Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin

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When Sadie and Sam run into each other at a train station during their student days it rekindles a childhood friendship that went sour. Working through past hurt, they reconcile and spend their summer making a game, Ichigo, which proves a huge success. They wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of Sam’s kind flatmate Marx and Sadie’s toxic ex-teacher and lover Dov, whose engine they need to power their vision. This is a book about games, friendship, and growing up. It’s about our dreams and whether the world will let us achieve them, the draw of the infinite rebirth possible in video games, and how you cope with tragedy in the real world where there are no do-overs.

From the beginning you feel safe in Zevin’s very capable hands. This is not a simple story, the narrative jumps around, both in time and between the real world and the game world, and it deals with some heavy issues, but it is all handled expertly. Sadie is talented but sensitive, well aware of how women are viewed in the game world, of the perception that it must have been Sam that did the hard work on Ichigo. It doesn’t help that Sam, although generally a bit awkward, really shines while they are out promoting the game, while Sadie doesn’t have that natural flair. As time passes and they begin to work on other games she does not cope well with criticism, and reframes activity depending on whether it’s her or Sam doing it. When she’s out promoting games she feels it as hard work, when Sam is gone for long stretches doing the same she feels abandoned, as if he were simply on a holiday. 

Their relationship has history with falling out. They meet as children while Sam is in hospital recovering from a serious car crash and Sadie is visiting her sister who is undergoing treatment for cancer. They bond over their shared love of gaming, and the staff ask her to keep coming to play with him as she’s the only one he’s spoken to for weeks. When he realises this, that she was claiming the time as volunteer hours, he is naturally hurt and they don’t speak for years. We see in snippets of interviews that this won’t be the only time they fall out, and as the novel progresses we see this play out. Sadie grows tired with how much work she perceives being friends with Sam to be, and his innate desire to hide his suffering means that when she spirals, reframing everything that’s happened when she realises that Sam sent her back to Dov knowing they’d been lovers, believing he put his own ambition ahead of her well-being, he hasn’t shown enough of himself for her to understand why he’s become largely absent from the office. At times their friendship is incredibly frustrating, you just want them to talk to each other, to explain how they’re feeling, but it is realistically drawn. Friendships, especially in young adulthood, can be tumultuous, and their lack of emotional maturity is relatable. 

Marx is the stabilising force in their life. He perhaps doesn’t do enough to try and rectify their rifts, or to help Sadie when they can both see that her relationship with Dov has become unhealthy, but he always tries to look out for both of them, to listen to where they’re coming from and to gently encourage them back together. He believes in their work and commits to it, letting some of his other dreams go along the way. Some have criticised him as a character for being almost too perfect a human being, but he is likeable, considerate, and understanding, the kind of person we’d all like in our corner.

Sam has been through a lot of trauma in his life, and continues to suffer with the pain his injured foot causes, always having to be careful with where and how far he walks. In Sadie he finds someone that understands him, a true collaborator and friend. They love each other, even if he won’t say it, but not in a romantic way. Romance is something they have considered, but Sadie concludes that finding a true collaborator is far rarer than finding a lover, and so wants to protect that aspect of their relationship. When she finds romantic love elsewhere Sam realises that he’s lost her, even though he never tried to have her, that part of her is gone. It’s a difficult moment for him to overcome. Despite the fact she often freezes him out, he does persist, always looking out for her, ready when she wants him to be there.

The team work to make good games, and once they’re in a position to, to support new designers to create great games too. They understand the potential for making a better world than the one they’re living in. Mapleworld, a MMORPG, becomes hugely successful for them, and Sam becomes something of a star, having created an avatar for himself as the mayor of the town. They consciously decide to create a kinder, more inclusive world, for example, by making same-sex marriage possible while in America at the time it is illegal in some states. Zevin explores the power of games for making people feel welcome, but also the dark side, the outspoken opponents of such actions, and the tragic real-world consequences. We see how people become radicalised and carry out crimes without really understanding what they’re doing or what it is they’re protesting against. There is one particular standout moment where this becomes central, and it is handled thoughtfully and is very well done, but throughout Zevin weaves in real-world events, placing the novel in a very specific time and place, and considering the impacts these events had on creative outputs and the responses they garnered from audiences.

