The Literary Sofa
Debut authors
Spring Spotlight 2021
I’m a bit rusty on the art of the chatty intro so here is my Spring Selection: 8 fantastic books, including several which give a voice to people and subjects we don’t hear often enough. I look forward to hosting some of the authors – see the Sofa Dates – and an honorary addition to … 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 – 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
Guest Author – Ros Franey on Inventing Truth
The summer programme is now in full swing and it’s wonderful to be receiving positive feedback both on the books people have discovered via my latest selection and the guest posts from Bev Thomas and Judith Heneghan. No doubt that will continue following today’s visit from Ros Franey, whose debut novel leapt out from my … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Judith Heneghan on Kiev
The summer guest author programme got off to a fascinating start last week with Bev Thomas’s post on what it means to be a ‘good enough’ mother. Coincidentally, motherhood is also a theme in today’s featured debut Snegurochka by Judith Heneghan but it’s not the focus of today’s post – that is firmly on the … Continue reading
Guest Author – Eleanor Anstruther on Fictionalising a Family Story
My First Sofa Spotlight of 2019 celebrated nine fantastic new releases and this is the penultimate post from the authors. This is one of the strongest ‘seasons’ I’ve been fortunate to host, and it’s a pleasure to be joined today by Eleanor Anstruther, author of A Perfect Explanation. I met Ellie very briefly at her … Continue reading
Guest Author – Helen Kitson on Writing about Writers
Today the coverage of my Sofa Spotlight titles continues following my trip to Senegal and I’m delighted to welcome debut novelist and self-described ‘ex-poet’ Helen Kitson, whose novel The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is amongst the first releases from small independent press Louise Walters Books. Louise has appeared on the Sofa with each of … Continue reading
The First Sofa Spotlight of 2019
Moving on from a near-exclusive focus on new releases has been great for my reading but I still love making exciting discoveries in the constant flow of new titles. My first selection of 2019 consists of six novels set between the 18th century and the present day via several decades of the twentieth, plus a … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Joy Rhoades on the New England Tableland, NSW, Australia
The first Australian Writers on Location post (Clare Atkins on Darwin) proved exceptionally popular back in the summer and I’m delighted to be returning to a very different part of this huge and beautiful country in the company of Joy Rhoades, author of The Woolgrower’s Companion. It’s a first novel which has achieved critical success, … Continue reading
Guest Author – Emily Critchley on Writing a crossover novel
After a wonderful reception for last week’s piece on the Veneto by Elise Valmorbida, I’m delighted to welcome Emily Critchley, the second author from my Summer Reads 2018 line-up, to discuss a subject of particular interest to me and I’m sure to many of you. Over the years I have enjoyed and featured many novels … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 