Lesley Bungay Author
@lesleyjayneb.bsky.social
Writer of novels, short stories, flash fiction and the occasional Haiku. Debut novel, A Year Without a Summer, published 7th May 2026 by barnardpublishing.co.uk Rep’d by Intersaga.co.uk https://linktr.ee/lesleyjayneb
How do you “Kill your darlings”? Some are easy, some not. But a novel needs tough love. This latest series is all about those scenes that don’t make the Final Cut and I’ll be sharing some parts of my debut novel – A Year Without a Summer, that ended up on the cutting room floor and explain why.
It has been a pleasure to interview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social for @womenwritersnet.bsky.social. If you missed our conversation about her debut novel and her path to publication, you can catch up with it on our Bluesky feed, any time! #booksky #WritingCommunity
Women Writers Network@womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 4d agoThank you, Lesley, for chatting with us, and thank you to all who took part in tonight’s #AuthorInterview. To find out about future events, make sure to follow us on Bluesky and the hashtag #WomenWritersNet. @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky
Q6. Where can we find out more about you and your writing? #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky
Q5. Can you tell us how the cover came about? #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky
Q4. Your novel is set over a dual time period: 1816 and 2009. What were the attractions and challenges of this structure? #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky
Ah, yes! Absolutely: tools, rather than rules. Here’s a link to @emmadarwinwriter.bsky.social's “This Itch of Writing”, for those who might not know of it: emmadarwin.substack.com
This Itch of Writing with Emma Darwin | Substack
All about fiction and creative non-fiction: writing it, reading it, teaching it and occasionally hating it. Click to read This Itch of Writing with Emma Darwin, a Substack publication with thousands o...
emmadarwin.substack.com
Q2 Without giving too much away, can you tell us a little about A Year Without A Summer? #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky
Q1 Welcome, Lesley. To get things started, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing career to date? #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky
Put your contributions in the same threads as the questions. Use our hashtag #WomenWritersNet in your responses to make sure we see your posts. #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky
We’ll ask Lesley some questions about A Year Without A Summer, and she’ll answer below. Please feel free to join in the conversation. Remember to regularly refresh the page to see the latest posts and replies. #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky
Welcome to our #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview series. Today we are chatting with Lesley Bungay, author of the novel A Year Without A Summer. @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social #booksky
Only half an hour to go until this @womenwritersnet.bsky.social event! Come and join @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social and me as we chat about her debut novel and her path to publication! #booksky #WritingCommunity
A Year Without a Summer – published by Barnard Publishing Ltd, is a story of loss and longing set in a remote manor on the edge of the Sussex Downs a breath away from the sea. Join me tonight at 6pm BST as I chat to @womenwritersnet.bsky.social about my writing and the publication of my debut novel.
So excited 😆
Women Writers Network@womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 5d agoIt's tonight! Join us on #WomenWritersNet at 6 pm BST for our #AuthorInterview. @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social will discuss her dual perspective novel, A Year Without a Summer, and we're so excited to hear all about it. #BookSky #WritingCommunity
Put the date and time in your diary and join me as I chat live about my debut novel and writing journey @womenwritersnet.bsky.social
Valeria Vescina@valeriavescina.bsky.social · 7d agoOnly two days to go until our monthly @womenwritersnet.bsky.social #AuthorInterview! This time it’s with @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social ! Come and join us on Thursday 3 September at 6 pm BST! #booksky
Coming up this Thursday, 6 pm BST on #WomenWritersNet: We interview debut author @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social about her historical dual narrative, A Year Without a Summer. It's a beautiful and moving book, plus Lesley provides great insight into the publishing process. #BookSky #WritingCommunity
Come and join us on the @womenwritersnet.bsky.social Bluesky channel this coming Thursday, 3 September. I’ll be interviewing @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social about her debut novel, A Year Without A Summer. #authorinterview #womenwriters
This Thursday, from 6pm BST, join us on #WomenWritersNet to hear @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social discuss her debut novel, A Year Without a Summer. Lesley has a great Substack about her stories and her publishing journey, so I'm looking forward to her thoughts. #BookSky #WritingCommunity
Join us on Thursday, 3 September 2026 at 6pm BST when we'll host a #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview with @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social. We'll discuss Lesley's #DebutNovel, A Year Without Summer. Do join us! #HistoricalFiction
Looking forward to chatting to #WomenWritersNet about my writing and #debutnovel Do come along and join in #writingcommunity
Women Writers Network@womenwritersnet.bsky.social · 2w agoJoin us on Thursday, 3 September 2026 at 6pm BST when we'll host a #WomenWritersNet #AuthorInterview with @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social. We'll discuss Lesley's #DebutNovel, A Year Without Summer. Do join us! #HistoricalFiction
Save the date: our next @womenwritersnet.bsky.social #AuthorInterview is on Thursday, 3 September, when I'll be interviewing @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social about her debut novel, "A Year Without A Summer". Come along, and feel free to pose your own questions! #booksky
Thank you, Lesley. I too am hugely looking forward to learning more about you and your novel, A Year Without A Summer!
I’m looking forward to chatting with @valeriavescina.bsky.social next month as part of #womenwritersnet #authorinterview If you missed this month’s interview with Valeria herself (as I did, sadly) you can catch up here
Valeria Vescina@valeriavescina.bsky.social · 4w agoThank you @womenwritersnet.bsky.social and @drhelenmtaylor.bsky.social for my #womenwritersnet #AuthorInterview last week! Thanks also to all who attended! Here's a transcript of our conversation, if you couldn't make it but are curious about the book! #Puglia valeriavescina.com/2026/08/10/w...
Find out how I’m embracing my inner fire horse this year in my latest article on Substack #debutauthor #firehorse #Ayearwithoutasummer #heritagecollective open.substack.com/pub/lesleyja...
My Fire Horse Year
Why I’m embracing every moment
open.substack.com
We’re looking forward to our own #WomenWritersNet interview with you in September, @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social!
Lesley Bungay Author@lesleyjayneb.bsky.social · last mo.Last week I recorded an interview with the wonderful Anna Burtt for the Brighton Bookclub Podcast, talking about my debut novel A Year Without A Summer and the inspiration for setting it in and around Brighton. It aired on Saturday and you can listen here: www.radioreverb.com/show/brighto...
Last week I recorded an interview with the wonderful Anna Burtt for the Brighton Bookclub Podcast, talking about my debut novel A Year Without A Summer and the inspiration for setting it in and around Brighton. It aired on Saturday and you can listen here: www.radioreverb.com/show/brighto...
Brighton Book Club on RadioReverb
Anna Burtt interviews emerging authors and independent publishers, gets recommendations from local booksellers, and shares the best events in the city.
radioreverb.com
Thank you Hungerford Bookshop for an amazing evening 🙏📚😍 Signed copies of A Year Without a Summer are available in store 📚✍️
My latest article On Books and Reading is available to read over on Substack (link in Bio). See what my five star reads are from Jan-Jun this year, what I’m currently reading, and latest news on my own book - A Year Without a Summer 📚☺️ lesleyjayneb.substack.com/p/on-books-a...
On books and reading
Book reviews and news
lesleyjayneb.substack.com
Thank you 😊@crankedanvil.bsky.social
Cranked Anvil *OPEN for submissions*@crankedanvil.bsky.social · 3mo agoWhat about this one from @lesleyjayneb.bsky.social? Lesley has a few micros on our website, and appeared in our #flashfiction shortlists a few times. This story of hers on #nffd2026 #flashflood is beautiful. #amwriting #amreading flashfloodjournal.blogspot.com/2026/06/alwa...