A wonderful read, whether you’re a gamer or not (I’m not and it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the novel at all. If anything, it gave me a greater appreciation of what goes into creating games). Thoughtful, well plotted, and realistic, Zevin incorporates so many topics for deeper thought without making the novel feel heavy. The final quarter is an emotional read, and also includes a section of in-game narrative, allowing the characters to talk to each other when they’re not outside of the game. Sometimes narrative structures that jump around in time and place can make books more challenging to read and become absorbed in, but Zevin introduces snippets of information to either give you a boost in interest in what’s coming, or to fill in the gaps you’ve been intrigued by. It is done naturally and enhances the experience. A brilliant exploration of friendship, of growing up, and of living through the dawn of technology we now take for granted. There are so many references to other art forms and influences, it reminds you that games are works of art. This was a book that I kept thinking about between sessions, and which I wanted to get back to constantly. 

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Tristana, Benito Pérez Galdós (trans. Margaret Jull Costa)

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Tristana is young when she is orphaned and taken into the care of Don Lope, a family friend and fading Don Juan. Sadly, it’s not long before he turns his wiles on her and she becomes a possession to him. He is willing to sacrifice his own comfort by spending his dwindling fortune on her, but the price she pays for his attentions is heavy. As she grows into a young woman she begins to question their relationship and the control he exercises over her. She has great ambitions, wanting to make her own money through creative endeavours mostly shut off to women at the time. When she meets a handsome artist named Horacio she believes she’s found her soulmate, but how will Don Lope react to the news that he is losing her, and will their love stand the test of the challenges of life?

Tristana is an interesting character. Despite an unfortunate start in life she is headstrong and talented, excelling at almost anything she turns her hand to. She is, nonetheless, in an unenviable position. She has no money of her own, her relationship with Don Lope means many men would not wish to marry her (although she does not want to marry, rejecting the idea of being under the power of another man), and as a woman in nineteenth century Spain has very little in the way of career prospects. Her relationship with Horacio has all the hallmarks of impassioned first love and there is an innocence about her despite her maturity in some respects. Sadly, she has more hardship to come that will once again alter the course of her life. She is stoic yet feels the weight of the limits placed on her. 

Don Lope is fairly repugnant. Some find him charming and enticing, as the women in the novel are meant to, but his abuse of the power he holds over Tristana and the short period it takes for him to claim her as a conquest when he is meant to be playing the role of guardian makes it hard to sympathise with him. There are moments in the novel where he acknowledges his glee at knowing Tristana is trapped, that she will not be able to leave him, is not admirable. He does seem to care for her, and at times he seems to put his own feelings aside for her sake, but for the most part he is jealous and possessive. 

Horacio makes less of an impression. He is idealistic and dreams of a pastoral future. He appears completely smitten with Tristana and is happy to forgo his desire to marry her, respecting her autonomy and desires. The way their relationship progresses however becomes unsatisfying and he doesn’t feel as well developed as some of the other characters. 

There are many themes in this short novel that feel familiar to regular readers of nineteenth century literature. We have a talented, ambitious female protagonist whose life is limited by unfortunate circumstances and societal expectations. We have a youthful romance doomed to fail, and a possessive ‘protector’ whose actions have limited Tristana’s opportunities further. There is passion and overblown emotion, but nothing extraordinary happens, they are merely trying to find their way through the life they’ve been given. Nicely written with some interesting ideas. Not many of Galdós’ novels seem to be readily available in English, but it’s worth picking this one up.

