Kate Rigby

Set in the nineteen-seventies, Did You Whisper Back? begins with Amanda Court's longing to be reunited with her estranged twin sister Jo. Following a false lead, Amanda leaves her Merseyside home and family and goes to Devon to work as a chambermaid where she believes Jo now lives. Amanda's new life begins to encroach on her personal space and time, and her search for Jo is put on hold until Amanda feels Jo calling her back to Liverpool.
Gradually it emerges that Jo is, seemingly, just a figment of Amanda's imagination arising from distorted childhood truths. She experiences a series of strange and sometimes frightening experiences, including lamps talking and the unceasing ringing of telephones, until the desperation of her family reaches breaking point. Did You Whisper Back? is a psychological novel about family secrets and a disturbing portrayal of the fragility of the mind.
Awarded a Southern Arts bursary in 1991. A spin-off 'The Old Black Telephone' was published in 2025 and will be available from libraries shortly.