Michael Hogan’s cosy canine sequel DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL acquired by Penguin Michael Joseph

DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL, the follow-up to Michael Hogan’s charming debut THE DOGWALKER’S DETECTIVE AGENCY, has been acquired by Penguin Michael Joseph. Editor Grace Long bought World All Language rights from Juliet Pickering ahead of publication in paperback, eBook and audio on 19 November 2026. North American rights have been sold to Claiborne Hancock at Pegasus Books – for publication in Summer 2027 – and Italian rights have sold to Edizioni Piemme SpA.

DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL is a witty and festive locked-room murder mystery. When Charlie Boardman and his fellow dogwalkers are invited to an exclusive new dog-friendly hotel on the outskirts of their seaside hometown of Framstone, they’re looking forward to the ultimate wintery getaway. But when a hotel guest’s body is discovered in suspicious circumstances, the dogwalkers’ staycation takes a turn for the worse. Guests and staff quickly become suspects, and Charlie and his canine-loving friends must pivot from festive thrills to sniffing out the killer in their midst. Who checked into the dog hotel with murder in mind?

‘Crimes will always need solving and dogs will always need walking, so I'm overjoyed to continue the adventures of the Framstone gang and their ragtag pack of hounds,’ said Michael. ‘A locked room mystery at a snowed-in boutique hotel - what could be cosier? I hope readers will enjoy this seasonal sequel as much as I enjoyed writing it. Waggy Christmas, one and all.’

‘It’s been a delight to work with Michael on bringing THE DOGWALKER’S DETECTIVE AGENCY to readers, and I’m thrilled to bring the next instalment, DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL, to fans of cosy crime and dogs alike!’ added editor Grace Long. ‘With a fantastic cast of characters, warm humour and a wonderfully festive set-up, all tied together with a gripping and twisty mystery, DEATH AT THE DOG HOTEL is the perfect stocking stuffer this Christmas.’

Photo: Clara Molden

About Michael Hogan

Michael Hogan is a writer and editor with a 30-year career in journalism. As a freelance writer for the past 12 years, he’s been TV critic for the Telegraph and written for the Guardian, Observer, Radio Times, Red, Q, Empire, Marie Claire, Grazia, Glamour, InStyle, Esquire, ES and You magazine.

He lives in London with his family 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.

Praise for THE DOGWALKER’S DETECTIVE AGENCY

‘This sweet, big-hearted novel is like THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB with Dogs. I horsed through it and found it hugely uplifting. The friendship between the characters is beautiful, and I LOVE the protagonist Charlie. It really kept me guessing – and oh my God, that final FINAL twist! I need more!’ – Marian Keyes

‘Clever, charming and as twisty as a string of sausages stolen from a butcher’s by a Staffy.’ – Adam Kay

‘Michael Hogan is a hilariously funny writer, and this is a total treat’ – Jenni Colgan

‘Brilliant. I inhaled it. This is actually my dream book.’ – Claudia Winkleman

‘Charming, big-hearted, and with a gigantic twist. But frankly, you had me at ‘dogs’. – Jojo Moyes

Follow Michael Hogan on X, BlueSky and Instagram

Irish Mythology Anthology, BANSHEE, edited by Ailbhe Malone, Won at Auction by Renegade/John Murray

Cover design: Aoife Cawley

Journalist and editor Ailbhe Malone has gathered some of Ireland’s finest contemporary female voices for BANSHEE, a spellbinding anthology of original short stories which breathes new life into ancient Irish myths. Christina Demosthenous, former Publisher at Renegade Books, won UK and Commonwealth rights at auction from Juliet Pickering, with editor Abigail Scruby overseeing publication following Christina’s departure. With a bespoke, striking cover designed by artist Aoife Cawley, BANSHEE will be published in hardback, eBook and audio on 26 February 2026.

BANSHEE seeks to reclaim the stories of women who have too long stood in the shadows of warriors and kings. Transporting you to treacherous landscapes and salt-crashing seas, generational curses and mystical islands, in BANSHEE you'll find unruly mothers, rule-breaking queens, defiant mermaids and women outrunning their destiny – stories pulsing with desire, danger and defiance.

