Anne Hamilton – författare

'Five engrossing, resonant stories here, with no weak links' ― The HeraldThe world’s first UNESCO city of literature, Edinburgh is steeped in literary history. It is the birthplace of a beloved cast of fictional characters from Sherlock Holmes to Harry Potter. It is the home of the Writer’s Museum, where quotes from writers of the past pave the steps leading up to it. A city whose beauty is matched only by the intrigue of its past, and where Robert Louis Stevenson said, ‘there are no stars so lovely as Edinburgh’s street-lamps’.  And to celebrate the city, its literature, and more importantly, its people, Polygon and the One City Trust have brought together writers – established and emerging – to write about the place they call home.Based around landmarks or significant links to Edinburgh each story transports the reader to a different decade in the city’s recent past. Through these stories each author reflects on the changes, both generational and physical, in the city in which we live.

'A captivating and gorgeously written tale of nostalgia and renewal' Sophie Hannah'A warm and heartfelt examination of what attracts us to others and what keeps us connected over the years' Catherine Simpson'A perfectly woven story of past and present friendships' Valerie Griffin

April Zarney was ten when her best friend, Elena, disappeared. It was July 1974 and rumour was that Elena’s family had headed back home to war-torn Cyprus.

Thirty years later, with two failed marriages behind her and her career as concert pianist in jeopardy, April decides to run away to Cyprus to find out what really happened to her friend.

Letters From Elena is a love story exploring family, identity and displacement through the faulty memories of three generations of women, each on a journey to make sense of their lives and the world around them.

'An evocative and mesmerising tale of three generations of women, Letters from Elena sweeps you into the heart of Cyprus' Lucy O'Callaghan

'A truly immersive read' Ruth O'Leary

'A masterful, melodic symphony of words that will enthral readers from start to finish' Clo Carey

'Full of love, acceptance and ultimately, hope. A perfect read' Sharon Black

'In a life full of books and not enough time to read them, I never read a novel twice. This one I will' Clo CareyWinner of the Irish Novel Fair 2021

A compelling story of family, secrets, identity, and a reminder that love and life can surprise you… right until the very end.

When Alina’s son, Fin, traces his long-absent birthfather, it’s the catalyst for decades of secrets to implode in Alina’s neatly ordered life.

With the sudden appearance of Rory, and the ever-present pull of a very different life in Bangladesh, she’s left reeling.

Three relationships, all of them built on half-truths. All Alina can truly be sure of, is that you can choose your family, you just can’t choose who they will turn out to be.

'A lovely, compelling read about love, family, and finding yourself' Becky Hunter, author of One Moment

'Intricately explores themes of home, family, identity, love, and loss, inviting readers to ponder the universal truths — and sometimes lies — that shape our lives' Jane Labous, author of Past Participle

'Anne Hamilton handles with ease and grace this complex and compelling 'big Hindi movie' of a novel' Caroline Moir, author of The Brockenspectre

'Set across Edinburgh, Bangladesh and Dublin, mysteries and family secrets abound in this intriguing novel' Elissa Soave, author of Ginger and Me

'A captivating tale of human dilemmas and the consequences of half-truths' Olga Wojtas

'A complex tale of interwoven cultures, told truthfully with humour and outright laughter, but always with Anne Hamilton's trademark sensitivity, understanding and honesty' Paul Soye, author of The Boy in the Gap

'A gripping and brilliantly written novel from a huge new talent' Sophie Hannah

''In a life full of books and not enough time to read them, I never read a novel twice. This one I will'' Clo CareyWinner of the Irish Novel Fair 2021

A compelling story of family, secrets, identity, and a reminder that love and life can surprise you… right until the very end.

When Alina’s son, Fin, traces his long-absent birthfather, it’s the catalyst for decades of secrets to implode in Alina’s neatly ordered life.

With the sudden appearance of Rory, and the ever-present pull of a very different life in Bangladesh, she’s left reeling.

Three relationships, all of them built on half-truths. All Alina can truly be sure of, is that you can choose your family, you just can’t choose who they will turn out to be.

''A lovely, compelling read about love, family, and finding yourself'' Becky Hunter, author of One Moment

''Intricately explores themes of home, family, identity, love, and loss, inviting readers to ponder the universal truths — and sometimes lies — that shape our lives'' Jane Labous, author of Past Participle

''Anne Hamilton handles with ease and grace this complex and compelling ''big Hindi movie'' of a novel'' Caroline Moir, author of The Brockenspectre

''Set across Edinburgh, Bangladesh and Dublin, mysteries and family secrets abound in this intriguing novel'' Elissa Soave, author of Ginger and Me

''A captivating tale of human dilemmas and the consequences of half-truths'' Olga Wojtas

''A complex tale of interwoven cultures, told truthfully with humour and outright laughter, but always with Anne Hamilton''s trademark sensitivity, understanding and honesty'' Paul Soye, author of The Boy in the Gap

''A gripping and brilliantly written novel from a huge new talent'' Sophie Hannah