I’m delighted that I have a short ghost story included in this spooky anthology, Unquiet Guests, and alongside such amazing authors as Chuck Palahniuk, Kirsty Logan, Irenosen Okojie, and Alison Moore. The book will be published by Dead Ink Books at the end of October 2025. Dan Coxon is the editor and commissioned us each to write a story about a haunted house.
I started my story some time ago about two sisters who arrive at their father’s house, after he has died. One of the sisters has the key and is waiting for the other. About a month after I’d written the first draft, devastatingly my own father died. Two days later I realised I was outside his place with the key, waiting for my sister to arrive…
The book is available to pre-order now, in the UK (I’m not sure whether it will be published in other countries), either via Dead Ink Books, or Waterstones, and it will drop through your letterbox at the end of October.
Read This: Books under the Radar is a weekly post written by a guest author – often a friend of mine, someone I’ve met on my writerly travels, or an author I admire – who recommends three books they think deserve more recognition. If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click on the covers and give these hidden gems some love. You can see the full list of books which have been selected, as well as the author’s latest book on Bookshop.org, where you can have a browse and buy any that take your fancy. Happy reading!
Read This: Essie Fox
Essie and I met when we both helped form, and joined, The Prime Writers. This was a group of writers whose debuts were published when we were all over forty. At the time it felt that debuts were all about young writers (and to an extent they still are) and we were all feeling a little lost. We were there to commiserate when things weren’t going well, and to cheer when they were. We’re all loosely still in touch, and I feel a huge camaraderie with this group of writers, and love to see them doing well, and I’m always ready to support them when they have a new book out. Essie’s latest is available to pre-order now. Here’s what she has to say about herself:
Essie Fox writes historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. The Fascination was an instant Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller, and her forthcoming novel, Dangerous is a dark and vampiric-themed mystery featuring Lord Byron, when the poet resided in Venice.
Essie has lectured on the historical themes behind her novels at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Gallery in London, as well as at literary festivals and bookshop events.
Discover more about Essie at her website: essiefox.com Here are the books Essie chose:
Read This: Books under the Radar is a weekly post written by a guest author – often a friend of mine, someone I’ve met on my writerly travels, or an author I admire – who recommends three books they think deserve more recognition. If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click on the covers and give these hidden gems some love. You can see the full list of books which have been selected, as well as the author’s latest book on Bookshop.org, where you can have a browse and buy any that take your fancy. Happy reading!
Read This: Viv Groskop
Viv and I have known each other for ten years, when my debut, Our Endless Numbered Days won the Desmond Elliott Prize and she was one of the judges – and the chair of the judges let it slip that Viv didn’t vote for my book! I’m not sure whether it was embarrassment at the reveal but when she was booking authors for the Bath Literary Festival she invited me, and since then (and because I’ve of course forgiven her) we’ve bumped into each other at many literary events. I’ve read most of her books and they’re always an inspiration, and I particularly loved her latest, One Ukrainian Summer, a memoir of her time in the 1980s in the USSR and Ukraine. I highly recommend it. Here’s what she has to say about herself:
Viv Groskop is an author, comedian and playwright. She is the author of seven non-fiction books including the best-seller How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking. Her latest book One Ukrainian Summer is a memoir set after the fall of the Iron Curtain and is about being young and stupidly in love with a Ukrainian punk rock guitarist who repeatedly gives you headlice. It comes out in paperback in April 2025. All author proceeds for this book go to PEN International for their work with Writers at Risk.
Find her on Instagram @vivgroskop and subscribe to her weekly newsletter at vivgroskop.com.
Read This: Books under the Radar is a weekly post written by a guest author – often a friend of mine, someone I’ve met on my writerly travels, or an author I admire – who recommends three books they think deserve more recognition. If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click on the covers and give these hidden gems some love. You can see the full list of books which have been selected, as well as the author’s latest book on Bookshop.org, where you can have a browse and buy any that take your fancy. Happy reading!
