Blake Friedmann Online Open Week for Writers

From Monday 14th March, we will be opening our virtual doors with a week dedicated to demystifying publishing and agenting, and supporting writers seeking representation. With live #AskAgent sessions, Top Tips videos, agent blogs and book giveaways running across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, our goal is to offer insights and transparency: into how book deals work, how to navigate the submission process and find an agent, how an author and agent work together, understanding the publication process, and earning income as an author. All of us (Isobel Dixon, Juliet Pickering, Kate Burke, Samuel Hodder and Sian Ellis-Martin) will be actively involved throughout the week, and we hope to answer as many questions as possible from writers (published or querying) or anyone wanting to get into the industry.

Alongside this, we will be offering three writers feedback on their submission packages with a twenty-minute virtual meeting with Associate Agent Sian Ellis-Martin, in April. More information on how to submit for this opportunity will be revealed during the open week so do check back here.  

Kate Burke said: ‘We hope that our first Open Week will be useful, insightful and encouraging to writers, those who are right at the heart of publishing and the world of books. We are all committed to being accessible at Blake Friedmann – and to supporting writers who worry that the publishing industry is inaccessible to them. It’s clear – from social media and the questions our agents hear when they talk at schools, writers’ groups and festivals – that people still have a lot of questions about what agents do and how it all works in terms of money, deals and rights. So, for some time now, we’ve been thinking about how we can help demystify these topics in an honest and engaging way, using our own public platforms. We want to encourage anyone who is writing to submit to us by being transparent about who we are as an agency and as individual agents and hope that our Open Week will spark conversation, give practical guidance and inspire new writing, and that we’ll be able to repeat this week annually in the future.’

Throughout the week of 14th of March, you will find new content posted here and on our social media channels: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. If you would like to get in touch, please use the hashtag #BFLAOpenWeek . This author-focused endeavour follows our ongoing Carole Blake Open Doors Project, launched in 2017.

All the content and resources provided during this Open Week are free but, if you are able to make a donation, please give to the Red Cross (https://donate.redcross.org.uk/) or the DEC (www.dec.org.uk/) in support of the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Thank you! 

Blake Friedmann Picks for 2022

Here at Blake Friedmann, we’re enormously proud that so many of our authors’ books have appeared in ‘Picks for 2022’ lists. To celebrate this, we have assembled these mentions into the following list, along with the praise that accompanied their selection. All of the books are available to pre-order now.

GOOD INTENTIONS by Kasim Ali

One of Foyles’ Debut Writers to Look Out For  

Included in LoveReading’s ‘2022 Preview - Exciting New Books on the Horizon’

‘Fourth Estate's lead debut for spring is the first novel from PRH assistant editor Ali, and tells of Nur and Yasmina, a young couple who have been deeply in love for the past four years. But there is a problem: Nur, a young British-Pakistani man, has not yet told his family of Yasmina's existence. As the clock ticks down to midnight on New Year's Eve, he prepares to tell them that he has built a life with the woman he loves, and that she is Black. A contemporary exploration of relationships, family expectations and racial prejudice.’ – Alice O’Keefe, The Bookseller, ‘Fiction Previews’

‘Ali’s accolades – being shortlisted for Hachette’s Mo Siewcherran Prize and shortlisted for the 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize – precede his arrival onto the literary landscape this March. Nur and Yasmina have been in love for four years. The twist? Nur’s Pakistani parents don’t know that Yasmina exists, or that she is Black. What follows is a love story full of hard choices and tensions, family obligations and racial prejudices. Not to be missed by fans of MODERN LOVE.’ – Sana Goyal, Vogue India

‘Kasim Ali’s GOOD INTENTIONS is the compelling, captivating story of Nur, a young British-Pakistani man who has fallen in love with a woman whom he feels he cannot tell his family about – because Yasmina is Black. A fascinating insight into the expectations inherent in immigrant life, Ali takes on racial prejudice and millennial relationships without ever succumbing to cliche or easy answers to the big questions he poses.’ – Ben East, The National, ‘Books in 2022’

‘Nur and Yasmina have been together for four happy years. But Nur’s Pakistani parents don’t know that Yasmina is Black. They don’t even know that she exists. Nur is stuck between worlds – he wants to be the dutiful son and golden child that his parents expect him to be, but he also wants to be the kind of boyfriend that Yasmina needs too. As everything he holds dear is challenged, Nur is forced to question whether he can be all these things at once, and whether he really has a choice in the matter. GOOD INTENTIONS is a tender, authentic and candid love story that explores racial prejudice, modern society and the obligations that children of immigrants feel to their families. A must-read.’ – Culturefly, ‘Fiction preview: 20 books to look forward to reading in 2022’

‘Yasmina and Nur have been together for four happy years, but Nur has yet to tell his Pakistani parents his girlfriend exists. This is a promising debut about second-generation immigrants, family obligation and love.’ – Niamh Donnelly, Irish Independent, ‘The Hottest Books of the Year Ahead’

‘Look out for Kasim Ali’s GOOD INTENTIONS in March. It tells the story of a British Muslim man who must tell his parents he’s in love with a Black woman.’ – Charlotte Heathcote, Sunday Express, ‘A New Chapter for 2022: The Most Exciting Reads Coming in the Year Ahead’

‘A magnetic debut novel from an accomplished young writer about a hidden romance, which already looks ripe for a film or TV adaptation. The story revolves around a British Pakistani man torn between his family and the black woman he has fallen deeply in love with. The story combining young love with complexities of immigrant families and racial prejudice looks at themes of obligation versus following your heart.’ – Mita Mistry, Eastern Eye, ‘Bright looking books set to make a major mark in 2022’

‘This debut novel from Londoner Ali, is the story of young man torn between family and love, culture and individuality. “Honest” is a word that comes up repeatedly in blurbs and reviews (emotionally, absorbingly, heartbreakingly).’ – The Millions, ‘Most Anticipated: The Great First-Half 2022 Book Preview’

‘This beautifully written debut explores prejudice, love and family ties in the UK today.’ – Apple Books, ‘Meet the Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2022’

‘When I began to think of 2022 releases that I wanted to read, the first that came to mind was Kasim Ali’s GOOD INTENTIONS. I could say that romance books are my guilty pleasure but that would be a lie because I am always ready to shout my love of romance books from the roof. While I love a good romcom, I’m also a huge fan of romance novels that tackle reality head-on. In Good Intentions, Ali explores the role of race and family in romantic relationships through the characters Nur and Yasmina. After four years of being in a relationship Nur has decided at midnight on New Years Eve he will finally tell his Pakistani parents that he is in love with Yasmina, a Black woman. Addressing issues that are both moving and engaging, how could I possibly resist this “magnificent and messy love story”? (Huma Qureshi). I’m sure you’ll catch me crying about this book on Instagram this year.’ – Billi Jones, Bad Form, ‘6 Books For The First 6 Months of 2022’

‘This. Book. The writing, the characters, the humour, the talent. We fell for Nur and Yasmina within a few chapters. The complex topic of prejudice and colourism within our communities is often disregarded in the face of more overt racism from elsewhere *gestures at everything*, and Kasim Ali has done such a brilliant job exploring this in this heart-wrenching debut. Definitely one to watch. (Edit: Kasim has since been dubbed the male equivalent of Sally Rooney and we gotta agree.)’ – Muslim Voices in Publishing, ‘Most Anticipated Books’

Published 3rd March 2022. Pre-order here.

THE MILK TART MURDERS by Sally Andrew

‘Sally Andrew is baaaack! This time with THE MILK TART MURDERS (Umuzi). Tannie Maria and Henk are at the movies when Oom Frik dies, and it might be murder because the Oom had many sought-after treasures. A second death occurs and there is a clue — a letter addressed to Tannie Maria asking for advice and a milk-tart recipe.’ – Jennifer Platt, Sunday Times, ‘Books To Look Out For This Year’

Published 1st March 2022. Pre-order here.

HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola

‘Bolu Babalola’s debut novel centers on college student Kiki Banjo, a relationship expert who hosts Brown Sugar, Whitewell University’s student radio show. Kiki meets her match in resident playboy Malakai Korede, who she dubs “The Wastemen of Whitewell.” Like any good rom-com, the book features fake relationships, missed communication, and enough romantic tension to cut with a steak knife.’ – Lit Hub, ‘Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2022’

‘Bolu Babalola is finally bringing us the romantic comedy we’ve been patiently waiting for. Kiki Banjo is an expert in relationship-evasion, and likes to keep her feelings close to her chest. As the host of the popular student radio show, Brown Sugar, it’s her mission to make sure the women who make up the Afro-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University also do not fall into the mess of 'situationships', players, and heartbreak. But when Kiki meets Malakai Korede - who she has publicly denounced as 'The Wasteman of Whitewell' - her defences are weakened and her heart is compromised. She soon she finds herself in danger of falling for the very man she warned her girls about.’ – Shahed Ezaydi, Bustle, ‘12 Books By British Women Of Colour To Look Out For In 2022’

Published 5th July 2022. Pre-order here.

