The Literary Sofa
Isabel Costello
French Fiction Special Edition
In a normal year about a quarter of my reading is in French but due to the toxic combination of Covid and Brexit, I didn’t read a single French novel in 2020 and really missed it, along with everything else I love about France. That changed when I read All Men Want to Know by … Continue reading
Book Pitch Spotlight – Call for Entries
As part of the Literary Sofa’s fast approaching 10th anniversary celebrations, in early October I’m hoping to dedicate a post to 50-word book pitches* from unagented writers, featuring the 10 best ones in my opinion – and it is only my opinion! They will be chosen on the strength of the pitch, not my personal … Continue reading
Autumn 2021 on the Sofa
It’s great to be back in circulation after a long break from blogging and social media and even better to have got my usual September fired-up feeling back after it went completely AWOL last year. In huge contrast to summer 2020 I’ve been extremely lucky over the last few months, spending a lot of time … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Anne Goodwin on the long-stay psychiatric hospital
Welcome to the final post of the Summer Reads guest programme – if you missed it (or have already read all the books on the original selection – some people do!), Summer Reads Extras was released earlier this week with another five novels that really impressed me. There seem to be even more great books … Continue reading
Summer Reads Extras 2021
There’s a heatwave on, I’ve got my reading mojo back and it’s time to share the follow-up to my main Summer Reads selection which met with a great response last month. Here are five more novels worth shouting about before the blog goes quiet for August: 1.Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (Penguin) As a child … Continue reading
Guest Author – Rosie Wilby on Love (and Creativity) in London
We’re on a roll with this year’s Summer Reads guest line-up. Last week’s post on Older Love by Catherine McNamara has been resonating loudly with readers for its rare affirmation of what later life can hold for women. Today I’m excited to welcome comedian and author Rosie Wilby to share her unique perspective on matters … Continue reading
Guest Author – Catherine McNamara on Older Love
My Summer Reads guest season continues today with a repeat visit from Catherine McNamara who is the real deal: a writer whose work has wowed me since I first discovered it, a kindred spirit and a great friend. As writers Cat and I have many interests in common and several of our stimulating conversations have … Continue reading
Guest Author – Louise Soraya Black on the English Countryside and Gardens
There was a fantastic response to my Summer Reads selection last week with every single title attracting lots of entries in a competition I ran on Twitter. It didn’t surprise me at all to see The Water Garden, the second novel by today’s guest Louise Soraya Black, in high demand. Look at that beautiful cover! … Continue reading
Summer Reads 2021
Here we are, facing a second weird summer but I’m as excited as ever to share my 2021 Summer Reads selection with you. These 11 books explore a huge range of people, life experiences and places including France, Algeria, Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA when the transporting power of fiction has never been more … Continue reading
A Personal Perspective on Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause (Channel 4 TV)
It’s noticeable that menopause, which eventually affects half of the population but has always been cloaked in silence and shame, is being talked about more openly and more often. It would be a brave person who dares to suggest that it’s fashionable, a trend or a passing moment. Not if 13 million of us have … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – April 2021
