A Radnorshire author is getting ready to release his debut romantic comedy novel, set in Hay-on-Wye, saying that he’s ‘proud to bring more Welsh settings’ to books.

Look Up, Handsome tells the story of gay bookseller Quinn Oxford, who is threatened with closure of his queer bookshop at Christmas. Quinn has to fight to save his shop, but when a romantic novelist comes to town for the Hay winter literary festival, he’s a distraction Quinn doesn’t need, but desperately wants.

Jack Strange, who wrote Look Up, Handsome while living in Vancouver in 2022, said: “I absolutely adore Hay-on-Wye, and I’m a big fan of romantic comedies and Hallmark Christmas films. Choosing a Welsh setting was important to me. We see Scottish and Irish fiction championed regularly, and we’re definitely seeing more Welsh stories coming to the forefront, but there’s always room for more.”

Born in Abergavenny, Strange moved to Radnorshire in 2023, where he was offered the deal with HarperCollins, one of the big four publishers. As well as having the opportunity to bring a story set in Wales to more people, queer representation was another important factor in his storytelling. “As a gay man, I grew up reading books where I wasn’t reflected. Of course, our stories have always existed, but I didn’t come across stories about gay lives until I was much older. To be able to contribute to the ever-growing list is an honour, and I’m so grateful to those who came before me who paved the way to make this happen.”

Strange signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins, with his second novel scheduled for a summer 2025 release.

Look Up, Handsome publishes September 26th, and will be available in paperback, eBook and audiobook, which is narrated by Shropshire born actor, Laurie Kynaston, who recently appeared in Netflix’s Fool Me Once.

Strange concluded: “It is an escapist novel, copturing the cosy winter setting of Christmas, and features a lot of joy and happiness. We need more of that!”