HOPE AND GLORY by Jendella Benson

One of Goodreads’ 60 Highly Anticipated Debut Novels

‘HOPE & GLORY, the first novel by journalist Jendella Benson… examines family secrets, love and grief as a woman leaves her life in LA and returns to Peckham to mourn the death of her father.’ – The Sunday Times, ‘Cultural Barometer’

‘Set to be everywhere in 2022, Benson’s debut is about Glory, who returns from LA to Peckham after the death of her father only to discover her family is falling apart and resentful but examining her past uncovers unexpected surprises…’ – Francesca Brown, Stylist, ‘ The Fiction Books You Can’t Miss in 2022’

‘This layered family drama by debut author Jendella Benson follows Glory Akindele, a prodigal daughter who returns to London from L.A. to find her family shattered… but Glory's journey to put them back together leads her to question everything she believed about them.’ – Jenny Hollander, Marie Claire, ‘The Most Eagerly Anticipated Fiction By Women in 2022’ 

‘After a family death, a woman returns to London to discover her family in shambles. A brother in jail. A sister who lost purpose. A mother in a spiral after her husband’s death. In Benson’s debut, we discover what it means to be family and what it means to find yourself when you didn’t know you needed finding. It’s a delightful novel that will please readers of all kind.’ – Debutiful, ’12 Debut Books Publishing in 2022 You Should Pre-order Right Now’

‘Clear some space on your bookshelf – there are many great books being published next year, but Jendella Benson’s HOPE AND GLORY is the one you’ll be telling your friends about. The story is set in Peckham, where Glory arrives home from a glamorous life in LA to mourn the sudden death of her father, only to find that her family has fallen apart while she has been away. The inspiration behind the book? “The chaos of my quarter-life crisis – there was a lot going on,” Benson says. Currently head of editorial at Black Ballad, the award-winning digital community for black British women, the 32-year old says she was finding her way alongside her lead character, “trying to work out what ideas of community and family look like, alongside wrestling with my own experiences and grieving my mother’s death.” The result? One of 2022’s most raved-about debuts, already praised by the bestselling author Candice Carty-Williams and optioned for a TV series to be shown on ITV.’ – The Sunday Times, ‘The 10 New Faces to Know for 2022’

‘A Black woman relocates to bring her family back together following her father’s unexpected death. In the process she uncovers a secret, and reconnects with an old friend forcing her to question the values she was raised with.’ – Keyaira Boone, Essence, ‘56 New Books We Can’t Wait To Read In 2022’

‘Glory arrives back in Peckham, from her seemingly-glamorous life in L.A, to mourn the sudden death of her father, and finds her previously-close family has fallen apart in her absence. Her brother, Victor, has been jailed. Her sister, Faith, appears to have lost her independence and ambition. And their mother, Celeste, is headed towards a breakdown. Glory is thrown by their disarray, and rather than returning to L.A she decides to stay and try to bring them all together again. However, when she uncovers a huge family secret, Glory risks losing everyone she cares about in her pursuit of the truth.’ – Shahed Ezaydi, Bustle, ‘12 Books By British Women Of Colour To Look Out For In 2022’

‘The first book from Jendella Benson has already attracted excellent reviews. Yomi Adegoke, author of SLAY IN YOUR LANE has described it as “So deliciously South London.” The story follows Glory who arrives back in Peckham, from her seemingly-glamorous life in LA, to mourn the sudden death of her father, and finds her previously-close family has fallen apart in her absence. Her brother, Victor, has been jailed; her sister, Faith, appears to have lost her independence and ambition; and their mother, Celeste, is headed towards a breakdown. Glory is thrown by their disarray, and rather than returning to America she decides to stay and try to bring them all together again. However, when she unearths a huge family secret, Glory risks losing everyone she truly cares about in her pursuit of the truth.’ – Melan Mag, ‘10 books by Black authors that should be on your 2022 pre-order list’

Published 7th April 2022. Pre-order here.

THE HIVE by Scarlett Brade

‘BITCH!!! A REVENGE THRILLER WHERE MURDER HAPPENS AT THE BEGINNING?! The heart palpitations that have skyrocketed in excitement when I heard about this. All you crime and thriller babes are EATING with this debut!’ – Soraya Bouazzaoui, Aurelia Magazine, ‘The Hottest Titles To Look Out For By Black Writers And Writers Of Colour’

Published 21st July 2022. Pre-order here.

TIEPOLO BLUE by James Cahill

‘Academic Cahill's 1990s story focuses on Cambridge University art historian Professor Don Lamb whose brilliance belies a deep inexperience of life and love. Out of nowhere, he's forced to leave, and ends up working in a London museum. There he befriends Ben, a young artist who introduces him to the anarchic British art scene and the nightlife of Soho.It opens his eyes to a liberating new existence. But his epiphany is also a moment of self-reckoning, as his oldest friendship - and his own unexamined past - are revealed in a devastating new light. His life begins to unravel leading to a dramatic fall from grace.’ – Rebecca Thomas, BBC, ‘Books 2022: A pick of what's coming up’

‘During the long hot summer of 1995, professor of art history Don Lamb is jolted into his gay identity after moving to London and becoming exposed to the city’s queer scene. Cahill uses his extensive knowledge and experience in the art world and academia to explore the experience of men who ‘belong to a sealed world of fixed ideas – but who sense the possibility of a different life.’ Bringing together the Italian masters and the Young British Artists, this is a debut that looks at art, power, academia, and the potential of the urban setting at the end of the 20th century.’ – Jessica White, Dazed, ‘The queer books to read in 2022’

‘This divine debut from art critic and academic James Cahill is the smart, sexy read you need in 2022. Expect to see it on prize lists as well as Instagram feeds. The novel’s protagonist is Professor Don Lamb, a precocious but prematurely stuffy art historian and Cambridge don, who likes measuring the skies in the paintings of Venetian master Tiepolo. Lamb takes preternatural offence when a Tracey Emin-esque bed sculpture is installed outside his college lodgings, and departs to London in a sulk for a new museum gig. There awaits a new kind of awakening - and it’s not just because the YBAs are taking off. Not only an addictive pageturner, Cahill’s book taps into the tensions and suspicions between generations that feels incredibly relevant for our testy times.’ – Jessie Thompson, Evening Standard, ‘Culture in London: the faces to watch in 2022 – Books’

Published 9th June 2022. Pre-order here.  

ONE LAST LETTER FROM GREECE by Emma Cowell

Included in LoveReading’s ‘2022 Preview - Exciting New Books on the Horizon’

Published 9th June 2022. Pre-order here.

THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS by Finuala Dowling

‘THE MAN WHO LOVED CROCODILE TAMERS is by far the best title of a book this year. The latest by Finuala Dowling (Kwela) is about Gina, who wants to write a fictional account of her father Paddy, who left few clues about his life. She knows that he was once engaged to the famous crocodile tamer Koringa. For the rest, Gina must imagine her way into the life of the father who died an alcoholic when she was 11 years old.’ – Jennifer Platt, Sunday Times, ‘Books To Look Out For This Year’

Published 25th March 2022. Pre-order here.

BETRAYAL by David Gilman

Included in LoveReading’s ‘2022 Preview - Exciting New Books on the Horizon’

‘Raglan is the strong but silent type. Nevertheless, his knight errantry is winning and this is a pleasingly old-style take on the action genre. Beau geste.’ – James Owen, The Times, ‘The Best New Thrillers For January 2022’

Published 6th January 2022. Order here.

PICTURE YOU DEAD by Peter James

Included in LoveReading’s ‘2022 Preview - Exciting New Books on the Horizon’

Published 29th September 2022. Pre-order here.

WHAT EDEN DID NEXT by Sheila O’Flanagan

‘In Sheila O’Flanagan’s WHAT EDEN DID NEXT (Headline) we meet Eden, five years widowed, reconnecting with an old flame she knew before her husband, but her in-laws are hellbent on interfering.’ – Anne Cunningham, Irish Independent, ‘Spring into 2022 with the very best of the books being published next year’

‘O’Flanagan is a longtime bestselling author, who is hugely prolific – she’s written over 30 novels. In this latest one, we meet Eden, who has already suffered the unexpected loss of her husband Andy. She has their daughter and his family to support her – but when she meets someone knew, Andy’s mother stands in the way, and the entire family could suffer.’ – Aoife Barry, The Journal, ‘Irish fiction to look forward to in 2022’

Published 28th April 2022. Pre-order here.

THE BOOK ABOUT EVERYTHING edited by Declan Kiberd, Enrico Terrinoni and Catherine Wilsden, featuring Joseph O’Connor

‘THE BOOK ABOUT EVERYTHING edited by Declan Kiberd, Enrico Terrinoni and Catherine Wilsden has 18 writers, including Joseph O’Connor and Mario Vargas Llosa, explore a chapter each of Ulysses.’ – Anne Cunningham, Irish Independent, ‘Spring into 2022 with the very best of the books being published next year’

Published 16th June 2022. Pre-order here.

