All the Little Bird-Hearts

A novel both delicate and strong, illuminating the disturbing and the extraordinary to be found in the every day. Sunday is a beguiling and beguiled narrator, and her story an examination of the disjunction between humans’ private and public selves. I loved it – Maggie O’FarrellLloyd Barlow makes her wary, vigilant, poetic voice the star in a mesmerising debut * Guardian *Lloyd-Barlow’s prose sings… a beautiful, bittersweet debut * Daily Telegraph *What a glorious, unforgettable character Vita is. And I loved Sunday’s voice too, so unique, right from the off. It showed me things about autism that will stay with me. A genuinely valuable book, but more importantly I enjoyed being inside its world – Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the BarleyA memorably authentic, at times painfully affecting, portrait of a singular woman navigating life’s challenges and still finding her way to happiness on her own terms * Daily Mail *Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow’s is a distinct and poetic new voice. This novel about the complex desires behind our closest relationships is undercut with the darkness of Sicilian folklore: the fisherman who promises away his child; the lover who is a wolf; a caged magpie; burning fields – Clare Pollard, poet and author of DelphiFunny, lyrical, deft and devastating. Full of longing and love – Amy Sackville, author of Painter to the KingAt once sharply perceptive and lyrically written, All The Little Bird-Hearts is an emotional and though-provoking exploration of autism * CultureFly *Moving, funny and lyrical * iPaper *Expect to be moved * Sainsburys Magazine *Scintillating… a tense and subtly nuanced look at an intense friendship between two women – Elizabeth Morris * Crib Notes *A mesmerising story, impeccably written: I couldn’t put it down – Anstey Harris, author of WHEN I FIRST HELD YOUIf you would like your heart smashed into tiny pieces in the most beautiful way possible, then here you go – Jen Campbell

Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Kent, and has extensive personal, professional, and academic experience relating to autism. Like her protagonist Sunday in ALL THE LITTLE BIRD-HEARTS, Viktoria is autistic. She has presented her doctoral research internationally, most recently speaking at Harvard University on autism and literary narrative. Viktoria lives with her husband and children on the coast of north-east Kent.