Uncategorized – Page 5 – What Cathy Read Next…

I’m delighted to be marking publication day of Why Are You Here? by Radhika Iyer. The book, a collection of short stories, is the first publication by new venture, Castles in the Air Press. As joint founders Órla & Clare explain, Castles in the Air Press is an ebook publisher dedicated to finding and supporting unique and diverse Irish authors. You can follow them on Twitter or Instagram at @castlespress or visit their website (where you can also find out how they came up with the name Castles in the Air).

Castles in the Air Press is currently open for unsolicited submissions of quality fiction for adults and young adults, especially from first-time authors.

About the Book

Radhika Iyer’s debut collection, Why Are You Here? contains twelve explosive short stories presenting twelve provoking female narratives. Iyer’s unique style is quirky yet powerful, as she illustrates a sense of otherness, as an immigrant and as a woman of colour.

Iyer explores the struggle of being a woman in different cultures, as the stories take us from the harrowing results of a family scandal in Malaysia, to an internal cultural identity struggle in Dubai, to an abusive marriage amplified by the lockdown in Ireland.

This collection is ultimately about the female experience, and being different culturally, and in terms of shape and size. The women of these stories face their internal and external battles, and as we follow their journeys, we come face to face with the struggle and the strength of women.

Format: ebook Publisher: Castles in the Air Press
Publication date: 1st August 2021 Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Short Stories

Find Why Are You Here? on Goodreads

Purchase links
Amazon UK
Link provided for convenience only, not as part of an affiliate programme

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About the Author

Radhika Iyer was born in Malaysia to migrant Indian parents. Her stories mainly explore themes of identity struggle, acceptance, and domestic violence.

In 2020, an excerpt of Radhika’s journal piece was aired on RTE Radio 1’s Arena show, an excerpt of an article she wrote about working and living in Ireland was featured in the Irish Times, and a reflective piece was featured as part of the Keywords Podcast 5: Common Ground on RTE Radio1Extra and went on to be nominated for Best Short Feature in the 2020 IMRO Radio Awards. The short story, Why are you Here? was on the Cranked Anvil shortlist in late 2020.

Radhika currently lives in and is trying to fit into Dundalk, Ireland. (Bio/photo credit: Publisher author page)

Connect with Radhika
Twitter | Goodreads

background book stack books close up — Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels.com

It’s the first Saturday of the month which means it’s time for 6 Degrees of Separation!

Here’s how it works: a book is chosen as a starting point by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book.

Kate says: Books can be linked in obvious ways – for example, books by the same authors, from the same era or genre, or books with similar themes or settings. Or, you may choose to link them in more personal or esoteric ways: books you read on the same holiday, books given to you by a particular friend, books that remind you of a particular time in your life, or books you read for an online challenge. Join in by posting your own six degrees chain on your blog and adding the link in the comments section of each month’s post. You can also check out links to posts on Twitter using the hashtag #6Degrees

This month is a wild card meaning we can start with the last book in any previous chain. I’ve gone with the last book in October’s chain which means my starting book is Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie.

Two pigs, named Snowball and Napoleon, feature prominently in Animal Farm by George Orwell. They are the leaders of the rebellion which see the animals take over the farm.

A different Napoleon appears in False Lights (or to give it its revised title, Hester and Crow) by Katy Moran. The book’s premise is that Napoleon Bonaparte won, not lost, the Battle of Waterloo. The dashing Cornish hero of False Lights is known as Crow to his intimates but his official title is Lord Lamorna.

Lamorna Cove in Cornwall is one of the places on the South West Coast Path through which Raynor Winn, and her husband Moth, pass during their epic journey described in The Salt Path.

Another place Raynor and Moth visit is the cliff-top hut built by Parson Hawker, Vicar of Morwenstow. This location also features in The Mermaid’s Call, the third in Katherine Stansfield’s Cornish Mysteries series featuring unconventional detective duo, Shilly and Anna.

Three sisters better known for their literary skills than their detective abilities feature in The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis, the first in her inventive Bronte Mysteries series. (The second book in the series, The Diabolical Bones, was published on 5th November.)