Trinidadian-born author Monique Roffey’s fourth novel, House of Ashes, is a fictionalised retelling of a botched 1990 coup attempt by Muslim organisation Jamaat al Muslimeen. The event is largely forgotten, even unknown, outside of the island of Roffey’s birth. However, in its exploration of how and why the disaffected become radicalised, it is not difficult Read More
Jonathan Edwards’ collection of amusing and accessibly candid poems, My Family and Other Superheroes, recognises that costumes, masks and neatly folding personas belong to the everyday. These are artificial means of separation between self and profession, past and present, family and nation. Most successfully perhaps Edwards plunders the modern high street, a place replete with Read More
“Roy Jenkins was probably the best Prime Minister Britain never had”, contends John Campbell in his recent biography of the erstwhile Labour statesman, Roy Jenkins: A Well-Rounded Life. With a half-century parliamentary span, matched only by William Gladstone and Winston Churchill, Campbell evokes a career which left an indelible mark on British politics, equalled by Read More
Emma Healey’s debut novel is a Christmas cake of a treat: a rich mix of detective, mystery, thriller, which gives an insightful rendition of the workings of a mind taken over by dementia and the effects of the condition on others. The imagery throughout is cleverly worked into the narrative, linking the vital elements of Read More
Former chef Simon Wroe presents the “write what you know” approach to full effect in his Costa shortlisted, debut novel Chop Chop. Having previously written for publications such as The Times and The Guardian, Wroe’s first novel proves to be a funny, dark and often touching story, bringing to light a behind-the-scenes depiction of the Read More
Do No Harm is a memoir of medical cases and personal anecdotes by the neurosurgeon Henry Marsh, who was made a CBE in 2010. While it may seem unsurprising that someone who saves lives on a regular basis is honoured for his work, the failure rate also detailed in Do No Harm is staggering. One Read More
I know you must be surprised, it says, but I will die soon and want to make contact. “Arrival of the Electric Eel” With these lines – the closing couplet of the collection’s first poem – Petit makes an immediate emotional impact, eliciting a sympathetic connection with her reader. Already a winner of the Manchester Read More
Nora Webster is Colm Tóibín’s first work since his subtle but seismic novella The Testament of Mary. Repercussions from that slim volume may well have cost him a Booker prize, and they continue to show no signs of abating in the now-dramatised form. Tóibín is no ingénue, and knew full well that the principal protagonist Read More
The renowned American artist Jim Campbell presents his first solo exhibition in the UK this winter with Indirect Imaging. After studying Mathematics and Engineering at MIT in the 1970’s, Jim Campbell has since worked in filmmaking, interactive video and LED light technology. His work is in the collections of major museums including the MoMA, the Read More
One can only imagine the enormous pressure and expectations that come with debuting as a novelist, or even starting out in other mediums or pursuits. How do you make a statement? How do you come up with something original in which people will invest ? And how do you keep them interested and eager for Read More