Screen School author's new book explores Sleep

Professor Catherine Cole, Professor of Creative Writing at Liverpool Screen School has just published a new novel - Sleep, a story which explores the ways in which memory and trauma affect two people - an old French artist, Harry, and a teenage girl, Ruth.

The novel is set by the Canal St Martin in Paris just before the German occupation of Paris and in London and the Yorkshire Dales. Ruth reflects on her friendship with Harry and what it taught her about forgiveness and the transforming nature of art.

Commenting on her novel, Catherine said: "I enjoy examining the capacity of people to rise above the trauma inflicted by others."

Her short story collection, Seabirds Crying in the Harbour Dark, which was shortlisted for the 2018 NSW Premiers Literary Awards also examined refuge, home, forgiveness and love. Stories from the collection have been produced by BBC Radio 4, used by Audible for the Australian Marriage Equity Campaign and are taught in schools and universities in Australia, the UK, USA and China.

Catherine added: "Sleep will add a further dimension to discussions about how easily societies miss the slow and insidious rise of cruelty towards people in need and how being wide awake to and vigilant about these political shifts is essential to our humanity."

Sleep is published by UWA Publishing and can be purchased now.