Literary family feuds

I wrote this about controversial family memoirs for BBC Culture.

Sibilla Aleramo: A Woman

Click here to read my review in The Observer of Sibilla Aleramo’s groundbreaking, earthquaking 1906 autobiographical novel A Woman.

Nick Bradley: The Cat and the City

Click here to read my review in The Times of a debut novel which channels early David Mitchell by comprising a diverse spread of characters, with a special interest in Japan… and it does a good job.

Evelyn Waugh

I wrote this for Penguin Books about Evelyn Waugh, why he is one of the funniest English writers of the last century, and which of his books you should (and shouldn’t) read.

Open Book: Short stories

Click here to listen to me on Radio 4’s Open Book, discussing short story collections that are perfect for lockdown reading with Ingrid Persaud and Mariella Frostrup.

Samanta Schweblin: Little Eyes

Click here to read my review in the Irish Times of Samanta Schweblin’s novel Little Eyes. Can it live up to her fantastic Fever Dream?

Pandemics in fiction

I wrote about pandemics, plagues and the like in fiction for Penguin Books.

James Scudamore: English Monsters

Click here to read my review of this new novel from the author of the Booker-longlisted Heliopolis.

Pauline Delabroy-Allard: All About Sarah

Click here to read my review in The Observer of this intense and dynamic story of a love affair between two women.

Graham Swift: Here We Are

Click here to read my review in The Spectator of Graham Swift’s – spoiler alert – pleasant but rather dull new novel.