The Literary Sofa
Guest Authors
Guest Author – Louise Soraya Black on the English Countryside and Gardens
There was a fantastic response to my Summer Reads selection last week with every single title attracting lots of entries in a competition I ran on Twitter. It didn’t surprise me at all to see The Water Garden, the second novel by today’s guest Louise Soraya Black, in high demand. Look at that beautiful cover! … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Amanda Huggins on the North Yorkshire Coast
There was a very enthusiastic response to Marika Cobbold’s recent Writers on Location about Hampstead Heath and in keeping with the times we’re staying put in the UK for this week’s instalment in the series by Amanda Huggins on the North Yorkshire coast. Short novella All our Squandered Beauty, one of my Spring Spotlight choices, … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Marika Cobbold on Hampstead Heath
It’s wonderful to open this week’s post with the news that I’ve been shortlisted for Best Reviewer of Literature in the 2021 Saboteur Awards, a big surprise given that my running of the Literary Sofa has been pretty shambolic over the last year (bad times make for good excuses). Thank you to everyone who showed … Continue reading
On my own Sofa – Catherine McNamara interviews me about Scent
To celebrate publication of my second novel Scent and the reissue of my debut Paris Mon Amour by Muswell Press, something very different’s happening today: for the first time ever, I am the guest on my own Literary Sofa and my good friend, short fiction maestra Catherine McNamara is playing host – we could have … Continue reading
Guest Author – Claire Fuller on Dogs in Books
Today it’s a great pleasure to welcome one of my favourite British authors back to the Literary Sofa. This is Claire Fuller’s fourth visit (that’s what happens when you write a great novel every time) and at this rate I’d be surprised if anyone manages to overtake her. It’s also an opportunity to congratulate Claire … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Neema Shah on Uganda
This week I’m delighted to be hosting the first Writers on Location post of the year, courtesy of talented debut author Neema Shah. Her novel Kololo Hill is set in Uganda and the UK during the expulsion of Ugandan Asians by dictator Idi Amin in the early 1970s. Surprisingly, I have vague memories of this … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Cath Barton on Morecambe, Lancashire
Today I’m pleased to introduce my final guest of 2020 and the last of this year’s Writers on Location, Cath Barton. The UK has made only infrequent appearances in this long-running series, but the north-west of England gets a moment in her post on the coastal town of Morecambe in Lancashire. There’s something I found … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Tyler Keevil on Prague
This is the first post of England’s Lockdown 2 (today is the halfway point, not that I’m counting), but not the last, as I have some exciting things lined up. Not many writers can commit right now, so I’m doubly grateful to acclaimed guest author Tyler Keevil, who grew up in Vancouver and now lives … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Jude Cook on Paris
Lots of readers seemed to connect with last week’s blog post which was much more personal than I would normally write. People have thanked me and I’d like to thank everyone who read it and/or got in touch. That means a lot to me. Today it’s back to business as usual, if you can call … Continue reading
Guest Author – Justin Myers on generational conflict
It’s always an honour when the authors of books I’ve connected with agree to appear on the Literary Sofa, but today is unique because I’m hosting someone whose writing I have not only enjoyed for a very long time but since before I had a clue who he was. Never one to be deterred by … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 