, is fiction—and that, interestingly, is in ascending word length and (mostly) reverse chronological order: the earlier I wrote it, the longer it is.

It starts with the shortest and most recently published story, “Glimmer” (2018; 1,000 words; SF). Then “Cold Wind” (2014; 3,600 words; Dark Fantasy). Followed by “Down the Path of the Sun” (4,400 words; 1990; post-apocalyptic SF). Although that last wasn’t published until I was 29 it was actually the first real short story I finished (since I was a fifteen-year old schoolgirl), written when, at aged 25, I decided to teach myself to write with short fiction. It was one of two I used as my submission pieces for Clarion. (The other was “Mirrors and Burnstone—not included in this collection—which just as I turned 28 ended up being my first professionally published piece, in Interzone.) These three are probably my least anthologised stories—in fact, I think “Glimmer” might be the only fiction I’ve ever published that hasn’t been either reprinted (until now) and/or translated into a variety of languages.2

But the biggest thing in the whole book, fully half the page count (17,750 words and 75 pages) is a previously-unpublished novella, “Many Things in Dumnet.” I wrote it in 1989, when I was either 28 or 29, not long before I moved from the UK to the US. It was a commissioned work-for-hire (originally called “Blood and Earth”) for which I was well paid, but when that project collapsed I fought for and got the rights back.3 I made one half-hearted effort in the early 90s to get it published but then withdrew it—because I’d started to see it as part of a larger work: an alt-history/sfnal apocalypse/virus-as-magic novel.4

I rewrote the novella to fit that concept at which point it seemed to me that, shorn of its surrounding-novel concept*, it no longer really made sense as a standalone.

So why is it included in She Is Here? Because, er, well, I made a mistake :)

When Nisi Shawl, the series co-editor, asked me to send initial selections of nonfiction, poetry, and short fiction, I combed through my work and divided each category into three folders: Yes, Maybe, and Hell No. She wanted me to send her about 3 times the amount of work that might end up in the finished volume to give her a wide pool from which to draw and so shape the collection. Given that she didn’t want fiction or nonfiction that had been too widely anthologised, translated, and/or reprinted, and given that I have no notion of myself as poet and am incompetent to judge, I decided to send both the Yes and Maybe folders for all three categories. And while I sent her the right sets (Y, M) of poems and essays, by mistake I sent her all three sets (Y, M, HN) of fiction. And because no two editor’s tastes are alike, Nisi chose the two shortest from Y, a medium-length from M…and the longest HN, the novella. (Hell No not because I thought it badly written but because of * above.)

I baulked. No, I said. This is meant to be a career-spanning retrospective—and what I write best, the short fiction that’s most representative of me, is supercool sex-and-tech SF and sex-and-shivers Dark Fantasy! To me, this novella, stripped of its sfnal alt-history context, reads as an old-school, music-as-magic secondary world fantasy. Sure, but I really like it! she said. But there’s no sex! I said. So what? she said. To which I had no real answer. Plus, look, she said. The book will get more attention if it includes something never before published. I pointed out that the poems were unpublished, the interview was unpublished, and the drawings were unpublished. Sure, she said again. But I really love this story, I really want it, and I mean to have it!

I was still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that for this entire collection—the nonfiction, the fiction, even the poetry—Nisi had consistently chosen pieces with no sex in them. I wasn’t sure that felt entirely true to me. In particular the fiction she chose feels more gentle and lonely than both my usual short work and my novels: very different to the sharp-edged crime fiction of Aud, the Early Medieval visceral embodiment of the Hild sequence, the seamy dark corners of Slow River, or molten rage of So Lucky.5

But in the end, between them Nisi and Kelley persuaded me that, as a collection—the combination of drawings and interview, poems and essays, as well as the fiction—it works, and more to the point highlights different emotional facets of my creative production. The poems are raw, the nonfiction stern, and the drawings pure, joyful whimsy. So, well, perhaps they have a point: perhaps the more gentle fiction turns She Is Here into a well-rounded showcase of who I am as a creator, not just a writer of fiction: who I am, period.

And of course, now finally seeing the collection typeset and proof-read, and being able to recognise that well over half the book is fiction written before that cover photo of 30-year-old me was even taken, perhaps PM Press chose the right picture after all: the young Nicola standing in a place steeped in the Long Ago dreaming of her own future reworking the past to a purpose.

But don’t take my word for it. You’ll be able to judge for yourself on January 27th. You can pre-order the finished book and book professionals may request a digital galley.