Read This: Beth O’Leary
Beth lives in my neck of the woods and once upon a time was in my writing group, so I was very privileged to read some of her novels as she was writing them. But family commitments took over, and to be honest, I’m not sure that Beth needs the help of a writing group – her novels are so wonderful. I have been sent a copy of Swept Away but I haven’t yet found the time to pick it up. Soon, I promise! It will be published on 8th April, and if you click on the picture you can pre-order (or order) a copy. Here’s what she has to say about herself:
Beth O’Leary is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. Her debut, The Flatshare, sold over a million copies and is now a major TV series, as is her third novel, The Road Trip. All her other novels – The Switch, The No-Show and The Wake-Up Call – were also instant bestsellers. Beth writes her books in the Hampshire countryside with a very badly behaved Golden Retriever for company. If she’s not in her writing shed, you’ll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).
Read This: Books under the Radar is a weekly post written by a guest author – often a friend of mine, someone I’ve met on my writerly travels, or an author I admire – who recommends three books they think deserve more recognition. If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click on the covers and give these hidden gems some love. You can see the full list of books which have been selected, as well as the author’s latest book on Bookshop.org, where you can have a browse and buy any that take your fancy. Happy reading!
Read This: Claire Thomson
You might not know this, but as well as novels, I LOVE cookbooks. I have a pretty big collection and love sitting down on my kitchen floor besides the shelves where I keep them all and browsing through. I can’t remember when I first started following Claire Thomson on Instagram with her vegetable-led recipes, but I have loved her easy to follow but interesting style of cooking. I urge you to follow her too: @5oclockapron. Her 10th cookbook, One Pan Beans is out this week and I also urge you to buy it, because it’s brilliant and I’ve already cooked several delicious recipes from it. Here’s what she has to say about herself:
Claire Thomson is a chef, food writer and a constant source of family-cooking inspiration to her 180,000 Instagram followers. Claire has written for the Guardian, Telegraph, BBC Good Food Magazine and Delicious and is a Guild of Food Writers award winner. She has appeared on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen, Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. On her podcast The 5 O’Clock Apron, she chats and chops with people from other professions about what they cook for dinner. Her previous books include Art of the Larder, Home Cookery Year, One Pan Chicken and Veggie Family Cookbook. @5oclockapron
Read This: Books under the Radar is a weekly post written by a guest author – often a friend of mine, someone I’ve met on my writerly travels, or an author I admire – who recommends three books they think deserve more recognition. If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click on the covers and give these hidden gems some love. You can see the full list of books which have been selected, as well as the author’s latest book on Bookshop.org, where you can have a browse and buy any that take your fancy. Happy reading!
Read This: Sophie Haydock
I’ve been aware of Sophie’s debut novel, The Flames for a while, and then I ‘met’ her – virtually at least – when we both judged the ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award short story competition for three years running. And now I have her next novel Madame Matisse in my sights. Here’s what she has to say about herself:
Sophie Haydock is an award-winning author, journalist and curator, living by the sea in Folkestone. She has a passion for uncovering hidden stories – whether in the archives, on the foreshore of the Thames as a licensed mudlark or in the pages of history. Her debut novel, The Flames, tells the story of the four women who posed for the scandalous Viennese artist Egon Schiele. Her second novel, Madame Matisse, explores the lives of the women who propelled Henri Matisse to immortality. Sophie is the curator of the Folkestone Book Festival, where she champions forgotten voices and shines a light on the stories that deserve to be told.
Read This: Books under the Radar is a weekly post written by a guest author – often a friend of mine, someone I’ve met on my writerly travels, or an author I admire – who recommends three books they think deserve more recognition. If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click on the covers and give these hidden gems some love. You can see the full list of books which have been selected, as well as the author’s latest book on Bookshop.org, where you can have a browse and buy any that take your fancy. Happy reading!
