Sheena Wilkinson – författare

‘This is a gem. Kate Atkinson fans will love it’ Irish Independent In a world of lonely hearts, are there enough happy endings to go around? Marriage matchmaker seeks assistant; discretion essential, rose-tinted glasses optional…Matchmaker Martha Hart never got her happy ending: the Great War destroyed those dreams. Instead, her life's mission is to bring hope to other lonely hearts, though eligible bachelors are thin on the ground in 1930s Yorkshire.She hopes her new assistant, April McVey, will breathe new life into the bureau. The irrepressible Irish girl with the knack for putting her foot in it is full of modern ideas, but doesn't appear to have a romantic bone in her body.When lonely widower Fabian, and his enigmatic sister require their help, the bureau face their toughest challenge. Are Martha and April about to discover that in the search for love, it's possible to find something else that's just as wonderful…? ‘A briskly witty delight’ Irish Times 'A charming treat of a novel, full of heart and hope' Hazel Gaynor

‘This is a gem. Kate Atkinson fans will love it’ Irish IndependentIn a world of lonely hearts, are there enough happy endings to go around?Marriage matchmaker seeks assistant; discretion essential, rose-tinted glasses optional…Matchmaker Martha Hart never got her happy ending: the Great War destroyed those dreams. Instead, her life''s mission is to bring hope to other lonely hearts, though eligible bachelors are thin on the ground in 1930s Yorkshire.She hopes her new assistant, April McVey, will breathe new life into the bureau. The irrepressible Irish girl with the knack for putting her foot in it is full of modern ideas, but doesn''t appear to have a romantic bone in her body.When lonely widower Fabian, and his enigmatic sister require their help, the bureau face their toughest challenge. Are Martha and April about to discover that in the search for love, it''s possible to find something else that''s just as wonderful…?‘A briskly witty delight’ Irish Times''A charming treat of a novel, full of heart and hope'' Hazel Gaynor

‘This is a gem. Kate Atkinson fans will love it’ Irish Independent In a world of lonely hearts, are there enough happy endings to go around? Marriage matchmaker seeks assistant; discretion essential, rose-tinted glasses optional…Matchmaker Martha Hart never got her happy ending: the Great War destroyed those dreams. Instead, her life's mission is to bring hope to other lonely hearts, though eligible bachelors are thin on the ground in 1930s Yorkshire.She hopes her new assistant, April McVey, will breathe new life into the bureau. The irrepressible Irish girl with the knack for putting her foot in it is full of modern ideas, but doesn't appear to have a romantic bone in her body.When lonely widower Fabian, and his enigmatic sister require their help, the bureau face their toughest challenge. Are Martha and April about to discover that in the search for love, it's possible to find something else that's just as wonderful…? ‘A briskly witty delight’ Irish Times 'A charming treat of a novel, full of heart and hope' Hazel Gaynor

Ryan’s career is over. After winning a TV talent show and becoming a teen sensation, his fame has spiralled into addiction, embarrassing headlines and career suicide. Now his image-obsessed stepdad wants him at home, back in school and under his thumb.However, a chance meeting with the enigmatic Toni offers him a fresh start in a new city. Before long he has reinvented himself, made real friends and is playing real music in Toni’s band. Despite living in a hostel, busking for his wages and living under a false identity, Ryan is finally happy.But struggling to exist on the brink of homelessness, he is exposed to a more sinister world. Forced to truly decide what kind of person he wants to be, Ryan begins to realise that starting over comes at a price.''This story rings with truth – a book to fall in love with''Keren David''I couldn’t put this book down''Cat Clarke''Played on my heartstrings. Rich and moving – a must-read''L.A. Weatherly

Belfast in 1916. Fourteen-year-old Helen is shaped by her mixed background – rural, Catholic Irish values from mum Kathleen; urban, Protestant Ulster ones from dad James. Her parents are relaxed in their politics but others in the family circle are more extreme – Aunt Violet is a die-hard anti-Home Ruler, more British than the king, while Uncle Sean is staunchly nationalist. These are the parents of Helen’s older cousins:  Sandy, who joined the army straight from school and has already seen action in France, and Michael, who runs away from home to enlist. But before he leaves for France, Michael is deployed to Dublin to help quell the Rising, where he’s expected to open fire on his fellow Irishmen. Who and what are they fighting for?  The story of a young girl caught between the Easter Rising, the outbreak of World War 1 and a divided Ireland

