Dreena Collins (aka Jane Harvey) is a local author whose debut novel –The Landlord of Hummingbird House – won the Eyelands International Award for the published novel of 2021. This summer, she returns with book two in the series, continuing to explore the tenants’ lives.Her first novel explored unlikely friendships and misleading first impressions through multiple points of view. Book two – Buttercups in The Basement – delves into the backstory of the most mysterious resident of all, 82-year-old Betty. Alternating between 1967 and the present day, we discover how this unusual house became a home, and unearth a few of Betty’s own skeletons.
Dreena Collins writes contemporary fiction as Jane Harvey, carefully straddling the line between light-reading and sensitive, gritty issues. Her style is described as: “cosy and warm while addressing real discomforts, regrets, and traumas” (Independent Book Review.) She also writes literary short fiction under her birth name, published in multiple anthologies and within her own collections. She has been listed and placed in numerous writing competitions, including a finalist in SPR Book Awards for her flash fiction collection, Bird Wing.
Dreena will discuss the process of writing a book series, her inspiration, the challenges, and the many upsides for readers – and the author –alike.