BFLA Best of 2021

At Blake Friedmann we’re proud that so many of our authors and their books were included in ‘Best of 2021’ selections. To celebrate these achievements, we have compiled the following summary of the lists they were featured in, along with the praise that accompanied their selection.

THE HIERARCHIES by Ros Anderson

‘The overall winner, our undisputed Book of the Year, goes to THE HIERARCHIES. This book spread through the store like contraband on the playground, pressed into the hands of one bookseller after another. A dystopian, feminist masterpiece that everyone should read.’ – Waterstones Brighton, ‘Book of the Year’

THE YOUNG TEAM by Graeme Armstrong

One of Foyles’ Paperbacks of the Year

One of Waterstones’ Paperbacks of the Year

LOVE IN COLOUR by Bolu Babalola

One of Foyles’ Paperbacks of the Year

One of Waterstones’ Paperbacks of the Year

‘This multifaceted, multitalented Nigerian-British writer – humorist, television creator and now bestselling author – searched the globe to find a radically diverse group of stories about love, from magical folk tales of West Africa to iconic Greek myths and ancient legends from the Middle East. Then, with an evocative and vivid style, she brought new life to old tales and wrote three original stories of her own. The result is a remarkable modern collection of 13 short stories about love.’ – Carole V. Bell, NPR, ‘Best Romance Books 2021’

CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet

One of Nicola Sturgeon’s Favourite Books of 2021

‘Beautifully balanced between harrowing and humorous, CASE STUDY follows a woman who seeks out a captivating psychotherapist whom she believes to be responsible for her sister’s suicide.’ – Waterstones, ‘The Best Books of 2021’

‘Graeme Macrae Burnet’s CASE STUDY is a novel about a 1960s psychologist where the blurring between fact and fiction constantly wrong-foots its readers while still keeping us lavishly entertained.’ – James Walton, The Spectator, ‘Books of the Year’

‘Graeme Macrae Burnet is a master of the false but apparently authentic document… This is a novel, which like Macrae burnet’s previous ones, holds the attention, develops an insidious narrative interest, and poses questions about the nature of the self and the authenticity of identity. There is comedy here too. Indeed, depending on the angle of the view, Braithwaite is a comic character, if also a disturbing one. Certainly in his depiction of him, Macrae Burnet catches the self-satisfied idiocy of one strand of 1960s culture. Indeed, he is done so well and seems so authentic in his inauthenticity that you might be surprised to find no mention of him in the index of John Clay’s admirable biography of Ronnie Laing. For the most part, though Macrae Burnet finds different voices for the writer of the notebooks and the unnamed author of the biographical Braithwaite chapters, his style is plain, lucid, very readable and rich in irony. There are fine comic passages… But it is the appalling and yet ultimately rather pathetic Braithwaite who gives the book its momentum, and is through him that the tone and temper of the times are captured. As in his other novels, Macrae Burnet writes with an admirable lucidity, at the same time being able to probe and shed light on the dark places of the mind. Writing in a prose that is spare, deadpan and yet alive, he poses questions about the nature and perception of what we choose to call reality. He is an uncommonly interesting and satisfying novelist.’ – The Scotsman, ‘Scottish Books 2021’

THE BERESFORD by Will Carver

One of LoveReading’s Books of the Year 2021

‘In THE BERESFORD by Will Carver a maze-like boarding-house becomes a scene of carnage as the tenants are dispatched in grisly fashion one by one. What is going on and who can bring an end to the bloodshed? Carver writes in the tradition of the Theatre of the Absurd, but with added grue. Shocking, compulsive and persuasive. It’s one hell of a ride for those of a mind to jump aboard.’ – Ian Rankin, The New Statesman, ‘Books of the Year’

‘The Theatre of the Absurd gets dunked in gore as the residents of a creepy boarding house take part in a never-ending killing spree’ – Ian Rankin, ’Ian’s End of Year Round-up: 2021’

‘The strangest and creepiest novel I read all year. A boarding house becomes a scene of carnage as residents start bumping each other off. What compels them and how can the chain be severed? This is the theatre of the absurd with added grue, and while Carver’s unique and twisted talent won’t be to all tastes I found this persuasive and compulsive.’ – Ian Rankin, Daily Express, ‘Best Books of 2021’

THE LAST THING TO BURN by Will Dean

One of Deadly Pleasures Staff Best of 2021

Winner of the 2021 Rick O’Shea Book Club International Book of the Year Category

A ‘Hot Press Books of 2021’ honourable mention

‘For pleasure reading, I want warmth and pace and narrative and a steady hand, not sentences that have their eyes on prizes. Will Dean, a man with impossibly luxurious hair who lives in a Swedish forest, is known for his Tuva Moodyson crime fiction series. Tuva, a deaf journalist, is a great character but her adventures can get repetitive. There is nothing repetitive about THE LAST THING TO BURN, an astonishing standalone from Dean, in which a young Vietnamese woman lives an appallingly coerced life with a brute called Lenn. Dean gets the voices chillingly right, the tension rises as inevitably as the claustrophobic pressure draws in, and “Jane” is a woman who you want to triumph at whatever cost. This novel will make your skin crawl with fury at the insidious violence of men.’ – Rose George, The New Statesman, ‘Books of the Year’

‘The crime novel that made my heart race fastest was THE LAST THING TO BURN by Will Dean, a timely and unforgettable locked-door mystery.’ – Anne Cater, Daily Express, ‘Books of the Year’

‘THE LAST THING TO BURN – Will Dean’s first stand-alone novel – is an extremely tense read. It centres on a Vietnamese woman held against her will in a remote farmhouse in the East Midlands. She endures her captivity, day-in-day-out, until two things happen that force her to fight back. This is absolutely a story of survival in its most basic form, but more than that it’s about the immense power of the human spirit – how it can be bashed and broken and still persevere. Dean doesn’t just build suspense – he cloaks his story in it, creating a crushing, claustrophobic atmosphere that feels as if it will never end. But the story does contain unexpected and heartening moments of light that remind readers of the power of humanity and compassion. These are the things that linger when the book comes to a close – and still linger all these months later too.’ – Natalie Xenos, Culturefly, ‘The Best Books of 2021’

‘This is the harrowing story of a young Vietnamese woman trafficked into the UK and kept for years as a slave by a psychopathic farmer in the middle of absolutely nowhere. She thinks she's protecting her sister by remaining compliant but when she discovers that she’s been lied to, she attempts to escape with a baby and a broken foot. It’s short, brilliant and gut-achingly tense.’ – Sunday Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell, Amazon Book Review, ‘Lisa Jewell’s Favourite Reads of 2021’

‘THE LAST THING TO BURN works because Will Dean takes a very risky chance with the narrative – the reader spends the entire novel in Jane’s mind, seeing everything from her perspective. Many writers explore points-of-view tactics from a different gender and while making that feel authentic is often challenging, skilled authors make this look easy. In THE LAST THING TO BURN, however, Will Dean goes one step further, embodying the soul and mind of Jane in a way that is not often witnessed – even in cases where authors are writing POVs that match their gender. Not only does Dean do this himself, but he brings the reader along with him to such a level that Jane/Reader almost merge and it becomes like our very safety is at risk.’ – Kristopher Zgorski, BOLO Books, ‘Top Reads of 2021’

THE ENGLISHMAN by David Gilman

One of LoveReading’s Books of the Year 2021

Peter James

One of Bookscan’s Top Ten Fiction Authors for 2021 (number 9, with LEFT YOU DEAD as top-selling title)

SWIMMING IN THE DARK by Tomasz Jedrowski

One of Foyles’ Paperbacks of the Year

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? by Lucy Mangan

One of LoveReading’s Books of the Year 2021

‘An uncannily accurate portrayal of the whirlwind of modern family life, Mangan's side-splitting novel introduces Liz and her weird and wonderful brood as she attempts to make it through the year without losing it completely.’ – Waterstones, ‘The Best Books of 2021’

WAYFARERS’ HYMNS by Zakes Mda

‘In Mda’s 31st book, a boy’s desire to become a great famo musician leads him all the way from the Lesotho mountain region to Johannesburg where he comes up against a sordid underworld of crime and gangs.’ – Brittle Paper, ’50 Notable African Books of 2021’

THE DARK FLOOD by Deon Meyer

‘THE DARK FLOOD, the new Benny Griessel thriller from Deon Meyer – need we say more?’ – Daily Maverick, ‘Essential Books of 2021’

WHEN THEY FIND HER by Lia Middleton

One of Apple Books’ Bestselling Audiobooks of 2021

‘I would also like to shout-out my favourite domestic thriller of the year, WHEN THEY FIND HER by Lia Middleton. Totally unputdownable, it’s the sign of a brilliant author when they can build such empathy with a character making a terrible decision within the first few pages and yet keep the reader glued right until the very end as the rest of the twisting plot unfolds.’ – Amy McCulloch, Dead Good Books, ‘Best Crime Novels of 2021’

THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL by Sheila O’Flanagan

‘Putting a spin on wedding stories, each wedding of a glorious summer brings a new surprise for Delphie, who has the chance to reshape her future.’ – Denise O’Donoghue, Irish Examiner, ‘Best of the Year Lists’ 

THE APRIL DEAD by Alan Parks

One of Deadly Pleasures Staff Best of 2021

‘Alan Parks, like the best writers, makes you keenly aware of all the pain out there and then (almost) alleviates it.’ – Mark Sanderson, The Times, ’16 Best Crime Books 2021’

SHIVER by Allie Reynolds

One of Deadly Pleasures Staff Best of 2021

One of Foyles’ Paperbacks of the Year   

‘Buckle up – this chilling new thriller from professional snowboarder-turned-author Allie Reynolds will have you feeling like you’re hurtling down a black run from page one… for page-turning power, this mystery had us gripped.’ – Woman and Home, ‘2021 Book Awards’

‘I’ve never been snowboarding in my life and have never been tempted to try it. But I love books that give insights into passions I don’t share, and give a feel for how and why they’re so alluring. This is about a group of competitive snowboarders and is a combination of flashbacks—to when they were all competing, ten years ago—and the present, when they attend a reunion and get stuck up a mountain. The book gives a real feel for what it’s like to be in a resort in the French Alps: the drinking, the snow, the lifts, the camaraderie. I was not surprised, after finishing the book, to find out the author, Allie Reynolds, was once a top UK freestyle snowboarder who spent five winters in the mountains of France, Switzerland, Austria and Canada. All in all, it’s a classic Agatha Christie-style locked-room mystery combined with very vivid accounts of being in the mountains and risking life and limb going down the halfpipe.’ – Sophie Roell, Five Books, ‘The Best Crime Fiction of 2021’

THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH By Monique Roffey

 One of Bookshop.org’s ‘The Bookshop 100: Indie Champions 2021’

One of Foyles’ Paperbacks of the Year

One of Waterstones’ Paperbacks of the Year

Blake Friedmann Cultural Highlights in 2021

LIZZY ATTREE

Khadija Abdalla Bajabar THE HOUSE OF RUST (Greywolf Press, 2021)

This novel won the inaugural Graywolf Press Africa Prize ($12,000) in 2018 which was judged by A. Igoni Barrett. The Kenyan author is of Hadrami descent, born and still living in Mombasa. The story follows a young girl who goes to the sea to search for her fisherman father, accompanied by a scholar’s cat. Bajaber blends the folk stories of post-independence Mombasa with a coming-of-age tale, as her protagonist faces the monsters ahead and the demons of her past. A magical realist debut exploring selfishness, independence, family loyalty and individuality.

DISRUPTION – new short fiction from Africa (Catalyst Press, 2021)

I’ve had the great pleasure of working with Short Story Day Africa to get this book published, so a bit biased, but I really do think it’s an excellent collection of short stories. A genre-spanning anthology exploring the many ways that we grow, adapt, and survive in the face of our ever-changing global realities. These evocative, often prescient, stories showcase new and emerging writers from across Africa to investigate many of the pressing issues of our time: climate change, pandemics, social upheaval, surveillance, and more. Authors from across Africa use their stories to explore the concept of change--environmental, political, and physical--and the power or impotence of the human race to innovate our way through it.

OUR GHOSTS WERE ONCE PEOPLE ed. Bongani Kona (Jonathan Ball, 2021)

This poignant and thought-provoking anthology gives us portraits of grief as seen through the eyes of writers and poets such as Sisonke Msimang, Dawn Garisch, Lidudumalingani, Mary Watson, Ishtiyaq Shukri, Hedley Twidle, Karin Schimke, Khadija Patel, Shubnum Khan and many others. Bongani Kona has expertly edited this unique collection so that we can consider the pain of death as transformative, finding beauty in the stories so that we can find ways to live with loss.

Next year: Looking forward to Yomi Sode’s MANNORISM out in May 2022 with Penguin.

KATE BURKE

TV: MARE OF EASTTOWN (created by Brad Ingelsby)

The always-excellent Kate Winslet was particularly brilliant and complex in this crime series about the impact of a young mother’s murder on a small, dysfunctional, American town. Wrestling with her own demons, she shone in an understated way as a dogged detective who would stop at nothing until she solved the crime. Dark, atmospheric, and full of great twists and turns - I loved it!

Book: THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Having read and enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six last year, I picked up one of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s earlier books, THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, and read it in two sittings! This is rare for me – I have picked up and put down so many books this year – but something about the glamour of 1950s Hollywood sucked me right in and I just couldn’t put this down. It’s a light, entertaining and absorbing read, and quite a poignant story about a talented woman in a (then) male-dominated industry.

Film: CANDYMAN (written and directed by Brandon Rose, 1992)

Ahead of the release of the remake/reimagining in September, I watched horror film CANDYMAN for the first time since the early 90s (when I was far too young to have been watching it – saw it at a friend’s sleepover without my parents knowing!) and it was much better and more thriller-ish than I remembered. I have always thought of it as a gruesome slasher but it had much more depth and plot than I remember, commenting on American society at the time and covering issues such as race, class and religion. That said, it still gave me the heebie-jeebies and you’ll never catch me saying ‘Candyman’ five times while staring in a mirror! And, having watched this again, I was then too scared to go and watch the remake…

ANTONIA COKER

Books: GROWN: THE BLACK GIRLS’ GUIDE TO GLOWING UP by Melissa Cummings-Quarry (Author), Natalie A Carter (Author), Dorcas Magbadelo (Illustrator) (Bloomsbury, 2021)

I got sent this book by a PR company out of the blue, and I’m so glad it reached me. Though meant for younger readers, I think GROWN is essential reading for every black girl in the UK and beyond. It teaches valuable life lessons on health, finance and ultimately growing up. I learned a few things from it myself! It’s the guide I wish I had when I was young, and one that I’m thrilled to have now. I can’t wait to see how the black girl book club progresses after this. 

TV: THE LAST DANCE (ESPN, Netflix)

As an avid basketball fan, I’m ashamed to admit I missed the initial showing of this series when it was premiering on Netflix last year, but I am glad to have discovered it this year! The rise and journey of the famous basketball player Michael Jordan was equal parts insightful and entertaining, and I found myself fully engrossed in his journey to win a ring for the Chicago Bulls. The documentary series contains never before seen footage of the ‘97/‘98 Bulls team, and though I’m not a Bulls’ fan myself, I found myself rooting for them to win anyway. 

Music: AALIYAH by Aaliyah

I was almost four when the news that Aaliyah Haughton had passed away in a plane crash shook the world, so other than her icon status and role as Akasha in The Queen of the Damned, I’ve never really known much about her. Early this year, I listened to her final album AALIYAH and pretty much fell in love. It’s still in my heavy rotations now. To me, it’s one of the best R&B albums I’ve ever heard, and it’s easy now for me to understand her place as a pop legend. 

Next year: Next year I’m looking forward to THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH. I’m a major Shakespeare dweeb and can still recite most of his soliloquy from act 2 scene 1 from memory. I’m excited to see how the latest adaptation plays out!

ISOBEL DIXON

I know I’m not alone in finding it hard to believe that 2021 is nearing its end… I’m thinking back over this surreal year, feeling that complex seam between the still-virtual and the just-out-in-the-world, with flashes of wonderful online events and poetry readings, including ones featuring two Ireland-linked publications, Martina Evans’s American Mules (Carcanet) and Simon Barraclough’s Iarnród Éireann (Broken Sleep). Also the first chance in two years to read In Real Life myself, with other poets, outdoors on a beautiful sunny afternoon in Lewes, for Finished Creatures Issue Five – a blessing of a day.

In my publishing life there were happy reunions with authors and book trade comrades at Harrogate Crime Festival, Frankfurt Book Fair and Crossing Border Festival in The Hague. Each epic in its own way, and never to be taken for granted again.

Three events were particular highlights and feel somehow linked, calling for special mention:

Karoo violet, Aptosimum indivisum

Isobel Dixon

1.      The London Review of Books’ online festival SUBJECT/OBJECT: THE BIRDS. Thoughtfully curated, beautifully executed, I learned so much and revelled in being so immersed in avian life, over a week in May, while at my desk.

 2.      What a joy it was to return to live theatre in June, after so long. For years I’ve had a Faber CD of T.S. Eliot’s FOUR QUARTETS read by Ralph Fiennes, and think he renders the poem superbly. I leaped at the chance to go to his one-man show at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, and loved it.

 3.      Then, out in the wide, bright open, the D.H. LAWRENCE SOCIETY’S FESTIVAL WALK on a glorious blue-gold September day, from Greasley Church near Nottingham, and through the surrounding fields. All the more resonant as it’s the setting of a striking D.H. Lawrence short story, ‘Love Among the Haystacks’.