With contributions from every corner of Irish literature, BANSHEE features luminous retellings by Jane Casey, Naoise Dolan, Salma El-Wardany, Wendy Erskine, Nikita Gill, Anne Griffin, Sarah Maria Griffin, Jess Kidd, Megan Nolan and Sheila O'Flanagan.

 ‘An anthology felt like the only way to do this project justice,’ said Ailbhe Malone. ‘I was blown away by the response from authors who wanted to participate, and the end result is thrilling, fresh, and compulsively readable. I'm beyond thrilled to be working with JMP, and February 2026 cannot come soon enough.’

‘From the early days of the seanchaí to today, myth and legend has been an inseparable part of Irish culture,’ added Abigail Scruby. ‘The stories in BANSHEE, by some of our finest contemporary writers, are witty, dark and exhilarating, revealing the richness of Irish mythology, while also giving the heroines their long-awaited dues.’

Juliet Pickering said: ‘It was clear that the omission of Irish stories was a huge gap in our mythology publishing, and when Ailbhe suggested the idea for this anthology it was irresistible. We have an incredible line up of authors and their retellings are wonderfully surprising, compelling and long overdue. We're proud to bring these women back into the limelight and celebrate their legacies.’

Photo: Robin Christian

About Ailbhe Malone

Ailbhe Malone is Senior Editor at the Strategist (New York Magazine). She has also worked for the Guardian, Irish Times, Wired and Nylon (US). Educated at Trinity College Dublin, Ailbhe spent summers in the west of Ireland, surrounded by the foundations of legends featured in this collection. From learning about the salmon of knowledge from a seanchaí to reading Sinéad de Valera's Irish Fairy Tales under the covers at night, she gobbled up every variant of folktale she could find.

Ailbhe is also the author of two self-care books: 101 TINY CHANGES TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY (Icon Books, 2018), and 101 TINY CHANGES TO BRIGHTEN YOUR WORLD (Icon Books, 2019).

Praise for BANSHEE

‘I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. I was immersed in it. A mystical, magical, empowering modern re-imagining of the Irish Goddesses.  A unique and compelling read, I LOVED these superb stories.’ – Patricia Scanlan

‘Sharply-written and urgent, BANSHEE conjures a dazzlingly modern mythology of our oldest stories, richly imagined by the very best of Irish writers. I loved every page.’ – Doireann Ní Ghríofa

Sceptre to publish 'raw, uncompromising and intensely lyrical' Natasha Carthew’s new non-fiction ROUGH EDGES

Acclaimed writer, poet and activist Natasha Carthew’s fierce and powerful new non-fiction title, ROUGH EDGES: WHERE LAND MEETS WATER, THE UNTOLD STORIES OF COASTLINE COMMUNITIES has been acquired by Sceptre. Editorial Director at Sceptre, Charlotte Humphery will publish the book after Hannah Black acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (exc. Canada) from Juliet Pickering. ROUGH EDGES will be available in in hardback, export trade paperback, ebook and audio digital download on 4 June 2026.

Following on from Natasha’s Nero Prize shortlisted memoir, UNDERCURRENT, ROUGH EDGES is a rallying cry for the beauty and importance of our coast and its people. Beyond the picture postcards, Britain’s coastal communities are suffering. Crowds flood the beaches during summer heatwaves, but quickly vanish again, leaving behind litter and unstable seasonal jobs. Seaside property is in high demand but affordable only for landlords and gentrifiers. The cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing pains of austerity trap those at the vulnerable edges of our nation in poverty.

Having grown up in rural Cornwall, Natasha Carthew leaves the county in search of a new home. Travelling the country and exploring the villages, towns and cities of our coast, she meets the people fighting to keep these places alive. With fierce compassion, she shares their voices and their stories.

Charlotte Humphery says: ‘Natasha is a remarkable force on the page and in the world, and I’m proud to be working with her on this vital new book. Whether exploring coastal cities or walking country paths, she traces economic shifts, the cost of austerity and considers the past and the future of these places under threat by climate change, gentrification and political expediency. Journeying across the country, she gives voice to those often ignored and finds hope in the persistence of coastal communities and those who live on our nation’s edges.’

