Having visited the Somerset town of Frome this summer, I was keen to support the annual literary festival which is entirely run by volunteers and always has a great line-up, including, this year, one of my favourite authors, historical novelist Andrew Miller talking about his latest novel The Land in Winter, which was a very … Continue reading Not one but two prizes!
With bookshop chains reluctant to stock small imprints and publishers unable to provide a marketing boost, it’s up to many authors to create their own front windows. This can be done through online sales (either through major platforms or independently) but lots of us like to get out and about to local fairs and markets … Continue reading Books – and authors – where you are!
I’ve blogged before about letters in historical fiction (and a longer essay here) and I’m happy to report a newcomer to the list of letter-inspired authors. Annie Elliot is almost local to me and we were put in touch late last year before Annie’s debut novel Mr and Mrs Charles Dickens: Her Story: “So the … Continue reading Letters in Historical Fiction: Annie Elliot and Mrs Dickens
A friend on Instagram asked me about a recent read, “Does it have an actual PLOT?” she said, “This year, I only want to read properly narrative novels with a beginning, a middle, and an end, not just beautifully-written descriptions of stuff that happens.” An interesting comment. After all, isn’t ‘stuff that happens’ a plot? … Continue reading Does it have an actual plot? The strange concept of page-turning literary fiction
Adapted from my my Beyond the Book newsletter of September 2024. Sign up for future issues here. If Frances Sitwell is my heroine, who is the hero? It would be easy to argue for Louis Stevenson (who has a way of taking centre stage even when he isn’t present!) but chief contender for male lead … Continue reading Sidney Colvin: an unlikely hero #BeyondtheBook #TheAbsentHeart