 The most joyful return of all was to see my beloved sisters and in-laws in South Africa this month, albeit for a trip far too short, and somewhat fraught due to the UK’s precipitous travel ‘red-listing’. What I look forward to most in 2022 is to do again what I and my sisters and young nephew did together last week – walking in the veld above Nieu Bethesda, spotting Karoo flowers that had emerged after the welcome recent rain. A different world. I’ll return with this wonderful gem of a book in hand – KAROO: SOUTH AFRICAN WILD FLOWER GUIDE, text by David Shearing, illustrations by Katryn van Heerden.

SIAN ELLIS-MARTIN

Book: I WHO HAVE NEVER KNOWN MEN by Jacqueline Harpman (translated by Ros Schwartz)

I’m not usually a big fan of dystopian fiction but a friend sent me this book and I couldn’t put it down or stop thinking about it when I finished. The story centres on one woman who is trapped in a bunker with 39 older women until one day, something unexpected happens and everything changes. A haunting and compelling read that I’ve recommended to absolutely everyone.

 Music: 30 – Adele

I spent most of the pandemic telling everyone that I was sure Adele was going to help us through it and, better late than never, here she is.

 TV: MAID (created by Molly Smith Metzler, Netflix)

Based on the book by Stephanie Land, MAID follows Alex, a single mother working as a maid to keep a roof over her daughter’s head. It’s a stark exploration of the poverty that still exists in countries as developed as America, and the ridiculously complicated systems that people must navigate to receive very basic support. Stellar acting from everyone involved but I was especially blown away by real-life mother-daughter duo Margaret Qualley and Andie Macdowell.

Looking forward to in 2022:

TO PARADISE by Hanya Yanagihara, of course.

JULIAN FRIEDMANN

Footwear: SKECHERS

I have been a life-long wearer of Timberland shoes; with TLC and hide food they almost never wore out. But I had to buy a pair of red shoes for a 60th birthday party: my friend Thomas Spieker thought red shoes were less onerous than full fancy dress. So, complaining a lot, I bought my first pain of SKECHERS shoes. What a revelation! It was like wearing cotton wool around one’s feet. I did need some kind of arch support and mirabile dictu, you can get that as standard. The older I get the more I appreciate comfort.

Book: HUANDUJ: BRUGMANSIA by Alistair Hay, Monika Gottschalk and Adolfo Holguin (Kew Press, 2012)

For years I have grown beautiful plants I believed were called datura. Carole and I first saw them in Masai Mara on safari: magnificent lily-like flowers with amazing scent at night (propagated by moths). I saw a book at the RHS Wisley bookshop which was so expensive that I decided I would find a cheaper book on the plant, which I did (2nd hand). Then I was given a big book token, so on my next visit to Wisley purchased HUANDUJ: BRUGMANSIA and discovered that my plants were brugmansia not datura.

Carole Drinkwater’s books and TV series

The latter is called A YEAR IN PROVENCE. The books start with AN OLIVE FARM. Since we have access to a family villa in the South of France that has over 30 olive trees, my interest was piqued as the subject of this documentary series is very close to where we stay. I remember Carole and her film and TV producer husband Michel from heady days on the Croisette in Cannes. The series is easy on the eye, full of memories and insights into how to make a baguette, harvest lavender, make cheese. Not high culture (I am sure my colleagues will keep the side up) but delicious nevertheless.

SAMUEL HODDER

TV: IT’S A SIN (Russell T Davies)

This unforgettable, deeply humane short series warms your heart only to break it, as we fall in love with a group of gay friends in 1980s London while the AIDS epidemic is beginning to take its terrible toll. The series is brilliant at capturing the confusion of the time, as wild rumours swirl amidst the general panic and near-silence from the authorities. It’s outrageous to see how the early sufferers were treated. Despite this, the characters are never reduced to being only victims. They are full of life and wit and humour, and there is much joy – and much to be thankful for, especially friendship – among the sadness.

Film: THE POWER OF THE DOG (written and directed by Jane Campion. Adapted from the novel by Thomas Savage)

I’m so glad I stumbled across this on Netflix! It’s a modern Western, richly complicating the stereotype of the rugged rancher who colonised the American West. Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a brutish rancher in Montana, close only to his brother George, who he nevertheless bullies. When George abruptly marries the widowed Rose (the marvellous Kirsten Dunst) and brings her to the ranch, Phil’s psychological bullying drives Rose to drink. But Phil has underestimated Rose’s delicate teenage son, and how Phil’s own secrets and needs might make him vulnerable. This Western becomes an uneasy, unpredictable slow-burn thriller. After watching the film, I immediately sought out the novel (published 1967) by Thomas Savage, which is a joy.

Book: ON PHOTOGRAPHS by David Campany (Thames & Hudson, 2021)

My interest in photography first grew from using Instagram (I guess social media isn’t always bad!) and it quickly became my favourite pastime, helping me to relax, to be a little creative and use a non-verbal part of my brain. Another pleasure has been learning about the history of photography and the work of master photographers. On Photographs (the title is an allusion to Susan Sontag’s On Photography) has been my favourite photography book of the year – erudite, thoughtful but accessible, as it explores photography and what the medium is capable of from many different perspectives, each illustrated by a celebrated photograph.

And in 2022: YOUNG MUNGO by Douglas Stuart (Picador)

Douglas Stuart is such an exciting talent and his debut Shuggie Bain was my favourite novel of 2020 – I was delighted when it won the Booker Prize. I cannot wait for YOUNG MUNGO, published Picador in April 2022. And I was excited to see the cover features an iconic photograph by Wolfgang Tillmans, the first photographer to win the Turner Prize.

LOUISA MINGHELLA

TV: WE ARE LADY PARTS (Nida Manzoor)

It’s rare that you come across a piece of media that gives you everything you want. I watched the whole of WE ARE LADY PARTS in one night, and have been talking about it ever since. There’s something uniquely bold about how quietly revolutionary this show is. Nida Manzoor has created an authentic and gently progressive British comedy, but it’s also a primal scream (literally) in the face of whitewashing and western ideals of representation. Punky in all its forms, I have nothing but good things to say about this show. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, run as fast as you can to All4 and check it out. Absolutely - unbelievably, unapologetically - brilliant.

TV: NEVER HAVE I EVER (Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher)

2021 has given me a lot more time to enjoy the juicier of Netflix’ series, and I put on NEVER HAVE I EVER thinking it would be a silly comedy about teens in America, which was what I fancied at the time. But it wasn’t what I got. Sure, it’s funny and light, but it’s also a masterclass in the modern comedy-drama. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan shines in the role of Devi, as she weaves through the insecurities of high school while trying to process the traumatic death of her father. It’s relatable. It’s heart-breaking. It’s hilarious. And it faithfully represents modern Indian-American culture while navigating universal themes like grief and teen angst and parenthood and sex. Who knew, Hollywood, that you could do both? (We all did.)

Film: ROCKS (Sarah Gavron, Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson)

I watched ROCKS when it first came out as part of a film festival, but I needed to revisit it because I cried so much that most of it was blurry the first time. Honestly, this is a masterpiece of British film-making. I probably can’t say anything more meaningful than just find it and watch it and do it as fast as you can. The actors are beautiful and natural, and since they’re all non-professional young women, Gavron did a fantastic job capturing the feel of their easy inter-personal relationships. Rocks is a wonderful character, and you feel for her the moment you lay eyes on her. There is such an innate sense of love in this film, every moment is soaked in goodness. I’m crying writing this. Go watch it.

HANA MURRELL

Opera: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Rossini, performed by the Welsh National Opera.

I’m slowly being converted into an opera-goer, thanks to a dear family friend who was the stellar female lead in this entertaining, delightful production. She assured me that it sounds even more beautiful sung in Italian, but hearing it in English makes it so brilliantly accessible, in my humble opinion.

Podcast: Movie Therapy

I’ve loved listening to this podcast over the last year, and although I’m feeling bereft now that the hosts have brought it to an end, there are hundreds of episodes for you to enjoy. Kristen and Rafer are film and TV critics who offer compassionate, often very witty advice on listeners’ personal dilemmas, and prescribe films and TV shows that might help the listener find a solution or at least see that they’re not alone in their situation. A brilliant mix of high- and low-brow recommendations.

Book: QUIET: THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CAN’T STOP TALKING by Susan Cain

Not a new book (published in 2012), but new to me. It’s a really compelling read, narrated by Cain’s curious, empathetic and authoritative voice.  It’s given me a greater understanding of my own (introvert-leaning) personality and those of the people around me.

