Blake Friedmann Best of 2023

We’re delighted to have so many author achievements from 2023 to celebrate! Congratulations to our writers!

‘A Short Trip to Tesco’ by Shani Akilah

Shortlisted for the Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition 2023

THE MILK TART MURDERS by Sally Andrew

Winner of the Adult Fiction category at the 2023 SA Book Awards

Romalyn Ante

Elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

Graeme Armstrong

Included in the Granta Best of Young British Novelists list

SIX DAYS by Dani Atkins

Winner of the Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award at the 2023 Romantic Novel Awards

HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola

Winner of the BookTok Book Of The Year at the 2023 TikTok Book Awards

Shortlisted for the Début Fiction Book of the Year award at the 2023 British Books Awards

OXBLOOD by Tom Benn

Winner of the 2022 Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award

Longlisted for the Gold Dagger at the Crime Writers’ Association Daggers Awards

‘Deeply immersive and evocative of the era… This is a novel to lose yourself in.’ – The Times, ‘100 Best Books for Summer 2023’

CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet

Longlisted for the 2023 Dublin Literary Award

TIEPOLO BLUE by James Cahill

Longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award

EDITH HOLLER by Edward Carey

One of Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2023

A Broadway Direct ‘2023 Holiday Book Guide for theatre lovers’ pick

‘Edward Carey excels in writing – and drawing! – peculiar characters, and the cast he creates for the macabre and fun EDITH HOLLER is no exception.’ – Melissa Gray, NPR, ‘NPR Best Books of the Year 2023’

‘What I love about Edward Carey’s writing is one he takes you immediately into the past, he has a very unusual imagination that shows itself not only in the beautiful writing but in the beautiful illustrations that he does throughout the novel. Edward Carey’s world is just one I always want to be in and I love all his books.’ – Bill Goldstein, NBC, ‘ Bill Goldstein’s Five Favorite Books of 2023’

UNDERCURRENT by Natasha Carthew

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nero Book Awards

 Anne de Courcy

Awarded the Biographers’ Club Exceptional Contribution Prize

THE LAST PASSENGER by Will Dean

‘If you think the notion of the “high concept” thriller has been fully exsanguinated, think again. In Dean’s new novel, a luxury liner adrift without a crew in the mid-Atlantic has one passenger, Caz Ripley, left on board, dealing with a Mary Celeste-like mystery. Irresistibly compelling fare.’ – The Financial Times, ‘Best Summer Books of 2023: Crime’

‘Perfect… Will Dean’s ingenious plot developments will keep you, like Caz, guessing wildly, and Jenny Funnell’s narration keeps belief suspended until the very end – and indeed beyond it.’ – Christina Hardyment, The Times, ‘The Best Audiobooks for Summer 2023’

‘Welcome to the RMS Atlantica, a ship unlike any other. We wish you fair winds and calm seas.’ – New York Library, ‘Best Books for Adults 2023’

THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling

Longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Awards

Janice Galloway

Elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

RESURRECTION by David Gilman

‘From a murder on the London Underground to a mission that goes badly wrong in the Sahara, Gilman keeps the action flowing furiously in the latest outing for Dan Raglan, a former MI6 officer and soldier in the French Foreign Legion. Raglan’s back-story and twisty political intrigue add an extra layer in this intelligent, satisfying international adventure.’ – The Financial Times, ‘Best Summer Books of 2023: Thrillers’

THE HYACINTH GIRL by Lyndall Gordon

Longlisted for 2023 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography

MY THIRTY-MINUTE BAR MITZVAH by Denis Hirson

Longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Awards

STOP THEM DEAD by Peter James

‘DS Roy Grace confronts an alarming illegal trade in dogs which leads to savage murder in this unputdownable addition to James' acclaimed crime series’ – Waterstones, ‘The Best Books of 2023: Crime & Thriller’

PICTURE YOU DEAD by Peter James

A No.2 Sunday Times bestseller

‘A fun, fast-paced mystery, featuring a villain with an insatiable lust for art history’s forgotten treasures willing to stop at nothing to complete his collection.’ – Sarah Cascone, Art Net, ‘Best Art Books Published in 2023’

Contraflow: Lines of Englishness 1922-2022, ed. by John Greening and Kevin Gardner, including ‘The Only English Kid’ by Hannah Lowe

‘Finally, a treasure trove for poetry lovers. Contraflow: Lines of Englishness 1922-2022 is an anthology of English poetry from the past century. It sounds all too familiar and comfortable. But the editors, John Greening and Kevin Gardner, have cleverly set familiar voices of the past alongside some of today’s best poets, such as Zaffar Kunial and Hannah Lowe. If you tend not to read anything later than Larkin, this is a great way to start bringing yourself up to date.’ – Graeme Richardson, The Times, ‘16 Best Literature and Poetry Books of 2023’

THE WOMAN IN THE CHINESE COLLAR (previously titled MOY: In Search of Nelsa Lowe) by Hannah Lowe

Winner of the 2024 Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer’s Award

Zakes Mda

Nominated for the African Genius Awards

THE DARK FLOOD by Deon Meyer

Longlisted for the Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation at the Crime Writers’ Association Daggers Awards

Nominated for the 2023 Barry Awards in the Best Mystery or Crime Novel category

LEO by Deon Meyer

Overall (All-Language Fiction and Non-Fiction) No 1 Bestseller in South Africa for 10 weeks

MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor

An Irish No.1 for 4 weeks in a row and was in the Irish Top Ten for another 12 weeks

Shortlisted for the Eason Novel of the Year Award at the 2023 An Post Irish Book Awards

