In our final blog on the 2023 shortlisted writers, we shine the spotlight on three female authors: Xyra Speed, Pip Penman and Anu Pohani.
Xyra Speed, photo courtesy of Carl Allen, Big Wave PR
Xyra has wanted to be an author ever since she can remember. She was three when she read stories aloud to other children at nursery and seven when she wrote a story and saved it to her dad’s floppy disk (that he needed for work!). She took that passion throughout her life and studied Creative Writing at university, and now hones her skills at a PR company. Xyra lives in South East London with her husband, Lee, and puppy, Skye.
Advice with Addy
When influencer Addy realises she has live streamed her boyfriend, Chris, breaking up with her, she decides she needs to take a break. To reset, she visits her hometown, Fringham, a quaint village where nobody uses social media. There, she bumps into her childhood best friend, Zayan, who wants to boost his own socials to raise money for the local school. Addy agrees to help him, and Zayan shows Addy there’s more to life than followers and likes.
Contact Xyra:
Email - xndavieswriting@gmail.com
Instagram - @xndavies
Twitter/X - @xndavies
Pip Penman
Pip Penman is a Scottish writer living in New York City. She is co-founder of Women in Soccer, a professional network that advocates for women and underrepresented individuals in the soccer industry. As head of content, Pip writes Women in Soccer’s weekly newsletter with a readership of over 5.5k. A Fulbright scholar, Pip completed a master’s degree at New York University. She also has a first class degree in English Literature and History from the University of Edinburgh.
BBC Documentary about Writing Ah Couldney Tell
A BBC documentary about how, as a dyslexic writer, Pip Penman used Scots dialect, skateboarding, and audiobooks to support the writing process of her novel Ah Couldney Tell. The film gained over half a million views, trended on BBC iPlayer, and was shown in schools throughout the UK.
Contact Email (Pip Penman) catherinepenman95@gmail.com
LinkedIn - Pip (Catherine) Penman
Ah Couldney Tell
After escaping a traumatic past, identical twins Scarlet and Lizzie McLeod navigate young adulthood in Edinburgh. Through alternating narration, Ah Couldney Tell exposes how technology affects their lives, which, like our own, are under constant digital surveillance. Scarlet's tumultuous past fuels a spiral into social media scandals while Lizzie grapples with her sister’s self-destruction. Loyalties waver when Scarlet's actions lead to a devastating crime and evidence cannot determine who is the responsible twin, blurring the lines between reality and perception.
Anu Pohani
Anu Pohani is an Asian-American expat living in London. Her essays and short stories have appeared in Caustic Frolic, Mechanics’ Institute Review, and Everyday Magazine, among others. In addition to the Book Edit 2023 short list, The Enigmas of Amy Wang was long listed for the 2021 Mo Siewcharran Prize. She can be found on the Common walking her Tibetan terror and on X and Instagram at @AnuPohani.
The Enigmas of Amy Wang
Amy's job at the museum is the answer, far from the Before, and silences Mom’s nagging. But attempts to rebuild her life are constantly derailed. Witness her poor taste in men: choose the most inappropriate one, then self-sabotage before feelings deepen. Then, the mysterious break-in during her big moment at the Temple of Dendur Fundraiser. Plus, they blame Amy, the lowly Fundraising Assistant. Her new life feels cursed. Unless, things turn out better than imagined, perhaps engineered by Isis, herself?
Thanks Xyra, Pip and Anu for this week’s fabulous readings. And congratulations to all the shortlisted writers we’ve been spotlighting these past few weeks. We hope you’ve enjoyed them as much as we have.
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