Press Kit

Feel free to use the below images, assets, and bios for the purposes of online postings, articles, event listings, and press releases. For anything else, please contact Sean directly.

Author Images

Please credit the below image to Lee Isserow, Vessel Studios.

Biographies

Short bio – 50 words

Sean Watkin is the author of Black Water Rising, shortlisted for the McDermid Debut Award 2025. His atmospheric crime novels are set against the gritty backdrop of Merseyside, blending psychological tension with intricate plotting. His second novel, Better Off Dead, was published in January 2026.

Medium bio – 100 words

Sean Watkin is the author of Black Water Rising, which was shortlisted for the prestigious McDermid Debut Award 2025. His crime fiction is known for its atmospheric Merseyside settings, layered psychological insight, and intricately plotted investigations. Blending social realism with compelling procedural narratives, Sean’s work explores grief, loss, and the human cost of secrets. His second novel, Better Off Dead, was published in January 2026, continuing the series featuring DCI Winifred de Silva.

Sean was born and raised in Liverpool and attended Liverpool John Moores University, where he gained a BA in Creative Writing and an MA in Writing.

Long bio – 200 words

Sean Watkin is the author of Black Water Rising, which was shortlisted for the prestigious McDermid Debut Award 2025. His crime fiction is celebrated for its atmospheric Merseyside settings, layered psychological insight, and intricately plotted investigations. Blending social realism with compelling procedural narratives, Sean’s work explores grief, loss, and the human cost of secrets. His second novel, Better Off Dead, was published in January 2026, continuing the series featuring DCI Winifred de Silva.

Drawing on his deep connection to Liverpool’s history and character, Sean crafts stories that combine psychological acuity with a strong sense of place. He currently lives in Liverpool, where he is at work on the next novel in the DCI de Silva series.

Sean was born and raised in Liverpool and attended Liverpool John Moores University, where he earned a BA in Creative Writing and an MA in Writing. His short fiction has been shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Prize, the Fresher Writing Prize, and the Book a Break Prize. Passionate about nurturing new writers, Sean has guest-lectured with undergraduate and MA Creative Writing students and has taught writing courses within the local community.

Awards, Nominations, and Shortlistings

Sean was shortlisted for the Fresher Writing Prize in 2015 with his short story, He’s Gone – an early draft of Newquay and The Seekers, which you can read here. You can purchase a copy of the Fresher Writing Prize 2015 anthology here.

Sean was shortlisted for the Book a Break Prize in 2017 with his short story, Piece of Tin. You can purchase a copy of the With Our Eyes Open: Book a Break 2017 anthology here.

Sean was shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Prize in 2019 with his short story, I Walked There. You can purchase a copy of the Bristol Short Story Prize anthology volume 12 here.

Sean was shortlisted for the McDermid Debut Award at the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2025 with his debut novel, Black Water Rising. You can read Sean’s solo interview for this shortlisting here, listen to two interviews featuring all of the 2025 shortlistees here, and can purchase a copy of Black Water Rising here.

Book Covers

BLACK WATER RISING – published by Canelo, Thursday 10 April 2025.

BETTER OFF DEAD – published by Canelo, Thursday 22 January 2026.

NO PLACE LEFT – coming soon from Canelo, Thursday 17 September 2026.

Cover to be revealed soon.