English author Charlie Gutsell’s Atlas trilogy, starting with Assault on Black Zone, is a crime thriller set in a futuristic, dystopian London where law and order are no longer in the hands of local police. Instead, the city—and the entire world—are ruled by a powerful authority headquartered on the moon. The story follows twin brothers Tyson and Jason Atlas, disillusioned officers faced with the obsolescence of their roles and the rising tyranny from above. Their paths collide with one of the most compelling villains in recent fiction: Hugo Ares—a notorious drug trafficker and criminal mastermind, now imprisoned for life in the moon’s notorious Black Zone Insane Asylum. What sparked the idea for Atlas? Being a lover of all things sci-fi, it seemed natural for me to write a story set amongst the stars. Stories such as Star Wars proved to be a great inspiration. Dealing with protagonists who face seemingly insurmountable odds—meaning that not only will they be put under great physical pressure, but emotional as well—offers them the chance to grow throughout their journey and become more relatable for the reader. It’s these action-packed stories that I love the most and wanted to share with readers. Tell us about your research and writing process for Atlas. There wasn’t too much research involved with this story. The main sources of research came from getting my astronomical facts right when discussing the planets and the natural events that occur within them. One aspect I take very seriously with the story is the concept of family. Having a younger brother myself, the dynamic between the two brothers in Atlas somewhat mirrors the relationship I have with my own brother, and this is greatly reflected within the story, especially during some of their lighter moments. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer. Not being the most academic person, in truth, my love for writing came from when I was completing my English A-level at college and then my English undergraduate degree at the University of Brighton. For me, writing academically ensures one stays with the source material, both understanding it, and having the bravery to challenge it. Having completed my undergraduate dissertation on the language of salesmen, this gave me the freedom to put my own creative spin on some of their colloquial and sometimes crude language. When free writing, my favourite aspect is the chance to treat the paper as a blank canvas where I can put whatever weird and wonderful ideas pop into my head. I also think creative writing allows you to get lost in your work, letting you escape what may have been a rather dull day, and turn it into an action-packed thrill ride. This aspect of escapism is really what caused me to fall in love with writing. What writers are you influenced by, and how are those influences reflected in your novel? My main inspiration comes from the work of Dan Brown. For me, learning about some of the historical discoveries Robert Langdon makes in the books is as fascinating as the capers he gets himself into. I greatly admire both the attention to detail Brown shows when discussing his historical destinations, and the sense of intensity throughout the story. I am also a big film fan. Films such as Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan inspired me to write stories where I could place my own unique set of characters into an already chaotic world filled with action. What do you hope readers take away from reading your debut? I simply hope that readers take away the same feeling from reading the book as I did when writing it: allowing themselves the chance to briefly escape everyday life, to delve into worlds beyond their wildest dreams, and to be captivated by a great story with larger-than-life characters. What are you currently reading, and what books are you recommending to your friends? Apart from repeatedly reading my own work back for spelling mistakes, I continue to enjoy the work of Dan Brown, but also more autobiographical works from some of my favourite football players and coaches. What’s next for you? Any preview you can give readers? I’m currently almost finished with Atlas Part II, and aim to begin the third and final instalment in the summer of this year. Enjoying the work more and more with each passing page, I hope the readers enjoy the thrilling climax to the trilogy as much as I do. Atlas: Assault on Black Zone is set for publication in autumn 2025 by Foreshore Publishing. —
Foreshore has acquired world rights to a book from acclaimed writer Petra F. Bagnardi. It will be published by the Foreshore imprint RiverRun next Spring. The book was acquired by Phil M. Shirley, publisher-in-chief. “Petra F. Bagnardi is among the most exciting and interesting writers today and we are thrilled to be publishing her book,” said Shirley. “This book is coming out at the perfect time and will be one of the most read and talked about books of 2026.” Teach me how to fly is a multicultural contemporary novel set in the fictitious small Italian town, Orvello. The story centres around a teacher’s move from the bustling New York to the quiet town of Orvello. A splintered community and a challenging class are just the start of his problems. Blending New York and Italy, this story is for the enjoyers of ‘Stoner’ (John Edward Williams) and ‘Dead Poets Society’ (N.H. Kleinbaum). Petra F. Bagnardi is a writer, screenwriter, and poet. Her writing has received awards and notable mentions: The Literary Classics Seal of Approval; Library Journal Self-e Selection; The Royal Dragonfly Book Award, and more. Her poetry has been published by various literary journals and magazines including, Masque & Spectacle Literary Journal, Punk Noir Magazine, Poetica Review, Drawn to the Light Press, and more. Petra was short-listed in the Enfield Poets’ 20th Anniversary Poetry Competition and won second place in the Wax Poetry and Art Magazine’s Poetry Contest. She has also worked for the Italian TV network, RAI.
