The Literary Sofa
Guest Authors
Guest Author – Jonathan Gibbs on setting his Debut Novel in the Art World
It’s no surprise that certain subjects and professions lend themselves to fiction better than others. I attended a talk by a top literary agent a few years ago in which she dismissed accountancy and dentistry as a complete non-starter (in the latter case, Joshua Ferris has just proven her wrong); whilst some readers are fascinated … Continue reading
Guest Author – Anya Lipska: The Challenge of setting Crime Fiction in London’s Polish Community
Crime is rare on the Literary Sofa, but I am not immune to it. I have real admiration for anyone who can write good crime fiction, which seems to demand a layer of extra skills. I can’t critique or review this genre because I don’t understand its mysterious workings, but as a reader the crime … Continue reading
Guest Author – Rachael Dunlop: An Unpublished Novelist faces Reality
Firstly I want to say thank you for the phenomenal interest in Summer Reads 2014 which has already had over 2,000 hits and made May the busiest month ever on the blog. Welcome to many new followers here and on Twitter and extra thanks to everyone who’s been sharing the list far and wide. I love putting … Continue reading
Guest Author – Juliet West on Narrative Voice
In the year marking the centenary of the start of World War One I was expecting a flood of historical fiction set during that period but that doesn’t seem to have happened and I’ve only read a couple of titles so far. Before The Fall, the debut from today’s guest author Juliet West impressed me … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Jason Hewitt on Arctic Norway
I’m really thrilled that the Writers on Location series is proving so popular. Every author’s relationship with place is different and makes for such an interesting story in its own right. That’s especially true of today’s guest: novelist, actor and playwright Jason Hewitt. His World War Two debut The Dynamite Room, one of my Fiction Hot … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Stephen May on San Francisco
After the fantastic response to Naomi Wood’s Hemingway’s Havana, the inaugural post in the WRITERS ON LOCATION series, today I am delighted to welcome Stephen May to the Literary Sofa. It’s not the first time his fiction has appeared here – Life! Death! Prizes! was one of my Hot Picks 2012 and since then our paths … Continue reading
Guest Author – Karen Joy Fowler on Animals
It’s with great pleasure that I welcome New York Times bestselling author Karen Joy Fowler to the Literary Sofa today. Karen and I met briefly at an event late last year and I was delighted when she offered to contribute a guest post to coincide with the UK publication of her latest novel We are … Continue reading
Guest Author – Louise Walters on the Role of Books in Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase
It’s always a real pleasure to welcome a writer who’s also a loyal follower of the Literary Sofa to talk about their debut novel. Today’s guest Louise Walters has been reading this blog for as long as I’ve been writing it and we’ve also got to know each other in real life. Watching her on the … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Naomi Wood on Hemingway’s Havana
I’m very excited to be introducing a new regular slot on the Literary Sofa: WRITERS ON LOCATION, inspired by my own love of travel (and the way it, in turn, inspires me) and the many novels which have a particularly vivid, interesting or exotic sense of place. Naomi Wood’s novel Mrs Hemingway, one of my … Continue reading
Guest Post – Zoe Pilger and Hannah Westland on their Editorial Working Relationship
It’s often said that it’s not enough to write a good book any more and I really believe that an author who’s willing and able to engage with their audience, online and in person, has an advantage. Giving readings from a new novel is a great way to ignite interest and hearing Zoe Pilger read from her … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 