On my way to the Lincoln Book Festival. Carriage full of football fans, one just spilled his beer, almost went all over me - and it's not even 9am yet. Pray for me! 🙏🏾 #TheMercyStep #LincolnBookFestival #debutauthor #Debutnovel #adventuresofawriter

The Blackbirds of Saint Giles by Lila Cain comes out in paperback today, grab yourself a riproaring historical read. #TheBlackbirdsofSaintGiles www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-Bl...

The truly fabulous event at Charlton library yesterday as part of the Charlton book festival. Over 50 people turned up and we had a wonderful evening. #TheMercyStep #debutauthor #blackauthors

I'll be at Chorlton library 7pm tonight as part of the wonderful Charlton book festival, still a few tickets left! www.eventbrite.com/cc/chorlton-... #themercystep #chorltonbookfestival #debutauthor

Great night at @housmansbookshop.bsky.social Huge thanks to Mel Pennant for being in conversation with me. I'm so glad that so many old friends were able to join us. #debutauthor #TheMercyStep #booktok

Looking forward to being in conversation with the fabulous Mel Pennant at Housmans Bookshop tomorrow! @housmansbookshop.bsky.social housmans.com/events/

This Thursday (11th Sept) at 7pm I'll be in conversation with Brasenose College's own professor of English, Sos Eltis at Daunts Bookshop in Summertown. It's going to be a good one. Still a few tickets left... dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/events/...

Delighted to be taking part in this year's Black British Book Festival! #bbbf #debutauthor #debutnovelist #TheMercyStep

Well it's been a week since publication day and The Mercy Step book tour is well and truly underway. Next stop The Union mashup in Hull, home of my mentor Russ Litten. Thursday 31st July 7:30pm at The Union Mashup - free entry! #TheMercyStep #booktour #hull #debutauthor

You know that feeling when you go back to your childhood library to read a chapter of your debut novel which is set in the very same place... Utterly surreal #debutnovel #themercystep #blackauthors #litetaryfiction

It's publication day for my debut solo novel, The Mercy Step. Kicking things off is a wonderful interview with Nadine Matheson for 'The Conversation" podcast #TheMercyStep #debutfiction #windrush #blackauthors

Off to a great start! #debutauthor #TheMercyStep #bookstagram

Just 4 days to go before my novel The Mercy Step is published but today you can hear excerpts on the Forthwrite podcast open.spotify.com/episode/4STy... #TheMercyStep #Forthwritepodcast #Debutnovel

Five days to go... #TheMercyStep is out on Tuesday

The audio book (narrated by none other than yours truly) lands on 22nd July. Get yourself in The Mercy Step mood by listening to my Mercy Spotify playlist. rb.gy/xomn39 #TheMercyStep #blackwriters #Debutfiction #northernwriters #audiobooks

I am reliably informed that they are sitting on plumped velvet cushions at the @bradfordlitfest Festival Hub Waterstones Shop ready for signing after the Writing The North Event. www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/event/writin... #BookTour #TheMercyStep #Debutnovel

How I feel after my interview with Nadine mathison for the conversation podcast. Going out on publication dayv22nd July 2025. cassavarepublic.biz/product/the-... #blackbooks #bookstagram #TheMercyStep #Debutauthors

And The Mercy Step book tour is finally on. Hopefully you'll find a stop near you - if not tell me where your local bookshop is and I'll get in touch. Can't wait to see old friends, or meet new ones for the first time.

Look! 👀 👇🏻👇🏽 Many thanks to Angela Cobbinah whose brilliant review /feature on #TheBlackbirdsofStGiles is the lead story in this week’s review section of London’s superb independent newspaper The Camden New Journal @camdennewjournal.bsky.social We’re preening our feathers 🐦‍⬛💚🐦‍⬛ @mhut25.bsky.social

Reminded me of a piece I wrote for the Guardian almost thirty years ago about growing up with a serial killer on the loose. It never really leaves you. 'CouchToNovel' on Substack shorturl.at/hsQlx #yorkshire #yorkshirewriters #debutfiction #reading #fiction

Not long now to get the 99p Kindle daily deal on The Blackbirds of Saint Giles amzn.eu/d/899cfwa #BlackbirdsofSaintGiles #BHM #BlackHistoryMonth

"It also aimed to highlight the disproportionate impact of police killings on black people, and key themes explored included torture, terror, state cover-ups and black resistance." #BHM #PoliceBrutality www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

After making the International Booker Prize longlist earlier in the year, Sligo based, Bullaun Press wins Republic of Consciousness prize for small presses with There’s a Monster Behind the Door by Gaëlle Bélem, transl by Karen Fleetwood & Laëtitia Saint-Louber www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

Thurmond read a phone book while trying to stop the Civil Rights Act. Ted Cruz read Dr. Seuss while trying to stop the ACA. @corybooker.com focused on our Constitution & basic American values. Let’s join him in #goodtrouble however & whenever we can, in all the ways we can, for as long as we can.

