Diane Abbott and Kathryn Faulke both shortlisted for 2025 Royal Society of Literature Christopher Bland Prize

Two Blake Friedmann authors, Diane Abbott and Kathryn Faulke, have made the shortlist for this year’s Christopher Bland Prize, awarded by the Royal Society of Literature. The £10,000 prize recognises the best debut works, in any form or genre, by a writer over the age of 50, with previous winners including Raynor Winn (THE SALT PATH), Paterson Joseph (THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLES IGNATIOUS SANCHO) and last year’s honouree Chidi Ebere (NOW I AM HERE). The judges selecting the shortlist this year were Margaret Busby, Reverend Richard Coles and Jacqueline Wilson.

Diane is recognised for her memoir A WOMAN LIKE ME, a fierce, witty and moving account of her Windrush-generation family, and her journey from becoming the first elected Black female Member of Parliament in the UK, to her current position as Mother of the House. The book was named one of the best politics titles of 2024 by both Waterstones and The Sunday Times, and one of the best biographies of the year by The Guardian. ‘Her memoir is a lesson in brilliance, tenacity, activism & commitment to being a force for good in our country’, wrote RSL President Bernardine Evaristo, ‘buy the book, read about the struggles she's faced (you can imagine!) and be inspired by her incredible resilience and passion for politics’. The book was published in paperback by Penguin in March 2025, and is also available in audiobook, narrated by Diane herself.

Kathryn is shortlisted for EVERY KIND OF PEOPLE: A Journey Into the Heart of Carework, a vivid, poignant and unforgettable memoir recounting the author’s experiences as a careworker in London, celebrating humanity and compassion in the face of hardship. Serialised on BBC Radio 4 as their Book of the Week, Kathryn’s story has touched thousands with its warmth, humour and tenderness. ‘Not just essential reading for anyone curious about the realities of care work in this country; it’s also the work of a natural storyteller, and a book full of empathy, humour, and – yes – care,’ wrote Jon McGregor, author of IF NOBODY SPEAKS OF REMARKABLE THINGS; ‘this book is both beautiful and painful to read; beautiful because of its celebration of the human, but painful because we live in a time where caring is idealised but not rewarded or supported,’ agreed Gwen Adshead (THE DEVIL YOU KNOW). ‘This book is a compassionate invitation to get up close to the human condition and those who attend to it.’

On the announcement of the shortlisting, Kathryn Faulke said: ‘Words cannot begin to express how thrilled I am at learning that EVERY KIND OF PEOPLE has been shortlisted for the prestigious RSL Christopher Bland Prize. I am jumping for joy inside and out that a book about care, the profession I love, has been deemed worthy of such an honour. I have written all my life and to have this happen after all those writing years is just wonderful. I am deeply grateful.’

Also nominated for this year’s award are A BOOKSHOP OF ONE’S OWN by Jane Cholmeley, THE DIARIES OF MR LUCAS by Hugo Greenhalgh, THE PAGES OF THE SEA by Anne Hawk and TREES IN WINTER by Richard Shimell. The winner will be announced in an online event on Monday, 9 June 2025.

Congratulations Diane and Kathryn!

Penguin Michael Joseph acquires ‘charming, witty’ debut, THE DOGWALKERS’ DETECTIVE AGENCY by Michael Hogan

Penguin Michael Joseph has acquired World All Language rights in Michael Hogan’s debut novel, THE DOGWALKERS’ DETECTIVE AGENCY, from Juliet Pickering.

THE DOGWALKERS’ DETECTIVE AGENCY is a charming, witty murder mystery set in the sleepy coastal town of Framstone. When Charlie Boardman and his beloved Staffy, Ruby, stumble across a corpse in the woods, the tight-knit community is rocked by the discovery that the local pub landlord has been murdered. Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers take it upon themselves to try and sniff out any clues that might help the police. But when they uncover the second body, it’s time for them to follow their noses – and collar a killer.

Grace Long commented: ‘THE DOGWALKERS’ DETECTIVE AGENCY has everything I love in a cosy crime novel. Hogan’s writing is packed with wit, warmth, humour and charm, with a wonderful cast of characters and their canine companions for readers to fall in love with. With an intriguing mystery at its heart and some fantastic twists and turns, readers and dog lovers are in for a real treat.’

Michael Hogan added: ‘I read a lot of crime fiction and go on a lot of dog walks, so the idea for THE DOGWALKERS’ DETECTIVE AGENCY just seemed to wag its away into my brain and onto the page. I'm thrilled to be working with the mighty team at Penguin Michael Joseph, which publishes some of my favourite authors and is the perfect home for my debut novel.’

