For our latest Afternoon Author event and after a couple of false starts we were thrilled to finally welcome Sarah Easter Collins to The Bookery who was joined in conversation by our very own expert interviewer Alison Sweatman. On a lovely sunny afternoon, we were so happy to have several of our wonderful supporters join us for a really special afternoon. Dominic welcomed Sarah explaining that we have Sarah to thank for the launch of our Afternoon Authors following Sarah hand delivering a beautifully written card that prompted the creation of the afternoon events, so that we could ensure to welcome Sarah and learn more about a momentous dinner party that shaped the creation of Things Don’t Break On Their Own.

Sarah introduced her book as being a story of a missing sister, female friendship and how different versions of the truth emerge and develop with an explosive dinner party at the heart of it all. We heard about some of the many things that do indeed get broken throughout the book with Sarah providing several very personal memories from her life that influenced the creation of the characters including their names. We started off hearing how a dinner party in Australia dominated by obnoxious self-centred tax avoidance lawyer provided Sarah with the realisation that this could be the family where people go missing! Alison described Things Don’t Break On Their Own as being a ‘very English novel’ and explored with Sarah the many layers that feature throughout the book including family life, relationships, deception, acceptance and the unreliability of memory.  We learnt that Sarah wrote the first draft in only 3 months, and we were all a bit in awe as Sarah described being at a desk at 6am in the morning ready to write up to 1,000 words a day! With that level of productivity we were not surprised to hear that Sarah is currently writing a second book which we will be eagerly anticipating.  Although Sarah was careful not to give away any ‘spoilers’ for those who had not read the book we did get a good understanding of how the devastating impact the disappearance of Laika Martenwood, the girl who vanished without a trace on her way to school one morning had on her sister Willa. Sarah read a passage set at a dinner party from Willa’s point of view from which we felt the pain and grief of having her sister Laika abducted but with no with her body not being found.

Alison discussed with Sarah the intrigue of dinner parties as being the gatherings of people, voices and egos and as we learnt the catalyst for intriguing novels. We will certainly be rooting for Sarah to win an Edgar Award when she travels to America next month.  Sarah and Alison were joined by our customers for some free-flowing questions and signed copies of the recently launched paper back version of Things Don’t Break On Their Own- we have signed copies of Things Don’t Break On Their Own HERE or from visiting the bookshop.

We thank all our customers who joined us and to both Sarah and Alison for providing such a interesting afternoon of discussion with many twists and surprises that kept us all thoroughly entertained.