JULIET PICKERING

Book: SORROW AND BLISS by Meg Mason

I came to this novel expecting it to be the story of one woman’s breakdown and its repercussions, but it was SO much more. It’s a rich, insightful, quick-witted and deeply enjoyable book about family, and the complexities and nuances of behaviour that make you realise a person is not one thing, but many very different things to many, different people – and to themselves. It’s such a good conversation about the ways that we get older and grow together, as families, and how tiny slights become huge fallouts, which can be deflated again with the exposure of a sharp truth. I loved it so much that I’m going to take the exceedingly rare move of re-reading SORROW AND BLISS over the holidays, as a treat.

Film: ROBIN, ROBIN (Aardman Animations)

I love a festive film, and this short animation about a robin who believes he’s a mouse is not only perfect entertainment for my young son, but also fills me with Christmassy warmth, even on the 19th re-watch. Recommended!

Book: HOW TO EAT by Nigella Lawson (audiobook)

I’m still slow to enjoy audiobooks properly – I listen at bedtime and have a great knack for dropping off 5 mins in, and remembering nothing about what I’ve ‘heard’ the next day – but I saw someone online recommend comfort-listening to HOW TO EAT. I was intrigued by the idea of listening to recipes in audio, but the main appeal is really Nigella’s tips and tricks, which offer up some real gems. It’s easy and soothing to listen to her talk about what kind of olive oil to use for hollandaise (mine: Sainsbury’s own brand; hers: Ligurian), and fancy that one day you might be able to live the kind of life that features many exquisite olive oils, the best dark chocolate and organic-only meat. One can dream…  

 JAMES PUSEY

Theatre: THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH by William Shakespeare (Almeida Theatre)

Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle excelled in Yaël Farber’s haunting production.

 Art: JOHN NASH: THE LANDSCAPE OF LOVE AND SOLACE (Towner Gallery, Eastbourne)

A major exhibition of the visionary artist’s oil paintings, watercolours, wood engravings and lithographs, depicting the British landscape.

 Cinema: THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS (Dir: Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw)

Deep in the forests of Piedmont the hunt for the white truffle is on! Charming, quirky, moving and timeless.

TABITHA TOPPING

Film: EMMA (dir. By Autumn de Wilde)

Not being exactly enamoured with the novel or its heroine, I didn’t seek out the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen’s EMMA (starring Anya Taylor-Joy) despite the acclaim it received. However, when I finally got round to watching it, I was shocked by how much I loved it. Emma still aggravates me no end, but the combination of the acting, aesthetics and sharp, witty script had me spellbound and I even cried at the end! I may even pick the novel up again…

Poetry: HONORIFICS by Cynthia Miller

A stunning collection. I read it sat by a lake on one of the last scorching days of the year. I had just swum for the first time since the Coronavirus pandemic hit and this collection kept me rapt as I slowly dried in the sun. It was shortlisted for the 2021 Forward Prize for Best First Collection, and is truly astonishing, with poems on subjects as wide-ranging as family, immigration and jellyfish. One I’m sure I will continue to revisit in the years to come.

Non-fiction: WHO OWNS ENGLAND? by Guy Shrubsole

A fascinating look at the unequal distribution of land ownership across England and how it perpetuates wealth and class inequality. Sobering and necessary.

2022 pick: OUR WIVES UNDER THE SEA by Julia Armfield

Having adored her short story collection SALT SLOW, I am desperately excited for Julia Armfield’s debut novel, OUR WIVES UNDER THE SEA, which is due to be published by Picador on the 3rd of March. Love, grief, loss and the deep, deep sea – what more could you want?!

DAISY WAY

Podcast: SENTIMENTAL IN THE CITY (Caroline O’Donoghue and Dolly Alderton)

I’ve listened to and enjoyed several episodes of Caroline O’Donoghue’s books podcast, Sentimental Garbage, over the last few years, and I absolutely loved revisiting Sex and the City through her mini-series, SENTIMENTAL IN THE CITY, which she co-hosted earlier this year with Dolly Alderton. Across 8 episodes, they took a deep dive into each season as well as the films (yes, even the second one) and their witty, silly conversations just gave me all the warm, happy vibes I needed during my many rainy walks of lockdown number three. An honourable mention must also go to Drama Queens, another rewatch podcast for noughties American teen drama One Tree Hill – clearly this year I’ve been feeling nostalgic..!

Book: HAMNET by Maggie O’Farrell

I read HAMNET by Maggie O’Farrell at the start of the year and within the opening chapters knew it’d be one of my top picks for 2021, though I don’t think there’s much I can say that hasn’t already been said. Haunting and beautiful, it’s a heart-wrenching, unputdownable read which will stay with me for a long time. Standing ovation!

TV: SWEET TOOTH (created by Jim Mickle)

Like most, I have without a doubt watched more TV this year than ever before and it’s hard to pick a favourite now, but one series that stands out is SWEET TOOTH (Netflix). I didn’t expect to enjoy a fantasy series set ten years after a virus changed the world forever (ahem), nor did I expect to find the half-deer, half-boy protagonist so endearing, but I did. As you see a frightening world through Gus’ innocent eyes, what could have been a somewhat gloomy dystopian nightmare is actually quite charming, hopeful almost. An unexpected treat.

BFLA BEST OF 2020 AND PICKS FOR 2021

It has been a thrill to see so many of our authors featured in lots of Best of 2020 lists, and others highlighted as hotly anticipated reads for 2021. To celebrate these tremendous achievements, we have compiled a list of the selections our authors were included in, along with the praise they received.

In prize news this year already, Monique Roffey has won the Costa Novel Prize and the overall Costa Book of the Year Award, as well as being longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize. Elsewhere three of our authors have been shortlisted for the 2021 Romantic Novelists Association (RNA) Romantic Novel Awards: SECRETS OF THE LAVENDER GIRLS by Kate Thompson has been shortlisted for The Romantic Saga Award, THE COMING OF THE WOLF by Elizabeth Chadwick has been shortlisted for The Goldsboro Books Historical Novel Award, and CHRISTMAS WISHES by Sue Moorcroft has been shortlisted for The Sapere Books Popular Romantic Fiction Award. Joseph O’Connor’s SHADOWPLAY has been longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and on the Dylan Thomas Prize long list, Dima Alzayat has been picked for her debut short story collection, ALLIGATOR AND OTHER STORIES, and Romalyn Ante for her poetry collection, ANTIEMETIC FOR HOMESICKNESS.

We’re delighted that Peter James was Number 35 on The Bookseller’s overall 2020 Author Top 50, with lots of anticipation for ITV’s spring broadcast of GRACE, starring John Simm and Richie Campbell, adapted from Peter James’s first two Roy Grace bestsellers, DEAD SIMPLE and LOOKING GOOD DEAD.

THE BEST BOOKS OF 2020

ALLIGATOR & OTHER STORIES by Dima Alzayat

‘ALLIGATOR contains several stories of breath-taking power, worth noting since the title story alone, based on the true story of a Syrian man lynched in Florida in 1929, is worth the price of several volumes. Born in Syria, raised in the United States, and now residing in the United Kingdom, Alzayat “may be the first person to realize that our history is our own black mirror,” wrote a bookseller. Start reading now and you can say you were an early fan, because Dima Alzayat combines superb writing with razor-sharp imagination and focuses on social injustice, racial violence, and global immigration.’ — LitHub, The Best Books of 2020 you might have missed

THE YOUNG TEAM by Graeme Armstrong

‘Two semi-autobiographical Scottish debuts from Picador showcased essential new voices: Douglas Stuart took the Booker prize for his moving, devastating SHUGGIE BAIN the tale of a boy’s desperate love for his alcoholic mother in the deprived, post-industrial 80s; while Graeme Armstrong’s THE YOUNG TEAM, set among teenage gangs in Lanarkshire, updated TRAINSPOTTING for a new generation.’ — The Guardian, Best Fiction of 2020

‘Set in the schemes of Airdrie, THE YOUNG TEAM by Graeme Armstrong had scenes that made me wince and smirk at their North Lanarkshire familiarity.’ — The Scotsman, Laura Waddell’s year in books

LOVE IN COLOUR by Bolu Babalola

‘The most iconic love stories of myth and folklore from West Africa to Ancient Greece, vibrantly reimagined in bold, striking prose; LOVE IN COLOUR beautifully illustrates the timelessness of classic storytelling.’ — Waterstones, Best Books of 2020 - Debuts

‘Bolu Babalola “decolonizes love” in this stunning retelling of ancient love stories. The alluring collection affirms that love is a universal experience that takes varying forms in different cultures, from Mesopotamia to Senegal to Lesotho.’ – Brittlepaper.com, 50 Notable Books of 2020

‘Our busiest period coincided with this year’s demand for a renewed focus on Black Lives. While it’s good that so many people started reading about the reality of racism, it’s important to remember that joy and love are also part of the black experience. LOVE IN COLOUR by Bolu Babalola retells mythical love stories from around the world and serves as a reminder of this.’  – The Observer, Pages of Hackney, The best books of 2020, chosen by Booksellers

