From a Streatham synagogue to Victoria Park, literary rising stars Gemma Reeves & Gemma Seltzer join Ayisha Malik.

London’s oldest literary festival welcomes two of the most exciting new voices in fiction, discussing their stories from across the city and their writing journeys with This Green & Pleasant Land bestseller Ayisha Malik.

Victoria Park, the debut novel from teacher Gemma Reeves, explores the lives of a dozen East End residents, with retired Jewish couple Wolfie & Mona at the centre.

Ways of Living, the first short story collection from writer and performer Gemma Seltzer, takes us from a synagogue in Streatham to a hotel in Kings Cross, via Brick Lane and Beigel Bake. A chance to hear from two literary rising stars.

Gemma Seltzer is a London-based writer. Her work includes the Guardian’s award-winning virtual reality film Songbird, fictional blog 5am London and online flash fiction series Speak to Strangers, subsequently published by Penned in the Margins. She collaborates with dancers, photographers and older adults to create writing and storytelling projects. Gemma has written for BBC Radio 3, performed her work at the Venice Biennale and runs Write & Shine, a programme of early morning writing workshops and online courses.

Gemma Reeves is a writer and teacher who lives and works in London.

Ayisha Malik was born and raised South Londoner, a lover of books, and writer of contemporary fiction. A former publicist at Penguin Random House, turned managing editor at Cornerstones Literary Consultancy, turned full-time writer. Her debut novel, Sofia Khan is not Obliged, and its sequel, The Other Half of Happiness, (Zaffre), were dubbed as the ‘Muslim Bridget Jones.’ Her latest novel, This Green and Pleasant Land, (Zaffre) is out now. She has contributed to the anthology, A Change is Gonna Come, (Stripes Publishing), and upcoming collection, A Match Made in Heaven, (Hope Road Publishing). Also known for ghost-writing Great British Bake Off winner, Nadiya Hussain’s, adult books.