This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
by Jenny Banks
On a murky Monday evening in November, there was nothing I was looking forward to more than hotfooting it to Waterstones Piccadilly and attending the Transworld Publishers Spring 2016 Fiction Showcase.
After welcome drinks and canapes, the evening got off to a cracking start with introductions to authors, their books and author readings. I was part of a very lucky audience, being able to get a sneak preview into such a diverse list of books. From The Finding of Martha Lost by Caroline Wallace, a story about a young girl growing up in lost property at Liverpool Lime Street Station, to The Widow by Fiona Barton, a psychological thriller centred around a man accused of a crime, and his widow, Jean Taylor, who is ready to tell her story, it will be hard for readers to decide what to go for first. Perhaps it will be Emily Hauser’s never-before-told story of the women of the Trojan War, For The Most Beautiful, or A.A. Dhand’s Bradford-set crime novel, Streets Of Rage, brilliantly touted to do for Bradford what The Wire has done for Baltimore.
Before a second round of readings, it was great to speak with the very kind publicity team and the authors, and learn more about their books and lives as writers.
After meeting with Cathy Bramley earlier in the evening, it was fantastic to hear an excerpt from the forthcoming Wickham Hall, which follows Holly Swift, events co-ordinator at the beautiful manor home of Wickham Hall. Jo Baker, best known for Longbourn, read from A Country Road, A Tree, which is inspired by the life of Samuel Beckett.
I am now faced with the challenge of which book to begin, and I’m very tempted by Fever at Dawn by Péter Gárdos, a post-Holocaust story about one man’s search for love, inspired by the true story of the author’s parents. Lissa Evans’ Crooked Heart, a tale of a ten year old boy thrown together with the unscrupulous Vera Sedge in wartime London, is also calling out to me.
There really is something for everyone to love, and it’s evident how proud Transworld are of the books they will be publishing and how pleased they are to work with such esteemed authors.
The lovely Transworld team also very kindly provided beautiful copies of their books to take home and enjoy on more dark autumn evenings.
Thank you Transworld – spring can’t come soon enough!