Famished
Anna Vaught

‘By turns stomach-churning, tantalising and opulent – these stories confirm Vaught’s baroque talents.’
– Heidi James, author of The Sound Mirror

'Gloriously bold writing... a moreish collection that begs to be devoured in one sitting.'
– Lucie McKnight Hardy, author of Water Shall Refuse Them

In this dark and toothsome collection, Anna Vaught enters a strange world of apocryphal feasts and disturbing banquets. Famished explores the perils of selfish sensuality and trifle while child rearing, phantom sweetshop owners, the revolting use of sherbet in occult rituals, homicide by seaside rock, and the perversion of Thai Tapas. Once, that is, you’ve been bled dry from fluted cups by pretty incorporeals and learned about consuming pride in the hungriest of stately homes. Famished: seventeen stories to whet your appetite and ruin your dinner.

About the Author

Anna Vaught is a novelist, poet, essayist, reviewer, and editor. She is also a secondary English teacher, tutor and mentor to young people, mental health campaigner and advocate, volunteer and mum to a large brood. She is the author of numerous books, including the novel Saving Lucia (Bluemoose). Her work has appeared in Best British Horror, Litro, The Shadow Booth, Review 31 and many more.
You can find her on Twitter @bookwormvaught and a www.annavaughtwrites.com.

Praise for Famished

‘It's clear Anna Vaught has an appetite for words that glint with an “unusual patina”… There's a relish for language in these eerie, moreish little tales.’
– Daily Mail

‘With its literary references, cultural depth and diverse characterisation, will, despite its mere one hundred-odd pages, leave you satisfyingly full.’
– Lunate Fiction

‘Famished is a slender book, but – fittingly – it makes a rich meal… It’s a unique, amply layered confection.’
– Sublime Horror

‘The influence of Angela Carter looms large, in the mixture of the sacred and the profane... Famished serves up a rich and highly seasoned smorgasbord of foodie treats and terrors, with something to suit every palate.’
– The Short Story

‘Anna Vaught’s richly vivid and descriptive prose will leave you feeling both hungry and slightly nauseated all at once… I will return to this gem of a collection again and again. I cannot recommend it enough.’
– Bookish Chat

‘She has an incredible skill for being able to transition from the mundane to the macabre with absolute ease, and each and every one of her stories had an immersive dream-like quality to it which often tipped into the realms of terrifying nightmares.’
– Em’s Shelf Love

‘Each story is a wonderful bite of words, tantalising and just enough to digest the concept and theme. Well-balanced and complete, none left me wanting for more.’
– Indie Bookshops

‘Famished is a collection of glorious fables… ostensibly on the theme of food, but delving into these surreal and often sensuous stories will take you on a voyage into some pretty terrifying depths of the ilk of the darkest of adult fairy tales.’
– Brown Flopsy’s Book Burrow

‘Vaught takes full advantage of the short story’s potential for sharp shocks and gut punches.’
– Elspells

‘A short but truly delicious section await the hungry reader.’
– Run Along the Shelves

‘Delicious like the bitterest chocolate, perfect in the single bite, lingering yet pulling you in.’
– Owl Be Sat Reading

Paperback ISBN: 9781910312490

Ebook ISBN: 9781910312506

Publication date: 10 September 2020

Formats: Paperback / eBook