The launch of Anna Maconochie's second short story collection: *Diamond Life*, published by Héloïse Press. The author will be in conversation with local writer Kathryn Aldridge-Morris.

*Diamond Life* is a collection of urban short stories about the creative lives of London millennials. Failed aspirations, romantic fiascos, professional rivalries, and much more. This is a book packed with fake-it-until-you-make-it characters, For lovers of Industry, Fleabag, Baby Reindeer, and Spent.

‘Anna Maconochie's stories of modern love and friendship are witty, shrewd, imaginative, intimate, poignant, and they make for excellent company.' - Adam Foulds, Man Booker Prize Shortlisted author of *The Quickening Maze*, European Union Prize for Literature Winner

'Diamond Life is a page-turner of a collection where each story has the emotional heft of a novel. Reading this utterly enjoyable book is like catching up with old friends over some wine.' - Sabina Murray, author of *Muckross Abbey*, and *The Human Zoo*

'I devoured these stories in one sitting. The love, loss, longing and messy flatshares felt both familiar and slightly magical.' - Marianne Power, author of *Love Me!*

'Quirky, acutely observed, often thrilling in an unexpected way. Maconochie shines a curious, satirical light on contemporary lives and relationships in 21st century London & beyond. A delight to read.' - Winnie M Li, author of *What We Left Unsaid*

'I loved the intimate look Diamond Life offers into the lives of its characters. This book is funny, smart and sharp.' - Harriet Armstrong, author of *To Rest Our Minds and Bodies*

'A wonderful collection which reads like the love child of Sylvia Townsend Warner and Marcel Aymé, mixing magic, social satire and astute observations on love and friendship, flat-shares and creatives.' - Sam Mills, author of *The Quiddity of Will Self******* 

 
Anna Maconochie was born and raised in London, where she still lives. After a decade in the film industry and the BBC she began writing short stories that touched on these settings as well as her home city. Her first stories appeared in the Erotic Review and then in several other print and online magazines, including the Dublin Review, the London Magazine and the Bitter Oleander. She has also had a story in *Desire: 100 of Literature’s Sexiest Stories*, compiled by Mariella Frostrup. In 2023 she received a Pushcart Prize nomination for her story "Victor & Cleo" in the Concho River Review. Her first published short story collection was *Only the Visible Can Vanish*, with Cultured Llama Publishing. *Diamond Life* is her second book.

Kathryn Aldridge-Morris is a Bristol-based writer of short fiction and creative nonfiction. Her work has won several awards including the Bath Flash Fiction award and Manchester Writing School’s QuietManDave Prize and appeared in over 70 literary magazines and anthologies. Her debut flash fiction collection *Cold Toast* (Dahlia Books) was selected as Book of the Month by the Republic of Consciousness Prize and listed in their ‘Best Small Press Fiction of 2025’.

Entry requirements: no age restrictions (under 18s to be accompanied by an adult over 21yrs, 1:1 ratio) — Read more — Read less