
Pre-order The Boughs Withered
You can now pre-order my collection, The Boughs Withered (When I Told Them My Dreams), from NewCon Press. Here’s the blurb:
The Boughs Withered is the debut collection from accomplished Irish author Maura McHugh. It includes twenty tales – four of them original to the volume – which represent the best strange visions from an award-winning writer of fiction, non-fiction, comic books and plays. Among the featured stories is ‘Bone Mother’, which was adapted into the award-winning stop-motion animated short film by See Creature in Canada.
In her horror and dark fantasy stories, Maura McHugh explores her love of the uncanny, delves into the eerie past, and evokes weird landscapes that might just co-exist with our own.
‘Maura McHugh’s gloriously twisted, tale-spinning imagination entwines and embraces the reader like dark ivy.’ – Ian R. MacLeod
“Maura McHugh’s stories are hugely enjoyable. Her insight and compassion, combined with a fresh, engaging voice, make her monsters, marvels and myths stand out in a crowded field.” – Lisa Tuttle
This will be available as a paperback and a numbered limited edition hardback signed by me.
Prices are:
- £12.99 (paperback)
- £24.99 (signed, limited edition Hardback)
The Table of Contents:
- Introduction by Kim Newman
- Vic
- Who Hears Our Cries in Forgotten Tongues?
- The Boughs Withered When I Told Them My Dreams *
- The Light at the Centre
- A Rebellious House
- Beautiful Calamity
- Home
- Moments on the Cliff
- The Gift of the Sea *
- Suspension *
- The Tamga
- Spooky Girl
- The Hanging Tree
- The Diet
- Involuntary Muscle
- Family
- Wake the Dead *
- Y
- Bone Mother
- Water
- Author’s Afterword
The stories marked with an * are the new for this collection.
Many thanks to Ian and Lisa for endorsing my writing!
The cover art is by Daniele Serra. I decided to buy the original watercolour artwork from Daniele, and it arrived from Italy yesterday! I’ll be framing it soon.

