Light Lifting is a suite of darkly urban, unflinching elegies. The seven stories each encompass a keenly observed, immersive world, rooted firmly in the real life of work and family. They are elemental stories of work and its bonds, of tragedy and tragedy barely averted, but also of beauty and love and moments of pure transcendence.

'These stories offer a real pleasure which comes from the sense of life and emotional honesty in them. The pleasure also comes from their beautiful tone and something in the voice which is both relaxed and perfect. They contain a rare kind of truthfulness' Colm Tóibín

'Every so often a new writer comes along with a true gift for language?an elegant, conversational simplicity' LA Times

'Outstanding' Independent

'Brilliant?engrossing, thrilling and ultimately satisfying: each story has the weight of a novel' The Economist