Maybe the Birds is a collection of 14 speculative and realist short stories, which explore what it means to be alive in difficult times. It was published by Gold SF, a sci-fi/speculative fiction imprint at Goldsmiths Press, in October 2025.
After the apocalypse destroys most life on Earth, a woman makes artificial bird voiceboxes to try to keep birdsong alive. A young female vampire uses her knowledge of mirrors to save her village from the man who turned her. A woman haunted by her past feels that the robins she has always loved are no longer her friends. These fourteen stories, largely speculative in nature, consider what happens when the world is no longer as it used to be – whether in the postapocalyptic future, the paleolithic past or the dark north of the present. The collection is interested in love and loss, families and foes, as well as moments of disconnection and connection. All are interested in what it means to be alive in very difficult times.
‘A bounty of otherworldly charms’ – Foreword Reviews.
Red Room: New Short Stories Inspired by the Brontës is a collection of 12 stories by some of Britain’s best writers. Edited by A. J. Ashworth, it contains Brontë-inspired work by the likes of 
Booker-shortlisted Alison Moore, BBC National Short Story Award winner David Constantine, V. S. Pritchett Prize winner Carys Davies and many more.
The book features a demon sheep, strange curates, acts of rebellion and acts of violence. There is love made and love ruined, parents lost and children found. A percentage of the profits from sales of the book will be donated to The Brontë Birthplace Trust.
The book is available from Unthank Books, Amazon and other bookshops.
Somewhere Else, or Even Here is a collection of 14 short stories which explore the collisions that can happen between human beings, whether it’s a couple facing up to life after the death of a child or lovers broken 
apart by infidelities either real or imagined. A girl meets with danger on the beach when she is lured away by a strange boy; a bereaved wife enlists the help of a mysterious woman to perform rituals that will bring her dead husband back to life; a boy’s anger at his absent father leads him towards an act of destruction in the basement of his school.
‘Dark, witty, delicious stories with flashes of terror and tenderness’ – Maggie Gee.
‘With beauty, poise and fearlessness, A. J. Ashworth creates worlds that are chillingly real, exploring the raw human need for attachment and the fear of closeness in a way that is both tender and haunting. She is a fierce new talent’ – Simon Van Booy.
‘The stories here really are shooting stars – ‘brilliant sparkling scratches’ against the night. A very gifted writer. One to watch without a doubt’ – Vanessa Gebbie.