Walker acquires debut Australian YA psychological thriller!

Walker Books is thrilled to announce they have signed on exciting debut author and rising star of the YA community, Sarah Epstein, who is set to shake up 2018’s list of books with her page-turning psychological thriller, Small Spaces.

Due for release in April next year, Small Spaces is destined for fans of mysteries and psychological thrillers and is set to be a captivating read for the eager YA community. Author Fleur Ferris has hailed Small Spaces as “A beautifully crafted psychological thriller. I couldn’t put it down.”

Based on NSW’s mid-north coast, Small Spaces is the story of Tash Carmody, a 17-year-old girl who has been traumatised since childhood after witnessing her gruesome imaginary friend Sparrow lure young Mallory Fisher away from a local carnival. At the time, nobody believed Tash and she has since come to accept that Sparrow wasn’t real. Now fifteen and mute, Mallory’s never spoken about the week she went missing. As disturbing memories resurface, Tash starts to see Sparrow again, and she realises Mallory is the key to unlocking the truth about a dark secret connecting them. Does Sparrow exist after all? Or is Tash more dangerous to others than she thinks?

Publisher of Walker Books, Linsay Knight, says, “From the first moment we met Tash and her gruesome imaginary friend Sparrow, we knew we were on to a winner. If you like taut thrillers and unreliable narrators, then this is the book for you. Sarah Epstein is an incredible new talent and you won’t want to miss this gripping YA debut.”

Born in NSW but now based in Melbourne, writer, illustrator and designer Epstein is thrilled to partner with Australia and New Zealand’s premier publisher of children’s books. Says Epstein, “I’m really excited about my writing debut with the supportive team at Walker Books. I feel so fortunate to have connected with an editor and publisher who understood everything I was trying to achieve with this story, and helped me strengthen it with that vision in mind. I’m ecstatic to be adding my voice to the YA community, especially in the thriller genre which is my favourite to read.”

“We don’t pick and choose what to be afraid of. Our fears pick us.”

Small Spaces