About the Author

Emma Claire Sweeney has won Arts Council, Royal Literary Fund and Escalator Awards, and has been shortlisted for several others, including the Asham, Wasafiri and Fish.

She teaches creative writing at New York University in London; co-runs SomethingRhymed.com – a website on female literary friendship; and publishes features and pieces on disability for the likes of the Guardian, the Independent on Sunday and The Times.

Owl Song at Dawn is inspired by her sister, who has autism.

Visit Emma at emmaclairesweeney.com or on Twitter @emmacsweeney

Reviews

'Tender and unflinching, a beautifully observed novel about familial love and stoicism in the face of heartbreak.' -- Carys Bray (Costa Prize-shortlisted author of 'A Song for Issy Bradley') 'I found the novel most poignant and tender in its depiction of disability, without a whiff of sentimentality... it crept under my skin and will stay there for a long time.' -- Emma Henderson (Orange Prize-shortlisted author of 'Grace Williams Says it Loud') 'An extraordinary tale of kindness, empathy, love, and secrets... I read it in one sitting!' -- Elizabeth L. Silver (author of 'The Execution of Noa P. Singleton) 'Amazing: fierce, intelligent, compassionate and deeply moving... an important and very beautiful book.' -- Edward Hogan (Desmond Elliot Prize-winning author of 'Blackmoor') 'Funny, heartbreaking and truly remarkable... the most deeply moving novel I have read in a long time.' -- Susan Barker (New York Times best-selling author of 'The Incarnations') 'The writing is suffused from first to last with human warmth, empathic understanding... an important book - for our lives and consciences.' -- Stevie Davies (Booker and Orange Prize-nominated author of 'The Element of Water') 'Remarkable... the story and the powerful nature of its telling raise it... to a place where its readers will find many ways into a world that might otherwise be closed to them... a huge achievement.' -- William Horwood (author of 'Skallagrigg') 'Unmissable. A beautiful, brave and important novel, which joyfully subverts the prejudices and assumptions of our youth-obsessed, disability-phobic society... Fabulously readable and thought-provoking.' -- Sarah Butler (author of 'Ten Things I've Learnt About Love') 'A delight: beautifully observed, deeply felt and utterly compelling. Sweeney writes with great humour, with wisdom, and with devastating empathy.' -- Mary Volumer (author of 'Reliance, Illinois') 'Fresh, poignant and unlike anything else. Written with a deceptively light touch, this is a novel full of charm.' -- Jill Dawson (Whitbread and Orange Prize-shortlisted author of 'Fred & Edie') 'An ambitious and emotional debut worthy of comparison with The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox and Olive Kitteridge in its uncompromising and tender exploration of a life lost to prejudice and restored by love.' -- Antonia Honeywell (author of 'The Ship') 'An original, brave and tender first novel.' -- Maggie Gee (Orange Prize-shortlisted author of 'The White Family') '...there is little mawkish or overtly sentimental about this quirky, moving novel...' -- Claire Allfree The Daily Mail