If you have a novel sitting in a drawer or have been using your time this year writing, and believe that getting published for the first time is the preserve of the young, the well connected, and famous we are delighted to be able to invite you to the launch of Anne Youngson’s second novel Three Women and a Boat published by Doubleday on 12th November.

In these dark times, Three Women and a Boat is a charmingly uplifting story that shows it’s never too late for new adventures and unexpected friendship: Eve has departed from her thirty-year career to become a Free Spirit; Sally has waved goodbye to her indifferent husband and two grown-up children; and Anastasia, a defiantly independent narrowboat-dweller, is suddenly vulnerable as she awaits a lifesaving operation. Inexperienced and ill-equipped, Sally and Eve embark upon a journey through the canals of England guided by the remote and unsympathetic Anastasia. As they glide gently – and not so gently – through the countryside, the eccentricities and challenges of canal boat life draw them inexorably together, and a tender and unforgettable story unfolds.

‘Full of grace and humanity’  Sunday Times

THE BBC RADIO TWO BOOK CLUB PICK

Anne Youngson will be discussing her inspirational writing career with Anita Ferrero, whose interviews include that of the thriller writer Mick Herron.

After a long and successful career in the motor industry, Anne amazed her family and friends when she received a major publishing deal forty- eight hours after submitting her first novel at the age of seventy. Meet Me at the Museum was shortlisted for the Costa First Best Novel Award and was winner of the Paul Torday Award.