From Desk to Bestseller: Celebrating Colin Short's Inspiring Journey at HasleWorks

We were thrilled to welcome Colin Short back to HasleWorks for our Christmas drinks last month!

Colin spent countless hours here writing his debut novel, In the Shadow of the Church, inspired by his experiences volunteering for a charity promoting reconciliation in Rwanda - read the synopsis below. Since completing a novel-writing course at the Faber Academy, his book has been published and nominated for three debut literary awards!

The stunning cover art was designed by local artist Kirsty Rouse, who also happens to have artwork displayed here!

Grab your copy at HasleWorks or The Haslemere Bookshop. Happy reading!

In the Shadow of the Church

Liliane learns about discrimination as a child and, as she gets older, she also learns to be obedient to the men in her life. But, on the day when all the rules that have governed her life so far disappear, Liliane learns how to fight back and to take control of her own future. Set thirty years ago, it is the story of a young woman who has to fight for the future she wants, overcoming the challenges that so many women still face today. 

Set during the civil war and genocide in Rwanda in the early 1990s, the story unfolds against the failure of the western world to  protect one ethnic group from another and the shocking involvement of the Catholic Church in the planning and execution of the genocide. 

Yet out of the hopelessness of that time, In The Shadow Of The Church is an uplifting story of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.