The Literary Sofa
Short Fiction
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 – 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
Writers on Location – Linda Mannheim on Western Massachusetts: ‘The Happy Valley’
Following the very welcome enthusiastic reception for my Autumn Sofa Spotlight last week, today I’m delighted to be hosting one of the authors included there – American short story writer Linda Mannheim. Every year I come across one or two story collections which leave me reeling at what can be accomplished in the space 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
Guest Author – Catherine McNamara on Writing about Sex and Desire
Back to my Summer Reads and I’m declaring this week’s post a Special Edition, partly because it’s a change from the normal format but mostly because I am so thrilled to be hosting the talented and lovely Catherine McNamara, whose second solo short story collection The Cartography of Others was recently crowdfunded by many and … Continue reading
Summer Reads 2018
I’m delighted to be bringing you my Summer Reads 2018. I’ve been hard to impress recently but the outcome is a selection of compelling and powerful titles which I really loved and for each one I tell you why! As always, there is a wide variety of settings – Italy [1], Australia [4], Chicago/Paris [8], … Continue reading
Quick Reads 2018
This is a quick post about the launch of Quick Reads 2018 from The Reading Agency, a selection of six short books (only £1!) by bestselling authors which are aimed at less confident adult readers or anyone who wants a cracking story but is short on time. There are so many reasons I’m keen to … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Leila Segal on the Pinar del Río province, Cuba
On a glorious day in early May – it’s been the kind of summer where those stick in my mind – I crossed London to attend an event featuring local writers at the Clapham Literary Festival. I’d made the trip to see Roz Morris, who’d invited me to take part in her fabulous Undercover Soundtrack … Continue reading
Guest Author – Tom Vowler on the Short Story
One of the great things about running my own blog – as I have sometimes gently pointed out to those who tell me off for not featuring the ‘right’ books – is that this is the one place I’m not answerable to anyone. The right books for me are those I genuinely rate and believe in, and too often they … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – April 2021
The Literary Sofa 