THE ENGLISHMAN by David Gilman

‘When Raglan, a former soldier in the French Foreign Legion, is recruited by M16 for an off-the-books operation, he is pitched into a fast-paced, dangerous journey through organised crime in London and Russia that ends in a Siberian prison camp. The narrative goes at breakneck speed but between the action Gilman slowly and deftly unveils Raglan’s back-story.’ — Financial Times, Best Books of the Year 2020

‘Klaxon alert! Discover full-on heart-pounding action, plus smart, sharp writing in this absolute reading feast of a book . . . This is the first in what promises to be a smash-hit spy thriller series and I already can’t wait for the next book . . . His words build a vivid picture, this world feels authentic and I read with full confidence. I was so involved in the unfolding story that my thoughts didn’t skim backwards or forwards, I purely existed in each moment as it hit. And boy, each moment lands with ferocious intensity. Shockwaves of action expanded and the storyline tripped me with unexpected developments. Even though I had read the prologue, the ending still came with a whammy. LoveReading Book of the Month - tick, LoveReading Star Book – tick, one of my personal Picks of the Month – tick! THE ENGLISHMAN comes with a tremendous thumbs up from me, more please!’ – LoveReading, Our favourite Books of 2020

I FOLLOW YOU by Peter James

‘A chilling standalone thriller from the bestselling king of crime, I FOLLOW YOU sees a respectable married doctor descend into an unhealthy obsession for a woman he has never been able to forget.’ —  Waterstones, The Best Books of 2020: Crime & Thrillers      

SWIMMING IN THE DARK by Tomasz Jedrowski

‘Remember the feeling of the last day of summer camp? Nostalgia for something you haven’t quite lost yet? Tomasz Jedrowski captures that wistfulness in his debut novel, set in 1980s communist Poland. Two young men meet and fall in love. One chafes against the restrictions of society; the other finds ways to thrive within the confines of the regime. Jedrowski’s writing reminds us that even in the face of oppression, life continues. As he told me, “People still fall in love. People still go skinny-dipping. People still smoke cigarettes. And people still dream.”’ – Ari Shapiro, NPR Books,  Books of the Year 2020

‘Tomasz Jedrowski’s SWIMMING IN THE DARK is captivating on the twin challenge of being both gay and liberal in communist Poland. An enchanting story of coming out and surviving, just, in a cold climate.’ –  Andrew Adonis, Daily Express, Books of the Year 2020

‘Poland, 1980. Anxious, disillusioned Ludwik Glowacki, soon to graduate university, has been sent along with the rest of his class to an agricultural camp. Here he meets Janusz - and together, they spend a dreamlike summer swimming in secluded lakes, reading forbidden books – and falling in love. This book is a masterpiece of fiction and made me smile and cry! Beautiful!’ – Gay’s The Word, Books of the Year 2020

GLOSSY by Nina-Sophia Miralles

‘The untold story of Vogue, told through the lens of its editors, in GLOSSY journalist Nina-Sophia Miralles asks what – and most importantly who – made the fashion magazine such an enduring success? It’s a story of passion and power, dizzying fortune and out-of-this-world fashion, of ingenuity and opportunism, frivolity and malice. Today, 125 years later, Vogue spans 22 countries, has an international print readership upwards of 12 million and nets over 67 million monthly online users. It is not just a fashion magazine, it is the establishment.’ – Forbes, Holiday Gift Guide 2020: The Best British Stocking Stuffers

CHRISTMAS WISHES by Sue Moorcroft

‘Sometimes fate has a way of keeping people who should be together, apart.

Enter Hannah and Nico, two childhood friends. Having lost her shop in Stockholm, a distraught Hannah is forced to move back to the little village of Middledip, only to discover Nico is there too. Will the two of them find romance under the falling snow or will they be iced out of each other’s lives? Another great read from Moorcroft, who went to Stockholm and tested out the culinary treats… all in the name of authenticity.’ — besteverchristmas.co.uk, Top Cosy Christmas Stocking Reads

SHADOWPLAY by Joseph O’Connor

‘O’Connor’s ingenious novel is based on the life of Bram Stoker, author of DRACULA and his relationship with Henry Irving, renowned actor and impresario. Barry McGovern gives brilliant renditions of the Irishman Stoker and of Henry Irving, whose voice here is a thespian thunder. Anna Chancellor pipes up on occasion as the warm voice of Ellen Terry, Stoker’s friend and Irving’s leading lady’. — The Washington Post, Best Audiobooks of 2020

‘Finally, a paperback, winner of last year's Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year, which reimagines the meeting of three extraordinary people, Bram Stoker, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry. Reading this may even prompt me to attempt DRACULA for the first time too.’ — BookBrunch, What we’d like to read - Christmas 2020

BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER by Alan Parks

‘Two girls go missing in Harry McCoy’s third outing (after BLOODY JANUARY and FEBRUARY’S SON). The detective, world-weary at 30, also has to investigate the death of a druggy guitar genius whose global fame was fading. Glasgow, in the summer of 1973, is as fascinating and dangerous as Harry’s best pal, gangster Stevie Cooper. Alan Parks has clearly studied the masters of tartan noir, but has his own distinctive voice.’ – The Times, Best Crime Books of the Year 2020

THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH by Monique Roffey

‘This is Monique Roffey’s sixth novel and seventh book, and each one is markedly different from the other. She is the most adventurous of writers and THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH does not disappoint. Set in 1976 on the imaginary Caribbean island of Black Conch, this is a strange, haunting, original and memorable novel about Aycayia, a mermaid from deep history who is entrapped and taken out of the sea. At the mercy of American tourists, she is saved by a kindly fisherman who gives her shelter. Slowly, she starts to lose her tail and shed her scales and stands to metamorphose back into the indigenous Indian woman she once was, persecuted by other women because of her beauty. This is a novel packed with layers of meaning around womanhood, alienation, masculinity, toxic attitudes towards women, and inter-female rivalry, as well as love, compassion and the search for home.’ – Bernardine Evaristo, Waterstones, Bernardine Evaristo’s Favourite Reads of 2020

‘THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH by Monique Roffey (Peepal Tree) Just in time for my list the Costa shortlists are announced, which brings this book to my attention. A writer from Trinidad (along with another shortlisted author, Ingrid Persaud, whose LOVE AFTER LOVE I highly recommend), I much enjoyed her earlier ARCHIPELAGO, and so look forward to reading this.’ – Jo Henry, BookBrunch, What we’d like to read - Christmas 2020

‘Blending myth and history, magic and reality, this multi-voiced, multi-textured novel (it features journal excerpts and verse) tells a rich tale of love, jealousy and freedom, exposing racism, oppression and gender inequalities through its otherworldly cloak.’ – LoveReading, Our favourite Books of 2020

THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS by Edward Wilson-Lee

‘A majestic tour de force that explores the mind of a Renaissance great against the flow of Empire. Wilson-Lee presents a fitting tribute to the man behind the legend, impeccably researched, stunningly woven together and as epic in delivery as the West’s most famous explorer.’ — Wreckwatch Magazine, Wreckwatch Magazine Book of 2020

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED BOOKS IN 2021

LOVE IN COLOUR by Bolu Babalola (US Edition)

A Goodreads ‘2021’s Hottest Romances’ pick

‘This collection of stories is a pure, joyous celebration of love, folklore, and the power of human connection in an often incomprehensible world. Drawing from mythology from West Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and more, Babolola crafts tales of romance that shift the perspectives and recontextualize well-trod tropes, offering an insightful, thoroughly modern take on what it means to feel guided by fate, captive to something bigger than yourself — to love.’ –Refinery29

‘A Nigerian goddess who longs to be seen, a young businesswoman who makes leaps in her love life, an influential Ghanaian spokeswoman who must decide if she will be true to her heart—these are just some of the characters you’re set to encounter in Babalola’s debut short story collection. Centering the folktales of West Africa, Babalola retells some of the most enduring mythologies with a refreshing voice. And though she also draws on Greek myths and legends of the Middle East, Babalola is keen to decolonize tropes inherent to these stories. This book is a celebration of love—its challenges and its sweet promise.’  – Lit Hub, Rasheed Saka, Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2021

‘After earning acclaim following its UK release in summer 2020, Bolu Babalola's debut is finally hitting the states. In this short story collection, the self-proclaimed “romcomoisseur” retells love stories from around the world. Mythology, folktales, and history from West Africa, Greece, and the Middle East serve as inspiration for her diverse romantic tales that add a new perspective to the genre's tropes.’ – Oprah Magazine, 27 Most Anticipated Romance Novels to Renew Your Faith in Love In 2021

‘I’m a big fan of British journalist Bolu Babalola (if you’re unfamiliar, her Vulture essay “The Innate Black Britishness of I May Destroy You” is the perfect example of her shrewd cultural criticism). Her fiction debut, a collection of reimagined love stories from history and myth, sounds fantastic: As Babalola herself describes it, it’s “a step towards decolonizing tropes of love.”’ —A.R., Buzzfeed

