Abigail Johnson - The Secret Collector

We are delighted to be welcoming debut novelist, Abigail Johnson to The Heath Bookshop to talk about her book, The Secret Collector.

Abigail will in conversation with fellow author and friend of the shop, Katie Bishop.

Abigail Johnson is an author from Birmingham whose stories have been longlisted for the Bath Novel Award and Exeter Novel Award. She didn’t take writing seriously until she turned 40 when voluntary redundancy led her to enrol on a part-time writing course with the Faber Academy. However, she has always enjoyed writing thanks to winning Kit Kats as prizes at school for her creative writing efforts! She now has a two-book deal with publisher Pan Macmillan.

The Secret Collector

When an elderly eccentric collector and a troubled teen become each other's only hope of getting their lives back on track, what can possibly go wrong?

Alfred is an elderly widower who uses antiques and collectibles to fill the hole in his heart left by his late wife. Kian is a lost teen who has been let down by the care system and finds it difficult staying on the straight and narrow.

After Kian throws a brick through Alfred's window, the shock sends Alfred to hospital and a social worker to his home, where his hoarding becomes impossible to ignore.

Begrudgingly, and at the request of the authorities, they both agree to enrol Kian on a restorative justice programme, helping to make Alfred’s home liveable again. The only problem: Alfred doesn't want to throw any of his treasures away, and he certainly doesn’t want Kian for company.

What unfolds is a surprising and delightful journey of two characters who help each other more than they ever could have anticipated and, along the way, form the unlikeliest of friendships.

Katie Bishop:

Katie Bishop is an author, journalist, and Kings Heath local. Her debut novel The Girls of Summer - a book that explores themes of consent, trauma and memory in a post-MeToo world - was chosen as a book of the month by The Times, Good Morning America, Apple Books and The New York Post when it published in 2023. Her journalism has been published in The Guardian, The New York Times, The Independent, the BBC and many others. Katie's second novel High Season is due to publish in August 2025.

We now have a hearing loop at the bookshop. Please get in touch if you would like to use it and have front seats reserved for you.