Second book signed with University of Queensland Press

Sally Piper

I have signed a publishing agreement for my second novel 'The Geography of Friendship', with University of Queensland Press. Publication is set for July 2018.

I also found this treasure on the library shelf at Arvon. Extraordinary storytelling about a young girl’s often extreme (and sometimes evil) ways of gaining attention from her father and maligning her mother. Every chapter is exactly one page long, which must have called for some courageous restraint by the author, but also meant that every word used on that single page had to earn its place. #booksiloved #reasonsshegoestothewoods #deborahkaydavies

I stumbled across this superb novella in the library of the Arvon writing centre I recently stayed at in Shropshire. It’s a sparse, honest, raw and heartbreaking account of humanity in tatters in occupied Poland during WWll. It spans just one day and one meal, but infers generations of consequences. #booksiloved #amealinwinter #hubertmingarelli

I’m a long time reader of the fabulous @griffithreview so I’m pretty chuffed to have an extract from my next novel in Issue 65: Crimes and Punishments. #CrimesandPunishments Posted @withrepost • @griffithreview Look what’s arrived! We're getting ready to send #CrimesandPunishments out to our hard-copy subscribers very soon – are you on the list? Subscribe or update your subscription now to get your copy before it hits bookstores in August. Hit the link in our bio to get started! — Early access is available to print copies only, exclusively through Domestic Print and Domestic Premium subscriptions. #GriffithReview #MatthewCondon #GideonHaigh #KristinaOlsson #BehrouzBoochani #AmyMcquire #australianwriters #australianwriting #crimewriting #truecrime #crime

So where did that 10 weeks go? #homewardbound

Posted @withrepost • @legendpress Final copies have arrived of GRACE'S TABLE by @sally.piper.writer, out 1st August. 🌼 ‘A wise and tender novel about food, friendship and marriage' Kristina Olsson, author of Boy, Lost and Shell 🌼 Grace has not had twelve people at her table for a long time. Hers isn’t the kind of family who share regular Sunday meals. But it isn’t every day you turn seventy. 🌼 As Grace prepares the feast, she reflects on her life, her marriage and her friendships. When the three generations come together, simmering tensions from the past threaten to boil over. The one thing that no one can talk about is the one thing that no one can forget. 🌼 What Reviewers and Readers Say: 🌼 ‘A wise and tender novel about food, friendship and marriage' Kristina Olsson, author of Boy, Lost and Shell 🌼 'An emotional and uplifting look at how food brings families together' Eva Woods, author of How to be Happy 🌼 ‘I loved Grace's Table. Sally Piper makes the ordinary extraordinary in her finely observed and profoundly moving snapshot of a woman preparing to feed her family.' Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus 🌼 ‘This is a wonderful book reflecting on love, relationships, friendship and all of it centred around food' The Big Book Club 🌼 ‘The lovely simple gestures of cooking trigger intimate thoughts and memories. Piper captures all this with the deft touch of a home cook who understands the undercurrents that flavour the simplest domestic and social dynamics' Caroline Baum 🌼 #books #bookstagram #GracesTable #bookish #booknerd #bookworm #booklover #bookaholic

I can’t wait to chat with @birdtabitha about her fantastic novel A LIFETIME OF IMPOSSIBLE DAYS @booksstones on Thursday 18th July at 6pm. I have so many questions to ask Tabitha about the three Willas at the heart of this story, not least of all if they will please give mine back! It’s a free event but to register for it please phone 3394 4949.

Life cycle @valedemoses

Only in the UK can you walk over a rise and be greeted by the view of a castle. #ludlowcastle

Shropshire stripes...go on, say it quickly 🤪

This was the view from my room at The Hurst where I have just finished a 6-day nature writing course with tutors Jay Griffiths and Paul Kingsnorth, and 15 other remarkable writers. It was the most personally challenging but ultimately incredibly rewarding learning experience I’ve ever had and feel so thankful to Arvon for providing this welcoming and nurturing environment in which to learn. #naturewriting #arvon #thehurst

A long-held ambition fulfilled. This is the view from my study window directly under the clock of the Clockhouse at an Arvon writing retreat in Shropshire. It is part of the former home and grounds of UK playwright John Osborne. It’s my view for 6 glorious days. #arvon #writingretreat #thehurst #shropshire

This gorgeous book comes out in Australia today. I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of A LIFETIME OF IMPOSSIBLE DAYS, and I knew by a few pages in that this book offered something very special - it’s unique, imaginative and beautifully written. The three Willas at the heart of the story will draw you into their lives and hold you till the end. Huge congratulations @birdtabitha on such a fabulous debut. And thank you @penguinbooksaus for the ARC. #alifetimeofimpossibledays #tabithabird

I never imagined I’d have the chance to do a book club visit in the UK, but here we are. Thanks @speedypeach for hosting such a fun evening with your savvy book clubbers. 📚🧡🖤📚

Loved catching up with Lauren and Lucy @legendpress in London today, the people behind the emails who have worked so hard to bring The Geography of Friendship and Grace’s Table to UK readers. Posted @withrepost • @legendpress Just had a lovely meeting with @sally.piper.writer who is over from Australia. It was so great to chat about our plans for GRACE'S TABLE out on 1st August 2019 'An emotional and uplifting look at how food brings families together' Eva Woods, author of How to be Happy 'I loved Grace's Table. Sally Piper makes the ordinary extraordinary in her finely observed and profoundly moving snapshot of a woman preparing to feed her family' Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus Sally Piper (left) is pictured here with our Commissioning Editor Lauren Parsons #books #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #booknerdigans #GracesTable #bookaholic #booklover

Spotted two eucalypts amongst the beech and the holly and the oak and the horse chestnuts🌲🌳 #nothomesick #dorset

Dorset sunset.

This holloway isn’t as deep as some I’ve been in but it’s the longest and most overgrown and I wouldn’t have found it without the help of the curator at Beaminster Museum. Some in the area think this holloway is where Geoffrey Household set his 1939 classic novel Rogue Male. Who knows. Fun to imagine though! #dorset #holloways #amwriting

I found two holloways today. One a footpath and the other a sealed lane so not likely to erode any deeper, but it was the longest I’ve seen at 400 metres. And The Novel That Doesn’t Want to be Written did allow me to write a chapter that included them, so feeling grateful for that. #dorset #holloways #amwriting

Dorset has turned on some glorious weather at the moment so I swapped cows for the coast for yesterday’s walk. #southwestcoastpath #jurassiccoast #goldencap #dorset

So I was out walking along one of Dorset’s public footpaths, many of which cross through farms, and had to cross a field with this herd of steers at one end. I got to within a few metres of the gate and they stampeded towards me. I scored a 10 for the speed I scaled the gate but a 1 for grace. Scared the bejeezus out of me!😳💩🥩