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Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore

An introduction I have been asked to write a few words about the origins of my debut novel, Valentine. This should be a simple enough task, and one that every writer who is fortunate enough to sell her book should be prepared to complete in a timely fashion. Read More
Scabby Queen

Kirstin Innes introduces Scabby Queen

The 30th April would have been publication day for Kirstin Innes fantastic new novel Scabby Queen before the pandemic caused the release date to be delayed. To mark the occasion, Kirstin shared some of the inspiration behind the novel on Twitter, answered readers’ questions, and gave us a sneak peak with a couple of readings from the book. Read More

Mr Atkinson’s Rum Contract

The story of a tangled inheritance I began writing Mr Atkinson’s Rum Contract almost ten years ago, after learning that I couldn’t have children. Instead of looking forward to the family I’d always imagined I’d have, I turned round to face the past; it was time I found out about those who’d come before me. Read More

The Mirror & the Light: Cultural Impact

The Power of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies In 2009, Hilary Mantel was an author already acclaimed for her fiction and memoir-writing, having been awarded, among other prizes, the MIND Book of the Year and the Cheltenham Prize, as well as being shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Orange Prize for Fiction. But the arrival of Wolf Hall would transform Mantel into a household name. Read More

The Mirror & the Light: Main Themes pt.1

The Fabric of the World One of the many enjoyable aspects of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies is how touchable the world is within: how we can smell, taste and feel those lives of nearly five hundred years ago. The dark hallways and smoky fires, the splash of barge oars in the Thames, the soft leather of unthinking wealth. Read More

The Mirror & the Light: The Revolutionary Nature of the Books

There are few figures in British history as universally reviled as Thomas Cromwell. Held responsible for the suppression of the monasteries, the destruction of countless priceless books deemed too ‘popish’ and the attacking of statues, shrines and rood screens across the country, Cromwell has traditionally been viewed as a reforming bulldozer, manipulating the King’s hand to achieve religious changes against the Catholic Church at any cost. Read More

The Mirror & the Light: The Story So Far

Bringing the opulent, brutal Tudor world of Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII to glittering life, Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies have thrilled and delighted readers, critics and prize judges alike. Both novels won the Man Booker Prize and have sold over five million copies across the globe. Starting today, let us take you through the story so far, introduce you to the main players and explore the key themes. The Mirror and the Light is out now. Read More

Bee Wilson / Greenfeast

In celebration of Nigel Slater’s Greenfeast: autumn, winter publishing this October, we asked some 4th Estate authors to write a few words about veg-minded living. Bee Wilson, author of First Bite and The Way We Eat Now: 'Nigel Slater has strong feelings about bowls, and he is not afraid to share them. Take porridge. Nigel has two wooden bowls made from ash, which he saves for his morning oats. ‘I feel like Goldilocks’, he writes, ‘even when they are used for a strawberry Bircher muesli’. Read More