Welcome to the Summer issue of the Northern Bookshelf, brought to you by New Writing North and Durham Book Festival.Each season we speak to readers, publishers and producers from across the North to find out what books they are recommending to their friends, as well as focusing on some of the most exciting new books by writers based in our region. What are you reading? Join in the chat on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #NorthernBookshelf. What The Trumpet Taught Me by Kim MooreAward-winning poet Kim Moore studied music and was a trumpet teacher for several years. What The Trumpet Taught Me is a collection of vivid and immediate snapshots, from first lessons to music college, and from teaching the trumpet in schools and running a brass band, right through to playing in working men's clubs in a ten-piece soul band. What The Trumpet Taught Me is out now with Smith | Doorstop. Read our interview with author Kim Moore. Giveaway!We have three signed copies of What The Trumpet Taught Me to give away! For the chance to win, tell us what you're reading on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook using the hashtags #NorthernBookshelf and #WhatTheTrumpetTaughtMe. Winners will be drawn on 1 July 2022. Under Country by Jonathan TrigellUnder Country is the story of the miners' strike: the sudden shock of poverty; the camaraderie; the brutality. It is the story of one man's fight for redemption, as the wounds of an embattled generation hardened to scars. There was blood on coal, it didn't come for free. But it drove the factories and the steel works and the power stations. Coal seams were the black spine with which Britain stood upright. The mines never stopped. Twenty-four hours a day the winding engines ran. Eight-hour shifts. The only way you came out before eight hours was on a stretcher. The mines never stopped. Until they did. Under Country is out 1 July with Merdog Books. Read our interview with author Jonathan Trigell. Ghost Signs, Poverty and the Pandemic is an eyewitness account of the impact of the early days of the pandemic on those living in poverty in Leeds, as Stu Hennigan delivered emergency food and medicine to communities that had already suffered 10 years of austerity. It is a blistering exposition of what happened to a community in one of the richest countries in the world. Winner of the Northern Writers' Awards NorthBound Book Award, Cold Fish Soup is a memoir in essays, reflecting upon different aspects of life in Adam Farrer's former hometown, Withernsea. Told across ten interconnected personal essays, these are stories of life, death, interdimensional werewolves, burlesque dancing pensioners and problematic compulsions. A girl grows up in the north of England amid scarcity, precarity and the toxic culture of heroin chic, believing that she needs to make herself smaller to claim presence in the world. Years later, as a young woman with unattainable ideals, she meets someone who calls everything into question. Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews is a love story set across Barcelona, Paris, London and the North East of England. Into The Wilds is an anthology of short stories and poetry from British South Asian writers. This immersive collection offers funny, moving and sometimes surprising stories about the human condition. This first collection from publishers Fox & Windmill features an introduction by journalist Saima Mir and work from writers including Sairish Hussain and Zaffar Kunial. Helen Mort has always been drawn to the thrill and risk of climbing. But when she becomes a mother for the first time, she finds herself re-examining her relationship with both the natural world and herself. A Line Above The Sky is a visceral love letter to losing oneself in physicality, whether climbing a mountain or bringing a child into the world, and an unforgettable celebration of womanhood in all its forms. 1947. 1967. 1987. When Violet and Albert first meet, they are always twenty. Over the years, Violet and Albert's lives collide again and again. And as each decade ends, a new love story begins. But against the shifting times of each era, they must overcome differences in class, gender, privilege and ambition. Holly Williams' What Time Is Love is a nostalgic love story which asks, what if you've met the right person at the wrong time? Leaving behind the quiet isolation of her Orkney island life, Amy Liptrot books a one-way flight to Berlin, searching for new experiences and the unexpected. It comes with an erotic jolt, in the form of a love affair that obsesses her. The Instant is an unapologetic look at the addictive power of love and lust, as well as an exploration of the cycles of the moon, the flight paths of migratory birds, and the trails followed by a generation who exist online. To the unsuspecting eye Dee Stephens has a perfect life as the wife to charismatic Reverend Vincent. But beneath the surface, Dee is suffocating. Vincent is in control, and he knows her every sin. Desperate, Dee escapes into a heady affair with Cal, an old schoolmate. But is Cal the saviour she thinks he is? Caroline England's newest thriller The Sinner will have you hooked from the first page to the last jaw-dropping twist. Young, handsome and contemptuous of his father's traditional ways, PK Malik leaves Bombay to start a life in America. Stopping in Manchester, he thinks he sees a business opportunity, and decides to stay. Now 55, PK has fallen out of love with life. His business is struggling and his wife Geeta is lonely, pining for the India she's left behind. Still Lives by author Reshma Ruia is a tightly woven, haunting work that pulls apart the threads of a family and plays with notions of identity. The lives of the people of Scarborough have always been tied to the sea. Often their deaths too. When the body of a young man is pulled from the harbour, the police investigation has to dive into the tightly knit fishing community there, but DC Donna Morris finds little is as it seems. Drowning Not Waving by Kate Evans follows Donna as she navigates the tides and currents of the place she calls home for now, but finds people are prepared to muddy the truth if it means preserving the past. A recently bereaved father reconnects with his son while fishing. An elderly man with Alzheimer’s becomes lost in a storm while birdwatching on Holy Island. A young woman with anorexia withdraws to a cottage to discover her new shape. A young boy confronts his parent’s sexuality and his own during a hot summer. Rain Hare is a collection of eight tales where Anna Barker ventures into short fiction with stories that explore the connections we make and lose. Minnie, Lena and Alive are not friends. Minnie -The Athlete: her whole life has been sport but what if that's not all she wants it to be? Lena - The Princess: she has always resented being in Minnie's shadow but is ruling the school all she dreamed it would be? And then there's Alice - The Really Tall One: Alice has friends already, but she's also got a secret which is about to change all three girls' lives forever. Three Girls by Katie Clapham is a heart-warming YA novel from the owner of Storytellers Inc in Lancashire. You can view the featured books on our Bookshop affiliate list. All Bookshop links above are affiliate links. What We're Reading: Summer EditionHere at NWN, we can't wait to dive into our summer reading lists! Find out what books will be stuffed into our beach-bags on holiday or enjoyed under the sun in our gardens. We'd also love to hear your summer reading recommendations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by using #NorthernBookshelf. New and Recent Poetry from the NorthThe start of a new season can only mean one thing: new northern poetry to look out for. Read these recommendations of poetry collections published in Summer 2022 compiled by our Senior Programme Manager, Will Mackie. Several of his recommendations are available on our Bookshop affiliate list. The North Recommends: Northodox PressNorthodox Press is an independent publisher based in Manchester, founded as a direct response to the lack of representation from northern voices within the publishing industry. Read about how they started and their editorial tastes here. The North Recommends: Minister Gate BookshopFounded unexpectedly and specialising in antiquarian finds, Minster Gate Bookshop has evolved over the years to become one of York's most beloved destinations for new bargains and rare gems alike. We were interested in the bookshop's unusual mix of old, new and affordable literature, so asked them how they got to where they are, which you can read here! Book Clubs and Writing GroupsGet in touch! Do you attend or run a creative writing or book group in the North of England? We often receive enquiries from people looking to join such groups and we're compiling a list to help them get connected in their local areas. Tell us about your writing group here or your book group here. Information we receive will be added to our website and updated as more details are submitted. 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 lauralewis@newwritingnorth.com. The next issue will be published in September 2022 and will cover September 2022 - November 2022. The deadline for receipt of information for the next newsletter is 26 August 2022. 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. |