The Literary Sofa
Isabel Costello
My Summer Holiday TBR List 2015
One way and other, this year has been a bit intense so far. It was only a couple of weeks ago that for the first time in ages I found myself feeling relaxed and with some headspace to spare. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that since then I’ve gone into a reading frenzy that I plan … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Virginia Baily on Rome
The destination for today’s Writers on Location, Rome, is one of Europe’s most visited cities and high on many a travel wishlist. I have been there three times (although the most recent was fifteen years ago), and in a similar-but-different way to the story Ginny tells in today’s piece, it instantly became a significant place … Continue reading
Guest Author – Anne Goodwin – When small is beautiful in the publication circus
It is always a good day on the Literary Sofa when I get to feature a book and author whose path to publication I have followed for some time. It’s inspiring to see new writers succeed and increasingly apparent that there’s more than one way to get a story into the hands of readers, as several recent … Continue reading
Guest Author – Benjamin Johncock – Q&A on The Last Pilot
There are a couple of unusual things about today’s post. One is the profound effect Benjamin Johncock’s novel The Last Pilot has had on me. The other is the fact that I have never before spent three years anticipating a debut novel by someone I didn’t know, which I did from the moment I read … Continue reading
Guest Author – Jon Teckman on being Published but Unagented (via Open Submissions)
I said there would be no post this week but as the Literary Sofa is currently ‘having a moment’ I’ve decided to try and fit in as much as possible before I disappear for August. We’ve had a provocation on diversity from Nikesh Shukla. Last week we had a post that made people cry (and … Continue reading
Guest Author – Antonia Honeywell: Agented and Unpublished
Firstly, thank you for the extraordinary response to Nikesh Shukla’s brilliant post on the subject of diversity in fiction last week and for the many thoughtful contributions (here and elsewhere) to a debate which people are clearly keen to have whether or not they agree with his ‘provocation’ to white writers – and some expressed valid … Continue reading
Guest Post – True Diversity in Fiction – a Provocation from Nikesh Shukla
Many posts have sparked lively debate on the Literary Sofa, but today is the first time I have knowingly provided a platform for a ‘provocation’ ! Although it’s not our topic, Nikesh Shukla’s second novel Meatspace is out in paperback today: it too is provocative, thoughtful and very funny; an entertaining but uncomfortable read for … Continue reading
Guest Author – Jami Attenberg on Playing with Form
Books come through my letterbox almost every day, an intriguing mix of the eagerly awaited, surprise discoveries and (occasionally) things so far off my radar that it’s quite funny. All keen readers have a few favourite ingredients which will send a book to the top of their TBR pile and for me that is the … Continue reading
Summer Reads 2015
*SEE END OF POST FOR COMPETITION WINNERS* Welcome to SUMMER READS 2015, the 12th Literary Sofa listing of recommended new and recent titles. It’s been a very enjoyable task but deciding is never easy. As always, I have read every title here and many more in full and since variety is the key to an interesting … Continue reading
Interview for the Booktrail: Languages, travel and foreign fiction
Following our real life meeting at a launch last summer, Susan, who runs the excellent Booktrail blog, recently invited me for a virtual ‘coffee and cake‘ and a chat about our shared obsessions which include languages (I think she speaks more than I do), travel and both foreign language fiction and novels in general which have a … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 