Shortlisted for the Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year Award at the 2023 An Post Irish Book Awards

One of the most borrowed books from Kerry Library in 2023

‘O’Connor combines suspenseful storytelling with an eye for quirky human detail as he recounts the cat-and-mouse game with the Nazi authorities of the man dubbed “the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican’’ – The Times, ‘100 Best Books for Summer 2023’

‘Joseph O’Connor’s historical novel MY FATHER’S HOUSE manages to be at once a ripping yarn and a profound exploration of moral choices in the worst of times… With lyrical evocation of time and place, scabrous humour and heart-stopping tension, it combines the pleasures of the ideal holiday read with those of a literary masterpiece.’ – Fintan O’Toole, The Irish Times, ‘The Best Books of 2023 so far’

‘MY FATHER’S HOUSE explore[s] the legacy of the past and show how the power and influence of the Catholic Church comes in many guises… [an] exploration of literary style and its possibilities, the art of making it new.’ – Colm Tóibín, The Irish Times, ‘The Best Books of 2023 so far’

‘Striking, immersive’ – Sarah Gilmartin, The Irish Times, ‘The Best Books of 2023 so far’

‘Based on the true story of a group in Vatican City whose daring exploits during World War II saved lives, O’Connor’s narrative charts the buildup and countdown to their mission. The result is a gripping drama featuring the unlikeliest of heroes, whom the reader will root for every step of the way’ – The Washington Post, ‘50 Notable Works of Fiction’

‘O’Connor’s beautifully written novel centers on an Irish priest, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, who organized escapes for Jews, resistance fighters and Allied prisoners during the Nazi occupation of Rome. Assisting him were men and women whose much-fictionalized selves are presented here in the compelling voices of actors Barry Barnes, Aoife Duffin, Stephen Hogan and several others.’ – Katherine A. Powers, The Washington Post, ‘The 10 Best Audiobooks of 2023’

‘O’Connor must have danced a jig of delight when he came upon the true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, the Kerry-born priest stationed in the Vatican during World War II. O’Flaherty was directly responsible for helping around 6,500 people escape the clutches of the Nazis as the forces of darkness surrounded the Holy See. He’s a hero to cheer for, opposed by a proper boo-hiss villain in Obersturmbannführer Paul Hauptmann, and the supporting cast – everyone from The Pope to London wide boys - is equally strong. The master story teller delivers crackling dialogue, tense and thrilling set pieces, and beautiful prose. A bank holiday movie in book form.’ – Pat Carty, Hot Press, ‘The Best Books Of 2023’

‘[Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty’s] powerful story becomes a literary thriller which examines the nature of sacrifice and what it means to be human in the most extreme circumstances.’ – Fiona Audley, Irish Post, ‘Top Irish Reads for Christmas 2023’

‘MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor is a fictionalised account of the war years of Monsignor Hugh O’Connor, Vatican cleric and saviour of thousands of Allied prisoners and Jews in Nazi-occupied Rome. He didn’t act alone, and O’Connor gives voice and colour to his many helpers in this lively, evocative and beautiful rendering of the faith and courage of the scholarly but humble Kerry priest.’ – Anne Cunningham, The Anglo-Celt , ‘Some suggestions for books as Christmas gifts’

‘It’s both beautifully written literature and a cracking will-they-won’t-they thriller, as team O’Flaherty embark on a race against time, counting down to Christmas Eve and the next dangerous mission to save Allied soldiers. Gorgeous and brilliant.’ – Jenni Frazer, The Jewish Chronicle, ‘Fiction review of the year’

THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE by Sheila O’Flanagan

No.1 Irish bestseller

WHAT EDEN DID NEXT by Sheila O’Flanagan

The third most borrowed book from Kerry Library in 2023

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks

Winner of the 2023 Prix Mystère de la critique

MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks

Shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger at the Crime Writers’ Association Daggers Awards

Longlisted for the 2023 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award

FIFTEEN WILD DECEMBERS by Karen Powell

Shortlisted for the 2023 Nero Book Awards

‘The story of moorland isolation, early deaths and burgeoning creativity is a familiar one, but Powell with Emily as her first-person narrator, gives it a new energy, capturing the vulnerability of the three sisters and their determination to make the most of their talents.’ – Nick Rennison, The Times, ‘The Best Historical Fiction Books of 2023’

‘More people need to discover this. A dazzling work of genius, her writing about the Brontë sisters make you inhabit their world and struggles.’ – Georgina Moore, The Daily Express, ‘Favourite Reads of 2023’

‘It’s a brave novelist who seeks to enter the mind of Emily Brontë, to be a ventriloquist to such strange genius, but this book is a triumph in its psychological acuity and wonderful use of language. (And Emily’s bull mastiff Keeper should now be in any list of best dogs in fiction.)’ – Nick, Sevenoaks Bookshop, ‘Books of the Year’

A LIBRARY TO FLEE by Etienne van Heerden (translated by Henrietta Rose-Innes)

Longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Awards

A HISTORY OF WATER by Edward Wilson-Lee

Shortlisted for the 2023 James Tait Black Biography Prize

Tom Benn, Alan Parks and Deon Meyer longlisted for CWA Daggers 2023

We are delighted that three Blake Friedmann authors have had their recent crime novels longlisted in this year’s Crime Writers’ Association Daggers. OXBLOOD by Tom Benn is longlisted for the Gold Dagger, the award for the overall best crime novel of the year. Deon Meyer’s THE DARK FLOOD, translated by K.L. Seegers, is on the longlist for the Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation. MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks has been longlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, for the best espionage, psychological, or adventure thriller novel.

