Scottish writer Karen Campbell is the author of eight novels. Her latest book Paper Cup is published by Canongate. Previous novels include The Sound of the Hours, Rise and This Is Where I Am, all Bloomsbury, and The Twilight Time, After the Fire, Shadowplay and Proof of Life, all Hodder. A graduate of Glasgow University’s Creative Writing Masters, Karen also teaches creative writing.

Paper Cup

What if going back meant you could begin again?

Rocked by a terrible accident, homeless Kelly needs to escape the streets of Glasgow. A rare moment of kindness and a lost ring conspire to call her home. As Kelly vows to reunite the ring with its owner, she must return to the small town she fled so many years ago.

On her journey down to the south-west tip of Scotland, Kelly encounters ancient pilgrim routes, hostile humans, hippies, book lovers and a friendly dog, as memories stir and the people she thought she’d left behind forever, move closer with every step.

Full of compassion and hope, Paper Cup is a novel about how easy it can be to fall through the cracks – and how the simplest things can offer hope.