The Literary Sofa
Guest Authors
Writers on Location – Jane Johnson on Cornwall
So far I’ve hosted far fewer Writers on Location posts than usual this year but am making up for that now with two in a row on books from my Summer Reads selection: last week it was the gorgeous Greek island of Paros for Dugald Bruce-Lockhart’s thriller The Lizard and today, a visit to Cornwall … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Dugald Bruce-Lockhart on Paros, Greece
My Summer Reads selection is always the high point of the year on the Sofa and I was delighted that it was greeted with so much enthusiasm two weeks ago – thanks to all concerned. As mentioned, there will be a smaller follow-up of 6-8 titles in late July but today it’s time to kick … Continue reading
Guest Author – Anna Vaught on How a chance sighting of a photograph led to a life-changing adventure
One way and another it’s taking longer than expected to complete the Spring Spotlight guest season but as you’re about to see, it’s worth the wait. My contribution is going to be no-frills as I spent all of last week in bed with suspected Covid-19 and am under orders to ‘take it very easy’. (Despite … Continue reading
Guest Author – Nicola White on Writing the 1980s
Hello! I hope you are staying safe and finding ways to cope with the exceptionally challenging situation we are all living through. I’m going to keep my promise not to dwell on it here as I can vouch for the psychological benefits of at least trying to think about something else. To my great relief, … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Felicia Nay on Hong Kong
It’s really heartening to see the Spring Spotlight guest author series get a good reception, especially at a time when those with new books coming out need all the support we can give. Thanks to all of you for reading, to Eleni Kyriacou for her post on 1950s Soho and Hannah Persaud for last week’s … Continue reading
Guest Author – Hannah Persaud on Writing about an unconventional marriage
The Spring Sofa Spotlight guest programme got off to a great start last week with Eleni Kyriacou’s atmospheric Writers on Location on 1950s Soho – thanks to everyone continuing to read and appreciate what we are working together to bring you, despite everything going on ‘out there’. We’re all currently facing unbelievably stressful times but … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Eleni Kyriacou on 1950s West End, London
When I released the Spring Sofa Spotlight last week, commenting that books can bring comfort and refuge in troubled times, I had no idea how much worse things were about to get. But the principle stands, with many turning to the arts to help us through this scary and unprecedented (in our lifetime) crisis – … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Dominic Brownlow on The Fens
This week I am very excited to be hosting Dominic Brownlow and his outstanding literary debut The Naseby Horses, set in his native Fenland in eastern England. Whist his novel centres on the extremely well-travelled premise of a missing person (the teenage protagonist’s twin sister), the result is truly something else. It has various thematic … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Helen Young on Bogotá, Colombia
In the first half of this year I hosted fewer Writers on Location posts than usual but we’re making up for that now with Linda Mannheim’s American “Happy Valley” last week and today’s guided tour of Colombia’s capital city in the company of Helen Young (and another next week, see postscript). Helen’s second novel Breakfast … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Linda Mannheim on Western Massachusetts: ‘The Happy Valley’
Following the very welcome enthusiastic reception for my Autumn Sofa Spotlight last week, today I’m delighted to be hosting one of the authors included there – American short story writer Linda Mannheim. Every year I come across one or two story collections which leave me reeling at what can be accomplished in the space of … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – April 2021