The Crime Writers’ Association Daggers are the oldest awards of the genre and among the most prestigious. The Daggers shortlists will be announced on 12 May at Crimefest and the winners at a gala dinner on 6 July.

Photo: Benjamin Mathers

OXBLOOD follows three generations of women as they try to come to terms with the bloody legacy of their family in 1980s Manchester. Told in vivid, visceral prose, OXBLOOD was published by Bloomsbury in April 2022, and recently earned Tom the 2022 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Translation rights have been sold in Spain and the paperback is just out in the UK.

‘One of the most powerful and urgent writers of our times.’ – David Peace

‘A compelling and deeply unsettling experience… a novel that glitters with the dark energy and lifeblood of its characters.’ – Naomi Booth

Tom Benn is an author, screenwriter and lecturer from Stockport, England. His first novel, THE DOLL PRINCESS, was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Portico Prize, and his creative nonfiction has appeared in The Paris Review Daily. His first film Real Gods Require Blood premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Short Film at the BFI London Film Festival.

THE DARK FLOOD sees detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido demoted and sent to the leafy university town of Stellenbosch, but an apparently humdrum missing person case soon takes a disturbing turn. THE DARK FLOOD was first published by Human & Rousseau in 2020 in Afrikaans, where it became an instant #1 bestseller. The English edition, translated by K.L. Seegers, was published by Hodder in the UK and Grove Atlantic in the US in 2022, and was nominated for a Barry Award 2023. The paperback editions have just been published.

‘The best work yet from this gifted author.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Deon Meyer’s Benny Griessel novels, featuring a detective in an elite crime squad in Cape Town, are a joy to read.’ – Joan Smith, The Sunday Times

Deon Meyer is an internationally bestselling and prizewinning author, who was awarded France’s highest arts honour, Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters) in 2021. Rights in his titles are sold in 30 territories and 28 languages and many of his books have been optioned for film. He has been shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger three times and his books have won many prizes around the world, including the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France.

Photo: Euan Robertson

MAY GOD FORGIVE is the fifth title in Alan Parks’ highly acclaimed Harry McCoy series, and winner of the McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year. After a fatal arson attack leaves tempers frayed in Glasgow, McCoy finds himself in a race against to find the suspects, before they turn up dead one by one. In 2022 MAY GOD FORGIVE was published in the UK by Canongate and in the US by Europa. The series is sold in more than ten countries around the world and the paperback will be out in the UK this week, on 27 April 2023.

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is the fifth instalment in a remarkable series that began with BLOODY JANUARY. The novels, as someone once said, can be read in any order; the important thing is to read them all.’ – Mark Sanderson, The Times

‘MAY GOD FORGIVE is crime fiction which pulls no punches, powerfully told and, at times, heartbreakingly poignant. One of the crime novels of 2022.’ – Mike Ripley, Getting Away With Murder

Alan Parks was born in Scotland and worked in the music business before becoming a full-time writer. His debut novel BLOODY JANUARY propelled him onto the international literary crime fiction scene and his work has been hailed by contemporary writers and critics alike. He still lives and works in Glasgow, the city that is so vividly depicted in the 1970s setting of his Harry McCoy thrillers.

Tom Benn wins The 2022 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award

We are delighted to announce that Tom Benn has won the 2022 Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Trust Young Writer of the Year Award for his novel OXBLOOD, published by Bloomsbury.

The award celebrates fiction, non-fiction and poetry by British or Irish authors aged 35 or under: recent winners include Sally Rooney, Max Porter, Sarah Howe, Raymond Antrobus and Cal Flyn. Its fuller alumni list includes Robert Macfarlane, Sarah Waters, Simon Armitage, Naomi Alderman, Caryl Phillips, Andrew Cowan and Zadie Smith, among others.

The other titles on this year’s shortlist were LARGER THAN AN ORANGE by Lucy Burns, MAPS OF OUR SPECTACULAR BODIES by Maddie Mortimer and SUPER-INFINITE by Katherine Rundell.

On Tom’s win, Sunday Times literary editor Johanna Thomas-Corr commented: ‘Tom’s story about the struggles of three generations of women in a Manchester crime clan has been rendered with care and specificity. The result is an atmospheric family saga that contains so much buried love, anger, grief, sexual jealousy and bitter disappointment… Yet somehow I emerged from it exhilarated!’

Chair of the 2022 judging panel Andrew Holgate added: ‘What a voice Tom Benn has got, what a feel for character and place, and what an uncompromising approach he has to his subject and material. He inhabits his milieu of 1980s Manchester with total conviction. We were bowled over as a judging panel by OXBLOOD.’

Sebastian Faulks, Chair of the Charlotte Aitken Trust, presented the award, having chaired the shortlist readings at Waterstones Piccadilly the previous night. The judging panel included critic and journalist Stig Abell, poet Mona Arshi, author Oyinkan Braithwaite, and novelist and earlier winner of the prize, Francis Spufford.  Stig Abell said OXBLOOD ‘is a book to get lost headlong in’ and Mona Arshi called it ‘one of those rare books where place and time are conjured so effortlessly, the cast of characters drawn with so much ease and grace.’ Oyinkan Braithwaite called it ‘a propulsive, bountiful, fearless work of art’ and Francis Spufford added that OXBLOOD ‘shows us that there are few places literature can’t take us, if the writer is brave enough, and gifted enough.’

