Catriona Ward on Nowhere Burning: Childhood, Horror, Grief and the Truth About Dark Fiction

n this powerful and deeply honest episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa is joined by award-winning author Catriona Ward to discuss her haunting new novel Nowhere Burning.

This conversation goes far beyond the book. Catriona opens up about writing through profound personal grief, why she cries while writing, and how love — especially between siblings — can become both a source of salvation and destruction. Together, they explore childhood trauma, abandoned places, hostile landscapes, and the unsettling idea that some environments remember what happened there.

They also dive into:

• The origins of Nowhere Burning and its unsettling setting
• Why Catriona prefers the word reveal over plot twist
• Horror, literary fiction, and why genre labels often miss the point
• The worst writing advice Catriona has ever received
• Creative writing courses, resilience, and finding your voice
• Why “dark” fiction makes people uncomfortable — and why that matters
• Books Catriona is reading and recommending right now
• Biscuits, dunking rules, and the surprising truth about stroopwafels

Alongside the interview, Philippa also reviews:

• The Favorites by Layne Fargo
• Body of Lies by Jo Callaghan — the gripping finale to the AI crime series

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