Debbie Harpham
by Kate Thompson
originally posted March 13, 2023 to The Nerd Daily
From the Blitz to Ukraine via the mountains of Kentucky, why we need librarians more than ever.
Read the full article here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
My name is Kate. I live in leafy Surrey, England in a haunted former bakery on the banks of the river Thames, with my two sons and two rescue dogs. When Im not writing, I am trying to tire out boys and dogs on endless walks.
I am a journalist by trade and have spent the past thirty years working for Fleet Street. Eleven years ago I discovered the rich and complex working class history of East London, a place made famous by Call the Midwife. Ever since then, I have been passionate about uncovering the stories I consider missing from the history books. Stories of clandestine matriarchal communities pitting their wits against war, violence and poverty. Tales of enormous camaraderie and tight-knit communities who are the beating heart of East London. I’m at my happiest sitting in the living room of an elderly cockney drinking tea and listening to the unfiltered gush of social history.
I have written twelve fiction and non-fiction titles. My debut novel, Secrets of the Singer Girls, became a Sunday Times bestseller when it launched in 2015.
My first non-fiction book which uncovers the lives of extraordinary women of wartime East End, The Stepney Doorstep Society was published by Penguin (Michael Joseph) in August 2018 and reached number one in the history categories on Amazon.
My latest novel, The Little Wartime Library, is based on the remarkable true story of Bethnal Green Underground’s shelter library in WW2. Founded in the chaos of the Blitz, the pioneering underground library provided the solace, sanctuary and escapism of books in London’s darkest hour. The book is published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton and comes out in February 2023 by Grand Central Publishing, Forever imprint. I’m looking forward to connecting to book clubs and groups. Visit my website at: https://www.katethompsonmedia.co.uk/
AUTHOR VISITS:
Author visits with Kate Thompson are available via staging.novelsandbox.com/our-authors/.