Experts in a Dying Field by Patrick Freyne: A debut novel of charm, melancholy and magic
This Dublin music scene fable enables the reader to experience a full kaleidoscopic account of the butterfly effect of human behaviour
Whistler by Ann Patchett: a lesser-told love story between step-parents and stepchildren
Ultimately Whistler itself is a testament to the transformative power of storytelling
John of John by Douglas Stuart: A powerful, vibrant tale of secrets and lies
Set in a Hebridean island community, the third novel from the author of Shuggie Bain could be his best yet
The Things We Never Say: Elizabeth Strout taps into something very alive in the human psyche
Set just before the 2024 US presidential election, this work is Strout’s most political so far
The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley: More extraordinary writing about ordinary lives
So engaging it will be read in one sitting
James Joyce’s Legacies in Contemporary Irish Women’s Writing by Annalisa Mastronardi: a suit of scholarly armour
For scholars of Joyce or Irish women’s writing, this study should prove a valuable resource
All the Way to the River: Love, Loss and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert - Refreshing, fascinating and inspiring
The author writes about addiction with an unflinching disregard for the preservation of her own reputation
The Joyce of Everyday Life by Vicki Mahaffey: A persuasive case that his writing is best embraced in a spirit of lively amusement
The American academic succeeds in mitigating the sustained perception that reading Joyce is a challenging, intellectual exercise of great seriousness
Demystifying the path to publication, for free
Helen Cullen explains why Brunel University is offering free online publishing webinars and writing workshops
Audition by Katie Kitamura: This hotly anticipated novel is psychologically chilling
If you are drawn to novels that raise more questions than answers, this one is for you
The Wildelings by Lisa Harding: Hard lessons in obsession, desire, abuse and power
The writer’s third novel will please fans, but on occasion asks the reader to suspend too much disbelief
Universality by Natasha Brown: Enlightenment and entertainment
Latest work from the author of Assembly is part literary thriller and part state-of-the-nation novel
Wild West Village by Lola Kirke: Frank, often darkly comedic accounts of celebrity-adjacent family antics
Memoir reflects on actress and country singer’s unconventional upbringing in New York
Our London Lives: a masterful work full of skilful nuance and profound truth
Christine Dwyer Hickey’s 10th novel charts a tumultuous relationship between two young Irish outsiders struggling to survive in 1970s London
Rare Singles by Benjamin Myers: Like the literary love child of David Nicholls and Nick Hornby
A love story and celebration of the redemptive power of music