Press Release: Swan Abbey Press Acquires The Kindness of Terrible People by Stephanie Dupal

Swan Abbey Press is thrilled to announce the acquisition of world rights to

Stephanie Dupal’s short story collection, The Kindness of Terrible People and Other

Stories. The book marks the first publication for the author and the press, which

hopes to acquire two to three titles per year after the release of this debut.

The collection features fifteen stories that question the cost of kindness in girls

and women’s lives, be it through the loss of physical abilities, the loss of loved

ones, or even the loss of youth and self-regard. These themes resonate for Dupal,

who has published extensively here and in Europe, and for Swan Abbey Press’s

board of directors, who privilege “stories rich with the complexity of regional

concerns, including the South and the Francophone diaspora, which appears in

Stephanie’s work.” The board’s sensibilities lean toward “memorable, lyrical

prose that promises readers a revelatory experience.” Board member Janet

McIntyre said, “The collection delivers this promise fully.”

The author, a Franco-Canadian and longtime Virginia resident, added, “Being

selected by a woman-owned press felt right in every way for this collection,

composed as a love letter to women who are labeled difficult. The editors

welcomed me and my stories with warmth and steadfast cheer. I am infinitely

lucky to have written Swan Abbey Press’s first title.”