Abigail Dean took time away from her job as a lawyer to writer her debut novel, Girl A; it became an instant Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller. Her second novel, Day One, is a tender, heartbreaking novel about community, tragedy, and the lasting power of love.

We’re delighted to be welcoming Abigail to Penarth in person this Spring (following a fantastic Zoom event during lockdown in January 2021), to talk about her gripping new book, Day One. Abigail will be interviewed by fellow author Carole Hailey, whose debut novel The Silence Project we launched in 2023.

Marty told the reporters that she saw it happen. She saw the gunman enter the hall. She saw her mother die trying to protect them all. That’s the version of Day One Marty wishes was true. But strange inconsistencies in her story begin to surface. Details that don’t add up. Questions she can’t answer. The story ignites. Amidst the media frenzy, conspiracy theorists become obsessed with exposing what really happened. 

And at the epicentre of it all is a small community changed forever. Survivors crushed by guilt. Families torn in half. Outsiders consumed by the hunt for truth. Each has their own version of Day One. Each must grapple with this tragedy, even as fanatics question whether it ever really happened at all. But what did Marty really see? And why would she lie? As events spiral out of control, the true story is revealed, piece by shocking piece.

Day One is an unflinching and heart-breaking exploration of our obsession with tragedy and what it really means to live it.