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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 season we've picked an atmospheric folk horror debut as our featured book, including a giveaway and an in-depth interview with the author.
Grab some last minute additions to your Christmas shopping from our staff recommendations, and while you're at it, treat yourself to a wintry book from our festive themed book list.
Plus, listen to a fascinating new podcast episode about storyteling in the North, and snag a ticket for one of the UK's best crime events happening right here in the North.
Happy reading,
New Writing North and Durham Book Festival
We Call Them Witches by India-Rose Bower
Sara and her family must keep moving. Every few months, they’re discovered, and they have to pack up and get out quick.
In yet another abandoned house, one they surround with Pagan wards – the only thing that protects them – they think they might be safe, for a while at least. And then they find a strange girl, Parsley, in the garden.
Outside they are waiting. The eldritch creatures. The ones they call Witches. The ones who already stole everything.
And now, just days after Parsley arrives, they steal something even more valuable: Sara's brother Noah.
It's time to stop running. It's time to leave the safety of the wards, and try to find Noah in the witches' lair. It's just that no-one has ever done that and come out alive...
We Call Them Witches will be published on 22 January 2026 with Penguin Michael Joseph.
"Writing fear is unbelievably therapeutic... Getting to explore my own fears in a way that’s safe, controlled, but also makes me question why that particular thing scares me so much."
Take a deep dive into India-Rose's inspirations for the book, her relationship with folk rituals and OCD, the significance of the stories carved into her native Yorkshire landscape, and more.
We're giving away two copies of We Call Them Witches! 📚
Tell us what you're reading on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags #WeCallThemWitches and #NorthernBookshelf for a chance to win. Winners will be drawn on 9 January 2026.
Keshed by Stu HenniganIn the derelict shell of what was once his family home, a dying man surveys the wreckage of his former life and drinks himself senseless, haunted by the chain of events that led him there. An unflinching character study exploring the working class North, belonging, fatherhood and conflicting ideals of modern masculinity. |
These Isles by Brian GroomAn inventive new look at the entwined histories of Britain and Ireland’s nations – and the people who have called them home. With forays into popular culture, sport, music, language, literature and art, this book journeys from 800,000-year-old footprints on a Norfolk beach to the changing fortunes of the early 21st century. |
Half a Dark Heart by HF AskwithThe Horrors gain strength when things in our world are broken. This sublime blend of gothic horror and romantasy set in Whitby follows a girl with disturbing visions who must harness the dark powers she never knew existed when her sister goes missing and a dashing young actor arrives in her life. |
The Bone Garden by Simon BeckettDriving through the Cumbrian mountains in a fierce winter storm, David Hunter is forced to seek shelter in a remote village. But a one-night stop-over becomes deadly after a gruesome discovery in the forest. And as long-buried secrets of a feud amongst the locals emerge, there’s no one he can call on for help... |
When We Were Divided by Liz FlanaganYorkshire, 1643. Divided by plague, divided by war, divided by love – what will reunite two sisters? Expertly crafted and beautifully sensitive, with themes of family and political conflict, and pure but forbidden love, this book moves between the king’s army and the rebel resistance as three lives intertwine. |
Melva Mapletree by Danielle Slade and Kiz CrosbieFor as long as she can remember, 11-year-old Melva has struggled with worries (or “worrits”), but has managed to keep them under control. But now those worrits are starting to feel bigger. As long-buried secrets are unearthed, Melva must set out on a daring adventure; one that could unravel her biggest worrit of all… |
Better Off Dead by Sean WatkinThe emotional fallout from their last case has left DCI de Silva and DS Barclay's lives in tatters. When their investigation is taken over, the duo are reassigned to a cold case where they uncover a tangled web of awful crimes – and learn that they can't trust even those closest to them. |
Seven by Joanna KavennaIn 2007, a young philosopher embarks on a mission to find a beautiful box, once used to play the world-famous game of Seven. The hunt becomes an absurdist quest through time and space, from the earliest human societies to the advent of AI, shared with a wild cast of poets, optimists, rebels and dreamers. |
Vivian Dies Again by CE HulseVivian Slade, a cautionary tale and no longer the life and soul of the party, is pushed off a balcony to a messy end at a family gathering. But then she wakes up – only to be murdered again. And again. Stuck in a baffling time loop, will Vivian be able to solve her own murder? Only time will tell... |
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What we're reading: Gifting edition 🎁Struggling to find that perfect gift? We've got you covered. Find out the shining highlights of our staff's reading years, and the volumes we're most excited to find under the tree. Trust us – any of these will be a great addition to your Christmas shopping. |
Frosty books for your Christmas holidays ❄️Christmas is the perfect time to curl up with a festive seasonal read. These picks range from fiction to non-fiction to short stories; from nostalgic reflections on childhood Christmasses, to dramas unfolding in bitingly cold weather, to fantastical wintry adventures, and more. |
New and recent poetry from the North ⭐
Don't miss these new and upcoming collections this winter from some of the North's best poets.
Forged in the North: Telling the Story of the Region ✍️
In this special podcast episode recorded live at Durham Book Festival, story-teller, playwright and author Richard O’Neill, and historian and author of The Northumbrians, Dan Jackson, talk with Fiona Hill about the rich history of story-telling and ‘having a crack’ in the North East.
The Gordon Burn Prize 2026 longlist 📚The longlist for the 2026 Gordon Burn Prize has been revealed, featuring 12 exceptional books that are daring, experimental, and defy easy categorisation. Start reading before the shortlist is announced in January, and the winner in March. |
Bay Tales 2026 crime fiction festival 🕵️♂️Bay Tales, one of the biggest crime fiction events in the UK, returns to Whitley Bay Playhouse on Saturday 28 February! This year's lineup features Ann Cleeves, Ruth Ware, AK Benedict, Tanya Sweeney, Mark Edwards, Elly Griffiths, Steph McGovern, and more. |
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 March 2026 - May 2026. The deadline for receipt of information for the next newsletter is 13 February 2026.
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.