Juliet Pickering said: ‘When Michael first told me about his idea for a group of dogwalkers investigating a murder (or two), his pitch was so brilliant that it persuaded me to expand my list to include crime writing! I’ve really enjoyed working with him on this book, and am thrilled that Grace and her colleagues felt just as excited and intrigued by this band of disparate mates, mutts and murderers. THE DOGWALKERS’ DETECTIVE AGENCY is frequently hilarious, but often thoughtful and poignant too, and I can’t wait to see what Ruby, Charlie and co. do next…’

THE DOGWALKERS’ DETECTIVE AGENCY will publish in paperback original and ebook in October 2025.

 

Photo credit: Clara Molden

About Michael Hogan

Michael Hogan is a writer and editor with a 30-year career in journalism. After running his own magazine while studying English at Durham, he did a postgraduate diploma in magazine journalism at City University.

He began his frankly ludicrous career by being the “token boy” at teen mags More! and Just 17, became editor of Sky Magazine, launched Zoo, and worked on the likes of FHM, ShortList, Stylist and Heat. As a freelance writer for the past 12 years, he’s been TV critic for The Telegraph and written for The Guardian, The Observer, Radio Times, Red, Q, Empire, Marie Claire, Grazia, Glamour, InStyle, Esquire, ES and You Magazine.

Michael now writes mainly about TV and pop culture, but also turns his hand to lifestyle pieces, topical comment, celebrity interviews and humorous articles. He’s also a live-blogger, script-tickler, copywriter and editorial consultant for the National TV Awards. He even DJs under the name “Mr Sparkles” (long story). He’s a worryingly prolific tweeter, and makes regular appearances on TV and radio.

He lives in London with his partner, their two children and a rescue dog called Ivy. To escape them all and get some work/procrastination done, he commutes to a shed at the bottom of his garden.

 

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Million-copy bestseller Sue Moorcroft moves to Dialogue Books with new escapist trilogy

Credit: Silvia Rosado Photography

Sunday Times bestselling author Sue Moorcroft will move to Dialogue’s Renegade Books, an imprint of John Murray Press with her new series The Legacy Trilogy. The books were acquired at auction in a six-figure World English Language deal by Christina Demosthenous, Publisher of Renegade Books, from Blake Friedmann’s Juliet Pickering, with the first book, SECRETS OF THE ITALIAN GUESTHOUSE, set to publish in paperback, eBook and audio in Spring 2026.

An atmospheric, emotional and charmingly romantic story of sisterhood, entwined history and family legacy, the new trilogy signals an ambitious next step from the beloved women’s fiction author.

With Sue Moorcroft’s signature warmth and heart, The Legacy Trilogy is set in magnificent Lake Como, northern Italy. On her death, Mairead Campbell leaves her guesthouse, Pensione Three Sisters, to her three granddaughters, Jade, Erin and Rosalie, the scattered daughters of Mairead’s unreliable son Giovanni. The estranged sisters have never met, and they come together over Mairead’s will. Inheriting the guesthouse is just the start of their journeys…

‘Renegade’s pitch for the Legacy trilogy was so appetising!’ said Sue Moorcroft. ‘Christina and the team impress me with their expertise and enthusiasm as well as their ambition for me and my books. I look forward to a wonderfully rosy future as a Renegade author.’

‘I have been a fan of Sue’s for years, so I am pinching myself,’ added Christina Demosthenous. ‘Sue has a huge talent for writing uplifting and charming novels that utterly sweep you away. She completely gets what readers of romantic fiction want, and she more than delivers. Always packed with heart, immensely relatable, beautifully immersive and just the right amount of feel-good, reading a Sue Moorcroft book promises to be a delicious slice of escapism. In SECRETS OF THE ITALIAN GUESTHOUSE we have all of this, and then some. We are so proud to be welcoming Sue to Renegade and working with Juliet. We can’t wait to take Sue’s career to new heights.’

Juliet Pickering said: ‘I’m delighted that Sue has found a fantastic new home with one of the most energetic and committed editors and publishing teams out there. Sue’s sales – both in the UK and globally – are incredible, and fresh vision on her publishing is exciting for all of us. We look forward to growing her readership even further and introducing Jade, Erin and Rosalie in their stunning Italian setting, next year.’

About Sue Moorcroft

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling and internationally acclaimed author whose work has topped the Amazon Kindle UK charts and reached the Top 100 on Amazon Kindle US, Canada, Germany and Italy. Since 2005, she has published 25 novels, along with numerous short stories, serials, courses, and columns that have been enjoyed by readers worldwide. Her books have been translated into thirteen languages. Sue has won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel Award, two HOLT Medallions, and the Katie Fforde Bursary. In 2023, she was appointed President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and continues to champion the prestige of romantic fiction through both the RNA and the #RespectRomFic movement.