Read This: Huma Qureshi
I met Huma when she was the guest author on an Editing Fiction and Non-fiction course I taught for Arvon. Huma came on Wednesday evening and read from her books and told the students about her writing and how she edits. She seemed such a warm and friendly person and was incredibly generous with her time and in answering the students’ questions. Here’s what she has to say about herself:
Huma Qureshi is an award-winning writer and author of four books. Her memoir, How We Met: A Memoir of Love and Other Misadventures, was published in 2021 (Elliott & Thompson), and shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards. Her debut short-story collection, Things We Do Not Tell the People We Love, also published in 2021 (Sceptre), was longlisted for both The Jhalak Prize Book of The Year and The Edge Hill Prize for excellence in a single authored short story collection. In 2020, she won the coveted Harper’s Bazaar short story literary prize. Her first book, In Spite of Oceans, was published in 2014 (The History Press) and received the John C. Laurence award from The Authors ’Foundation. Her debut novel, Playing Games, a poignant story of art and sisterhood, family, marriage and betrayal, was published to critical acclaim in 2023 (Sceptre). Huma writes the popular newsletter Dear Huma and teaches a range of creative writing courses via her website, http://www.humaqureshi.co.uk.
It’s been ten years since my first novel, Our Endless Numbered Days was published on 26th February 2015 in the UK, quickly followed by the US and Canada, and then around the world – currently sixteen territories. It’s hard to comprehend how much my working life has changed in those years: I gave up the ‘day job’ to write full time, and have written another five novels, and lots of short stories. Writing has introduced me to many new people (publishing people, booksellers and writers are very lovely people) some of whom have become close friends, and it has taken me to many places in the UK and the rest of the world. It hasn’t all been perfect but mostly it’s been an amazing ten years. Scroll down to see some pictures.
Win a signed copy of Our Endless Numbered Days
To win a signed copy of Our Endless Numbered Days – posted anywhere in the world – visit my Instagram account and follow the instructions on my most recent post. You can also enter simply by signing up to my newsletter here.
Buy a copy of Our Endless Numbered Days
This link will take you to purchase options for the UK and the US. And by the way, it makes a great book club book with lots to discuss. If you do decide to read it, get in touch and I’ll send you some book club questions.
Read This: Books under the Radar is a weekly post written by a guest author – often a friend of mine, someone I’ve met on my writerly travels, or an author I admire – who recommends three books they think deserve more recognition. If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click on the covers and give these hidden gems some love. You can see the full list of books which have been selected, as well as the author’s latest book on Bookshop.org, where you can have a browse and buy any that take your fancy. Happy reading!
Read This: Adam Weymouth
I read Adam’s first non-fiction book, Kings of the Yukon just before we taught together on an Editing Fiction and Non-fiction course for Arvon, and I loved it. I’m lucky enough to have been send a proof of his next, Lone Wolf, which argh! I still haven’t managed to read. Too many books, too little time. But I am certain I’ll love it. Here’s what he has to say about himself:
I am a freelance writer and journalist, living on the south coast of England. I work for a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, including The Guardian, The BBC, The Atlantic and Granta. My first book, Kings of the Yukon, tells the story of a four month canoe trip across Alaska, examining the decline of the king salmon and exploring how that decline is impacting on the many communities, and the ecosystems, which depend on it. The book won both the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year and the Lonely Planet/ Stanfords Adventure Travel Book of the Year. My new book, Lone Wolf, will be published by Penguin on 29th May 2025.
Read This: Books under the Radar is a weekly post written by a guest author or bookstagrammer – often a friend of mine, someone I’ve met on my writerly travels, or an author I admire – who recommends three books they think deserve more recognition. If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click on the covers and give these hidden gems some love. You can see the full list of books which have been selected, as well as the author’s latest book on Bookshop.org, where you can have a browse and buy any that take your fancy. Happy reading!
Read This: Patrick O’Donoghue
Patrick O’Donoghue, aka @podsticles on Instagram is a bookstagrammer whose taste in books I admire hugely, and who I have followed since about 2019. We done one or two Read-Alongs together on Instagram, and Patrick’s love of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove was my inspiration to suggest it as the year’s read for my book club. Here’s what he has to say about himself:
I’m a primary school teacher who has been raving (and sometimes ranting) about books on Instagram since 2017. I’m a big fan of contemporary Irish fiction, and this year, @whatjohanneread and I created the hashtag #IrishAuthors2025 to encourage bookworms to read and share more Irish literature, including the novels that we all have languishing on our shelves.
I’m also a fan of novels set in America, and I’m forever harping on about Westerns as a much-maligned genre that deserves more attention! There are some incredible Westerns out there, including one of the books I’m sharing today. You can find Patrick on Instagram as @podsticles
