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Each season, we round up some of the most exciting new books coming out from writers in our region, alongside giveaways, interviews, and other bookish content.
This autumn, we're delighted to have teamed up with the Poetry Book Society to offer a special poetry recommendation and giveaway.
Plus, don't miss our usual new releases roundup (including an interview with middle-grade author Clare Weze), a list of our favourite campus novels for back-to-school season, and an introduction to a lovely family-run bookshop in Holmfirth.
It wouldn't be autumn without Durham Book Festival! Find out some of the festival reads that we're most excited about, and book your tickets to join us in person or online this October.
Happy reading,
New Writing North and Durham Book Festival
Up Above the City by Clare Weze
It’s the Christmas holidays, and Jake has nowhere else to go but to work with his mum. Who is the girl he can see in the attic room across the road? Is she trapped? Does she need help? If Jake tries to help her, what kind of people will put a spotlight on him?
A topical and moving middle-grade novel by Northern Writers’ Award-winner Clare Weze, tackling the real theme of the often-hidden communities of refugees through a gently fantastical lens.
Up Above the City will be published on 2 October 2025 with Knights Of.
"Friendship really is the most magical, precious and strengthening thing in the world. We often take it for granted."
Hear from Clare about the research she did to bring this story to life, her advice for other authors writing about difficult topics for children, and her hopes for what readers will take away.
We're giving away three copies of Up Above the City! 📚
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more details about how you can win a copy. Winners will be drawn on 3 October 2025.
Sad Girl Hours by Anna Zoe QuirkeSaffron struggles with seasonal affective disorder. She took time off in her first year at university and can't afford to do the same this year. Romance blooms when she meets wannabe poet Nell, autistic and proud. But with Saffron struggling with her mental health, and Nell figuring out her sexual identity, things spiral out of control. |
It's Not a Cult by Joey BateyCallum, Melusine and Al play in a band, telling the stories of fictional northern gods, the Solkats. But when an act of violence at a pub gig goes viral, they suddenly go from having a cult following to having a cult, following. If the Solkats really do exist, is it more dangerous to anger a wayward group of elder gods, or your biggest fans? |
Every Last Fish by Rose GeorgeCold-blooded, slippery, wet and strange: fish can be hard to think of as fellow animals and easier to consider as food. But what do we know of these creatures on our plates, and how they got there? Explore inside the vast legal industries and fishing trades that support our appetite, from the nets on the surface to the murky depths of the sea bed. |
The Door to Door Poet by Rowan McCabeKnocking on strangers' doors across England, Rowan McCabe asked what was important to them, then went away and wrote a poem to come and perform on their doorstep. With the humour of Bill Bryson, plus a touch of Louis Theroux, this uplifting account of Rowan’s journey is a warm and charming portrayal of England today. |
The Killing Stones by Ann CleevesWhen a violent storm descends upon Orkney, the body of Archie Stout is left in its wake. An unusual murder weapon is found discarded nearby, and Detective Jimmy Perez is soon on the scene. In ancient lands where history runs deep, Perez must discern the truth from legend before a desperate killer strikes again... |
Jesus Christ Kinski by Benjamin MyersIn 1971 Berlin, Klaus Kinski steps onto the stage for a performance about Jesus Christ, when the crowd turns on him. Fifty years later, a hypochondriac writer is fixated with Kinski's video footage. This novel about a film about a performance explores compulsion that drives artists to the edge of sanity. |
Revolting by Terry DearyWe all know that the rich and powerful always look after their own and the working people are always revolting. But every now and again, a new group changes history. The bestselling author of Horrible Histories takes a hilarious and eye-opening journey through some of the world’s most significant rebellions and uprisings. |
Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel by Glenda YoungA quirky troupe of dancers brings the glamorous world of ballroom dancing to the seaside town of Scarborough – but they also bring a bitter rivalry, and the competition turns deadly when one of them ends up killed. Helen Dexter must solve the crime in the fourth instalment of this cosy crime series. |
Hagtale by Sally O'ReillyIn 11th-century Scotland, feral wolf-child Wulva falls under the spell of cruel Lord Macbeth. 300 years later, gentle Brother Rowan goes on a perilous journey to write a history of the Scottish king-line. Misfits in their own time, Wulva and Rowan are deeply connected across the centuries in this haunting Macbeth origin story. |
Helm by Sarah HallHelm is a ferocious, mischievous wind – a subject of folklore and wonder – who has blasted the sublime landscape of the Eden Valley since the very dawn of time. This is Helm's life story, formed from the chronicles of those the wind enchanted; an elemental tale of a unique life force, and of a relationship between nature and people. |
Silvercloak by Laura StevenTwo decades after the Bloodmoons ruthlessly murdered Saffron's parents, she lies her way into an elite detective academy to find a way for revenge. But when her deception is exposed, she's given one option: go undercover and tear the Bloodmoons down from the inside, where one wrong move will get her killed... |
Spiralling by Cal SpeetGabriel is at rock bottom: a scandalous break-up with his wannabe poet ex-boyfriend, followed by a sudden sacking, and he’s spiralling – but his best friends are committed to pulling him out of his depression hole. This is a hilariously uplifting portrait of queer friendship, heartbreak and rebuilding. |
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Durham Book Festival
From 10-12 October, Durham Book Festival returns for another year. Meet your favourite authors, discover great new reads, and share the experience with other book lovers in Durham.
What We're Reading
Before you plan your festival weekend, find out about some of the books our staff team are loving and looking forward to from this year's festival. Which ones are you excited to pick up?
Poetry from the North feat. The Poetry Book Society ⭐
It's another brilliant season for Northern poetry. Find a new collection to accompany your fireside evenings – including a special recommendation and poetry giveaway from our friends at the Poetry Book Society.
20 campus novels for your back-to-school fix 🎓There's something about autumn and the back-to-school season that seems to revive the inner academic in us all. Get that 'exploring campus at the start of a new semester' feeling with some of our staff's favourite campus novels – covering dark fantasies, sorority satires, academic scandals, and much more. |
Read. Bookshop, Holmfirth 📚Book lovers of Holmfirth and beyond, we've found your new favourite bookshop. Read was opened in February 2019 by couple Louise and James, and now runs a full programme of events for adults and schools, including a brand-new Children's Book Festival happening this weekend! |
Celebrating Newcastle Writers: Eva Ibbotson and Winifred WatsonTyneside Cinema, 29 October Eva Ibbotson and Winifred Watson were two brilliant authors who blazed a literary trail writing escapist fiction from their homes in 20th century Newcastle. We’re delighted to celebrate these Newcastle writers with Francesca Beauman from Persephone Books and Eva Ibbotson’s daughter, Lalage Bosanquet, who will discuss the literary legacies of Winifred and Eva. |
The Announcement of the David Cohen Prize for Literature 2025Online, 4 November Join us online, live from London, as the winner of the 2025 David Cohen Prize for Literature is revealed. One of the country’s most distinguished prizes, worth £40,000, it recognises a living writer from the UK or Ireland for a lifetime’s achievement in literature. Former winners include Tom Stoppard, Edna O’Brien, Colm Tóibín and most recently, John Burnside. |
Northern Bookshelf is published by New Writing North and Durham Book Festival. If you have news about books by Northern authors or you would like to recommend books as a bookseller, librarian, book group or reader, please contact carys@newwritingnorth.com. The next issue will be published in December 2025 and will cover December 2025 - February 2026. The deadline for receipt of information for the next newsletter is 21 November 2025.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this newsletter is correct at the time of going to press, things do change, frequently at the last minute and very often without our knowledge.
