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Hello and welcome to the Summer issue of the Northern Bookshelf!
Each season we round up some of the most exciting new books coming out from writers in our region, and chat to publishers and bookshops from across the North.
Welcome in the summer with a joyful and hope-filled YA debut, book recommendations from our suitcases to yours, a trip to a new indie bookshop in Newcastle, brilliant podcast episodes to brighten your days, and more.
Happy
reading,
New Writing North and Durham Book Festival
Something to be Proud Of – Northern Writers' Award-winner Anna Zoe Quirke's sparkling YA debut
Imogen Quinn is a chaotic bisexual with dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian, crushing stereotypes about autistic people.
When she decides to put on a pride festival that’s accessible for everyone, she enlists the help of the openly gay captain of the football team, Ollie Armstrong. Dealing with the fallout from his parents’ divorce, Ollie is initially hesitant. But it doesn’t take long for him to be swept up by Imogen’s passion, and he’s not the only one.
Joined by the (infuriatingly perfect) head girl, musicians, an artist and a star baker, a dream team soon assembles to help plan pride and tackle injustices in their school and beyond. You’d better listen out – they’re getting ready to make some noise.
Something To Be Proud Of was published on 6 June 2024 with Little Tiger.
"I wanted to write a story that felt like both a joyful hug and a hopeful rallying cry that one day we’ll get to live in a world where we feel loved, accepted, and accommodated..."
Two of our Young Writers interviewed Anna to find out about the book’s LGTBQ+/disabled/neurodiverse representation, the authors that brought comfort to a younger Anna, her dream Pride Parade headliners, and more!
We're giving away three copies of Something to be Proud Of! 📚
Tell us what you're reading on X (Twitter), Instagram or Facebook using the hashtags #SomethingToBeProudOf and #NorthernBookshelf. Winners will be drawn on 28 June 2024.
Dark Flood by Karon Alderman
With the help of his friends, Archie goes on a mission to raise money for his Granda's recovery. But when timelines collide during a storm, Archie is pulled more than 200 years into the past. A stunning timeslip tale about a boy who finds himself trapped in a well-known mining incident that happened many years before. Perfect for fans of Skellig.
Determination by Tawseef Khan
Jamila is an immigration solicitor tasked with running the family law firm. Working under the shadow of the government's 'hostile environment', she constantly prays that their 'determinations' will result in her clients being allowed to stay. Jamila's life feels hectic and out of control, until a breakdown of sorts forces her to seek change...
The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks
A curious cast of characters is boarding the Great Trans-Siberian Express, an impenetrable train which transports anyone who dares to cross the shadowy Wastelands between Beijing and Moscow. But the old rules are changing, and there are whispers that the train isn't safe...
The Edge of Solitude by Katie Hale
A lone ship journeys to the furthest reaches of Antarctica. Disgraced environmental activist Ivy has joined the project hoping to restore her reputation - and perhaps her broken relationship with her son. And yet, as the ship moves deeper into the eerie landscape, Ivy grows suspicious of her fellow passengers and questions the project's motives...
Rare Singles by Benjamin Myers
Dinah can’t believe her luck when she manages to contact Bucky Bronco, her hero who recorded a string of soul gems in the late Sixties and then vanished off the face of the earth. With nothing to lose, Bucky flies from Chicago and finds himself in rainy Scarborough, preparing to play for an audience for the first time in nearly half a century...
Bad Girls of Ancient Greece by Lizzy Tiffin
You’ve heard all about the ‘brilliant men’ of ancient myth, but what about the scheming and scandalous women who were so often lost in their shadow? Discover profiles of wayward wives, mad mothers, scandalous sisters and damsels, that quite frankly, caused others a LOT of stress in the ancient world.
Nature's Ghosts by Sophie Yeo
Award-winning journalist Sophie Yeo examines how the planet would have looked before humans scrubbed away its diversity. For thousands of years, humans have been the architects of the natural world. But, as this urgent book argues, from the ghosts of the past, we may learn how to build a more wild and ancient future.
The Voyage Home by Pat Barker
Continuing the story of the captured Trojan women as they set sail for Mycenae with the victorious Greeks, this new novel centres on the fate of Cassandra - daughter of King Priam, and a prophet condemned never to be heeded. Psychologically complex, Cassandra's arrival in Mycenae will set in motion a bloody train of events.
Radical Rest by Evie Muir
We’re burnt out. Exhausted; anxiety-ridden; over-worked. Through a Black Feminist, abolitionist and nature-allied lens, Evie Muir takes us on a journey of regeneration that reimagines what a world of true rest would look like, how that would feel. A bold, vulnerable and deeply honest a blueprint for change and a salve for the soul.
