The Literary Sofa
Book Review
Guest Author – Wytske Versteeg on Writing about Motherhood
Today’s guest and her novel represent things I believe in and want to support on the Literary Sofa. Wytske Versteeg is a Dutch author, whose third novel The Boy has recently been translated into English by Sarah Welling and released in the UK by small independent HopeRoad Publishing. The Boy made it into my new quarterly Sofa … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Fiona Melrose on Suffolk
Thanks to everyone for the enthusiastic response to my first quarterly Sofa Spotlight last week. It’s always gratifying to hear my selections described as ‘intriguing’ and ‘unpredictable’ – that’s the aim – and that readers have discovered books they’d never heard of. As mentioned, I’ll be hosting at least four of my Spotlight authors on … Continue reading
Writers on Location – James Terry on the ghost town of Shakespeare, New Mexico
If you’re a keen reader of fiction it’s inevitable to find that certain themes crop up again and again and we all have our favourites. I can’t get enough of dysfunctional families, relationships on the rocks and New York novels (though I try not to read similar titles back to back); there are some themes and trends I … Continue reading
Guest Author – Jane Lythell on Creating a character who feels like a real person
As some of you will know, especially if you’ve read the pieces I’ve written since my novel Paris Mon Amour came out this summer, I have a passionate interest in the portrayal of female protagonists in contemporary fiction and strong views to match. Although there are all kinds of ways to approach characterisation, every successful … Continue reading
Guest Author – Anna Mazzola on Writing Prisons
Today’s post by Anna Mazzola, author of The Unseeing, concludes the coverage of titles on my Summer Reads 2016 selection. My picks have been going down well – it’s great to hear that many of you are enjoying them as much as I did. Some of these books are rightly getting a lot of attention, … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Catherine Dunne on Extremadura, Spain
With scorching weather and the start of the school holidays here in the UK, this is the time many of us relish losing ourselves in a good book, whether we’re staying put or getting away. The term Summer Reads means different things to different people and although I use it for one of my two … Continue reading
Guest Author – Kit de Waal on Judgement
The Literary Sofa is a place to share love of stories and ideas and appreciation for the people who write them. Every author who has joined me as a guest has contributed a piece as impressive as their book, giving eloquent and fascinating insights into their themes, settings and creative process, and never more so than today’s … Continue reading
Guest Author – Avril Joy on setting her novel in a place she’s never been
UPDATE: Sometimes a River Song was one of my Books of 2016. Following last week’s Writers on Location about Chicago from Douglas Cowie, coverage of my Summer Reads 2016 selection continues today. I’m already receiving great feedback on books people have discovered there. As my latest guest Avril Joy explains, the conversation proceeded in a somewhat … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Douglas Cowie on Chicago
Last week there was a very enthusiastic response to my latest selection, Summer Reads 2016 – thank you for reading and sharing it far and wide, something I know is also greatly appreciated by the authors. Now for the next fun bit – hosting some of them here on the Literary Sofa. No book makes that … Continue reading
Conversation with Joanna Walsh
My latest guest Joanna Walsh (@badaude) has been on my radar since she founded the high-profile #readwomen campaign in 2014, but it was only on reading her recent article on ‘self-writing’ in The Irish Times that I realised how many interests we share as writers and humans who happen to be women. The impression was confirmed … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 