Zoe Lambert

978-1905583287 | 1905583281
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‘You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.’ – Leon Trotsky

From Kandahar to Sarajevo, the forests of Lithuania to the boot camps of the DRC, Zoe Lambert’s stories weave a dark and disturbing web, interlacing documentary accounts with imagined testimonies to give voice to the many silenced casualties of war: an elderly woman on a bus tells a love story drawn from the depths of Soviet history; a soldier returns from his first tour of duty unsure he deserves his hero’s welcome; a Norwegian immigrant pieces together a family history fractured in the aftermath of Nazi occupation. Individually, these stories bear witness to a thirst for conflict that seems both unquenchable and foreign. But together, they bring the question of collusion and responsibility all the way back to the reader’s own doorstep.

‘Ranging confidently across time and place, Lambert’s stories are sharply observed, moving, and continually surprising.’ – Jane Rogers

About the Author

ZOE LAMBERT is a Manchester based writer. She has an MA in Creative Writing at UEA and a PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University. She lectures on the creative writing MA at the Universities of Bolton and Edge Hill. She was the founder of cult Manchester literature night, Verberate, and is a member of the board of the Northwest Short Story Network.

**Short-listed for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize**
**Long-listed for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Prize**

PRESS:

'Lambert's collection presents a carefully balanced picture of the world's combat zones... The writing is disarmingly plain and to-the-point... a kind of narrative ambush... I'd recommend that you read these.'
- The Guardian.

'A startling good collection of stories by a confident writer. Reading it is like taking a masterclass in how to do it well.'
- MsLexia Magazine

'Reading 'The War Tour' is like wandering through a labyrinth of the unexpected, full of marvellous things... Lambert gazes into the abyss and does not flinch.' - 3:AM Magazine. Read the full review.

'Poignantly portraying the everyday loves, losses, strengths and sacrifices of those living with war, The War Tour depicts trauma, horror and confusion alongside defiance, duty and survival, all in quiet, compelling language that resonates long beyond the final page.' - For Books' Sake. Read the full review.

'Lambert presents an eclectic representation of war, touching on its historical, personal, and national effects… with emotional crescendos that highlight the talent and potential that she possesses.' - Book Munch. Read the full review.

'The War Tour begins and ends with a flourish... surprising and very well written.' - Keeper of the Snails blog. Read the full review.

Interview with Zoe Lambert in Short Fiction Journal.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

NEWCASTLE - TUE 12 SEP
Litmus at the Lit and Phil
with authors Sara Maitland, Zoe Lambert and Christine Poulson
Newcastle's most estemmed literary venue plays hose to an evening of science and semi-fiction, as part of Comma's science-into-fiction scheme. More info to follow
8.30pm
RBS Corner Theatre
More about Litmushere.

ALDERLEY EDGE - SUN 16 SEP
Zoe Lambert at the Alderley Edge Community Book Festival
Reading from her debut collection, The War Tour, in a line-up that contains Jackie Kay, Melvin Burgess and Mike Garry.
Organised by Oxfam.
Reading Room, Festival Hall, Talbot Road, Alderley Edge, Cheshire SK9 7HR.
More information here.
2pm.

CHORLTON - FRI 21 SEP
Kagyu Ling Cultural Programme presents The War Tour by Zoe Lambert.
The event starts at 7.30pm with a welcome cocktail. Free but donations are welcome on door.
Kagyu Ling Buddhist Centre, 45 Manor Drive, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, M21 7QG.
More information from Jessica Frye on 0161 850 4450 or culture[at]kagyuling.org.uk.

DIDSBURY -SAT 29 SEP
BORDER FICTION with Jane Rogers, Zoe Lambert, and Michelle Green
The first public reading from Jane Rogers' debut collection of short stories, Hitting Trees with Sticks (out next month!), alongisde fellow Comma authors Zoe Lambert and
Comma Press presents three exciting authors, whose short story collections cross personal and political borders. Jane Rogers' collection, Hitting Trees with Sticks, ranges from Uganda to Australia to the West Indies, taking in love, death, and Alan Turing along the way. Zoe Lambert's The War Tour paints a picture of the world’s conflict zones, giving voice to the silenced casualties. Michelle Green's forthcoming Jebel Marra, explores the complexities of the on-going war in Darfur through the eyes of aid workers and the people involved. Didsbury Baptist Church, Beaver Road. Manchester, M20 6SX.
6.30pm-9pm.
Part of the Didsbury Festival.

LANCASTER - SUN 21 OCT Zoe Lambert reading with Jo Baker
Lancaster LitFest
The Auditorium, the Storey Centre, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster LA1 1TH.
Vist LitFest.org
5-6pm.

CHESTER - WED 24 OCT Zoe Lambert at Chester Literature Festival
Reading from her debut collection, The War Tour.
The Old Magistrate Court, Chester CH1 2XA .
More info here.
1-2pm.

LONDON - SAT 27 OCT
Zoe Lambert and Adam Marek
Marking the publication of the much anticipated second collection from the award-winning author. More details to follow.
The Story Salon, at the society club
12 Ingestre Place, Soho London, W1F OJF
6pm-8pm.
More info to follow and here.

BLACKPOOL - TUE 13 NOV
Zoe Lambert at Wordpool
Reading from her debut collection, The War Tour.
With poet Eleanor Rees.
More info to follow here.
Listen to Zoe interviewed on Radio Manchester here.

Listen again to Comma authors Zoe Lambert and Michelle Green talking about their forthcoming books on Woman's Hour, earlier this year: iPLayer.

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