The Literary Sofa
Debut authors
Guest Author – Lydia Netzer – Writing about Being Different
* UK GIVEAWAY WINNERS ANNOUNCED – SEE END OF POST * One of the greatest challenges faced by any writer of fiction is to create characters the reader will find relatable and recognisable but, at the same time, to make them unique individuals and not stereotypes. Lydia Netzer’s quirky and original debut features protagonists who aren’t remotely like … 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
Why am I doing this again?
I only talk about my own writing on this blog when I reach a significant point. A year ago, I wrote about how it felt to finish my first novel. In the summer something unrelated prompted me to reflect on my early experience of rejection. This time the milestone was when I decided to stop … Continue reading
Book Review – The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont
HALF of my Fiction Hot Picks for 2013 have a January UK publication date, and I didn’t anticipate what a scramble it would be to give them the attention they deserve. They are all excellent of course, but The Starboard Sea is one of the best books I’ve read in years, which is why it’s the … 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
Fiction Hot Picks for 2013
2012 has been an incredible first full year for the Literary Sofa and after months of research, tip-offs and an intense reading marathon, it’s time to unveil my Fiction Hot Picks for 2013. It’s very rewarding when people tell me my blog is where they go to find out about the best new fiction, and compiling these listings is one … Continue reading
Book Review – Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann
Literary tigermania shows no sign of abating. White Tiger, The Tiger’s Wife, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother… Like all of these, the latest addition to the string of Tiger-titled books, Tigers in Red Weather, has caused great excitement in the world of publishing, with hotly contested auctions on both sides of the Atlantic netting … Continue reading
My Poolside TBR List 2012
I’ve been amazed at the interest in my Top 10 Summer Reads 2012 – 3,000 hits and counting! The thing is, I’ve already read them, so for my long-anticipated two weeks in the south of France, I needed to cast the net wider. Some of the titles below will be familiar, some new, and you … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 