We publish books that matter — narrative and literary nonfiction on important topics, and the best of local, international, and translated fiction.

Scribe has acquired the new short story collection from Laura Jean McKay, author of the Arthur C Clarke Award-winning The Animals in That Country, which also won the The Victorian Prize for Literature and a host of other prizes and shortlistings in her native Australia, and was a Sunday Times Book of the Year.

The stories in Gunflower are wide-ranging in style and genre, charting the political, ecological, and bodily themes that are the backbone of Laura’s work. World English rights were acquired by Scribe's Publisher Marika Webb-Pullman from the author.

Webb-Pullman said: ‘Laura is a writer of immense talent and vision, and I’m thrilled to be working with her on this brilliant collection of stories. In some, readers will glimpse the origins of the ideas that were taken up so strongly in The Animals in That Country. In others, they will glimpse other, stranger possible futures. In all, they will recognise Laura’s deep engagement with the world, both as it is and as it could be. I can’t wait to share them with readers.’

McKay said: ‘Every year on my birthday I write a short story – it is my favourite form – so I’m overjoyed to be releasing Gunflower, a book that goes to the very heart of my writing. These are stories of birth, life and death (you know, the little things). I’m thrilled to share these tiny explosions.’

Gunflower will be published in the UK in October 2023.

For publicity information, please contact Adam Howard at adam@scribepub.co.uk.

For rights information, please contact Alice Richardson at alice[at]scribepub.com.au.