The Literary Sofa
Isabel Costello
Guest Author – Addison Jones on setting her novel in Post-war California
I guess most writers have a couple of soapbox issues which are just as relevant in their capacity as readers. One of mine is the trivialisation of writing about love, especially of books by women. Last summer I wrote this article rebutting those attitudes – it really wasn’t hard to do – and defending love … Continue reading
Guest Author – Louise Walters on handling multiple timelines and points of view (POV)
I’m delighted to welcome back Louise Walters as today’s guest author, for some quite personal reasons. Louise has been a supporter of the Literary Sofa from the very start and although she was several years ahead in her writing career, we have kept each other company through many highs and lows (understatement) and become good friends … Continue reading
Guest Author – Laura Kaye on portraying England from a foreigner’s perspective
Last week was exceptionally busy with reports from the London Book Fair and a George Saunders event – now it’s back to featuring authors from my Spring Sofa Spotlight. As you may recall, I was struck by how many of my chosen titles had important things to say about the world right now. This … Continue reading
George Saunders in conversation with Erica Wagner at Goldsmiths College
Yesterday’s post was a combined report on my first visit to London Book Fair and my ongoing book project; today’s is a write-up of last night’s interview between George Saunders and Erica Wagner at Goldsmiths College on his first novel Lincoln in the Bardo, spliced with a few of my personal reflections. This ought to … Continue reading
First time at the London Book Fair
As you may have noticed, this is a pretty noisy and packed week in the book world, which completely mirrors my own schedule of late. In view of this, I have decided to postpone publication of my Spring Spotlight author Addison Jones’ post on Postwar California for a little while – it is simply too … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Laura McVeigh In the Shadow of the Hindu Kush
The first guest post by one of my Spring Sofa Spotlight authors, last week’s Writers on Location by Sarah Day on the island of San Domino, proved very popular and today I am pleased to be welcoming the next author in this series. Laura McVeigh joins me to talk about a very different place, the … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Sarah Day on the island of San Domino, Italy
Last week’s spring Sofa Spotlight met with a great deal of interest and enthusiasm, so a big thank you for your support and appreciation. It is a pleasure to welcome the first of my Spotlight guest authors today – the talented and lovely Sarah Day, who I can’t help noticing has a large and committed … Continue reading
Sofa Spotlight – Spring 2017
This is only the second of my quarterly selections and already things have gone awry – I’ve discovered more excellent novels recently than I strictly ‘need’! But of course there can never be too many good books (or too much shouting about them), so for today’s spring Sofa Spotlight I’ve decided to focus on seven titles … Continue reading
Paris Mon Amour to be released in paperback under new Literary Sofa imprint
As hinted here more than once – remember my new year ‘making things happen’ mantra? – I have some pretty big news! It’s already gone live to Bookbrunch subscribers this morning (thanks, Bookbrunch) and, hoping you’ll excuse the weirdness of me referring to myself in the third person on my own blog, I am thrilled to … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Claire Fuller on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset
Today’s guest Claire Fuller has visited me before on the Literary Sofa and it’s lovely to have her back. When I read her debut novel Our Endless Numbered Days before publication, little did any of us know that it would go to take the 2015 Desmond Elliott Prize for a first novel – and yet … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 