THE SWALLOWED MAN by Edward Carey

An AV Club ‘5 New Books to Read in January’ pick

‘Edward Carey and Elizabeth McCracken are Austin literary royalty, so it’s exciting that both have a new book out this year. Carey’s latest is a retelling of Pinocchio with a vast well of sympathy for the lying puppet’s lonesome and troubled creator, who spends much of THE SWALLOWED MAN contemplating his sins while in the belly of a whale. THE SWALLOWED MAN also has plenty of Carey’s trademark illustrations!’  – Molly Odintz, Lit Hub, Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2021

‘From the acclaimed author of LITTLE comes this beautiful and haunting imagining of the years Geppetto spends within the belly of a sea beast. Drawing upon the Pinocchio story while creating something entirely his own, Carey tells an unforgettable tale of fatherly love and loss, pride and regret, and of the sustaining power of art and imagination.’ – Tor.com, All the New Horror and Genre-Bending Books Arriving in January

CASE STUDY by Graeme Macrae Burnet

‘From the Booker-shortlisted author of HIS BLOODY PROJECT, a metafictional investigation into analysis and responsibility focused on a controversial 60s psychotherapist.’ – 2021 in Books: what to look forward to this year.’  – The Observer 

‘Graeme Macrae Burnet is a novelist who likes playing around with form. CASE STUDY (Saraband, October) comprises a number of notebooks sent to the author in 2020 concerning psychotherapist Arthur Collins Braithwaite, a 1960s contemporary of RD Laing. The notebooks are from a woman who is convinced Braithwaite is responsible for her sister’s death.’ – The Herald, 21 Books for 2021: Nick Major previews the year’s most exciting releases

THE LAST THING TO BURN by Will Dean

A Her Magazine ‘85 Brilliant Books That We Can't Wait to Curl Up with in 2021’ pick

A Novel Suspects ‘30 Thrilling Books to Look Out for This Year’

A Financial Times pick for ‘Best New Crime Fiction’

‘Set on a remote farm and filled with lingering dread, The Last Thing to Burn is a chilling depiction of an obsessively controlling relationship driven to its breaking point.’ – Waterstones, Books to Look Forward to in 2021

‘Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name. She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen. Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished. For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting.’  – Grazia, The 30 Best Books We're Looking Forward to Reading in 2021

‘After three excellent novels featuring the deaf reporter Tuva Moodyson — DARK PINES (2018), RED SNOW (2019), BLACK RIVER (2020) — Will Dean has changed publishers and direction. This is a short, sharp shocker, burning with righteous anger, intended to highlight the evils of human trafficking.’ — Mark Sanderson, The Times, The Best Crime Fiction for January 2021

‘A bleak but brilliantly handled tale of oppression, torture and enslavement that will have you turning the pages late into the night.’ – inews, 75 of the best books for 2021

‘After the dramatic Swedish backdrops of his Tuva Moodyson trilogy, Will Dean switches to a farm in Lincolnshire’s fens in THE LAST THING TO BURN, a two-hander that has been misleadingly compared to Room. The narrator, the Vietnamese migrant Thanh Dao, is the tortured captive of her husband, Lenn, who burns her few possessions if her cooking and cleaning are below standard or she tries to escape. Dean laudably combines gaslighting and modern slavery in this set-up, but it makes for a necessarily repetitive and relentlessly grim read: as if Beckett had tackled the Bluebeard story, although without his merciful moments of poetry and humour.’ –  The Sunday Times, Best Thrillers for January 2021

‘The atmosphere is vivid, the characters are brilliantly drawn — especially Len, who shows surprising human touches despite his almost unconscious monstrousness. If it feels uncomfortable to be deriving entertainment from such a terrible situation, this story at least draws attention to a plight that is rooted in all-too-real-life tragedies. Claustrophobic, harrowing but also inspiring, this book is not for the faint-hearted. It’s hard to read, and hard to put down’ — News Chain, 5 new books to read this week

THE DREAM WEAVERS by Barbara Erskine

A Love Reading ‘Exciting New Books on the Horizon’ pick

LEFT YOU DEAD by Peter James

A Waterstones ‘The Best Fiction Books to Look Forward to in 2021’ pick

Grace (Peter James TV)

A Tatler ‘The Best TV Dramas to Look Forward to This Year’ pick

An inews ‘The Best TV Coming in 2021’ pick

A Mirror ‘Best New TV Shows 2021’ pick

A Telegraph ‘10 New TV Shows to Look Forward to in 2021’ pick

A Sunday Express ‘TV series to Watch in 2021’ pick

A Radio Times ‘Most Anticipated TV Dramas Coming in 2021’ pick

A BBC ‘TV in 2021’ pick

‘The crime writer has been referred to as the “king of police procedural”, thanks to his rigid commitment to authenticity. It is said James routinely accompanies detectives and police officers while they work as research for his 16-part franchise, which focuses on the heady antics of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. With jolly titles like WANT YOU DEAD, NEED YOU DEAD and DEAD SIMPLE, there’s enough material to see you through until Covid-23 at the very least. From the TV writer Russell Lewis (Endeavour), ITV’s upcoming adaptation stars John Simm as Grace.’ – The Sunday Times

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? by Lucy Mangan

‘The Guardian journalist’s first novel is a comedy of domestic life, inspired by EM Delafield’s classic DIARY OF A PROVINCIAL LADY.’ –The Observer, 2021 in Books: what to look forward to this year

WHEN THEY FIND HER by Lia Middleton

‘WHEN THEY FIND is a haunting, emotional and nerve-shredding debut about a desperate mother, a tragic accident and a terrible lie that spirals out of control. Penned by a barrister specialising in crime and prison law, this is a sharp, sophisticated and intense thriller combining a dark plot with white-knuckle pace – and we couldn’t put it down.’ – Dead Good Books, Debut crime novels to watch out for 2021

GLOSSY by Nina-Sophia Miralles

‘Miralles, the founder of Londnr magazine, turns her hand to social history with this hugely entertaining peek behind the pages of Vogue.’ – inews, 75 of the best books for 2021

THE WOMEN WHO RAN AWAY by Sheila O’Flanagan

‘THE WOMEN WHO RAN AWAY by Sheila O’Flanagan (Headline) is a road-trip novel that begins in Ireland but covers France from north to south and Spain as well, as two women accidentally thrown together learn the importance of inter-generational friendship, and of coping with their personal upheavals back in the oul’ sod.’ – The Anglo-Celt, Looking for reasons to be cheerful in a year like no other

SHIVER by Allie Reynolds

An Irish Independent ‘New Voices and Stories Help Balance the Books’ pick

A Her Magazine ‘85 Brilliant Books That We Can't Wait to Curl Up with in 2021’ pick

A New York Post ‘These Three New Thrillers Set in Ski Resorts will Chill You to the Bone’ pick

The Sydney Morning Herald ‘Most Anticipated Books of 2021’ pick

A News Chain ‘Books Set to Create Buzz in 2021’ pick

An Independent ‘Books to Look Out For in 2021’ pick

An Echo Live ‘Experts offer their predictions on what’s going to be hot in the world of books 2021’ pick 

‘A promising debut with a dramatic setting.’ – The Sunday Times, Best Crime Novels for January 2021

‘Buckle up – this chilling thriller will have you feeling like you’re hurtling down a black run. Milla, a former snowboarder, is invited to a reunion in the French Alps. The friends haven’t seen each other for 10 years since the disappearance of the beautiful Saskia. With a broken ski lift, a blizzard setting in and a group turning on each other, secrets are about to emerge – and it isn’t pretty. An unforgettable debut.’ – Woman & Home, Best Books 2021: The reads to look out for this year

‘Written by debut author and former British top ten freestyle snowboarder, Allie Reynolds SHIVER is set in the glitteringly beautiful yet deadly French Alps. In the world of high stakes, professional snowboarding, five friends and former athletes reunite with sinister consequences.’ – Grazia,

 The 30 books We're Looking Forward to Reading in 2021

‘When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. …. In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.’ – Shemazing.net, The 10 best books you need to add to your reading list this winter

‘Locked-room mystery set against a snowy, Alpine backdrop, Allie Reynold’s SHIVER centers on five friends who come together to catch up after spending the last years apart. Once they arrive, however, they quickly come to realise that they’re stranded in the cold. Someone wants them to remember a sixth friend, but who is it and – after all this time – why?’  – Bustle, The Most Anticipated Books of January 2021

‘Mind games, a hyper-competitive cast of characters and a dangerous natural environment make SHIVER a seriously suspenseful mystery, with tension that builds and builds. Prepare to be chilled!’ –  Dead Good Books, Debut crime novels to watch out for 2021

‘In the grand tradition of Agatha Christie, Allie Reynolds's debut SHIVER is a locked-room mystery. The story begins with five friends meeting for a reunion, but things turn deadly when it becomes clear someone arranged for them to be stranded during a snowstorm.’ – Popsugar, 10 Must-Read New Thriller and Mystery Books Coming Out This January