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Think Again, Jacqueline Wilson

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Millennial women rejoiced when news of Jacqueline Wilson’s first adult book was announced. Twenty years after Girls in Tears was published we had a new instalment to look forward to, a chance to see where Ellie, Magda, and Nadine ended up. All still friends, life isn’t going entirely smoothly for any of them. Ellie has just lost her beloved freelance illustrator job, Nadine is determinedly remaining a free spirit but getting herself in some dangerous situations, and Magda is trying to be a good step-mum as she prepares to marry Mr Right the third. As with all the Girls books, the story follows Ellie, and we actually don’t get all that much time with Magda and Nadine, a consequence of the way many friendships go in adulthood as everyone gets busy with their individual lives. Ellie has lived a determinedly independent life, raising her daughter alone on a council estate that her family constantly tried to convince her to move out of, yet despite this determination and strength, she still has a lot of the hold-ups she did as a teen and lacks the confidence to make her voice heard.

I haven’t read the original series since being a teen and so don’t have a clear memory of all the finer details of the plots and characters, but there’s enough reminiscing to nudge the memory. Ellie’s birthday party serves as a vehicle to re-introduce a lot of familiar characters and catch up on where life has taken them. One particular character, not at the party, becomes central to the story. Former art teacher Mr Windsor, who the girls all had a crush on, surprises Ellie with his eagerness to meet up after so many years. It soon becomes clear however, that he still sees himself as her superior, lecturing her about art endlessly when he knows she has studied and continues to work in it. He has very particular ideas about the way things should be and tries to mould Ellie’s life to fit this. He still seems to think of her and her friends as giggling teenagers, and judging from what we learn of his other romantic encounters, he prefers his women young. His character in this book is overbearing and a bit sleazy. Ellie struggles to hold on to her annoyances when he is being kind, and she reasons that perhaps she’s just being difficult. Magda and Nadine, do, after all, tell her that the mansplaining and ignoring what she wants is all part and parcel of dating men, a sad suggestion of the kinds of relationships they’ve been in. It becomes a frustrating relationship to read as she grows ever more discontented but can’t bring herself to trust her gut enough to leave. 

This is a recurring theme throughout for Ellie. Whether it be telling her family how she actually wants to spend her birthday, or being honest with Lottie about the lies her estranged father tells her. She seems to still be unsure of who she is, and if being herself is OK. When she meets a new friend at an impromptu swimming session she realises how different it is with someone you feel comfortable with, who is genuinely interested in your life. Alice becomes an important part of her life almost instantly, and she often finds herself desperate to hear from her. Alice appreciates Ellie’s art, and in return Ellie is impressed by her professional knowledge and writings about elephants, which links directly into a new project Ellie is tentatively working on. The scenes with Alice are nice to read, seeing Ellie finally relax and feel able to share her desires. 

We’re told that Ellie and her daughter Lottie are close, although they’re going through the difficult adjustment period of her having left to go to University. The interactions we see between them however are always brief, the dialogue is a little awkward, and Lottie often seems to forget to consider her feelings. She feels mostly a vehicle to compound Ellie’s loneliness with her absence, pushing Ellie into the next stage of her motherhood journey. There are a lot of issues in this book that could have been explored more deeply and I think this relationship and the shifting nature of the parent-child relationship as they become adults themselves is one of them.

There’s a sense while reading this that Wilson is having a lot of fun revisiting these characters. They even reference other of her books throughout (Lottie being named after one of them!) which some readers will enjoy, others less so. It’s an easy read and at times quite enjoyable but Ellie doesn’t feel like she’s matured, some storylines could have been wrapped up much quicker while others could have used more time to breathe. The ending felt rushed and there were some storylines where their lack of a real conclusion felt unsatisfying. It was nice to catch up with old, beloved characters but there’s definite room for improvement. A nostalgia fest for fans of the originals, probably not a book to entice new readers.

