The Literary Sofa
Isabel Costello
Book Review – NW by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith’s fourth novel NW has taken seven years to appear. Only elite novelists can get away with a gap that long, which sounds like a creative luxury but comes with the added pressure caused by a build-up of expectation. I was looking forward to it having really enjoyed her previous novel On Beauty (2005). It turns … Continue reading
York Festival of Writing 2012
Whoa, what a weekend! Last night I got back from the York Festival of Writing run by Writer’s Workshop, which in just a few years has established itself as the event for new and unpublished writers. Founded by Harry Bingham (who graced my literary sofa not so long ago Guest Author Interview – Harry Bingham … Continue reading
A Place in my Heart – The Lubéron
Well, we got back from our two week trip to Provence on Sunday night and this week is proving every bit as frantic as I expected –endless laundry and unpacking, getting my sons back to school, preparing for my interview with Jane Rusbridge at the Ham & High Literary Festival next week (details below), polishing my … Continue reading
Book Review – Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann
Literary tigermania shows no sign of abating. White Tiger, The Tiger’s Wife, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother… Like all of these, the latest addition to the string of Tiger-titled books, Tigers in Red Weather, has caused great excitement in the world of publishing, with hotly contested auctions on both sides of the Atlantic netting … Continue reading
My Poolside TBR List 2012
I’ve been amazed at the interest in my Top 10 Summer Reads 2012 – 3,000 hits and counting! The thing is, I’ve already read them, so for my long-anticipated two weeks in the south of France, I needed to cast the net wider. Some of the titles below will be familiar, some new, and you … Continue reading
Book Review – The Lighthouse by Alison Moore
Less than 24 hours ago, an advance copy of The Lighthouse by Alison Moore dropped onto my doormat. I have read it. Writing a review wasn’t on my list of things to do today, but I’m going to do it anyway. I’m itching to discuss this book with someone and unfortunately that will have to … Continue reading
Guest Author – Susanna Quinn on The Secrets of Plotting a Novel
I’m very pleased to welcome to my Literary Sofa Glass Geishas author Susanna Quinn, who has generously decided to reveal the plot secrets that helped her get published. I follow on with a few thoughts on plot and a mini-review of her book, which is one of my Top 10 Summer Reads 2012. Over to Susanna… … Continue reading
Book Review – Canada by Richard Ford
In my Book Review: The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides I talked about the fear and apprehension that sometimes come with reading something new by a ‘Literary Giant’. I could very easily have included Richard Ford in my list – his status as a giant of American literature is beyond question – but it simply didn’t … Continue reading
A Year Online
It’s a year since my friend Louise Millar persuaded me to start using Twitter. Her debut novel The Playdate, was still nine months away from publication and she was already tweeting; I hadn’t even finished my manuscript. I’m grateful to her now, but at the time I wasn’t that keen. I now know that my reaction is a … Continue reading
Guest Author Interview – Harry Bingham on Writing Crime
Harry Bingham is the founder of Writers’ Workshop and the York Festival of Writing. He’s also the author of multiple works of fiction and non-fiction, including How To Write and Getting Published, so overall he has a unique overview of the world of books. His crime debut Talking To The Dead is the first in a trilogy featuring detective DC Fiona … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 