See more on news of Tom’s win and praise from the judges for OXBLOOD:
http://www.youngwriteraward.com/tombenn/#

Watch a video of Tom talking about OXBLOOD before the prize announcement:
https://twitter.com/YoungWriterYear/status/1630656368418889739?s=20

See an interview with Tom after winning the prize:
https://twitter.com/Waterstones/status/1635981676596834305?s=20

Read an extract from OXBLOOD in Granta:
https://granta.com/oxblood/

OXBLOOD follows three generations of women as they try to come to terms with the bloody legacy of their family in 1980s Manchester. Told in vivid, visceral prose, OXBLOOD was published in hardback in April 2022 and was also longlisted for the 2022 Gordon Burn Prize. The paperback edition will be published in April. Translation rights have recently been sold in Spain.

More Praise for OXBLOOD:

‘Brilliant’ – Denise Mina

‘The master of northern noir… a richly layered tale of a Mancunian crime clan set in the 1980s, of decaying mills, rising unemployment and rampant drug dealing. This atmospheric novel, which was also longlisted for the Gordon Burn prize 2022, explores the legacy of violent men through the three generations of working-class women left behind’ – Johanna Thomas-Corr, The Sunday Times

‘One of the most powerful and urgent writers of our times.’ – David Peace

‘If I read a better novel than OXBLOOD in 2022, it’ll be a blinding year for fiction. Tom Benn, please take a bow. Everybody else, please take note.’ – Joseph Knox author of SIRENS and TRUE CRIME

‘Powerful and so beautifully written – like David Peace wrote Alan Warner’s The Sopranos and so lyrical, too.’ – Harriet Tyce, Sunday Times-bestselling author of BLOOD ORANGE         

‘Reading OXBLOOD is a compelling and deeply unsettling experience; this is a novel that glitters with the dark energy and lifeblood of its characters’ – Naomi Booth, author of THE LOST ART OF SINKING and EXIT MANAGEMENT             

‘More than anything, I was enamoured with Benn's audacity: to tell this raw, violent,  compassionate story; to use language in such a thrilling and fresh way; to explore the dark hearts of ordinary people, and to not look away when things get messy; to be, basically, this good.’ – D.W. Wilson, author of ONCE YOU BREAK A KNUCKLE

Credit: Benjamin Mathers

About Tom Benn:

Tom Benn is an author, screenwriter and lecturer from Stockport, England. His first novel, THE DOLL PRINCESS (Cape), was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Portico Prize, longlisted for the CWA’s John Creasey Dagger, and was The Daily Mirror's Book of the Week. His other novels are CHAMBER MUSIC (Cape) and TROUBLE MAN (Cape). He won runner-up prize in the 2019 International Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction, and his creative nonfiction has appeared in The Paris Review Daily. He won the BFI’s iWrite scheme for emerging screenwriters. His first film, Real Gods Require Blood, premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Short Film at the BFI London Film Festival.

His latest novel, OXBLOOD, was published by Bloomsbury in 2022 and was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and won Tom the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award 2022. 

Follow Tom on Twitter

Tom Benn shortlisted for the 2022 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award

We are delighted that Tom Benn has been shortlisted for the 2022 Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award, for his novel OXBLOOD.

Also shortlisted are Lucy Burns with Larger than an Orange, Maddie Mortimer with Maps of our Spectacular Bodies and Katherine Rundell with Super-Infinite.

The Sunday Times described the shortlisters as ‘four dazzling risk-takers’ and Tom Benn as ‘a master of Northern Noir’. Chair of Judges Andrew Holgate said: ‘Four very strong voices and four immensely powerful books. This is a terrific shortlist, one that more than lives up to the great traditions of this prize and its mission to find and spotlight distinctive new voices that will flourish in the future. I feel very confident about the way forward for all of these authors, and choosing between them for the winner is going to be extremely difficult.’

The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award is awarded annually for a work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry, to an author aged 18 – 35. Previous winners include Sally Rooney and Max Porter. The winner of the 2022 award and the £10,000 prize will be announced on 14th March.

David Peace called Tom Benn ‘one of the most powerful and urgent writers of our times’ and OXBLOOD, published by Bloomsbury in April 2022, was also longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize 2022. The paperback will be published in April 2023. 

OXBLOOD by Tom Benn

Wythenshawe, South Manchester. 1985.

The Dodds family once ruled Manchester’s underworld; now the men are dead, leaving three generations of women trapped in a house haunted by violence, harbouring an unregistered baby.

Matriarch Nedra presides over the household, which bustles with activity as she prepares the welcome feast for her grandson Kelly’s return from prison.

Her grieving daughter-in-law Carol is visited by both the welcome intimate ghost of her murdered lover, and by Mac, an ageing criminal enforcer, a man who may just offer her a real and possible future.

And then there is Jan – the teenage tearaway running as fast as she can from her mother, her grandmother and her own unnamed baby.

Over the course of a few days, the Dodds women must each confront the true legacy of the men who have defined their lives, and seize the opportunity to break the cycle for good.

A blistering portrait of a family on fire, OXBLOOD lays bare the horror of violence, the exile of grief and the extraordinary power of love.

About Tom Benn

Photo: Benjamin Mathers

Tom Benn is an author, screenwriter and lecturer from Stockport, England. His first novel, THE DOLL PRINCESS (Cape), was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Portico Prize, longlisted for the CWA’s John Creasey Dagger, and was The Daily Mirror's Book of the Week. His other novels are CHAMBER MUSIC (Cape) and TROUBLE MAN (Cape). He won runner-up prize in the 2019 International Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction, and his creative nonfiction has appeared in The Paris Review Daily. He won the BFI’s iWrite scheme for emerging screenwriters. His first film, Real Gods Require Blood, premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Short Film at the BFI London Film Festival.

