The Literary Sofa
Places
Two Weeks in Northern Spain (Asturias/Cantabria/Galícia)
Hope you’ve had a good summer – it’s great to be back on the Sofa after the break and I’ve spent the last couple of days fine-tuning an autumn programme featuring brilliant authors and some really interesting and original books. But it’s not always just about books here, so the new season kicks off with … Continue reading
Paris Mon Amour competition – win signed advance copies
On Monday I returned from a week staying in the 5th arrondissement in Paris, a very enjoyable mix of long walks (totalling 99km, no less), art exhibitions, inspiration for my next novel, seeing friends and spending Easter weekend with my family – most of it in glorious spring weather. I’ve written many pieces about Paris and … Continue reading
Two weeks in the Western Cape, South Africa
It’s two years since I last wrote a travel piece that’s not book related, and since real life kicked in immediately following our Christmas trip, it’s taken a couple of weeks to get round to this one. I find myself saying ‘it already seems quite distant’ and yet, like any trip I’ve ever made, I … Continue reading
To 2017 and making things happen
This is just a quick post to wish you all a very happy new year. I’ve returned invigorated from a glorious two-week burst of summer in South Africa – lots to say about the trip and since I love travel writing and it’s been a long time since I wrote about anywhere except France, next … Continue reading
Finding the Words
‘There are no words.’ ‘Speechless.’ ‘Unspeakable.’ How often have you said, read or heard one of the above this year? They seem to encapsulate everything 2016 will be remembered for, alluding to the inadequacy of language to convey the full force of shock, outrage, disillusionment, at one event after another. The irony is that we … Continue reading
Autumn in Paris
I’ve recently returned from a typically intense five days in Paris, where I was not so much planning my next novel as wandering around waiting for the elements to take shape – something I’ve previously described as like looking at the world through an extra powerful pair of glasses. To some extent, I’ve been doing this … Continue reading
What Elena Ferrante’s writing means to me
After an Easter trip to southern Italy that was directly inspired by Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels (and feeling bereft on finishing the fourth and final one at Christmas), I recently mentioned on Twitter that I was planning a blog post on what this extraordinary author’s writing means to me if I could find the words. And … 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
Malaysia – Two Weeks in the Tropics
Travelling is a passion I share with my family. My husband and I started planning a big trip almost as soon as we met. Our sons, 16 and 12, have seen a lot of the world with us. Our horizons have broadened along with our awareness of how fortunate we are in so many ways. We decided to … Continue reading
Three Days in Barcelona
If you were in the UK last winter, you’ll remember the rain that went on for months. By January I was googling cheap flights to get away for Easter weekend (there weren’t any). Copenhagen was looking like the best bet. I fancied making like Saga Norén – albeit without the puce overcoat, there are limits … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 