Laura Fish

Laura Fish (1964–2024) was a British author and academic celebrated for her thought-provoking novels exploring race, identity and social justice themes. Her works include Flight of Black Swans (1995), Strange Music (2008) and her final novel, Lying Perfectly Still (2024), which won the SI Leeds Reader's Choice Award in 2022. She was also longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction for Strange Music.

Born in London to Caribbean parents, Fish studied Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, where she later completed a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing. She began her career in broadcasting, working for the BBC in news, entertainment and documentary, before moving into academia. Over the years, she has taught at several universities, including Newcastle and Northumbria, where she was an assistant professor of English and Creative Writing.

Fish's debut novel, Flight of Black Swans, set in the remote northwest of Australia, explores cultural intersections through the perspective of a young Englishwoman and her interactions with Aboriginal pastoralists.

Her second novel, Strange Music, explores the lives of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's family in 19th-century England and Jamaica, exploring the complexities of colonialism and personal freedom. Reflecting on her narrative focus, Fish said: "I want to give voice to the marginalised and unheard.

Her third and final novel, Lying Perfectly Still, is a gripping story set in Eswatini during the AIDS epidemic of the late 20th century. It follows Koliwe, an Englishwoman working in overseas aid, as she navigates cultural clashes, systemic corruption and personal reckoning. The novel has been praised for its authenticity and depth, with critic Monique Roffey describing it as "ringing with authenticity on every page".

In addition to her literary achievements, Fish was a champion of storytelling to address social injustice. Clare Malcolm, CEO of New Writing North, said: "Laura cared deeply about how art could amplify unheard voices.

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