Praise for OXBLOOD

‘This trio of strong female, working-class voices, each telling her own story, is an absolute triumph: complex, haunting and powerful, this is a blazing tale of complicity, shame, love and hope.’ – Laura Wilson, The Guardian

‘If I read a better novel than OXBLOOD in 2022, it’ll be a blinding year for fiction. Tom Benn, please take a bow. Everybody else, please take note.’ – Joseph Knox, author of TRUE CRIME STORY and SIRENS

‘One of the most powerful and urgent writers of our times.’ – David Peace

‘Brilliant’ – Denise Mina

Follow Tom on Twitter

Blake Friedmann Best of 2022 & 2023

We’re delighted to have so many author achievements from 2022 to celebrate! Take a look at the list here:

GOOD INTENTIONS by Kasim Ali

 One of LoveReading’s ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 One of The Week’s ‘Best Novels of 2022’

 THE HIERARCHIES  by Ros Anderson

 ‘THE HIERARCHIES by Ros Anderson went above and beyond my expectations. The plot is as fast-paced as any Hollywood movie but the writing is exquisite. Told through the voice of Sylv.ie, a synthetic robot designed to cater to her husband’s every whim, there are dark moments and, as with the best dystopian fiction, the novel asks questions about humans and how we relate to those we see as ‘lesser’. I became very attached to Sylv.ie and her journey and I know I will re-read this book many times.’ – Gaynor Jones, Northern Soul, ‘Best Reads of 2022’

 EAST SIDE VOICES (including contributions by Romalyn Ante, Tuyen Do & Andrew Wong)

 ‘EAST SIDE VOICES, which started life as a literary salon exploring what it means to be East and Southeast Asian in Britain today, now takes this varied and thought-provoking collection of essays, brought together by founder and editor Helena Lee… Invaluable and delightful.’ – Esquire, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘A range of touching essays on what it means to have an Asian or Southeast Asian identity in Britain. I found the nuanced reflections by the contributors, from Harry Potter actress Katie Leung to author and musician Claire Kohda, incredibly informative and, at times, profoundly emotional.’ – Katy Hessel, Waterstones Blog, ‘Katy Hessel's Favourite Reads of 2022’

THE MILK TART MURDERS (A Tannie Maria Mystery #4) by Sally Andrew

 A Number 1 Bestseller in South Africa (and series streamed on Acorn TV)

A SKY FULL OF STARS by Dani Atkins

 Winner of the Contemporary Romantic Novel Award at the 2022 Romantic Novel Awards

 HONEY & SPICE by Bolu Babalola

 One of Booklist’s ‘Top 10 Romance Debuts’ of 2022

 One of Time’s ‘Must-Read Books of 2022’

 One of WHSmith’s ‘Best Books of 2022’

 One of NPR’s ‘Best Books of 2022’

 A Times Bestseller

 ‘The holidays are the perfect time to sink into this sweet and savvy mashup. Like a Gen Z meeting of Nora Ephron and Bernardine Evaristo, in her first romance novel, the author of the myth-inspired story collection LOVE IN COLOR infuses the joy, pain, and laughter of young love with cultural insight and drama… This swoony coming-of-age tale cements Babalola’s superlative status as a queen of romantic comedy and master chronicler of Black British life.’ – Oprah Daily, ‘Favorite Books of the Year’

 ‘Amidst the typical stream of horror that social media offered in 2022, Twitter and TikTok also placed this sensual and thought-provoking romance into my lap… a romantic comedy brimming with all of my favourite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and Brits bantering until you’re practically begging for them to just snog already. Babalola expertly blends sex with societal discourse in ways that echo Jane Austen and Nora Ephron. Receiving updates on her follow-up is – for now – reason enough to keep Twitter activated.’ – Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘This book felt like me. Having attended a British uni with a big African-Brit community (very much like the characters Kiki and Malakai at their society, Blackwell), reading about all that existed in their world while their story took place was nothing short of amazing. Everything about the way the story moved and flowed was so familiar. I felt like I lived it and to me, that is why I read – to see myself in pages and bask in the knowledge that I *get* it. This was one of those reads. Beyond that, it is definitely my favourite because you can feel the care and thoughtfulness that went into crafting the very realistic characters. As a big lover girl, it helped that the whole book literally bled romance and Black joy and excellence. Totally swoon-worthy.’ – Anna-Maria Poku, The New York Times, ‘Readers’ Favourite Books of 2022’

 ‘A deliciously witty romantic comedy, packed full of memorable characters and relatable humour.’ – Waterstones, ‘Best Books of 2022: Feelgood Fiction’

 ‘Flirting – good flirting – has its own drumbeat; an unseen force that seems to govern the back and forth. Not only does Bolu Babalola capture this perfectly in HONEY & SPICE, but whether she’s writing about her characters’ heartbreak or their hope, their treasured friendships or their burning ambitions, her prose has its own irresistible rhythm – the kind that sucks you into their world completely… Babalola’s loving treatment of time-honoured romance tropes – the fake relationship is a classic for good reason – feels entirely fresh, and her ability to transcribe what it’s like to have chemistry with someone is enough to give you butterflies.’ – Apple Books, ‘Books of the Year’

