The Literary Sofa
Independent publishers
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
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
Spring 2020 Sofa Spotlight
Books can provide comfort and refuge in uncertain and anxious times, (even if the themes aren’t particularly escapist), which makes this a good moment to be bringing you my spring Sofa Spotlight. It features 8 brilliant new and forthcoming releases and will be followed by an exciting guest author line-up in which I get to … 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
Guest Author – K M Elkes on Flash Fiction
This is not only the first guest post of the autumn season, it’s also the first time flash fiction has appeared on the Literary Sofa. This wasn’t a gap I was actively looking to fill, although it’s certainly long overdue – the vitality of the flash scene and the increasing popularity of the ultimate short … Continue reading
Guest Author – Peter Papathanasiou – Resilience on the road to publication
Five years ago, a friend asked if I’d be willing to meet up with a Greek-Australian writer who was new to London and the UK publishing scene and share a few tips. That writer is today’s Sofa guest Pete Papathanasiou, who joins me with the final post in my Summer Reads line-up just ahead of … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Alison Layland on Rural Shropshire
This is the penultimate guest post about a title from my Summer Reads selection and I’m delighted to welcome back Alison Layland, who wrote about her work as a literary translator on her first visit to the Sofa some time ago. Her new novel Riverflow could be described as an ‘eco-thriller’ (if that’s not already … 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
My Novel – Now out in paperback
