Books by Jane Harris

When Words are Not Enough explores the many ways that bereaved families find to express their loss. The authors' son was killed in a traffic accident in 2011. Ten years on they reflect on their journey and how they have used their creativity to survive their grief and create a new relationship with their son Josh. The charity they created, The Good Grief Project, is based on ideas that flow from the concept of 'continuing bonds', of not wanting to cut off from the deceased, but of building a new kind of relationship with the deceased. Their mission is to support families grieving after the untimely death of a loved one, particularly the death of a child. And to promote an understanding of what it means to grieve in a society that often has difficulty talking openly about death, dying and bereavement. Grieving is hard work - it is tough, emotional and very challenging work. It is full of contradictions - we are trying to forget the pain and remember our loved one at the same time. But while it can be a very lonely experience, grief can also be a wonderful educator with new discoveries to be had. 'When Words Are Not Enough is our attempt to bridge the divide between the silence that surrounds grief and the lived experience of the bereaved.' Jane Harris 'Over time we have come to realise that our grief has been a series of creative acts.' Jimmy Edmonds Beautifully illustrated, the book explores their own responses to Josh's death along with contributions from 14 others who have also found solace from doing and creating new things following the death of a loved one.

The stunning return from the Orange Prize shortlisted author of The Observations and Gillespie and I'A vivid, perfectly paced tale of slavery and freedom, innocence and experience, love and despair, Sugar Money is told in an unforgettably beautiful language.

As she sits in her Bloomsbury home, with her two birds for company, elderly Harriet Baxter sets out to relate the story of her acquaintance, nearly four decades previously, with Ned Gillespie, a talented artist who never achieved the fame she maintains he deserved.Back in 1888, the young, art-loving, Harriet arrives in Glasgow at the time of the International Exhibition. After a chance encounter she befriends the Gillespie family and soon becomes a fixture in all of their lives. But when tragedy strikes - leading to a notorious criminal trial - the promise and certainties of this world all too rapidly disorientate into mystery and deception.Featuring a memorable cast of characters, infused with atmosphere and period detail, and shot through with wicked humour, Gillespie and I is a tour de force from one of the emerging names of British fiction.

'Vastly original. Bessy is surely one of the most striking characters in recent fiction: cynical, disruptive, tender and very, very funny.' Independent on SundayShortlisted for the Orange PrizeScotland, 1863. In an attempt to escape her past, Bessy Buckley takes a job working as a maid in a big country house. But when Arabella, her beautiful mistress, asks her to undertake a series of bizarre tasks, Bessy begins to realise that she hasn't quite landed on her feet. In one of the most acclaimed debuts of recent years, Jane Harris has created a heroine who will make you laugh and cry as she narrates this unforgettable story about secrets and suspicions and the redemptive power of love and friendship.