It began with a simple statement. An uncontroversial statement, as so many conversations do. “Hey, I bought that T-Shirt,” I said, standing in the kitchen doorway. She was peeling the dead outer skin from an onion with a knife and her fingers. It came off in one piece, revealing a layer as white and perfect
The Letters Page, Vol 3. edited by Jon McGregor is a celebration of handwritten correspondence. This epistolary journal features letters from established and emerging writers on the theme of departure. Its smart design boasts a fold-out mailing package combined with all the nostalgic features of handwritten letters. There’s a red wax seal on the cover,
There are few better ways for the crime writer to investigate the complexities of character than through a spy: a spy creates their character much like an author does, trying to inhabit their character whilst maintaining their authenticity. A spy has to create a persona that is believable and consistent to the point that they
I will admit that until a copy of Red Birds was sent to me to review, I only had vaguely heard of Mohamed Hanif. I generally manage to keep on top of things but occasionally there’s a whole new amazing writer/band/director that comes on to my radar a decade after everyone else’s. Hanif is one
A country is an amalgamation of dreams and nightmares: a torrent of conflicting visions that bash and crash against each other. They drive the country through triumph and disaster. They push its people together whilst systematically pulling them apart, but I don’t have to tell you this. It is most likely that you are witnessing
If you didn’t know The Study Circle was a debut novel before you read it, I guarantee you never would’ve guessed. I certainly didn’t. Haroun Khan’s first novel is raw in subject matter and sophisticated in style. In an essay titled “My Political Novel”, Khan explains how the novel was a written over a two-year period.
Bindlestiff is one of those books that took forever to read, forever in a good way…I just didn’t want it to end. I set about each evening to devour more of this offering from Wayne Holloway only for my mind to shut down after a few pages – it wasn’t through boredom it was that
There is so much with This Dreaming Isle to marvel at, from the inception of the remarkable concept from editor Dan Coxon, to the beautifully haunting image that wraps itself around the book. The list of authors that grace the cover and offer remarkable and memorable stories, each showcasing a mastery of the short story
I am not a huge fan of fantasy books and so this was a bit different for me and to be honest I was a little reluctant! Vic James is a well-known author, having written a number of best sellers and has a well-established fan base. This is the third book in a Trilogy about
Walter Turner – a dentist from Mississippi, has shot a lion. Not just any lion. He’s shot Cyril, a lion beloved by people such as Danny Gervais, Maria Farrow and Shane Osbourne [no points for guessing who they are in our supposed reality.] What follows is, predictably, a shitstorm. A shitstorm so big that Walter’s