An invigorating tale of suffragettes and heroes, courage and survival, as World War One ends, a pandemic sweeps the land - and women get to vote!Stella has always looked forward to changing the world. It's what she was brought up to do, by a suffragette mother who knew all about fighting and rebellion. But it's November 1918. The great flu pandemic sweeping the world has robbed Stella of her mother and her home, and she's alone in a strange country, with an aunt she's never met.But change is coming - the war is over, and women are about to vote for the first time. History is being made, but how can she help make it? As election day approaches, a day that will transform Ireland forever, Stella realises that she can indeed change the world. Not alone, and not all at once. But just as stars come one by one to brighten the night sky, so history is made person by person, girl by girl.

The year is 1921. Ireland has been at war for two years. Communities are torn apart by bitter hatred – and now a hard border splits the island.In Belfast, Helen’s Hope hostel is a progessive space where young women live and work together – a haven of tolerance and diversity in a fractured city. But some people hate Helen’s Hope and its values.Another pitch-perfect historical novel from the prize-winning author of Star by Star.‘Funny, moving and full of wisdom, Hope Against Hope shows Sheena Wilkinson is a writer at the top of her game.’ — Jan Carson, author of The Fire Starters, winner of the EU Prize for Literature 2019

Ryan’s career is over. After winning a TV talent show and becoming a teen sensation, his fame has spiralled into addiction, embarrassing headlines and career suicide. Now his image-obsessed stepdad wants him at home, back in school and under his thumb.However, a chance meeting with the enigmatic Toni offers him a fresh start in a new city. Before long he has reinvented himself, made real friends and is playing real music in Toni’s band. Despite living in a hostel, busking for his wages and living under a false identity, Ryan is finally happy.But struggling to exist on the brink of homelessness, he is exposed to a more sinister world. Forced to truly decide what kind of person he wants to be, Ryan begins to realise that starting over comes at a price.'This story rings with truth – a book to fall in love with'Keren David'I couldn’t put this book down'Cat Clarke'Played on my heartstrings. Rich and moving – a must-read'L.A. Weatherly

Beyond the fence everything is dark, but in here is our own lit-up world. Just me and Flight. Our breath snakes into the night like the aftermath of a firework.’The only riding fifteen-year-old Declan has ever done is joyriding. When he’s forced to stay with his snobby cousin ‘Princess’ Vicky, he’s shocked to find himself falling in love with horses. Vicky would do anything to keep Declan out of her already perfect life and away from her precious showjumper, Flight, no matter who gets hurt…Moving from a harsh Belfast housing estate to the glamour of the showjumping ring, Taking Flight is a fast-paced story full of conflict, jealousy and courage.

Declan loves Seaneen, but his ambition to work at a top showjumping yard is stronger than anything he’s ever felt before. So when Declan is offered his dream job in Germany, he should be thrilled. There’s nothing for him at home but dark history he’d rather forget.But he’s terrified: leaving Seaneen’s harder than he expected; troubled hood Cian won’t leave him alone, and when he finds a traumatised horse in a derelict barn, he knows he has to help her. No matter how scared he is.

Rosevale is a sanctuary for abandoned and abused horses, but Aidan’s family can’t afford to run it any longer. If Rosevale closes down, though, what is going to happen to all the horses that are looked after there?Then Lucy comes up with a super idea: there’s a cross-country competition offering an unbelievable prize of £5,000. Can they possibly muster a team that is good enough to beat the posh stables and win the competition? Not without Aidan’s help – but Aidan has lost his nerve and is terrified of riding.The future of Rosevale is at stake. Aidan is going to have to help. He can’t – but he just has to …

‘The rain was still falling, but the dark had parted…’F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby  Luke falls. He has epilepsy.And, as it turns out, he has much bigger issues too.Esther falls. In love.It’s wonderful – but there’s a shadow that she can’t identify and she can’t make go away just by loving Luke.Luke’s experience has taught him to despise himself; Esther’s self-belief is fragile. And love is not as easy as it looks. Will they be still falling at the end of term?