The coronavirus variations
Here are three of our most praised writers with new offerings written during one or more lockdowns and that also take in the pandemic in their subject matter
The satisfaction of small pleasures
The most anticipated book of the year, a Booker Prize nominee and a posthumous release: John Self on three new, big releases this month
Belfast’s best-kept secret
John Self welcomes the reissue of three works by Brian Moore, one of Northern Ireland few novelists who can stand toe-to-toe with the contemporary greats
A fully-packed bookcase
Three books that each offer a traditional holiday-reading pleasure
Contemporary writing with a twist and a tug
In this month’s fiction selection, John Self discovers novels that successfully use their style to enhance rather than simply describe the story
Debutant novels and great expectations
John Self on debut novels that provide an insight into publishing in Britain
The enduring power of brief encounters
A trio of novels that are connected by their surprising manner of finding their way to us
Finely-turned tales of mothers, murder and love
We need a system where books that publishers really love, where it’s not mere puff, get a special sticker on the front, says John Self
Cheques and balances
John Self says that while writing has always been seen as a vocation, the characters many authors care most about are the ones printed on their royalty statements
Blueprints for laughter, life, love and belonging
Fiction works on the understanding that none of it really happened; we agree to believe it anyway, says John Self