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Athens: City of Wisdom, Bruce Clark

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Clark admits he has long held a special place in his heart for Greece, and having lived and worked there, uses his experiences to add additional depth to the modern sections of this epic book, looking at the history of Athens from 600 BCE to as close to the current day as you’re likely to find in a printed book. He guides us through the more well known stories of the ancient world, through years of less studied history of the Byzantine and Ottoman eras. He tracks the rise and fall in fortunes of this city which holds so much fascination, but whose ancient glories outshine more recent achievements. What becomes clear is that Athens is a city which fights for itself, that continues to reinvent and endure. A fascinating history and a vibrant modern city. 

Coming to the book with only a passing knowledge of even the more famous moments in its history it was a wonderfully accessible way of deepening my knowledge, of appreciating the feats of creation, and understanding the context in which these pivotal moments in history happened. I didn’t get through the whole book before my visit, but it added depth and greater appreciation for what I saw, and it was enriching to learn more about the years in between the historic sites and the lived-in, sprawling city on my return. 

What becomes clear is that many cultures have tried to monopolise on its history and status throughout history, taking something for themselves, and reinterpreting the past for their own ends. This of course includes the items removed by Elgin in the nineteenth century, whose controversy continues, the beautiful Acropolis Museum ready and waiting for their return. 

Clark does not shy away from the difficult politics of more recent decades, rife with corruption and scandal, and the impacts of the infamous economic crash of 2008. His anecdotes of conversations with locals and the impact these events had on their life bring the city’s story to life and add a human dimension to a challenging story. We close with a meditation on how the city hopes to move forward, how to balance its incredible history with the modern world. A fascinating, ambitious read. A solid length, it still covers an extraordinary amount of history in comparatively few pages, remaining accessible and enjoyable throughout. 

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We Can’t All Be Astronauts, Tim Clare

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In Clare’s debut book, we follow him on his journey to publication. His friends are all excelling, getting book deals, sometimes hugely lucrative ones, and he’s the only one that doesn’t seem to be succeeding in the craft he has convinced himself is his destiny. As he repeatedly reminds himself and us, he has leaned so heavily into this dream that he really isn’t qualified for anything else. Living with his parents after a relationship breakdown, he descends into a pit of depression, horribly jealous of his friends’ successes and tired of hearing about their latest wins. With a book launch party on the near horizon he gives himself an ultimatum - get a book deal or quit trying. The very fact you’re reading a published book penned by him gives you a clue as to how it will end, but the journey is an interesting one.

In his attempts to break into the seemingly exclusive world of publishing he finds himself heading up a show for Channel 4 in which he has to carry out such ridiculous activities as handing out blank pieces of paper pretending they are promotional material for his book, even to those who might be interested in the book, and practically stalking those with power in the industry. It is cringeworthy stuff but also reveals the vulnerability of those who take part in such endeavours. Desperate to make a name for himself he feels compelled to go along with the schemes, big names feigning interest for the cameras, only to be left out in the cold once the crew have gone home. Later, we see him awkwardly shuffling around the London Book Fair, pretending to be a publisher in the hope of getting at its beating heart. All he really discovers is that the practicalities of the deals are quite boring, and that there are many more deluded authors out there just as desperate for success as him. It sobers him, realising all the passion and enthusiasm in the world doesn’t necessarily mean you will have success.

Indeed, in the many conversations he has with writers, publishers, and TV producers influencing the world to read different books, he doesn’t get the golden nugget he’s seeking to make everything clear to him. Writers talk about how difficult it is, how you can have had many books published but still need a day job, those working in the book industry often seem to have had some aspirations to write themselves, but for many it becomes a burden and they choose to stop pursuing it. Those he imagined to be hard-nosed business people end up being lovely. There is a remarkable amount of generosity with people’s willingness to talk to him and share their experiences. On a more personal level, although retaining his jealousies of his friends for the most part, when he visits them at Edinburgh Fringe he does have a moment of realisation that they’re all working really hard for not much reward, that they’re all on the same journey and there’s nothing wrong with being a few steps behind.