The Boy to Beat the Gods by Ashley Thorpe
Kayode dreams of eating the forbidden fruit of the Orishas, so he can gain the power of the gods and stop them terrorizing his people. So when a fruit mysteriously appears in his path after the Orishas snatch his sister, he leaps on it. A fierce and fun story of one boy versus six gods, from a magical new voice in children's fiction.
Bright I Burn by Molly Aitken
In thirteenth-century Ireland, a woman with power is a woman to be feared. When a young Alice Kyteler sees her mother wither under the constraints of family responsibilities, she vows that she won't suffer the same fate. Soon Alice discovers she has a flair for making money. But as her wealth and stature grow, so do the rumours about her private life...
It Happened Like This by Vicky Foster
Vicky Foster finally escaped violence when her abusive ex-partner was murdered. But, 16 years later, the past came crashing down on her when one of her ex-partner's murderers hit the headlines, as the 'hero' of the 2019 London Bridge terrorist attack. A searing memoir interrogating misogyny, heroism and women's power.
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What We're Reading: Summer Edition 🍦Whether you're staying home or are off on big adventures, it's important to have some exciting books lined up to accompany your (hopefully) sunny days. Need some ideas? Find a new addition to your list from our roundup of the NWN team's summer holiday reading plans. |
New and Recent Poetry from the North 🌻What poems have you been loving recently? We can always rely on brilliant recommendations from our Senior Programme Manager, Will Mackie. It's time for his latest selection, featuring loads of fantastic collections from Northern poets for you to get your hands on. |
1b Books 🏠
Newcastle-upon-Tyne recently gained its first independent bookshop with the opening of 1b Books in Heaton. NWN Programme Manager Hana Sandhu took a visit to look around, meet the owners, and find out what it's all about.
Dogpeople 🐕
After a brilliant pilot episode last spring, the Dogpeople podcast has a full first season available to listen to now!
Written and produced by Northern Writers' Award winners Dr Louise Powell and Bridget Hamilton, Dogpeople explores the social history of independent greyhound racing, or ‘flapping’, in County Durham, foregrounding the memories of those who were part of the flapping community. Read blogs about its creation, and give this fascinating podcast a go, on the Dogpeople website.
Northern Bookshelf Live 📖
Northern Bookshelf Live is in full swing, bringing authors straight from our newsletter to libraries near you!
This summer, there's events happening in Northumberland, Durham, Sunderland, Calderdale, Saint Helens and Hull.
David Nicholls Book Club Questions 💭
In May, we were delighted to welcome David Nicholls to Newcastle to celebrate his brand new novel, You Are Here. Keep an eye (or ear) on our Book Club Live podcast to hear a podcast recording of the event, coming soon!
In the meantime, why not read You Are Here with some bookish friends and discuss our Book Club questions together?
1. There is a strong sense of place throughout the novel, hinged on the coast-to-coast walk across the North of England. Think about how this affects key moments in the plot. Could the story have worked if the setting was different?
2. Marnie is very settled in her city life and thinks there is something "powerfully anti-aphrodisiac about the English countryside." Why do you think she then decides to continue the walk with Michael when the rest of the party disbands, instead of returning to her life in London?
3. One of the key themes in the book is loneliness, which affects both Michael and Marnie. In what ways is this represented throughout their narratives?
4. "The reader becomes so invested in the outcome of this unspectacular, everyday, cagoule-clad romance that it makes the whole world shimmer with a kind of secret possibility," according to one Guardian review. How did David Nicholls alter the structure of this novel to add more depth and liveliness to this "everyday, cagoule-clad romance"?
Dragged Up Proppa with Pip Fallow 🖤
In our latest podcast episode, taken from Durham Book Festival 2023, Pip Fallow discusses his extraordinary Northern memoir. This is the story of a lost generation, exploring some of the most important issues affecting Britain today: from levelling up and the north-south divide, to social mobility and class.
Eliza Clark in conversation with Jessica Andrews 🏖️
Come and celebrate the paperback release of Penance by Eliza Clark on Tuesday 18 June at Northern Stage, Newcastle! This utterly chilling and compulsive novel delves into the shocking murder of a 16-year-old in a sleepy North East seaside town – exploring just how slippery the quest for truth can become...
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 September 2024 and will cover September 2024 - November 2024. The deadline for receipt of information for the next newsletter is 16 August 2024.
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.