 ‘If Bolu Babalola’s bestselling (and utterly fantastic) short story collection LOVE IN COLOUR offered a taste of the kinds of stories that this author can tell, then there’s no denying that her full-length debut HONEY & SPICE has confirmed without a doubt that Babalola is a romance writing force to be reckoned with. Packed with just as much passion, chemistry and heart as those stories that came before it, HONEY & SPICE has a lot of fun with its genre as expert relationship-evader Kiki and the man she recently publicly declared “The Wasteman of Whitewell” embark on a fake relationship in a bid to achieve their respective goals. Beneath the story of Kiki and Malakai’s surprising connection and electric chemistry, however, is an equally well-developed narrative of identity, friendship, love and growth. It’s all told with such an intelligent, sparkling narrative style and such delicious romantic tension that HONEY & SPICE will leave you desperately wanting to hear more from Bolu Babalola.’ – Megan Davies, Culturefly, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘Every so often a writer will come along who takes your breath away with every page. Bolu Babalola is that writer. HONEY AND SPICE is her debut novel following the success of her short story collection LOVE IN COLOUR. It does not disappoint. The novel has all the ingredients for a hot and hilarious rom-com; take two students and a dash of chemistry, and mix in a hugely entertaining plotline, topped with a few spoons of passion and there you have it. Perfection.’ – Samira Sawlani, African Arguments, ‘Best African Books of 2022’

 ‘Bolu Babalola’s debut novel is a sexy slow-burn with depth, and the best part? She’s publishing a sequel in 2024.’ – Lydia Wang, Women’s Health Magazine, ‘Best Romance Novels 2022’ 

 ‘I haven’t read anything that has given me the same warm and fuzzy feeling since Bolu Babalola’s last offering LOVE IN COLOUR. Filled with romantic tension and misunderstanding, and an irresistible love interest, HONEY & SPICE is the perfect antidote to all woes. Never cynical and always loving, Bolu Babalola is a real gem! … A funny and sparkling debut, HONEY & SPICE is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees.’ – Una McKeown, The British Blacklist, ‘The Best Reads of 2022’

 ‘Weruche Opia’s confident narration sings with a heady mix of feminine power and vulnerability. Opia builds an elegant, charismatic persona for Kiki Banjo, who doles out feminist relationship advice on her radio show. Add a fake relationship and a magical connection for a spellbinding story.’ – AudioFile Magazine, ‘Best Audiobooks of 2022’

 ‘I loved this book – romance and a bit of drama took me back to my university days. I loved the characters and all of the different friendships and relationships. It was fun and enjoyable and so easy to read!’ – Kimberley (Reading Partner), The Reading Agency, ‘Books of 2022’

 ‘Humorous and passionate’ – Elizabeth Okosun, The List, ‘The Best Romance Books Of 2022’

 ‘This enemies-to-lovers romance set on a British university campus hums with Bolu Babalola’s energetic, intelligent voice.’ –  Bookpage, ‘Best Romance of 2022’

 OXBLOOD by Tom Benn

 Longlisted for the 2022 Gordon Burn Prize

 HOPE AND GLORY by Jendella Benson

 =‘Hilarious and heart-warming in equal measure, this novel is centred around a family struggling to cope with loss, buried secrets and collective trauma. At times, I felt genuinely concerned for Glory, her family and the status of her new romantic relationship. I was completely absorbed in Jendella Benson’s Peckham, and loved her unique narrative voice… HOPE AND GLORY is a rich, heart-warming story of loss, love and family chaos and marks an exciting new voice in fiction.’ – Una McKeown, The British Blacklist, ‘The Best Reads of 2022’

 ‘In Jendella Benson’s HOPE AND GLORY, Glory Akindele flies home to London from Los Angeles after the news of her father’s sudden death. She’s tired of pretending that her life in L.A. is glamorous, but things aren’t so great at home either. Glory’s brother is in jail and won’t speak to her because she missed his trial, her sister is trying to uphold the facade of a perfect Nigerian housewife, and after the loss of her husband, her mother is on the verge of another nervous breakdown. Glory decides to stay and try to mend her family’s problems, but discovers a family secret that threatens to drive her family further apart.’ – Mariette Williams, Essence, ‘The 7 Best Novels Of 2022’

MELIZ’S KITCHEN by Meliz Berg

 No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller

 One of ‘The Food Programme’s Books of 2022’

 CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet

 Shortlisted for the 2022 Gordon Burn Prize

 Shortlisted for the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction

 Longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize

 Longlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association 2022 Gold Crown Award

 ‘Did an unorthodox therapist drive a woman to suicide? This novel of purportedly found documents, including journals and biographical interludes, takes on this psychological mystery while exploring through its nested narratives the possibilities of fiction.’ – New York Times, ‘Notable Books of 2022’

 ‘CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet is complex, funny and scary. After the ingenuity of HIS BLOODY PROJECT, set in remote 19th-century Scotland, who would imagine he could pull off the same trick twice with the cultish anti-psychiatry scene of 1960s London? Mind-blowing.’ – Peter Brookes, The Times, ‘Favourite Books of 2022’

 TIEPOLO BLUE by James Cahill

 One of BBC Culture’s ‘Best Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘Having been up at Cambridge in the mid-1980s, I was prepared to recognize (and luxuriate in the nostalgia of) the university’s ambience as depicted in James Cahill’s triumphant first novel TIEPOLO BLUE after I read the TLS review of it. Sure enough, it took me right back there in an instant, as the plot and the intriguing central character march towards their superb denouement.’ – Andrew Roberts, Times Literary Supplement, ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘A compelling psychosexual story about beauty, desire and art, TIEPOLO BLUE is all the more interesting because it hits notes of such strangeness.’ – Lucy Scholes, Prospect Magazine, ‘Fiction Books of the Year: 2022’