It feels almost unbelievable at times that all his friends are becoming published, that all these bigwigs will give him time to discuss publishing and the author’s journey, that he gets away with some of his more outrageous schemes. He doesn’t shy away from his less admirable moments. He is honest about the shallowness of jealousy, of the feelings of failure, but also acknowledges that he is lucky to have good family and friends, a home, and the luxury to explore his dreams. For any aspiring writers this is a realistic exploration of the struggles of authorship, of the myth of the Big Author, and that sometimes you need honest feedback, not just simpering encouragement. 

The main section of the book ends with the launch party, with him having gained some perspective and a greater appreciation for the people around him. It feels like a satisfying ending, and then we are given an epilogue to explain how the book came into being. Curiosity is only vaguely satisfied with this as the matter is dealt with fairly swiftly, the bulk of this final section being a moving account of his final visit to his Pa and a reflection on how brilliant his parents are. 

An interesting read by an author who is willing to put his worst face forward in the name of authorial integrity. This honesty makes him relatable; we’ve all had unadmirable thoughts and felt jealous of those who seem to be living the life we want. Many will also relate to the feeling that they’ve found exactly what they want to do with their life, the trouble is getting someone to agree to pay you to spend your days doing it. This is not an aspirational, rags to riches story, but one in which Clare grafts, puts himself in excruciating situations, and is swayed by success away from writing people enjoy to overly pretentious prose which nobody wants to read. It is, in some ways, a coming of age tale for those in the difficult post-graduation years trying to find a path through life. 

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The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera

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Kundera’s famous novel opens with a discussion of philosophy - Nietzsche’s thought experiment of the Eternal Return in which he questions how you’d react if every moment of your life, every decision you made, would be repeated ad infinitum. He goes on to explore the idea of lightness and weight. Does the fact that we know our lives don’t repeat, that we will never be able to make the same decision again, or know what would have happened if we had done the opposite, mean that our lives are meaningless? This might seem a heavy subject for a book, and certainly the setting of it, the Prague Spring of 1968 in which the Soviet Union invaded then Czechoslovakia, adds additional heaviness, but it is not as dense as this might suggest. We meet a host of characters trying to navigate life in difficult circumstances, yet continuing along in situations relatable across the years - relationships, infidelity, sense of self, and identity.

Tomas is a serial womaniser and when he unexpectedly falls in love with Tereza finds himself unable to give up sex with others. He believes that love and lust are two separate things and so it is perfectly possible to love Tereza completely while continuing in his sexual liaisons with others. However, Tereza struggles with his infidelities, and he does feel some guilt, reaching a point where he has to drink in order to sleep with others, but the smell of alcohol gives away his actions. His longest-running extra-marital relationship is with Sabina, an artist who also has other partners. She is happily uncommitted, and when another lover leaves his wife for her she leaves without a trace. 

Tereza has a difficult upbringing with a mother who did not conform to social norms, and whose ideas about privacy and the body were damaging to her daughter. She refused to let Tereza lock the bathroom door, and was more concerned about her desire for privacy than the fact her own partner would frequently go into the bathroom while Tereza was naked. Tereza came to feel that all bodies were equal and in Tomas she wanted to feel special, unique. His infidelities led her to despair that he saw no distinction between her and other women’s bodies. We see frequently in her disturbing dreams how she sees herself through Tomas’s eyes, that she understands the power he has over her and her desire to please him, but also that she does not believe he wants the best for her. Her dreams appear throughout without warning or indication that we are reading a dream, which can be disorienting due to the darkness of the contents of them. Her trajectory feels sad, from a painful childhood and family life, to hope that Tomas will be a gateway into a different better life, to resignation. She is a talented photographer and takes courageous photographs of the reality of occupation, but she feels cowed by Tomas, realising when they leave Prague that he does not provide everything she needs, that their relationship only works when she has the other familiar routines of daily life.

There is also a sense of paranoia and claustrophobia as anyone with any kind of public position is at risk of being condemned for their opinions or actions. Tomas tries to avoid committing to either side to avoid any kind of consequences but he is unsuccessful, his licence to practice surgery is removed and he instead spends his days as a window cleaner, which offers him ample opportunity for yet more sexual relations, and very little actual window cleaning. He has a general air of lack of consequence. He had formerly been married and has a son but never sees him nor does he have any desire to be in his life. He does not consider the effect his actions have on those connected to him, determinedly living a life of lightness, with not a thought to the heaviness he imposes on those around him as a consequence. 

