Dystopian YA: An evening with Moira Buffini and Josh Silver at Deansgate

Join us for an evening celebrating epic dystopian YA fiction with Moira Buffini and Josh Silver.

Moira Buffini - Songlight

They are hunting those who shine . . .

Don't be deceived by Northaven’s prettiness, by its white-wash houses and its sea views. In truth, many of its townsfolk are ruthless hunters. They revile those who have developed songlight, the ability to connect telepathically with others. Anyone found with this sixth sense is caught, persecuted and denounced. Welcome to the future.

Lark has lived in grave danger ever since her own songlight emerged. Then she encounters a young woman in peril, from a city far away. An extraordinary bond is forged. But who can they trust? The world is at war. Those with songlight are pawns in a dangerous game of politics. Friends, neighbours, family are quick to turn on each other...

When power is everything, how will they survive?

Josh Silver - Dead Happy

FRIENDS, WELCOME TO ELMHALLOW. YOU ARE THE CHOSEN TEN.

By some miracle, Seb has survived the HappyHead programme, only to find himself stranded on a remote island under the guidance of a freakishly beautiful couple.

Far from home, Seb reluctantly teams up with Eleanor again and the pair are forced to compete in a series of ever stranger trials to prove their connection. All the while, he can’t stop thinking about Finn. Determined to find him, Seb’s search uncovers an even darker reality.

Can he escape the island and expose the sinister truth behind HappyHead?

Moira Buffini is one of the UK's leading scriptwriters. She has written acclaimed TV, films and plays, including The Dig (Bafta-nominated), Harlots, Jane Eyre, Tamara Drewe, Dinner and Handbagged. She co-chairs the board of trustees of Tonic, a charity which supports equality, diversity and inclusion across the performing arts. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Society of Arts. Songlight is her debut novel. Moira lives in London.

Josh Silver grew up on a farm in the Lake District, before moving to Manchester with his family, where he spent his teenage years loving the city. He trained as an actor at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and went onto perform in the West End and on Broadway. After deciding to change careers, Josh now works with teenagers as a mental health nurse. Josh lives in Manchester.

Moira and Josh will be in conversation with Melissa Welliver.

Melissa Welliver is the author of two dystopian rom-coms, My Love Life and the Apocalypse and Soulmates and Other Ways to Die. The first book in her dark dystopian trilogy, The Undying Tower, will be published by UCLan Publishing in August 2024.

Host or Publisher Waterstones