Praise for Sue Moorcroft

‘A delight to read. Full of laughter and tears.’ – Katie Fforde

‘Sue’s novels are the perfect escape. You’re guaranteed a warm and sunny read whatever the weather.’ – Bella Osborne

‘There’s something so effortless about reading Sue Moorcroft because her stories are beautifully written, and mesmerisingly engaging… Sue Moorcroft shines a laser beam of understanding and sensitivity on the role of family, leaving the reader feeling as if they’ve been given privileged insight.’ – Linda Hill, My Weekly

‘Sue Moorcroft delivers great stories time after time.’ – Milly Johnson

‘Sue Moorcroft has it all: gorgeous scenery, heartwarming friendships, secrets, twists and turns and a scorching romance.’ – Good Housekeeping

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Playwright Tuyen Do’s debut novel SUMMER ROLLS pre-empted by Trapeze Books

Cover artwork by Manshen Lo

SUMMER ROLLS, the debut novel by Tuyền Đỗ, has been pre-empted by Trapeze Books and will be published on 24 April 2025. The novel, adapted from Tuyền’s play which premiered at London’s Park Theatre in 2019, is a multigenerational story set between the UK and Vietnam, exploring family, identity, love and memory through the lives and relationship of Vietnamese immigrant Trinh and her British-raised daughter Mai. World rights in all languages (excluding US) were acquired by former editor Zoe Yang from Juliet Pickering, with Editorial Director Sareeta Domingo publishing SUMMER ROLLS latterly.

Inspired by Tuyền’s own family history, SUMMER ROLLS tells the parallel stories of both teenage Mai, growing up in 1990s London, and her mother Trinh as she comes of age in 1950 and 60s Vietnam, and explores how the traumas of one generation are mapped onto the lives of the next, and the enduring effects of conflict both domestic and global, personal and public. You can read more about Tuyền’s experience telling this story in this BBC feature interview from the play’s production in June 2019.

‘I am very excited to bring the story of SUMMER ROLLS to a wider audience, together with Trapeze, this conversation-starting publisher,’ said Tuyền. ‘I hope this book will do just that – opening channels of communication between the generations who read it. My aspirations for this still-hidden female story is that it will be illuminating, healing, and a celebration of that very special bond between a daughter and her mother.’

Sareeta Domingo added: ‘Tuyền has crafted an exceptional debut novel, telling a vital story about the complexities of being a second-generation immigrant in Britain today, as well as the impact that crossing an ocean to escape conflict can have on a family. It’s about the challenges of assimilation, culture and personal evolution—but most of all, Tuyền has beautifully captured the utterly relatable nuances of a mother-daughter relationship. I’m excited to be able to publish her work.’

‘Tuyền’s voice – both in her playwriting and her novel – is so striking, resonant and empathic; I loved Summer Rolls from the first page,’ Juliet Pickering said. ‘This is a timely, relatable and deeply moving book from a brilliantly talented debut author, and no one who reads Mai and Trinh’s story will forget it.’

Mai is navigating life in 90s London as a first-generation British Vietnamese teenager, caught between two cultures. Her mother, Trinh, is constantly reminding her to work hard and be grateful.

But Trinh was young once too, living a vibrant and complicated life in Vietnam until forced to flee her war-torn home. Now her focus is the son she thought she'd lost, and the daughter she desperately wants to protect. She tries to forget the memories buried in the rubble of the life she left behind. Moving into young adulthood, Mai begins to follow her calling as a photographer, and falls in knotty but passionate love despite her mother's warnings about boys. When secrets from the past finally resurface, the family's bonds are truly shaken. But if Trinh and Mai can overcome their differences and stand together, then maybe there could be hope for a better, brighter future...

An epic, heartwarming novel that explores love, the meaning of freedom and the importance of family, for fans of PACHINKO and ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS.

Available to pre-order now!

Photo: Gavin Li

About Tuyền Đỗ

Tuyền Đỗ is a British Vietnamese writer and actor. She has been part of the Royal Court’s studio writing group, Tamasha Playwrights, and Bristol Old Vic’s open session writers’ programme. Much of her creative work stems from her East Asian heritage.

Praise for the novel SUMMER ROLLS

‘SUMMER ROLLS is a poignant exploration of intergenerational trauma and its impact on familial bonds, thoughtfully illuminating the Vietnamese refugee crisis of the 70s and 80s. With nuance and compassion, it examines the delicate balance between independence and empathy, leaving a lasting impression of the quiet resilience often embodied by mothers.’ – Warona Jay, author of THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS

Praise for the play SUMMER ROLLS

‘An intimate domestic drama, sketched with compassion and steely honesty.’ – The Guardian

‘Glows with the colour and depth of its characters. Đỗ reveals herself as a sophisticated and empathetic chronicler of people, personality and pain... her scenes are rich, well-rounded and believable... a beautiful, honest, heartfelt portrayal of the British Vietnamese diaspora.’ – The Stage

‘Like a collection of individually captured moments in one huge family album... there are also real moments of tenderness... a realistic and accurate reflection of how memory often works in fragments and flashbacks.’ – Time Out London

Visit Tuyền’s website here

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