The narrative flits between characters, between the dreamworld and the real, and at times the narrator speaks to us directly as the reader. It is not a conventional narrative style but it is interesting, and as we approach the end we see the same events from different perspectives. An interesting read which explores gender relations and identity, personal responsibility, and uses the historical context, which was still very relevant at the time of publication, to add a sense of finality to decisions. A book which you can enjoy as a standalone piece, but which is likely to inspire a deeper dive into some of the ideas, events, and issues explored. 

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A Symphony of Echoes, Jodi Taylor

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Book two in The Chronicles of St. Mary's gives us a chance to catch up with Max, promoted to Chief Operations Officer but just as hot headed. We find her in Victorian London on the hunt for Jack the Ripper. It’s Kalinda Black’s final jump (for those rare few who make it, they’re able to pick where they’d like to go), but it soon becomes clear that going looking for one of history’s most notorious killers might not have been the best idea, and they’re getting more than they bargained for.

Fast-paced as ever, Taylor whizzes us off on a dodo hunt, to the Hanging Gardens of Nineveh, and sixteenth century Scotland to try and get history back on track. Amid all the adventure is the usual camaraderie between colleagues and the explosive relationship between Max and Leon. Our heroes are not the only returning players though, with some familiar villains hiding in time and causing chaos and destruction at every opportunity.

Taylor continues the series with flair and good humour, and although at times this doesn’t feel quite as strong as book one, it’s still hugely enjoyable. The locations and times that they visit are varied and interesting, and Max gets herself in some sticky situations you’re not sure how she’ll escape from. A few new aspects are added to the mix - a jump forward in time, and a mission to the past where they actually want to interfere with the outcome. This provides some new conundrums and also offers Max the opportunity to really step up. Seeing events from her perspective with added comments from the benefit of hindsight, we see when she realises she’s made an error. The team prove themselves strong, loyal and brave time and again, and repeatedly do everything they can to ensure nobody is left behind. 

Whether you’ve always wondered at the true identity of Jack the Ripper, or questioned how alluring Bothwell really was, this book has some fun takes on our historic household names. The drawing of the different eras and geographies is rich and evocative, and the little details about, for example, how difficult the dress of the day made it to get around, make it feel believable. It is the history that takes centre stage and once more Taylor presents it to us in an engaging, humorous style. I’m looking forward to finding out where they all end up next. 

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The Life Impossible, Matt Haig

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Seventy-two year old Grace Winters is recently widowed, living a life without joy, and quietly fading. When a former student writes sharing his hardships with her without any expectation of a response, he receives a fantastical tale, which she swears is true, explaining how her life radically changed when a former colleague left her her house in Ibiza. Still wracked with guilt over the death of her son decades earlier, Grace has convinced herself she doesn’t deserve happiness. The unexpected inheritance pushes her out of her comfort zone and into a mysterious world. Christina disappeared in mysterious circumstances and the people in the know don’t even seem sure she’s actually died. The home she’s been left is not grand but shows the life Christina had, imperfect but largely happy, doing what she loved. Grace is warned away from Alberto Ribas, but soon finds herself so intrigued that she’s out on the water in the middle of the night with him, where she encounters La Presencia. Her life will never be the same again. 

Bestowed with new talents - the ability to read people’s minds, and more so, to change their behaviour. To start with she uses her new powers in small ways - stopping obnoxious customers being difficult, freeing sealife destined for the frying pan, and getting people to move out of her way. Soon however, she realises that the precious Es Vedrà is at risk of redevelopment, destroying the natural habitat and a place of spiritual importance to the local population. Will her powers allow her to overcome an opponent whose powers seem to be just as strong, and whose ruthlessness has got him far?

