It's been just over a month since Philippa Holloway's lyrical, prescient debut novel The Half-life of Snails was published, and it's been a busy few weeks! The first launch, held at Staffordshire university, was followed by an online launch hosted by Edgehill Instistute of Social Responsibility, and then an event at Liverpool's fantastic WoWFest. All in the month of May!
The glowing reviews have been rolling in as well. Lunate described it as "that wonderful thing, a novel that can be read in several different ways. On the surface it is a gripping thriller, ripe for transfer to the big screen. But it also excels as an exploration of the geography of the human heart, which Holloway shows to be as difficult to navigate as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone."
And Buzz magazine said it was "a beautiful yet unsettling story with a strong sense of place, accentuating the bond between humans and the landscapes they live in."
Wales Arts Review saw it as a "transformative read in a time of heightened complexity and division."
As we enter June, things don't look as though they'll slow down much for Philippa's busy schedule. Her Author Notes in the Western Mail were followed by a serialisation of the novel which is due to run for a couple more weeks.
And there's currently a blog tour in progress. Check out the poster to head over to the individual blog sites and read what the reviewers have to say about the novel.
Finally, Philippa is Author of the Month for Welsh Libraries for June!
If you haven't yet got your copy of The Half-life of Snails then pop down to your favourite bookstore and pick one up, or head over to our website and place your order! UK postage is only £1 if you order direct from Parthian.
