Join us to hear about Sarah's latest novel: friendship, betrayal and RPGs!

We are thrilled to welcome Sarah Maria Griffin back to Blackwell's for STRANGE IS THE LIGHT, a tale of friendship and betrayal and mysterious roleplaying game which opens a rift to another dimension. Sarah will be in conversation with Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me At The Surface.

Doors: 6.30pm, Starts: 6.45pm

Tickets are £5 or £11 with a copy of the book.

About the book:

For Daphne McSharry, Valentia Island was a place of joyful childhood holidays: independence, adventure and playing with her beloved friends, Ronan, Leonie and Finn. They returned to one game of their own making year after year, and let their imaginations roam free.

But when the game is stolen from them by an outsider, it becomes something dark and strange, forcing Daphne to make a choice with a terrible cost. When tragedy brings her back to the island years later, she and her friends finally have to face the consequences of what she did.

Daphne never took her final turn... And there is a debt that must be paid.

About the author:

Sarah Maria Griffin is a writer living in Dublin, Ireland. She is the author of the novels Spare & Found Parts, Other Words For Smoke, which won an Irish Book Award in 2019, and Eat the Ones You Love, which was a Sunday Times Irish Book of the Year in 2025. She writes about video games for The Guardian, and her nonfiction has appeared in The Irish Times, The Winter Papers, and The Stinging Fly, amongst other places. She also makes zines. She was shortlisted for the Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year in 2025. She posts on Instagram as sarahgriffski.

If you cannot make the event but would like a dedicated copy of the book, please email events.manchester@blackwell.co.uk or call us on 0161 274 3331.

Our event format is usually a 45 minute discussion between the author and interviewer, followed by a chance for audience members to ask questions. There will be the opportunity to get your book signed/dedicated after the event. Events are a brilliant opportunity to discover new books, meet authors and likeminded readers and learn something new.

Support your local bookshop and help us keep the Manchester literary scene vibrant and exciting. You can follow us on Eventbrite and social media (@BlackwellsMCR) to keep up to date on upcoming events.

Description supplied by the event organiser.