Zachary Cloudesley is remarkable, gifted in many ways even he cannot perceive.

But not all gifts are a blessing.

LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2023
SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH
BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK

"Packed with intrigue, vividly drawn characters and heartstopping emotion, this beautifully written, ingeniously crafted debut is absolutely enthralling" - Sunday Express


"Using lively prose and filled with intriguing characters, this is an enjoyable and imaginative debut." - The Times


"A dashing, magical debut . . . intricately plotted, and peopled with intriguing characters" -  Daily Mail

'Wild, bewitching and propulsive, Sean Lusk's drama of prophetic visions, exotic feats of engineering, transgressive desire and familial love is one of those novels that makes you rejoice that we are a storytelling species. The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley, peopled with vivid characters and sumptuously-imagined scenery is a triumph of the imagination, of language, and of generosity.' - Liz Jensen

About me

Winner of the Manchester Fiction Prize, The Fish Short Story Prize and the Cambridge Short Story Prize. 

I’ve tried many things in my life – my first job was a gardener, working mainly with trees. I learnt the names of many types of tree, and as a result am able to greet a tree politely.

For many years I worked as a civil servant in London, Brussels, Cairo, Islamabad and a few other places besides. It kept me from doing the only thing I seem to have some aptitude for, which is writing stories. I buckled down to learning about the short story in about 2001, and had my first short stories published a year or two after that. Since then I’ve won the Fish Short Story Prize, the Manchester Fiction Prize and come second in the Bridport Prize and the Tom-Gallon Trust prize.

My debut novel The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley was published by Doubleday in June 2022.

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