Happy publication day to Jane Healey, shortlisted for the 2013 Bristol Short Story Prize and published in our sixth anthology, whose debut novel The Animals at Lockwood Manor is out today.

Major Pan Macmillan imprint, Mantle, bought Jane’s gothic romance in a heated seven-way auction two years ago, and US rights were sold for a six-figure sum to legendary US publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The Animals at Lockwood Manor has been receiving high praise ahead of publication – A.J. Pearce, author of Dear Mrs Bird, said: “Jane Healey’s excellent debut novel is a rich story full of tension and darkness… Atmospheric and disquieting, The Animals at Lockwood Manor is an ideal book club read ”, while Cressida McLaughlin said:  “Such a vivid, beautiful but haunting story, with a thread of darkness running through it . . . I was thoroughly engrossed”

Jane’s brilliant short story, Pool Boy, was shortlisted for the 2013 Bristol Short Story Prize and published in our sixth anthology by Tangent Books. The anthology is becoming something of a collector’s item as it also features a story by Deepa Anappara whose acclaimed debut novel, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, was published in January this year and has recently been longlisted for the very prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Jane commented previously: “The Bristol Prize shortlisted and published the first short story I ever wrote which was such a boost to my confidence at the beginning of my writing career.”

We hope Jane’s debut novel enjoys huge success and we look forward to reading lots more of Jane’s writing.