Natasha Carthew says: ‘I’m delighted to be able to call Sceptre the home for my new non-fiction ROUGH EDGES, and I couldn’t wish for anyone better to guide me along the urban edges of our coastline than Charlotte, an editor who is a compassionate, considerate and curious, ensuring that the voices of our nation, especially those of the working-class, are heard loud and clear.’

About Natasha Carthew

Natasha Carthew is a Cornish working-class writer, poet and activist. She is the author of ten books, most recently UNDERCURRENT: A CORNISH MEMOIR OF POVERTY, NATURE AND RESILIENCE (2023), which was shortlisted for the non-fiction prize at the inaugural Nero Book Awards. She has also contributed to HAG: FORGOTTEN TALES (2020) and WOMEN ON NATURE: 100+ VOICES ON PLACE, LANDSCAPE & THE NATURAL WORLD (2021) and BOG PEOPLE: A WORKING-CLASS ANTHOLOGY OF FOLK HORROR (2025).

Natasha has written extensively on nature and socio-economics, and frequently discusses how authentic rural working-class writing is represented, for several publications and programmes including BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, The Guardian, The Bookseller, Book Brunch, The Big Issue and The Economist.

Natasha is also the Founder and Director of The Working Class Writers Festival and Common Ground Nature Prize for Working Class Writers.

Praise for Natasha Carthew

‘Natasha writes with a vivid, imagistic language’ – The Financial Times

‘Carthew is an elegantly lyrical writer’ – The Independent

‘Gripping stuff, Carthew’s prose has a startling ferocity’ – The Telegraph

‘Carthew’s is a different voice: sinewy and inventive’ – Patrick Gale

‘The rhythm of the language is hypnotic, and the powerful imagery of Natasha’s prose takes over. The raw energy and beauty of the landscapes are particularly well-evoked’ – Daily Mail

‘A real thing of beauty. The innovative structure and striking illustrations combine to create a verbal and visual feast. The reader feels like they are down in the darkness of mine and eavesdropping on the past’ – Cathy Rentzenbrink

‘Carthew’s writing is raw, uncompromising and intensely lyrical’ – Bookanista

‘Rough and taciturn and frank and, at times, utterly shocking. But Natasha’s writing is also deeply, deeply intimate’ – The Bookbag

Follow Natasha on X (previously Twitter) and Instagram.

Karen Campbell’s ‘beautiful, uplifting’ THIS BRIGHT LIFE shortlisted for Scotland’s National Book Awards

UPDATE: we are delighted to announce that Karen Campbell’s THIS BRIGHT LIFE has advanced to the shortlist for the Best Fiction prize at Scotland’s National Book Awards, presented by the Saltire Society.

Also nominated are Sean Lusk (A WOMAN OF OPINION), Chris McQueer (HERMIT), Michael Pederson (MUCKLE FLUGGA), Krystelle Bamford (IDLE GROUNDS) and Chris Kohler (PHANTOM LIMB).

‘These titles explore pressing issues and remake and challenge long traditions, with great characterisation, luscious language and a good dollop of straight-up craziness,’ wrote the judges on Instagram, announcing the shortlist. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 19th November at a ceremony at Edinburgh’s Central Hall, hosted by Coinneach Macleod. 

Congratulations again to Karen! For more information about THIS BRIGHT LIFE and the awards, please read on.

***

THIS BRIGHT LIFE – the ninth novel by Karen Campbell – has been included on the longlist for this year’s Best Fiction prize at Scotland’s National Book Awards, presented by the Saltire Society. One of the world’s oldest running prizes for literature, first awarded in 1937, Scotland’s National Book Awards celebrate the very best of Scottish writing across five categories – Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, First Book and Research – the winners of each competing for the overall Book of the Year prize.

‘Witty and incisive, this is a quirky and compassionate novel centred on a brilliantly realised child character,’ said the judges on THIS BRIGHT LIFE, calling it ‘a deft and empathetic exploration of lives fallen between the cracks.’

THIS BRIGHT LIFE tells the intertwined stories of twelve-year-old Gerard, widower Margaret, and social worker Claire as a terrible decision brings together their three messy lives in order to heal, mend, and build again. The novel was published by Canongate in March 2025, with an audiobook simultaneously published by Bolinda. It earned rave reviews from the likes of Janice Hallett  (‘Ultimately life-affirming, this gritty novel will take you to dark places, but it’s one beautiful, uplifting journey’) and Kirstin Innes (‘Karen Campbell finds lives that can fall between the cracks, and holds them up to the light of her clear, compassionate writing’), as well as The Scotsman and The Herald. A paperback will be published by Canongate in March 2026, and a Turkish translation by Nemesis is forthcoming.

