Hunger and Thirst is the first of my six novels to feature an artist, which surprises me, since I was one myself for many years.

Ursula is a reclusive and famous sculptor in her fifties, whose first job at sixteen is working in the post room of the art school where I studied sculpture. There’s a lot about art and wood carving in this novel, and these sections were wonderful to write – almost like making the pieces without (much of) the effort! In the book, Ursula examines and is critical about a sculpture of some ribs and intestines, which was in fact the first carving I ever did.

I thought it would be fun to look at some other novels that feature art and artists, including Take What You Need by Idra Novey that made my books of the year in 2025, The Italian Teacher that was a favourite in 2024, and Burntcoat by Sarah Hall in 2022. So maybe I do have a love for art in fiction.

Click on any of these books to be taken to Bookshop.org in the UK to buy them (and to the US for the American edition of Hunger and Thirst, above.)

And don’t forget to let me know which I’ve missed!

Happy reading!

My book tour has slowed somewhat, but you can still come and see me in few places over the summer and into the autumn. I’ll next be at Book Haus in Bristol on 17th June, talking about Hunger and Thirst, and my son, Henry Ayling will be playing some live music. Hope to see you somewhere on my travels!