 Photo of Beth sat looking at a copy of Feather Vane while her laptop screen shows a blank word document. Text reads: I don't remember writing this novel... Yesterday evening, I sat down to write about Feather Vane. I planned to cover all the usual things: how I got the idea, where it all started, and the writing process. Only when faced with my laptop I was as blank as the word document. Please, PLEASE don’t misunderstand me. This book is incredibly special to me. I love it. I know the plot, its characters and their world inside out. I know its themes and why they matter. I have a document with 10,000 words of planning (and if you know me or have had the editorial misfortune of working with me, you know planning is not my strong suit!) But when I think back to my life at the time I was actually writing it, I’ve got nothing.
So here’s the thing, my life at the time of writing Feather Vane was good, great even! But I was processing stuff that was neither, and it turns out the result is that I don’t remember much about that time. This realisation threw me because for my first novel, Wolf Siren, the moment when I got the idea was so clear-cut that it has a whole origin story. I know the first scene I wrote and which words from that first draft ended up in print! But Feather Vane is different, both as a writing project and a finished novel. When I think about the story, I feel calm and happy. I adored this world and its characters and creatures and magic. You might have noticed that I’ve said something similar in several posts already! I simply had so much fun being there, even if I can’t recall when or where I wrote what as I can with Wolf Siren. And yes I am aware this isn’t normal! Realising I couldn’t remember how, when or where I started this novel, or much of the process after, freaked me out. Partly because when my memory isn’t blank, it’s usually pretty good! But after my initial wobble, I sat down to write about this instead (because that’s all I know!) and I realised that it doesn’t really matter that I don’t remember all the details. Between notes, plans, emails and my camera roll, I can piece a timeline together of the things I’ve forgotten, but what I do remember is the heart of it… I remember the story unfolding, not the hours at the keyboard. I remember the details of my made-up world because being there was way more fun than being inside my own head. I remember the joy, the calm, the fun because that’s what I needed at the time. For me, writing Feather Vane was like finding out escapism could give hugs. I love it for that, and I hope you’ll love it too!
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It feels ridiculous (in the best way) to be writing this but... drum roll… It was announced today that Wolf Siren has been longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing 2026!  Graphic showing the cover of Wolf Siren by Beth O’Brien against a blue background. Text Reads: The Carnegies, 2026 Longlist, Medal for Writing. Carnegie.co.uk. #Carnegies2026. This award is a big deal in the children’s publishing world and I was over the moon to be nominated for it in the first instance. To now be longlisted is a huge and magical step and I cannot thank the Carnegie judges enough! Wolf Siren would not be a book if it wasn't for the support of my lovely agent, Becky Bagnell, or my publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books, and I am so grateful they saw something in this story. ❤️ I won't lie, this news has been the best kind of morale boost ahead of my second novel, Feather Vane, which comes out in March because the closer it gets to publication the more nervous I get about people reading it... But that said, I can't not shout about the fact that the lovely people at bookshop.org are donating 10% of all children's book sales to Book Trust and Scottish Book Trust this February as part of their #ReadItForward campaign! That includes any purchases of Wolf Siren and any pre-orders of Feather Vane bought this month. Last but not least, I'm delighted to share with you that Claire Morgan will be narrating the audiobook of Feather Vane! The novel alternates between two narrators and I've heard Clare read samples from both of them and she is PERFECT. I cannot wait for you to hear her! The plan is, like with Wolf Siren, to record the audiobook at the RNIB in London and (again as with Wolf Siren) I will most definitely be trying to invite myself along for the ride! For now, if you're an audiobook person, you can pre-order Feather Vane and it will appear in your library (as if by magic!) on March 26th! That's all my news for today and if you read this far, thank you!
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