Longlisted for Best Fiction alongside Karen are Sean Lusk (A WOMAN OF OPINION), Chris McQueer (HERMIT), Michael Pederson (MUCKLE FLUGGA), Angie Spoto (THE BONE DIVER), Richard Strachan (THE UNRECOVERED), James Yorkston (TOMMY THE BRUCE), Selali Fiamanya (BEFORE WE HIT THE GROUND), Krystelle Bamford (IDLE GROUNDS) and Chris Kohler (PHANTOM LIMB). The shortlists will be announced in October, ahead of the awards ceremony in late November.

Congratulations Karen!

About THIS BRIGHT LIFE

Margaret – an elderly widow who just wants to be left with her memories and her quiet, contained life.

Claire – newly divorced, downsizing into the neighbourhood and way too busy to mend a broken heart.

Gerard – a tearaway twelve-year-old who hates his name but loves his little brother and sister. Gerard is a bright kid, but trouble always follows him. No one really knows what it's like at home; he's used to carrying a lot on his small shoulders.

Gerard doesn't always make good decisions. One morning, he makes a very bad one, upending not just his world, but the lives of Margaret and Claire too. Both heart-breaking and life-affirming, THIS BRIGHT LIFE is a story of messy lives, second chances and the many hands it takes to build a boy.

Photo: Kim Ayers

About Karen Campbell

Karen Campbell is originally from Glasgow but now lives in southwest Scotland. She graduated with distinction from Glasgow University’s Creative Writing Masters and won an SAC New Writers Award and a Creative Scotland Bursary. Before turning to writing, she was a police officer in Glasgow, then press officer with Glasgow City Council. She also tutors in creative writing and was Writer in Residence at Dumfries & Galloway Council during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Her first four novels focus on life behind the police uniform. This disconnect between what we see on the surface and the reality underneath runs through much of her work, with Karen going on to write novels such as THIS IS WHERE I AM (Bloomsbury, 2013), which was a Radio 4 Book at Bedtime.  Her eighth novel PAPER CUP (Canongate, 2022) was a Waterstone’s Scottish Book of the Month and won the 2023 Blairgowrie Bookmark Prize. Karen’s appeared on Radio 4 Women’s Hour, Radio 3’s The Verb, Radio Scotland and BBC television’s Big Scottish Book Club.

Praise for THIS BRIGHT LIFE

‘THIS BRIGHT LIFE is a moving, haunting portrait of childhood and the jagged reflections of one tiny action in the kaleidoscope of humanity. Karen Campbell captures the voice of 12-year-old Gerard with poignant accuracy and her words paint pictures with the touch of an old master. Ultimately life-affirming, this gritty novel will take you to dark places, but it’s one beautiful, uplifting journey.’ – Janice Hallett 

‘I love this story so much. Karen writes with such a rare and deep understanding of people and every word of her stories earns its keep. THIS BRIGHT LIFE is dark, moving and compassionate… it makes you feel hopeful, like a handrail in the dark. I adore it’ – Joanna Cannon

‘Karen Campbell finds lives that can fall between the cracks, and holds them up to the light of her clear, compassionate writing. Wee Gerard is yet another one of her brilliant creations – so real you can hear him breathing, feel his hurt and frustration alongside him.’ – Kirstin Innes

‘A novel of great empathy and humanity, in which bleakness is offset by optimism, represented by the community that rallies around, the stranger who wants to help and the possibility of redemption.’ – Alastair Mabbot, The Herald

‘Few write with such compassion and understanding of human nature, which is just one of the reasons her books mean so much to her readers. THIS BRIGHT LIFE looks back to childhood and how decisions made, and resultant events, impact on individuals and those around them. Karen Campbell manages to convey the drama of people’s everyday lives in the most empathetic and beautiful way.’ – Alastair Braidwood, SNACK Magazine, ‘Ten Books for 2025’

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Visit Karen’s website