 ‘An alluring and profoundly moving bildungsroman.’ – Waterstones, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘A simmering debut novel.’ – Esquire, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 ‘When a repressed art historian falls for an uninhibited young artist, his entire life begins to unravel. Beautifully written, perfectly poised between satirical and heartfelt, and set right here in Dulwich Village.’ – Village Books, ‘Books of the Year: Fiction 2022’

 ‘Art, sex, power – TIEPOLO BLUE has it all, wrapped together in a plot that grabs you by the hand and leads you into the wild nights of Soho’s gay nightlife and the 1990s British art scene. It’s gripping and exquisitely written, with queer lust cutting through a pervasive air of unease.’ – Matt Railton, Soho House, ‘Best reads of 2022’

 THE LAST THING TO BURN by Will Dean

 Shortlisted for Thriller Book of the Year at the 2022 Fingerprint Awards

 Shortlisted for the 2022 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award

 Longlisted for The Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2022

 Longlisted for The 2022 Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger Award

 THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling

 ‘I wept through it and when I finished THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling, such is the emotion it evokes… a memorably crafted novel. It touches the tender nerve network of family and some shriekingly vivid entrail images of World War 2 battlefields in a tale that takes you into old schools and churches, hospitals and circus tents, advertising agencies, the streets of London, bars of Cape Town and even the downtrodden of Marseille. Most endearing are the interspersed heartfelt Fragments from a writer’s diary. This is a beautiful nugget of family legend, glistening with poet Dowling’s exquisitely turned phrases and hallmark huggable humour.’ – Nancy Richards, Sunday Times, ‘Books of the Year’

 A RATION BOOK CHRISTMAS BROADCAST by Jean Fullerton

  Shortlisted for the Shorter Romantic Novel in the 2022 Romantic Novel Awards

 BETRAYAL by David Gilman

 One of LoveReading’s ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 THE HYACINTH GIRL: T.S. Eliot’s Hidden Muse by Lyndall Gordon

 ‘Exemplary… revealed that the great man’s poetry was a lot less impersonal than he led us to believe.’ – Lucasta Miller, The Spectator, ‘Books of the Year’

 ‘Lyndall Gordon’s sensitive study of Emily Hale, Eliot’s childhood sweetheart in America’ – Iona McLaren, The Telegraph, ‘Best Biographies of 2022’

 ‘Putting it all in a surprising perspective is Lyndall Gordon’s insightful THE HYACINTH GIRL. Though raised in St. Louis, and long associated with a distinct British chilliness, Eliot and his work were shaped by women rarely given their due. Drawing on more than 1,100 letters to his lifelong love Emily Hale, Gordon introduces a tangled emotional backdrop.’ – Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune

 ‘A number of good books have marked the centenary of “The Waste Land”… but, for me, the most brilliant and incisive new book on Eliot is Lyndall Gordon’s The Hyacinth Girl: T.S. Eliot’s Hidden Muse, which looks at Eliot’s poetry in the light of his recently opened correspondence with Emily Hale.’ – Colm Tóibín, Irish Times, ‘Best Books of the Year’

 SIDE EFFECTS: How Our Healthcare Lost Its Way - And How We Fix It by David Haslam

 ‘In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the revered doctor asks searching questions about the current state of the NHS and what we should rightfully expect from our medical services.’ –Waterstones, ‘Best Books of 2022: Popular Science’

 PICTURE YOU DEAD by Peter James

 Top 10 Sunday Times Bestseller

 ‘Peter James returns with book eighteen in the highly successful DS Roy Grace series. Whether your loved one is a fan of Grace (either in the book or TV show format), or just loves a good police procedural, PICTURE YOU DEAD won’t disappoint – this time, Grace is caught up in the cut-throat world of fine art collection.’ – Darren Hardy, Amazon Editors’ Choice, ‘Best Books to Gift: Fiction’

‘The latest instalment in the Roy Grace series of mystery novels is also a personal favourite. James is a solid writer – character, action, and plot are perfectly balanced in this fantastic and gripping novel. If you haven’t read Peter James, make 2023 your resolution to start.’ – Andrew Gulli, The Strand Magazine, ‘Top 25 Mystery Novels of 2022’

 THE KIDS by Hannah Lowe

 Winner of the Costa Prize 2022

 Shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize 2022

 Hannah Lowe made fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

 ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? by Lucy Mangan

 Longlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize

 Zakes Mda

 The latest in a series of academic accolades, Wits University Awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Zakes Mda in July 2022

 THE DARK FLOOD by Deon Meyer

A Number One Bestseller in South Africa

 Winner of the Crime Fiction Lover’s Award, Best in Translation, December 2022

 ‘Deon Meyer is the monarch of South African crime novelists. Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, demoted after an ill-advised sortie in Cape Town, are investigating the disappearance of a computer wizard and beset by their own problems (such as Benny’s alcoholism). No stinting on the usual critique of South African politics.’ – Barry Forshaw, Financial Times, ‘Best Books of 2022: Crime Fiction’

 ‘South African author Deon Meyer writes in his native Afrikaans and is a master at keeping a long-running series fresh and feisty, which is why readers loved his latest Benny Griessel novel. It’s also one of his best… THE DARK FLOOD is a complex mystery thriller that is tense and explosive, populated with strong characters and has a very satisfying denouement as the strands of the story coalesce. As good as police procedurals get anywhere in the world.’ – Crime Fiction Lover,  Winner of  ‘Best in Translation’ at Crime Fiction Lover Awards 2022

 At the Gothenburg Book Fair 2022 Deon was also awarded the Martin Beck Award (‘Den gyllene kofoten’ or The golden crowbar) by the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers for THE LAST HUNT (published in 2020 but the prize could not be awarded to him due to the pandemic).