Eid Mubarak to all my friends #Eidmubarak

Newsletter drops on 1st April, no joke 🤣 Sign up to the mailing list at www.marciahutchinson.co.uk Short story and a competition! #bookstagram #bhm #blackhistory

Just back from a wonderful event organized by Lindum books in Lincoln. #TheBlackbirdsofSaintGiles @kateagriffin.bsky.social

My Substack in response to today's article in the Guardian about the post-Floyd decline for Black authors. open.substack.com/pub/marciahu...

Behold new leaf! #Monstera

Russlitten.co.uk/books loved 'The Crime Writer'

Great to listen to #IrenosonOkojie's process on writing her new novel #Cuarandera

Finally got my chance to put names to faces and meet my editor Layla Mohamed and Bibi Bakare-Yusuf (centre) of Cassava Republic at the London Book Fair yesterday. The highlight of a great day at the fair. We're all working to make The Mercy Step a massive success. #TheMercyStep pl.

It's like Christmas morning for authors at the a London Book Fair, Great to meet Selina Brown, founder of the Black British Book Festival.

Write? Aged 16-22? Live work or study in the north of England. The Writing Squad is recruiting! Details here! www.writingsquad.com/join-the-squ...

Right up my street!

Happy international women's day from my Zumba crew at Whalley Range Leisure Centre. ♀️♥️♀️♥️♀️♥️

This is great and very very timely.

Turning 55 was the catalyst for me to really focus on my creative writing. After five years of hard slog I finally got a book deal, and then just like waiting for a bus another one turned up. My solo debut The Mercy Step will be out on 22nd July. #TheMercyStep

The Blackbirds of Saint Giles is number one in Black African and Black American historical novels 🎉

Guess who made pick of the month on The Sunday Times historical fiction roundup 👀 #BlackbirdsOfSaintGiles #BlackHistory #HistoricalFiction

Can't believe we made pic of the month for the Sunday Times historical fiction review. 👀 #BlaclkbirdsofSaintGiles

The Blackbirds of St Giles are now flying into a bookshop near you. Happy publication day to Lila Cain (Marcia Hutchinson - me - and Kate Griffin) #BlackbirdsofSaintGiles #HistoricalFiction #PublicationDay #BlackHistory #BHM

Check out my #bookreview for The Blackbirds of St Giles which is released today! It's historical fiction, 18thC, and is a fast-paced & exciting read about a too-often neglected side of history. Lila Cain, is @kateagriffin.bsky.social & @mhut25.bsky.social . www.marthadunlop.com/story-cave/b...

I had a fabulous time at the launch of The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain, aka @kateagriffin.bsky.social & @mhut25.bsky.social. It's a wonderfully fast-paced, exciting historical novel, set in London in the 18thC, & takes us to a part of history that has been sadly neglected. 🧵

It was lovely to catch up with @kateagriffin.bsky.social, @heathercritchlow.bsky.social, @rachelwolfauthor.bsky.social, Jane Dismore, @jamiewestauthor.co.uk, @tinabakerbooks.bsky.social & @ajwestauthor.bsky.social. I also really enjoyed meeting @mhut25.bsky.social & @seanluskauthor.bsky.social. .

Absolutely chuffed to join my friend - the one and only @kateagriffin.bsky.social - for the launch of her new book ‘The Blackbirds of St Giles’, written with @mhut25.bsky.social And over the moon to get a name-check - my first and probably my last! Please buy it: I know it will be great.

Wonderful evening at Hatchards Piccadilly to celebrate the launch of #TheBlackbirdsOfStGiles by #LilaCain aka @kateagriffin.bsky.social @mhut25.bsky.social A surprise guest appearance and reading by @patersonjoseph.bsky.social and a catch up with lots of lovely writing folk

Missed the book launch? Find out more about dynamic writing duo Lila Cain (Marcia Hutchinson and Kate Griffin) on our first podcast. #TheBlackbirdsofSaintGiles open.spotify.com/episode/6RE8...

You'd think that being a writer I'd be able to find the words to express how I feel about being included on the Observer list of best debut novelists for 2025? Well you'd be wrong, I'm totally lost for words - but not for ball gowns! www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j... #TheMercyStep

Burns night with Alistair Jonathan and Richard ❤️