The letter from Maurice, Grace’s former student, at the beginning of the novel raises a number of themes that recur throughout - grief, guilt, responsibility, but also worries about the future of the planet. Grace’s journey exposes a side of Ibiza that tourists rarely see, and considers the importance of preserving the natural world. Art’s previous developments, while pretending to be eco-friendly, have laid waste to natural flora and fauna, and his arrogant belief that people do not care enough to show up in great numbers to prevent the same being done to his latest target on Ibiza is a damning indictment against those who put personal wealth above the health of the planet, and thus the very future of humanity and all the other living things that call this planet home. Thankfully, there are those who are willing to fight even when it feels hopeless, and maybe, just maybe, with Grace on their side they stand a chance. 

It takes a lot for Grace to move to Ibiza, but more so to open her mind to La Presencia and accept the strange reality of her new talents. She has a logical, mathematical mind, and La Presencia demands she let go of logic. In so doing, with a bit of a nudge, her world view begins to change and she opens herself up to new possibilities. There are heavy moments in this novel, Grace’s sense of herself is dark. ‘You see, the problem was this: I sincerely believed I wasn’t a good person who deserved happiness. … And that guilt got into my soul and convinced me I was faulty at a fundamental level. And when you believe that, you act on it. … Don’t get me wrong. My capacity for guilt pre-dated Daniel … But Daniel’s death solidified guilt as my defining feature. Something I had to carry forever.’ Her son had wanted to go to the shops with her but she said no, instead he went out on his bike in the rain and she never saw him alive again. Her grief and guilt is written painfully throughout. The tragedy of her son’s death is raw, but perhaps more so the half life she lived as a result, the marriage that never regained its happiness, the torture of blaming herself forever for something that wasn’t her fault. La Presencia allows her the opportunity to see Christina again, perhaps it can also help her to finally lay old ghosts to rest. We see time and again how Grace feels about herself, how little value she feels, yet it’s clear that she matters to those she knows. She showed Christina kindness that stayed with her without even thinking about it. Kindness that changed the course of her life. Maurice too, obviously values her opinion and experiences. Twenty year olds don’t often write to former teachers unless they have touched their lives. We can see the goodness in her and how she is doing herself a disservice in dwelling on her mistakes, real or imagined. She feels her lack of happiness more strongly on Ibiza too, where happiness is ingrained in everything, the contrast is stronger than in her old bungalow. In Ibiza, age doesn’t matter, octogenarians go clubbing with twenty year olds and nobody bats an eyelid. It is invigorating and freeing when you aren’t defined by expectation. As the book progresses we see Grace open herself up to this.

Haig writes in his characteristic blend of people and situations that sear themselves into your heart and slightly fantastical scenarios. This book felt more fantastical than his previous work but at the heart of it all are humans trying to find their way. We see in the characters around Grace the truth that you don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of happiness, and that every life touches those around them. The mystery of what happened to Christina, and the drama around Art and Es Vedrà add intrigue and excitement. An unusual but enjoyable book that makes you question what kind of mark you are leaving on this Earth. 

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Surrey New Writers Festival, 2025

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Each Spring, budding writers and recently published authors descend on the University of Surrey for a day of inspiring talks and growing TBRs. This was my second time attending, and although I do always feel like a bit of an interloper as neither a student nor faculty, it is a brilliant day.

First up were Jenny Mustard and Michael Amherst, discussing their new books which both deal with coming-of-age themes. In Mustard’s What A Time To Be Alive twenty-one year old Sickan struggles to adjust to life at Stockholm University. Although she finds it difficult to form bonds with people she’s also determined to make a fresh start for herself, create a new version of herself. Amherst’s protagonist in The Boyhood of Cain is younger at twelve years old but he is similarly trying to find his place in the world amid upheaval and looks to others for guidance. Both authors spoke of starting with their protagonist and building the story and world around them. They also spoke of the importance of humour to counteract the darkness, something which intensifies it in its contrast. There were also similarities in the supporting characters, each having one that borders on being the enemy of our main focus, but also there being something about them which makes it appear they move through the world easily, a trait our protagonists envy and would like to emulate.