 YOUR WORD OR MINE by Lia Middleton

 ‘A thriller so full of twists it left me with whiplash’ – Clare Mackintosh, Daily Express, ‘Favourite Books of 2022’

 MY FIRST MEALS by Grace Mortimer

 Instant Sunday Times Bestseller

 Joseph O’Connor

 Winner of the 2022 AWB Vincent American Ireland Fund Literary Award

 WHAT EDEN DID NEXT by Sheila O’Flanagan

 Number One on the Irish Bestseller lists

 Shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2022 for Popular Fiction Book of the Year

 THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL by Sheila O’Flanagan

 Top 10 bestseller in both the UK and Ireland

 MAY GOD FORGIVE by Alan Parks

 Winner of the McIlvanney Prize 2022

 One of The Guardian’s ‘Best Crime & Thriller Books of 2022’

 ‘This fifth instalment in Parks’s 1970s-set Harry McCoy crime series continues the neat titular conceit which began with BLOODY JANUARY and continued with FEBRUARY’S SON. Winner of this year’s prestigious McIlvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year Prize at the Bloody Scotland festival, it finds McCoy racing to save two boys kidnapped by unknown assailants after they are charged with a deadly arson attack on a hairdresser. Let’s hope Parks makes it all the way through to December to complete the dodecology.’ – Barry Didcock, The Herald, ‘Best Scottish Novels Of 2022’

 BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks

 Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award 2022

 Shortlisted for the Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel 2022

 SHIVER by Allie Reynolds

 Shortlisted for ‘Best Debut Crime’ at the 2022 Davitt Awards

 THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH by Monique Roffey

 Monique Roffey made fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

 ‘For a long time the idea of the woman scorned in Caribbean Literature came from Jean Rhys’ WIDE SARGASSO SEA, and while that was a powerful narrative, Monique Roffey has chosen to challenge it, and explore a different aspect of this in her award winning novel THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH. While it is about an actual mermaid caught off the coast of a Caribbean island in the 1970s, it is also about possession of women, colonisation, complicated inherited legacies and ancient curses. It’s a bittersweet, tender love story told in a lilting patois that immediately creates a detailed vision of the island, its land, people and history.’ – Mahvesh Murad, Tor.com, ‘Best Books of 2022’

 THE LITTLE WARTIME LIBRARY by Kate Thompson

 ‘A love letter to libraries, librarians and books… wonderful.’ – Reader review, Women’s Prize newsletter, ‘The Best Books You Read in 2022’

 A HISTORY OF WATER by Edward Wilson-Lee

 ‘In A HISTORY OF WATER, Edward Wilson-Lee brilliantly weaves together the career of the Portuguese national poet, Camões, and the historian Damião de Góis, and cleverly resolves a mystery about Damião’s murder. He opens a window on to a vast and contentious trading world that extended from Manila and Macau to the Atlantic.’ – David Abulafia, Times Literary Supplement, ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘THE HISTORY OF WATER contrasts the lives of two great sixteenth century Portuguese men, and through them asks us to engage with two contrasting views of history. In its quiet way it takes us deep into the origins of post-Renaissance culture. I loved it.’ – Gabriel Josipovici, Times Literary Supplement, ‘Books of the Year 2022’

 ‘If you’re tired of the Nazis and the Tudors, this is the perfect antidote. It’s the story of two men who travelled the world from Lisbon in the 16th century: the art-collecting diplomat Damiao de Gois and the one-eyed ruffian Luis de Camoes, whose voyages took them as far as India, China and Japan… A splendidly readable book, full of odd details and bizarre characters.’ – Dominic Sandbrook, The Times, ‘Best History Books’

 ‘Compelling… An amazingly intricate account of Portugal’s Golden Age, constructed around two explorers and their competing visions for an expanding world.’ – Prospect Magazine, ‘Books of the Year: History’

 Edward Wilson-Lee was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to work on his next book.

BOOKS TO READ IN 2023

So many BFLA titles were chosen as 2023 highlights! Take a look at the list here:

THE LAST PASSENGER by Will Dean

‘Will Dean’s THE LAST PASSENGER focuses on what was meant to be the holiday of a lifetime. Now, the main character just needs to survive. Ooh er.’ – Aine Toner, Belfast Telegraph, 2023 pick

RESURRECTION by David Gilman

A LoveReading ‘2023 Fiction Preview ­– The Fabulous Fiction that Awaits Us in the New Year ’ pick

‘RESURRECTION by David Gilman sees Dan Raglan return in the third Englishman thriller. Thirty years after his death, the skeleton of a pilot emerges from the dunes, still carrying a document that could expose the most valuable spy the UK intelligence service has ever known. The British, French, and Russians are looking for it — and so is Raglan.’ – Frances Owen, Historia Mag, ‘Historical books to look out for in 2023’

THE DIVE by Sara Ochs

‘THE GUEST LIST meets THE BEACH in this absorbing summer read about the dark side of paradise. It’s a truly gripping thriller that will transport you to Thailand from the comfort of your armchair or sun lounger.’ – Dead Good Books, ‘Debut crime novels to watch out for in 2023’

MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor

An Irish Times ‘Books to look forward to in 2023’ pick  

An Irish Independent 2023 pick

An Irish Examiner 2023 culture pick

‘In this powerful literary thriller based on a true story, Irish priest Hugh O’Flaherty hides those escaping from the Nazis in the neutral Vatican City as German forces occupy Rome.’ – Denise O’Donoghue, Irish Examiner

THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE by Sheila O’Flanagan

An Irish Independent 2023 pick