By Anita Foxall. For anyone familiar with Antosh Wojcik’s central presence on the poetry scene, the arrival of his debut collection Suburban Locust has been highly anticipated. Antosh is an incredibly skilled poet and these poems are undoubtedly masterfully crafted. The collection unfolds as a surreal, storm-ridden family chronicle...
Books
Review: Wuthering Heights? More like Withering Whites
By books editor Laura McCarthy. Emerald Fennel’s latest film has garnered controversy since before it was even released. In a way, the controversy surrounding the film makes it like Brontȅ’s original novel, which also sparked public outcry… but this would be perhaps the only similarity between the text and...
Books: Series Retrospective -The Laundry Files by Charles Stross (2004-2026)
By Chris Taylor. ‘I asked why we had to leave the EU, in one of those informal breakout sessions at Number 10. … “Can’t bring back the death penalty without ditching the ECHR,” he replied. “Also, we need to get rid of free movement. Stop the blighters emigrating.” I...
Books – ‘Romantasy’ deserves respect, not derision
By Annabelle Clare. I talk a lot about books. They’re the cornerstone of my life, the start and the end of every day. They’re my primary form of escape and my absolute favourite hobby. But whenever I start talking about some of my favourite series, I feel almost embarrassed....
Review: Love, Death and the Crucial Three by Will Vigar
By Anita Foxall. Will Vigar’s Love, Death and the Crucial Three is a unique and touching novel that manages to be intimate and expansive at the same time; a story rooted in the life of Jake, which resonates with the universal truths of friendship, trauma, love, and the families...
Book review: Moving the ghost out the haunted house – thoughts on Michelle Paver’s novel Rainforest
By Laura McCarthy. In Rainforest, Michelle Paver leaves the classic ghost story setting behind in favour of something altogether different – no prizes for guessing where. She says “so long” to the spectral woman in black of Eel Marsh House and “good riddance” to the ominous presence of Hill...
Book Review: Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
By Laura McCarthy. I touch my face and my hand is damp. That’s unexpected. This dark tale of a family curse has more substance than I presumed. For October (with it being both Black History Month and spooky season), I wanted to find a disturbing new release from a...
Art of Climbing Trees book launch at October Books
One year, 365 trees, ten countries, 80 ‘co-climbers’. Described as ‘a radical manifesto from the branches, new book Art of Climbing Trees was, fifteen years in the making – a crowd-funder delivers more than a decade late! Art of Climbing Trees (A.C.T.) is a beautifully illustrated, genre-bending book; a...
Opinion: Why white writers should support POC authors having their voices heard
By Laura McCarthy. I made the mistake of looking at the comment section on a post about Merky Books’ New Writers’ Prize. What did I see? Perhaps you can already predict if you know that the competition is aimed at Black, Asian, and ethnic minority writers. You guessed it:...
Favourite book review: The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf
By Charlotte Ndupuechi. Onjali Q. Raúf’s The Boy at the Back of the Class is a beautifully written, thought-provoking children’s novel, full of fun, friendship, adventure, and standing up for what’s right. This is a timely and important read for families and schools, and a story that encourages compassion...