The Literary Sofa
Books
Guest Author – Conversation with Rob Doyle
I’m happy to say that all three of the brilliant Irish writers* from my Hot Picks 2016 will be joining me on the Literary Sofa in the coming weeks, starting with Rob Doyle, author of This is the Ritual, the first story collection to be included in my selections. Following publication of his astonishing first … Continue reading
New year, new books, new horizons
Just a quick note to wish all my subscribers and readers a very happy new year! I hope you had a good break with some time to read as well as all the festive stuff. We spent a wonderful cosy week in the last home of Swallows and Amazons author Arthur Ransome in the southern Lake District with lots … Continue reading
Fiction Hot Picks 2016
This is the ninth Literary Sofa selection of new/forthcoming fiction, a labour of love that I am delighted to share. No book is here just because it sounds good – that’s the easy bit! I read all of my Hot Picks and many more in full to compile these listings. The right ones took longer than usual … Continue reading
2015 – My Year in Books
Does it make sense to talk about books of the year with a whole month to go? It does in my case because I’ve moved onto next year’s releases in the search for my Hot Picks 2016 selection. 2015 has been very busy for me with a lot of time I’d normally spend reading devoted to … Continue reading
Writers on Location – André Alexis on Toronto
I am constantly finding new books to enthuse about (I know, it’s hard to keep up) but today’s Writers on Location visit to Toronto is a special cause for celebration – my guest André Alexis has just been awarded Canada’s prestigious Giller Prize for Fifteen Dogs. As a result, this surprising and original novel (published in the … Continue reading
Guest Author – Beth Miller, the Accidental Psychological Thriller Writer
There’s an unusual backstory to this week’s post. I met my guest Beth Miller at a party hosted by her publishers and was given an advance copy of her second novel The Good Neighbour. I often get a sense of what people’s writing might be like from talking to them, about anything at all. Sometimes … Continue reading
Book Review/Conversation with the Author – The Age of Reinvention by Karine Tuil
This is my first in-depth look at a novel since Michel Houellebecq’s Submission back in March and coincidentally it is of another French bestseller that has caused a stir internationally. The Age of Reinvention (L’invention de nos vies) is the ninth novel by Karine Tuil and her first to be translated into English, by Sam Taylor. I … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Anja de Jager on Amsterdam
I’ve recently returned from a very enjoyable, stimulating and exhausting week in New York and there will be no drop in the pace over the next few weeks. There’s some great stuff coming up on the Literary Sofa, including several genres you won’t often find here: in this case, crime, and next week, the psychological thriller (even … Continue reading
Guest Author – Helen MacKinven on Setting her Novel in a Small Town
Once again I am very happy to be hosting a writer who has been following and supporting the Literary Sofa from the beginning and who has now achieved her goal of becoming a published novelist. Helen MacKinven and I have still never met in person but we’ve enjoyed exchanging manuscripts and supporting each other on … Continue reading
Guest Author – Stephanie Butland in Praise of the ‘Quiet Book’
Usually (and officially) when a guest author writes for the Literary Sofa it begins with me enjoying their book, getting in touch and suggesting a related topic that will interest my readers. Occasionally it’s the other way round and when Stephanie Butland offered me a piece in praise of the ‘quiet novel’, I didn’t hesitate. … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 