The Literary Sofa
Guest Authors
Guest Author – Tracy Chevalier on writing about the Underground Railroad
Given my love of US fiction, it’s surprising that I haven’t hosted an American guest author before now, but it’s been worth the wait – I’m thrilled to welcome international bestselling author Tracy Chevalier to the Literary Sofa. Tracy has written seven novels including Girl with a Pearl Earring which sold over 4 million copies. I … Continue reading
Guest Author – Claire King on A Child’s Point of View
Although there’s been a trend for books with child narrators over the last few years, not many have appeared on the Literary Sofa. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman demonstrated the potential rewards for authors who succeed in capturing a child’s voice for the adult fiction market. No wonder it’s so notoriously difficult to pull off: the voice has to … Continue reading
Guest Author – Sarah Butler Ten Things I’ve learnt whilst writing about Cities
Despite growing up in the country I’ve become a real city person as an adult and have lived in London (south then north) for over half my life. In any city, I’m particularly drawn to the everyday and what often goes unnoticed. It was Sarah Butler’s ability to observe and capture the real essence of London which made … Continue reading
Guest Author – Katharina Hagena on her Debut being Translated into 24 Languages
My Hot Picks for 2013 includes two titles in translation, the first time that foreign-language fiction has been featured here. Whenever I wander around a bookshop in a non English-speaking country, I’m amazed how many titles are in translation – and not just from the huge English language market. The fact is, many other nationalities … Continue reading
Guest Author – Emma Chapman on Setting her Debut Novel in Scandinavia
Emma Chapman’s debut novel How To Be A Good Wife was released last week after months of mounting anticipation amongst would-be readers. I had the good fortune to read a review copy in the autumn and to meet Emma and other up-and-coming Picador authors shortly afterwards, and I was so impressed with her debut that it made … Continue reading
Guest Author – D E Meredith ‘Why I Write What I DON’T Know’
For my recent post Write What You Know? I received some great replies when I asked fellow writers what they make of this piece of advice. I was so intrigued by historical crime writer D E Meredith’s answer ‘I write what I don’t know’ that I invited her to the Literary Sofa to explain why she feels that … Continue reading
Guest Post – Lesley McDowell on Literary Critics and Book Bloggers
Last week’s post Literary Taste – Who’s to Judge? attracted a lot of interest and thought-provoking contributions from readers, including literary critic Lesley McDowell. Her comments made me want to understand the perspective of professional critics, so in the interests of balance, I invited Lesley to join me On the Literary Sofa: When Sir Peter Stothard said … Continue reading
Guest Author – Lloyd Shepherd on The Difference between Writing a First and Second Novel
It’s always fun when writers I know in the real world join me on the Literary Sofa. Enter today’s guest Lloyd Shepherd, author of The English Monster, the novel that made me rethink my attitude to historical fiction when I reviewed it on publication. UPDATE: Lloyd’s second novel The Poisoned Island is now out (February 2013) … 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
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 