Their books may have some overlap, but their writing process couldn’t be more different. Mustard spoke about meticulously planning out the novel on a spreadsheet. Rather than finding this constricting it gave her a sense of freedom to just focus on the scene she was writing rather than worrying about where the story was going next. Amherst on the other hand falls much more into the pantser category, following the narrative as the characters guide. 

Next was a discussion by mother and daughter writing duo Cressida Connolly and Nell Hudson, who discussed how coming from literary families have impacted their writing practice. Connolly’s father was also a well known author while she was growing up and it put her off the idea of writing, but she eventually succumbed to the urge. Hudson had also experienced some reluctance, turning instead to acting as an outlet for her creativity but coming back to writing for the freedom it gives. 

Connolly tends to write historic fiction (although she admits it often feels contemporary to her while she writes it) and talks about the importance for authors of deciding whether they’re going to write post- or pre-technology. They talked about how technology can age a novel instantly, and how it can impact the storytelling. Many mysteries, for example, will find ways to remove technology even if it’s set more recently as they can cause plot problems. Hudson, on the other hand, writes in the contemporary world, wanting to write what she knows, although quips that she’s spent so much time acting in eighteenth century dramas she could probably write a story set then without having to do too much research. 

One of the most impactful moments for me was in response to an audience question about how they overcame reluctance to share their work. They both admit to having initially found it difficult to let anyone read their books, even each other, but now enjoy sharing the writing experience. The simple answer was, the more you write the easier it becomes. If you’ve only written one piece, to share it and receive feedback is excruciating, but once you’ve built up more of a body of work it is less so. They also made the excellent point that even excellent writers write bad stories sometimes. 

Kicking off the afternoon panels was Ela Lee, discussing her novel Jaded, written during the Covid lockdowns. Working in law at the time, sexual misconduct had been common and had become so normalised that it was only when they shifted to working from home that Lee realised how much more relaxed she felt, how she’d been in a constant state of fight or flight in the office. Her novel explores the consequences of sexual assault and is consciously written in a way to make the reader uncomfortable, to make them question their own stance on these issues.

It also explores the experience of growing up mixed race in the UK, something Lee feels is missing in most books. Writing about such personal and sensitive topics, she spoke openly about how anxious she felt about sharing the book with the world. She researched thoroughly not just the content of the novel but also potential agents to ensure she found the right fit. 

Later in the afternoon Ralf Webb and Amy Key had an interesting discussion about writing non-fiction and the authenticity of the writer in doing so, especially when working in the memoir form. They discussed whether everything included has to be 100% factually correct and whether you should put yourself in biographies of others, something editors can encourage but doesn’t always feel appropriate. 

The final panel of the day saw Naomi Wood and Susannah Dickey discuss the experience of working in different forms - long-form prose, poetry, and short story. A comment that was repeated in some of the other panels was that short story publishing is not seen as viable in the long term, that you might get one collection but are generally encouraged toward novels. They spoke eloquently about their experiences of writing, respecting each other’s ability to create in forms the other felt unable to. Wood spoke about the long process that led to her being able to successfully craft short stories, and the difficulty in switching back to writing novels which takes so much longer and where you have to persist with it at the end of each chapter. It was felt that different topics sometimes feel more appropriate in different forms, that a subject might feel very personal and therefore can be expressed better in poetry, for example. 

Rounding up the day was a keynote talk by Daisy Johnson, who had also recently published a short story collection but who was also not encouraged to think of it as a regularly repeatable experience. She spoke honestly about how becoming a mother had impacted her writing, and how her current work-in-progress has stalled for quite some time. She also spoke about how she doesn’t usually write to a hard deadline, but has occasionally had to and the way this impacts her approach to it. She also explored the ways the land inspires and holds hidden stories which she tries to incorporate into many of her works.