The Nightingale Sings

On the Greek island of Lesbos, in the seventh century BCE, a young lyric poet hones her craft while navigating the world of love, loss, friendship and sex, after having suffered years of abuse by a member of her father’s household. After a series of attempts at a healthy relationship, all the while struggling with the effects of post-traumatic stress and profound grief, she is forced to leave her home for a faraway land across the sea. There she would make a name for herself as an artist that would spread all across the Mediterranean, continuing her search for love and friendship, and trying to raise her only child in a safe and nurturing environment – until her whole world is suddenly upended.

The Nightingale Sings is an imaginary tale of what might have been in the life of the historical Sappho of Lesbos, whose artistry would lead to her becoming one of the most revered poets of the ancient world, and would still be cherished today – more than two and a half thousand years after her death.

And so, the story begins with a simple celebration.

A birthday party for a nine-year-old girl…

Born and raised in North Georgia to a nurse and a biologist who encouraged him in the arts, Mark S. England has been writing stories for as long as he could read. Mark had a fairly ordinary childhood; he was a boy scout and a stage actor before being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 18. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Upstate, Mark was a classroom teacher for several years, but found that unfulfilling. Now, Mark works in public mental healthcare as a certified peer specialist. In addition to writing fiction, Mark enjoys playing music, bowling and spending time outdoors. Mark is passionate about his family, cats and the rights of the mentally ill.