Author Interviews | Page 2

Thomas Taylor | 'I want the reader to supply their own monster as much as possible'

Illustrator Thomas Taylor puts his storytelling skills to good use in a middle-grade seaside mystery. Read more

Beth O'Leary | 'I wrote almost all the book on the train...'

Former Penguin Random House Children’s staffer Beth O’Leary draws upon her own experience of renting in London in her début novel, written largely on her... Read more

Zanib Mian | 'I want Muslim children to have a character they can relate to'

Former school teacher Zanib Mian has teamed up with Hodder to bring her prize-winning self-published novel about a Muslim boy into the mainstream. Read more

Jeffrey Boakye | 'I feel like the debate is opening, but it’s not always a safe debate'

Schoolteacher and writer Jeffrey Boakye’s second book is a charismatic and entertaining attempt "to explore the central nervous system of racial semiotics". Read more

Isabella Hammad | 'I think it’s best to take the hype with a pinch of salt'

A sprawling first novel by Isabella Hammad, set in Palestine and Paris in the early 20th century, feels both contemporary and classic—and its roots are... Read more

Leanne Shapton | 'I’m really drawn to people who don’t stay in their lanes'

Fresh from judging this year’s Man Booker, Leanne Shapton returns with a book of ghost stories told in her inimitable style. Read more

Bee Wilson | 'Food is how we live'

Bee Wilson’s writing on food and gastronomy continues with an urgent call to assess our consumption. Read more

Sadie Jones | 'You have to be on both their sides'

The latest novel from Sadie Jones is her first contemporary tale. But the story has deep roots: none more so than the eternal power struggle... Read more

Max Porter | 'I know people read weird and unlikely things'

Max Porter’s follow-up to his heralded début is an equally ambitious novel centring on small-town Britain. Read more

David Nott | 'Healthcare is seen as a weapon'

Operating on patients in war zones has put David Nott in peril across the globe. His memoir explains why he continues to put himself in... Read more

Hannah Beckerman | 'Those repressed stories will always find their way out'

The new novel by Hannah Beckerman traces the impact of a family secret upon three generations of women. Read more

Clare Hunter | 'Embroidery became her emotional and political representative'

Interweaving stories from her own life with historical examples, Clare Hunter’s non-fiction début reframes needle-work as a powerful and political medium. Read more

Tessa Hadley | 'The domestic parochial is what novels do best'

The seventh novel by Tessa Hadley could see the author, adored by peers but often overlooked by prizes, finally reach a deserved wider readership.... Read more

Tim Waterstone | 'It was very cleansing to write, but also to face the ugly stuff'

Philip Jones talks to Tim Waterstone about the founding of his eponymous high street chain and how his early years formed his view of bookselling.... Read more

Sam Copeland | 'Children’s books give you the freedom to be funny'

RCW agent Sam Copeland was a trade rarity: a publishing staffer with no desire to turn author. Now, he says, he can’t stop writing...... Read more