Two poetry events this week: Monday at the Troubadour to celebrate 21 years of Coffee house poetry run by the indefatigable Anne-Marie Fyfe. A wonderful evening of new poets, and four poets who read in the first year. Including my wonderful tutor Mimi Khalvati, as charming as ever. Great to hear her reading her own … More Writing update 

“Always be reading something…Even when we’re not physically reading. How else will we read the world? Think of it as a constant.” From Ali Smith’s Autumn In the novel Daniel gives this advice to his young friend, Elisabeth as an important way of understanding the world. It seems to me essential advice for anyone who … More About reading

Now that my novel is in the hands of my agent, there’s been a strange hiatus (I think this happened last time too). A sense of energy fizzing around with nowhere to go. A lack of purpose. And, all the time there’s something telling me to ‘Get on with it!’ So that’s what I’m doing. … More Writing update 

**** A prodigiously talented writer who became a best seller with her first novel White Teeth in 2000 at the age of 25, Zadie Smith has gone from strength to strength. Swing Time examines female friendship, class and race and the way none of can ever really know ourselves, yet alone another person. The novel … More Review: Swing Time

by Sebastian Barry, 2016 ***** A story of endurance and love set against the American Civil War. Thomas McNulty, in old age, is looking back at his early life as a young Irish immigrant. When he meets John Cole they become best friends. ‘We were only rats of people. Hunger takes away what you are,’ … More Review: Days without end

At the core of All My Mad Mothers lies a complex network of parent figures. For the poet, this has meant the challenge of growing up with a kaleidoscope of mothers, fathers and step-parents, especially the ‘mad mothers’ of the title poem. We see mothers: driving ‘round and round in shrinking circles’ or ‘in a … More Review: All my mad mothers

by Kit de Waal published by Penguin books, 2017 A brother chosen. A brother left behind. And a family where you’d least expect to find one. My review: The story of one boy’s search for a family. Set in the early 1980’s, Leon looks after his baby brother, but increasingly has to care for his … More My name is Leon

by Omar El Akkad published by: Picador, 2017 *** Disappointing In the near future, climate change, rising sea levels and war have changed the global political and geographical landscape, with power shifted away from the US and into the hands of China and the Arabic Bouazizi Empire. North America has suffered catastrophic flooding and is … More Review: American War

As ever, Ali Smith shows off her prodigious talent for challenging the novel form. In Autumn, she focuses on themes readers will be familiar with from previous novels: the vital importance of reading and art, relationships that don’t meet conventional expectations, the gaze, and the mutability of time. Set shortly after the Brexit referendum, she … More Review: Autumn by Ali Smith