Bobbie Darbyshire

Bobbie's fifth novel, 'The Third Bus' was published in October 2023. Her earlier novels are: 'The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker','Oz', 'Love, Revenge & Buttered Scones' and 'Truth Games'. She won the 2008 fiction prize at the National Academy of Writing and the New Delta Review Creative Nonfiction Prize 2010. She has worked as barmaid, mushroom picker, film extra, maths coach, cabinet minister's private secretary, care assistant and volunteer adult-literacy teacher, as well as in social research and government policy. Her latest novel is 'The Third Bus': An unappreciated man walks out of his dispiriting 42-year marriage with no destination in mind. Ae Victoria coach station, on the spur of the moment he boards a coach to Norwich. A late-life coming-of-age story, mixing humour and sorrow, hope and regret. Bobbie's four earlier novels are 'The Posthumous Adventures of Harry Whittaker': A world-famous superstar actor – think Laurence Olivier crossed with Jack Nicholson – dies, but to his astonishment finds he’s still here among us. He’s able to watch the effect of his mean-spirited will on those left behind, including his son (cycling along on the cover) and even his cat. If your spirits are in need of a lift, it’s a real feel-good book that will keep you hooked. 'OZ': Mark Jonnson's life is a mess. He fears his marriage is over, but can't bear to leave his boisterous 7-year-old daughter, Matilda. Just when he thinks things can't get worse, his mother is killed in a road accident. Shocked and grieving, he decamps to her house, where he uncovers a secret that turns his life upside-down and sends him and his daughter on a whirlwind search for the truth. Sarah Rayner, author of 'One Moment, One Morning', says of 'Oz', "What a delight to find a novel that's both a page-turner and a nuanced exploration of characters. The tensions and subtleties of relationships of marriage and parenting across the decades are explored with delicacy, yet the storytelling never falters, as a constantly evolving plot keeps you hooked until the last page." 'Love, Revenge & Buttered Scones': Long-listed for the 2011 International Rubery Book Award. In this comedy of errors, three troubled people dash off to the Scottish Highlands, where their destinies are mysteriously entwined around a reading group in the Inverness public library. Twists & surprises, very funny with also some dark, serious threads, it keeps you guessing throughout. 'Truth Games': In 1970s London, the blazing summers of 75 & 76, a group of friends get out of their depth in infidelity. Thought-provoking, amusing & sexy, a book about how we hurt each other with lies and with truths. Find Bobbie on Facebook or follow her @bobbiedar