Pre-order
The Salt Archive
When Nell Ashby is called back to the island she left at eighteen, she expects to sign some papers, sell the lighthouse...
New novel · The Salt Archive · Out 12 November
Stories that stay long after the last page.
Literary novels about the sea, memory and the families we choose. Pre-order the new book, find a reading near you or bring the author to your book club.
- Translated into 18 languages
- Book club guides included
- Signed editions ship worldwide
“Luminous and aching” · Margins Quarterly✦A reading group favourite✦Translated into 18 languages✦“A writer at the height of her powers” · The Coastline Review✦Signed first editions, shipped worldwide✦“I read it in one sitting” · a reader in Lisbon✦
The new novel
The Salt Archive. A lighthouse, a lost ledger and forty years of secrets.
When archivist Nell Ashby inherits her grandmother's lighthouse, she finds a ledger of every ship that never came home, and one name she was never meant to read. A sweeping, tender novel about memory, the sea and the stories families keep from each other.
- Read the first chapter free, right now
- Signed and dated first editions while they last
- Audiobook read by Niamh Ford, 13 h 20 min
The bookshelf
Novels, novellas & stories.
Every book in one place, with sample chapters, reading group notes and links to buy from your favourite bookshop.
Book club favourite
The Lantern Keeper's Daughter
Every night for seven years, Ada Pryce has lit the lamp in the window for a father the village says is dead....
Novella
The Glass Orchard
A short, luminous novella about grief, glassblowing and the strange gifts our parents leave behind. Perfect for a single evening.
$17.00
A Map of Small Hours
Theo Lark draws maps for a living, but the city only reveals its real shape between two and four in the morning....
Praise for the novels
What readers and critics are saying.
Callahan writes the sea the way other novelists write love: with longing, precision and a little fear. A book to press into a friend's hands.
Our book club argued about the ending for two hours, then all bought the backlist. The discussion guide was a gift.
The Lantern Keeper's Daughter is that rare thing, a quiet novel you cannot put down. I finished it at 3am and started again.
Ten years of writing
From a notebook in a seaside cottage to readers everywhere.
- 5books published
- 18languages in translation
- 350kcopies in readers' hands
- 120+book clubs visited
The Salt Archive book tour
Readings, signings & festivals.
Come and say hello. Most events are free with a signed copy on sale, and every tour stop is livestreamed for readers who cannot make it.
Nov 12 · 19:00 – 20:30Launch night: The Salt ArchiveA reading, a conversation about lighthouses and ledgers, and the first signed copies of the new novel.Nov 19 · 18:30 – 19:30In conversation at the Northern Book FestivalAn hour on memory, the sea and writing family secrets, followed by a festival signing.Nov 26 · 14:00 – 16:00Signing & afternoon teaTea, cake and personalised copies of every book.Dec 3 · 19:00 GMTOnline book club eveningA live video evening for book clubs everywhere, with readings and your questions.Dec 10 · 19:00 – 20:30The Salt Archive tour: New YorkA reading and signing in New York, with wine and conversation.
For book clubs
Invite the author to your book club.
Every novel comes with a free reading group guide: discussion questions, an author interview and a playlist written for each chapter. Groups of eight or more can book a 30-minute video visit at no cost.
- Free printable discussion guides for every book
- Video visits for groups of 8 or more, worldwide
- Signed bookplates posted to every member
Write with me
Manuscript critiques, mentoring & school visits.
A small number of places each season for writers working on a first novel, plus visits for schools, libraries and festivals.
Manuscript critique
Detailed written notes on the opening of your novel and your synopsis.
$480per manuscript
- First 50 pages and a one-page synopsis
- Line notes in the margin
- A four-page editorial letter
- 30-minute follow-up call
Six-week mentorship
One-to-one support to finish, revise and submit your first novel.
$1,450six sessions
- Six one-hour video sessions
- Notes on up to 150 pages
- Query letter and synopsis review
- Email support between sessions
- A reading list made for your book
School & festival visits
Talks, readings and creative writing workshops for schools, libraries and festivals.
$650from, per day
- Author talk and reading
- Writing workshop for up to 30
- Signing with a local bookshop
- Teacher notes for every book
Places open twice a year and are limited to keep feedback personal. Join the newsletter to hear first.
Letters from the writing desk
A free short story, then a letter a month.
Join 24,000 readers for the unpublished story "Weather for Leaving", early news of new books, signed giveaways and what I am reading. Unsubscribe any time.
Journal
Notes from the writing desk.
Where The Salt Archive began: a ledger in a lighthouse museum
A water-stained book of ship names, a museum that closed at four, and the question that became a novel.
The Salt Archive book tour: every date, and how to get a signed copy
Launch night in London, festivals in Edinburgh and New York, and an online evening for book clubs everywhere.
Seven drafts and a kitchen table: how I revise a novel
Coloured pencils, index cards and the one question I ask of every chapter before it survives into the next draft....
Every story begins at chapter one.
Pre-order The Salt Archive today and get a signed, dated first edition on release day, wherever you are in the world.
Pre-order now