Heading to Hull I'm so very thrilled to share that I've accepted the role of Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at University of Hull. It's a research and teaching role, starting 1st 2023.I'm very much looking forward to meeting all of the new and existing students.

RLF Vox ‘Select a book from my shelves, open it and you’ll find an unconventional bookmark — a Post-it note, a child’s drawing, even a prescription for folic acid never collected. My bookshelves contain secrets; I plot my life through the books I’ve read.’To listen to this Vox, go here.

Social media is wonderful for giving snippets of the global release of'Mrs Van Gogh'. I'd never have seen this article in il Fatto Quotidiano. Instead, I am being given the most amazing glimpses into how Johanna's story is travelling around the world. La Signora Van Gogh

It was an absolute pleasure to give this interview with the online publication 'Famous Writing Routines'. We explored my daily writing habits, rituals and routines.

VG Book Recommendations I was asked to curate a list of books for those wanting to truly learn about Vincent van Gogh. For me, that's about understanding those people and places that surrounded him. To read my list, go here. 

Foreign editions of 'Mrs Van Gogh'.

Italian cover of 'Mrs Van Gogh'.

Complete & unabridged 'Mrs Van Gogh'

'Mrs van Gogh' on Storytime in Paris I'll always take the opportunity to talk about Johanna van Gogh-Bonger.Here I am on Storytime in Paris. It's also available from where you listen to podcasts.Caroline’s latest novel, Mrs. Van Gogh, is the story of twenty-eight year old Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger, sister-in-law to artist Vincent Van Gogh. It’s through her eyes that we meet the Van Gogh brothers: charming Theo and unstable, drug-addled, starving artist Vincent. What becam...

‘Craft, Creativity, Critique’ is the next instalment in a series of annual symposia organised by postgraduate students with the Department of English at the University of Malta. The conference is open to all local postgraduate students and alumni as well as postgraduate students and postdocs internationally. I am both honoured and thrilled to have been invited to give the keynote lecture. The symposium will be 27 – 28 March 2023. The title of my keynote is THE ROLE OF THE CREATIVE IN ADDR...

'Mrs Van Gogh' on Amazon.nl

'Mrs van Gogh' the Bestseller

Amazon Monthly Deal for February 'Mrs Van Gogh' is a mere 99p for the month of February.

The cover for the US and Canadian editions of 'Mrs Van Gogh'

A launch selfie Sold out of books Interviewed by the wonderful Caroline Corcoran

The Dutch edition of 'Mrs Van Gogh'.

The cover of the German edition of 'Mrs Van Gogh'.

I'm thrilled to share that I've accepted the role of Senior Lecturer in Prose Writing at Liverpool John Moores University. It's a 0.5 role, so I'll be writing alongside teaching. I'm very much looking forward to meeting all of the new and existing students this semester.

September 1 2022 saw the release of 'The Drowning of Arthur Braxton' on Amazon Prime.com and .co.uk

RLF Vox Vox is a series of bite-size audio recordings in which RLF writers explore topics around writing. In this episode Caroline Smailes offers a letter to her readers.To listen to the VOX here Date: 26-08-2022 Length: O3:06

Film poster London-based sales outfit 7&7 Producer’s Sales Service has set The Drowning of Arthur Braxton, the debut feature from popular YouTube star Luke Cutforth, for international release next month in the UK, Australia, and Scandinavia via international content distributor Rights Booster Ltd.The film, which picked up the award for Best UK Feature at the 2021 Raindance Film Festival, will also be released in North America via Kaczmarek Digital Media Group. Based...

Mrs Van Gogh - Cover Reveal Alongside the UK edition, MRS VAN GOGH will be translated into German (HarperCollins Germany), Dutch (HarperCollins Holland) and Italian (Mondadori). There will also be a German audio edition.

RLF Vox Vox is a series of bite-size audio recordings in which RLF writers explore topics around writing. In this episode Caroline Smailes discusses the writer and adapting to changes in technology:‘A reader might be in the mood for happily ever after. I might be in the mood for a killing spree. Technology allowed me to write both, and others. And, as a result, it allowed a different reading experience, eleven times.’To listen to the VOX click here. Date: 22-07-2022 Le...

Dr Caroline Cauchi Smailes  

Victoria Baths, Manchester Writers Aloud is an audio series featuring and presented by RLF writers. In this episode:Caroline Smailes takes us for a soak at the Victoria Baths in Manchester, a self-proclaimed Water Palace of the Victorian era.Mark Illis explores Blackheath in south-east London, and the layers of memory that cluster there. Clare Fisher wanders the many ginnels, alleys, nooks and crannies of Leeds, and examines their role in inspiring her writing.To listen...

Holding cover: Mrs van Gogh She's been painted out of history... until now. In 1890, Vincent Van Gogh dies penniless, unknown, a man tortured by his own mind. Eleven years later his work is exhibited in Paris and his unparalleled talent finally recognised. The tireless efforts of one woman gave the world one of its greatest creative minds. But twenty-eight year old Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent’s sister-in-law and the keeper of his immense collection of paintings, sk...

Johanna van Gogh-Bonger One More Chapter has acquired a “compelling and poignant” historical novel about Vincent van Gogh’s sister-in-law by Liverpool author Caroline Cauchi.  Charlotte Ledger, publishing director, bought world all language rights for Mrs van Gogh directly from the author.   The synopsis says: “In 1890, Vincent van Gogh died penniless and unknown, a man tortured by his own mind. Eleven years later his work is exhibited in Paris and his unparalleled tale...