Pre-Order

US: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | PM Press
UK: Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | WH Smith

Request a digital galley

• NetGalley
• Edelweiss

1. With one exception, which I’m sure will be obvious to you—but I like it anyway. ↩︎
2. Ooops, spoke too soon. I just agreed for it to be translated into German for an anthology. ↩︎
3. Note to all creators, whether newbie or old-timer: always get your rights back! ↩︎
4. I still do. Every now and again I go write a bit, or rewrite another bit, or make some notes… ↩︎
5. I think you could argue there’s a kinship with Ammonite, though. ↩︎

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Time to run and hide. #OldSpiderWoman is coming. With her #RedSkies. The Hopi saw this long ago. #SheIsHere. #PissOnIt #Siouxsie #ExterminatingAngel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp3cXrOdCDs

#KillCapitalism #BurnYourVillage #DestroyTheOligarchs! #BurnYourVillageToTheGround #HopiProphecy #PurificationDay #WaterIsLIfe #FoodSecurity #Prepare #ClimateCatastrophe #SpiderWoman

Time to run and hide. #OldSpiderWoman is coming. With her #RedSkies. The Hopi saw this long ago. #SheIsHere. #PissOnIt #Siouxsie #ExterminatingAngel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp3cXrOdCDs

#KillCapitalism #BurnYourVillage #DestroyTheOligarchs! #BurnYourVillageToTheGround #HopiProphecy #PurificationDay #WaterIsLIfe #FoodSecurity #Prepare #ClimateCatastrophe #SpiderWoman

Time to run and hide. #OldSpiderWoman is coming. With her #RedSkies. The Hopi saw this long ago. #SheIsHere. #PissOnIt #Siouxsie #ExterminatingAngel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp3cXrOdCDs

#KillCapitalism #BurnYourVillage #DestroyTheOligarchs! #BurnYourVillageToTheGround #HopiProphecy #PurificationDay #WaterIsLIfe #FoodSecurity #Prepare #ClimateCatastrophe #SpiderWoman

Time to run and hide. #OldSpiderWoman is coming. With her #RedSkies. The Hopi saw this long ago. #SheIsHere. #PissOnIt #Siouxsie #ExterminatingAngel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp3cXrOdCDs

#KillCapitalism #BurnYourVillage #DestroyTheOligarchs! #BurnYourVillageToTheGround #HopiProphecy #PurificationDay #WaterIsLIfe #FoodSecurity #Prepare #ClimateCatastrophe #SpiderWoman

Respect to #ChristineBlaseyFord, #StormyDaniels, #KarenMcDougal and the many other women who continue to stand up to the MAGA - F#X industrial complex of hatred & misogyny. On the political side, #AOC, #GretchenWhitmer & many other women are carrying the torch for democracy & standing up to hatred. They are the embodiment of the #SpiritofDemocracy that appeared in Tiananmen Square in 1989 & who can never be defeated.

#democracy #freedom #victoryisassured
#sheishere

Respect to #ChristineBlaseyFord, #StormyDaniels, #KarenMcDougal and the many other women who continue to stand up to the MAGA - F#X industrial complex of hatred & misogyny. On the political side, #AOC, #GretchenWhitmer & many other women are carrying the torch for democracy & standing up to hatred. They are the embodiment of the #SpiritofDemocracy that appeared in Tiananmen Square in 1989 & who can never be defeated.

#democracy #freedom #victoryisassured
#sheishere

Respect to #ChristineBlaseyFord, #StormyDaniels, #KarenMcDougal and the many other women who continue to stand up to the MAGA - F#X industrial complex of hatred & misogyny. On the political side, #AOC, #GretchenWhitmer & many other women are carrying the torch for democracy & standing up to hatred. They are the embodiment of the #SpiritofDemocracy that appeared in Tiananmen Square in 1989 & who can never be defeated.

#democracy #freedom #victoryisassured
#sheishere

Respect to #ChristineBlaseyFord, #StormyDaniels, #KarenMcDougal and the many other women who continue to stand up to the MAGA - F#X industrial complex of hatred & misogyny. On the political side, #AOC, #GretchenWhitmer & many other women are carrying the torch for democracy & standing up to hatred. They are the embodiment of the #SpiritofDemocracy that appeared in Tiananmen Square in 1989 & who can never be defeated.

#democracy #freedom #victoryisassured
#sheishere

Respect to #ChristineBlaseyFord, #StormyDaniels, #KarenMcDougal and the many other women who continue to stand up to the MAGA - F#X industrial complex of hatred & misogyny. On the political side, #AOC, #GretchenWhitmer & many other women are carrying the torch for democracy & standing up to hatred. They are the embodiment of the #SpiritofDemocracy that appeared in Tiananmen Square in 1989 & who can never be defeated.

#democracy #freedom #victoryisassured
#sheishere