“I love Liverpool, and I love being a scouser”: writer Rachel Fegan discusses ’90s nostalgia, balancing family life and writing, and the birth of her debut novel, The Wonder Bra Years. Interview by Phil M. Shirley Growing up in the 70s and 80s with dreams of becoming a writer—a passion ignited at just 10 years old—I was fortunate to indulge in some of the finest British TV writing. Legends like Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Eric Chappell, and Carla Lane crafted classics like Porridge, Rising Damp, The Liver Birds, and Butterflies that shaped my early aspirations. Years later, while working as a sportswriter for the Liverpool Echo, I had the surreal experience of meeting Carla Lane, the brilliant mind behind two of those unforgettable shows – The Liver Birds, and Butterflies. Starstruck and unnervingly tongue-tied, I cherished every moment in the light of her literary presence. Carla Lane is one of only a few writers capable of trading in lacerating irony so effortlessly. I had two scripts – a few episodes of The Liver Birds and the “pilot’ for Butterflies (Lane’s masterpiece – a psychological drama that sneaked under the radar, onto prime-time TV, in the guise of a comedy) – that I studied religiously. I can’t remember where I got them from. Those were the days before the internet, so God knows how. But reading them made me understand and appreciate one of the greatest gifts a writer can have – the gift of identifying the great humour and pathos that exist in even the most seemingly ordinary life and presenting it on the page like it’s some kind of soul nectar one can absorb, through the mind and heart and skin. And then, a couple of years ago, I received an unsolicited manuscript titled The Wonder Bra Years by an unknown (to me) Liverpool writer, Rachel Fegan. The first paragraph blew me away in the way that Carla Lane’s writing did all those years ago. “Imagine the Liverpudlian equivalent of Narnia, but without a wardrobe! An icy blast from the North, a gap at the front door, and a shiver from the East. I was sitting on the bottom stair, next to the phone table, willing the bloody thing to ring.” For a moment, I could imagine Sandra (played by Nerys Hughes in The Liver Birds) musing over such imagery. Fegan’s words evoke that classic Liver Birds spirit. Why not draw parallels? I once penned in my novel The Rivers That Run Through Us “Life is a full circle; patterns emerge and return anew.” And, for me anyway, there are similarities between Lane and her work and Fegan and hers. The Liver Birds was a good but essentially broad comedy about the misadventures (romantic and otherwise) of two young working-class women at the end of the 1960s and during the 1970s.Fegan’s The Wonder Bra Years, a semi-biographical tale about a teenage girl growing up in Liverpool in the early 90s and the good and bad times, offers the same soul-stirring, raw but brilliant blending of comedy and drama, poignancy and piss-taking. The writing on The Wonder Bra Years is honest and hilarious. It captures so much of 90s culture that even the smallest details of the story are brilliant – an amazing observation of the Liverpool sense of humour. “I love Liverpool, and I love being a scouser,” Fegan expresses. “I’ve heard all the typical jokes about us – what do you call a scouser in a suit? – but I laugh them off. Liverpool’s spirit is incredible, which inspired me to write during the pandemic. I wanted to showcase our amazing city. And yes, the punchline to that joke is ‘The accused.’” Unlike Lane, who began writing as a young mother, Fegan’s literary journey blossomed later in her forties. Both women started from humble beginnings, without connections or traditional backgrounds, yet fearlessly explore the intricacies of their female characters. “I hope readers will connect with Nicky, my main character, and embrace her journey through life’s ups and downs,” Fegan shares. “Nicky celebrates her 18th birthday, her first job, and her initial experiences in nightclubs with a fake ID. Most people will relate to her first love, with all its complexities.” “I cherished the 80s, but the 90s truly ignited my spirit,” Fegan recalls. “It was such a vibrant time in Liverpool, brimming with fashion and music. I vividly remember sneaking into clubs dressed in my mum’s clothes at 16—how I got away with it, I’ll never know!” Fegan’s passion for her city shines through her work. The Wonder Bra Years is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, capturing the simple joys of the 90s before the internet and social media’s prevalence,” she explains. “It’ll spark memories and laughter, taking you back to beloved moments, from Crispy Pancakes to Merrydown Cider.” The book’s first draft took about 18 months, followed by another six months of refining. “The most challenging aspect was researching the 90s to ensure accuracy,” she admits. “As a first-time writer, juggling family life with twin daughters made it even more complex.” With exciting plans for the sequel in The Wonder Bra Years series and a children’s book on the horizon, plus the potential for screen adaptation, Fegan assures us that her stories will evoke a spectrum of emotions—laughter, joy, and nostalgia—as Nicky comes of age during that vibrant decade. BUY THE BOOK Rachel Fegan’s brilliant debut novel about a teenage girl growing up in Liverpool in the early 90s and the good and bad times. Paperback, on sale 16 June 2025. Add to Cart ABOUT THE AUTHOR RACHEL FEGAN, a writer from Liverpool, discovered her passion for storytelling in her late 40s during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wonder Bra Years is her debut novel.
