Opening hours Gallery: Wednesday to Sunday 12–5pm

Novel Writers: Gillian Best

The Last Wave

Novel Writers: Gillian Best

The Last Wave

Gillian Best, The Last Wave

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Book launch and in conversation

Gillian Best, a native of Toronto who now lives and works in Bristol, presents a wholly authentic tragicomic portrait of family life as it is buffeted by illness, intolerance, anger, failure and regret. The Last Wave, a family drama set in England between the 1950s and the present, follows the life of Martha, a woman who has swum the English Channel ten times, and the complex relationships she has with her husband, her children and her close friends.

Gillian Best was joined in conversation by  Bristol-based literary agent Kate Johnson.

Gillian Best

Gillian Best is a writer, swimmer, and seaside enthusiast. Her debut novel, The Last Wave, is published in Canada and the USA by House of Anansi Press.

Gillian was chosen by CBC Books as one of 17 Writers to Watch in 2017. She was shortlisted for Wasafiri’s New Writing Prize (2015), long-listed for the WriteIdea Short Story Prize (2014), was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize International Creative Writing Competition (short story, 2013), and won the Bronwen Wallace Award for Short Fiction (2003).

Extracts from The Last Wave have been published on Number Eleven and Wasafiri. Other short fiction has been published in print in the UK and Canada.

Originally from Waterloo, Canada, Gillian has been living in the UK for the best part of twelve years. Arriving in Falmouth to study for her Masters in Professional Writing, she later went on to receive her PhD in Creative Writing and English Literature from the University of Glasgow. She currently lives, works, and swims in Bristol, UK.

Novel Writers

Each month we invite a debut novelist to read from and talk about their work in an informal setting. Prior knowledge of the text is not essential. Topics of discussion include theme, structure, inspiration and the craft of writing. These sessions are a great way to discover new writing talent and great books.

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