The Literary Sofa
Independent publishers
Summer Reads 2022
Hi and welcome to the first part of my Summer Reads selection that’s less about sun, beaches and cocktails – great as they are – and more about these being the most absorbing, emotionally engaging and thought-provoking books I’ve discovered recently and can’t stop talking about. I tell you why I picked each one and … Continue reading
Guest Author – Ethan Joella: How personal grief inspired a debut novel
Now it feels like spring is here to stay and I hope you’ve enjoyed some sunshine and time off over the holidays. Today I’m joined by fellow Muswell Press author Ethan Joella whose debut novel A Little Hope is about to be published in the UK following its success in the States. I hope we’ll … Continue reading
Scent – paperback cover reveal
As promised a few weeks ago, today I’m very excited to share the cover for the paperback of my second novel Scent, which will be published on 19 May. I’ve been very lucky with covers, not least because I’ve always been involved. This is the first time I’ve had a second cover for the same … Continue reading
Guest Author – Jon Ransom on Three Unspoken Words
Today I’m hosting the first guest post of 2022 and it’s a huge pleasure to welcome fellow Muswell Press author Jon Ransom whose debut novel The Whale Tattoo joins their superb LGBTQ list this week. I discovered Jon’s writing last autumn when we both had work included in the Queer Life, Queer Love anthology. His … Continue reading
Sunburnt Saints – An Anthology of Climate Fiction
Q & A with Andy Leach and Hannah Persaud, Founders of Seventy2One November has flashed by since my Reading Round-up early on. I’ve made a decent start on my new novel (by my standards – who cares how long it takes) and so thrilled to be writing again that my loathing of first drafts may … Continue reading
Queer Life, Queer Love: an anthology
This week’s unashamedly subjective post is all about a fantastic queer book which includes my first published poem as one tiny part (there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write). It’s a project that means a lot to me and I know that’s a common feeling among those involved. Queer Life, Queer Love is an … Continue reading
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 – 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
Guest Author – Amanda Huggins on the Importance of location in fiction
Regular visitors to the Sofa will know that short fiction doesn’t often pop up here, so when it does, it’s something really special. Today’s guest Amanda Huggins is the first short fiction writer ever to appear twice on the blog and the timing is perfect to congratulate her on winning the 2020 Colm Tóibín International … 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
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 