Best UK Feature 2021

When an awkward, heavily bullied schoolboy from a dysfunctional home discovers a beautiful water nymph hiding in an abandoned Edwardian bathhouse, he must confront his own personal demons in order to save them both from the depraved custodian who keeps the enchanted waters alive with the ritual sacrifice of children. Review: Where do you go when home and school are equally hellish? This is the problem facing young Arthur Braxton. In his house is a depressed, dependent dad who requires th...

Arthur and Delphina Laurel Arthur Braxton Senior Arthur, Tommy and Cliff Arthur Braxton Arthur and Delphina

Best UK Film Feature Still to be released and already ‘The Drowning of Arthur Braxton’ has been nominated for Best UK Feature at Raindance. There are only 3 nominations in the category.   Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK, holding its 29th festival this year. It is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the British Independent Film Awards, ...

Based on a novel by Caroline Smailes

Blog Tour ‘Not only is it a beautiful read in itself, the issues contained within resonated in many ways & possibly helped me better approach an inevitably tough Christmas ahead. Thank you for sharing. Its depth, heart & humour make it a must read novel, a festive message worth sharing’  Johnny Vegas  ‘I’m just so in love with Caroline Smailes’ writing. I laughed, I cried, I’m in the festive spirit and I definitely believe in St Nick’ Carrie Hope Fletcher‘From s...

Christmas Dinner Most people roll their eyes when I say that I have a 5ft Christmas tree in my office all year around and many are vocal against my Christmas countdown that starts on September 1. The thing that they don’t realise is that my early excitement is never about receiving presents, striving for festive perfection or battling crowds of list-ticking shoppers. It’s actually a nod to a time when I dreaded Christmas. There was a time when I believed I’d never feel ...

The Unwrapping of Theodora Quirke Blog Tour Dates

For every copy of ‘The Unwrapping of Theodora Quirke’ purchased from the RedDoor Bookshop,  £1 will be donated to  Radio City Cash for Kids' ‘Mission Christmas’.You can buy a signed/dedicated copy with an exclusive badge for £9.99.Or, Blackwells Manchester have signed copies that you can order by phone on 0161 274 3331 or via email Manchester@Blackwells.co.uk Or, from Waterstones.Or, from WHSmiths.Or, there's the Kindle edition, which is available from Amazon.

Zoom Launch of 'the Unwrapping of Theodora Quirke' I'm thrilled that I'll be in conversation with YouTube sensation, the director of  'The Drowning of Arthur Braxton' film and one of my favourite people, Luke Cutforth. It'll be a Zoom launch with a limited number of tickets available. What I'd quite like is for people to pour themselves a drink, put on a Christmas jumper and to settle down for an evening of festive chat. We'll be talking about Theo, St Nick and, without...

£1 from every order from the RedDoor Bookshop will go to the appeal A couple of weeks ago, my publisher told me that for every copy of ‘The Unwrapping of Theodora Quirke’ purchased from the RedDoor Bookshop, they would donate £1 to my chosen charity.Given the novel’s subject matter and given its focus on St Nick and the true meaning of Christmas, my decision was easy. I had to support ‘Mission Christmas’.For many families Christmas is simply a luxury they can’t afford. ...

Turkey, 28th September 1995 I’d spent that summer in Berlin, living rent-free in a flat that was soon to be demolished. By September I was hitchhiking around Turkey, keen to squeeze every second out of the summer. The day before I was travelling back to Liverpool, I (unexpectedly) found myself at The Church of Saint Nicholas in Myra (became the small Turkish town of Kale/Demre).  The church was said to be built on the foundations of the older Christian church where Sain...

  Out 15 October, 2020.  A CHRISTMAS CAROL  MEETS STRANGER THINGS  IN THIS FUNNY, SWEARY AND MOVING FESTIVE STORY.  Transworld author Caroline Smailes will publish her long-awaited Christmas novel with RedDoor Press in October 2020. The move reunites Smailes with RedDoor publisher Clare Christian who published Smailes’ critically-acclaimed debut In Search of Adam in 2007.  Already described as ‘funny and touching and utterly brilliant’ by Rachael Lucas and ‘a remarkable...

Smurf (number 1) and Smurf (number 25) Twitter was alive with the sound of northern authors yesterday. A day for us. Voices heard and permission given for a bit of self-promotion and - this feels odd when written down - to be northern. An agent once told me that The Drowning Arthur Braxton was too northern. She said that if I wanted it to be a 'success', then I needed to make it more ‘neutral’. And by that, she outlined:  Remove all accent.  Reconsider working class as...

Caroline Smailes (18) in France You’re living in France. In Canet. Have been for three months already. Arrived with a year’s supply of pasta, just in case the village shop didn’t sell it. You bought those wooden dinosaur earrings from a Moroccan man on the beach and they say more about your personality than you realise. Some days you think you might study French at university, might even move to Liverpool, but there’s an equal chance that you’ll stay in France forever....

Caroline Smailes (3) in Malta 'But why do you write?' she asked.‘To be heard,’ I said. 'September 2016. That was the first time I ever felt heard.' What I didn’t add was that my desire to be heard isn’t some egotistical need for attention. The opposite really, since when I'm ‘heard’ I’m shining a spotlight on the voices that are overlooked or ignored. And it's entirely relevant that most of my protagonists are teenagers. Because the experience of being ‘young’ varies so...