Fly on the Wall Press bags Bradley's 'outstanding' debut short story collection

Fly on the Wall Press has bagged the debut short story collection, Maps of Imaginary Towns, from S J Bradley.

Managing director and editor Isabelle Kenyon acquired worldwide exclusive rights directly from the author. The collection will be published on 26th September 2024.

Maps of Imaginary Towns "immerses readers in richly imagined worlds, from a woman dreaming of escape via rocket from an oppressive colony planet, to a drab council estate, where a little girl finds magic in hardship". The collection also depicts dystopian and parallel worlds in working-class northern England.

Kenyon said: “I’m very happy to be publishing S J Bradley’s outstanding debut collection, which announces an exciting new voice in literary short fiction. These stories brim with compassion, lyricism and emotional power. Bradley renders her flawed, achingly human characters with craft and care, in tales that resonate deeply but feel so intimate. This collection highlighting bureaucracy, austerity and the rise of technology feels immensely relevant."