Katy Darby

From tigers in a South London suburb to retired Victorian police inspectors investigating train based thefts, from collectors of poets at Shadwell to life-changing decisions in Canonbury, by way of an art installation that defies the boundaries of a gallery, Stations takes a sideways look through the windows of the Overground train, at life as it is, or might be, lived beside the rails: quirky, humorous and sometimes horrifying.

2015 marked the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and Arachne Press celebrated with an evening of stories, poetry and song on the subject of Liberty, now collected together in book form. The call out continued until the end of the year, and here are the collected and eclectic responses, from authors and poets from all corners of the UK and further afield, including Sarah Evans, Nick Rawlinson, Helen Morris, Owen Townend, Alison Lock, Peter de Ville, Cassandra Passarelli, David Guy, Carolyn Eden, Brian Johnstone, Andrew McCallum, Bernie Howley, Jeremy Dixon, Liam Hogan, Jim Cogan, Katy Darby, David Mathews, Anna Fodorova, Cherry Potts, Richard Smyth.

First published in trade paperback as The Whores' Asylum, The Unpierced Heart is a thrilling, gothic debut by Katy Darby.Oxford, 1887: brilliant medical student Stephen Chapman volunteers at a shelter devoted to reforming fallen women, where he meets and falls for Diana, a girl who has broken hearts and inspired deadly duels. His best friend Edward sees her as a dangerous temptress, but Stephen believes she is a wronged woman. What secrets does Diana hold, and what will happen when Stephen strays further into unknown and forbidden territory?So begins a bloody and lusty tale of ill-lit streets and seedy taverns, of harlots and drunkards, of the highest in the land seeking out the lowest kind of depravity, of desperate murder and scandalous orgies, and of an innocent trapped in a world of passion and sin.'Darby knows how to write a cracking novel . . . Darkly enjoyable' Metro'Debut novelist Katy Darby has wrought a truly gothic little gem that could almost have fallen through a wormhole, 125 years ago... Darby manages to retain the flavour of the authors she so obviously admires - Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle - but at the same time establishes her own voice and creates a contemporary narrative . . . a rare achievement' Independent on Sunday'Thrilling gothic romance' Daily ExpressKaty Darby studied English Literature at Somerville College, Oxford, and Creative Writing at U.E.A. where she received the David Higham Award. Her fiction has been read on BBC Radio, and she has published stories in Slice, Mslexia and The London Magazine, as well as winning prizes in several international fiction competitions. She teaches writing at City University, edits the short story magazine Litro (www.litro.co.uk) and co-runs the monthly live fiction event Liars' League (www.liarsleague.com). She lives in London.

Dirk, a former American movie star turned US Senator, is held hostage at gunpoint by English journalist Jay in a seedy hotel room somewhere in England. Is she an obsessive fan, an activist with a grudge, or something more sinister? Gradually Jay reveals her purpose and offers Dirk a deal which will guarantee both their places in history. But an unexpected twist will force Jay's hand...A gripping, intelligent drama with a running time of thirty minutes.

Tobias, struggling to pay tuition fees as he finishes his doctorate in moral philosophy, works as a chef in an unpopular tapas bar. His girlfriend, Casey, is a waitress and T-shirt entrepreneur manque who needs capital to realize her dreams. Monday is the deadest night of the week, but their luck looks about change when the enigmatic Leila walks into the bar which is situated just down the road from MI6...-2 women, 1 man