Stephan Collishaw is the author of Amber (2004) and The Last Girl (2003), both published by Sceptre in the UK.
The Last Girl was chosen by the Independent on Sunday as one of its novels of 2003. In addition, Stephan was selected as one of the British Council’s 20 best young British novelists in January 2004.
Stephan received an MA in creative writing, and was awarded a bursary from East Midlands Arts. He has lived and worked extensively abroad, including Lithuania and Spain. Stephan is married with three children, and lives in Nottingham, England.
Lithuania, present-day. Antanas and Vassily are two old Army friends, who fought together for the Russians in Afghanistan during the 1980's. But now Vassily is dying of cancer, and ghosts have emerged from the past, seeking a priceless amber bracelet: a piece of jewellery with an ominous history, which links the characters and their time in Afghanistan, and finally reveals a terrible secret history of that war.
In addition to being an exciting literary thriller, Amber is a powerful story of love, friendship and war, written in clear, telegraphic and always deeply moving prose.
Read an excerpt from Amber
UK - Sceptre (publication Summer 2004; paperback April 2005)
Serbian - Dereta.com (publication 2005)
The Last Girl
A chance encounter in the modern-day Lithuanian capital Vilnius brings a 50-year old secret back from the grave. This first novel masterfully encompasses the tragic modern history of Lithuania, which forms the background for a heartbreaking story of love, survival and redemption.
“Immediately impressive… The city – tenderly drawn – feels tense, vivid, effortlessly real…successfully encompasses passion, morality, history and art." Julie Myerson, Guardian
UK - Sceptre (publication Spring 2003)
US - St Martin's Press (publication Summer 2003)
French - Editions Rivages (publication 2004)
Lithuanian - Versus Aureus (publication January 2005)
