Anya Serota, Publishing Director
When I heard that a film of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE was in the pipeline, my heart slightly sank. How could they do justice to such a gem? But then I learnt that Dave Eggers was writing the novelisation (Hamish Hamilton, autumn 2009). In his hands, this could be absolutely amazing. I can’t wait.
Francis Bickmore, Senior Editor
Gutsy, energetic and with a heartstopping twist in the tale, HARARE NORTH by Brian Chikwava (Jonathan Cape, April 2009) is a hugely exciting and timely novel of one man’s journey from Zimbabwe to Harare North, aka London. Chikwava has scooped the Caine Prize and deserves much more in 2009.
Angela Robertson, Head of Publicity
Richard Milward’s ebut novel APPLES was, deservedly, a huge success. TEN STOREY LOVE SONG (Faber, Feburary 2009), his follow-up, is equally brilliant. Incredibly, the whole book is a single 286-page paragraph detailing the adventures of the hedonistic inhabitants of a tower block in Teeside. I loved it.
Nick Davies, Editorial Director, Non-Fiction
I can’t wait to read Jo Tatchell’s new book A DIAMOND IN THE SAND (Sceptre, August 2009). How did the poor fishing village of Abu Dhabi transform itself in to the world’s richest city in less than fifty years? This promises to be a compelling portrait of a
very strange city.
Jenny Todd, Sales & Marketing Director
I can’t wait to read Rich Hall’s MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS (Abacus, June 2009), a collection of stories about, well, magnificent bastards. I love this guy’s dark, twisted, clever comedy and I am especially looking forward to reading about the frustrated werewolf who roams the streets of Soho being mistaken for Brian Blessed.
Stephanie Gorton, Managing Editor
I can’t wait to read Colum McCann’s new novel, LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN (Bloomsbury, September 2009). It turns around the tremendous feat of Philippe Petit walking the wire between the Twin Towers in 1974, and the people in New York at that time whose lives intersected at ground level. His writing is incredibly elegant and only getting more masterful with time.
Dan Franklin, Assistant Editor
HELTER SKELTER was a landmark true crime book about the Manson Family, and forty years on Charles Manson still looms large in the public imagination. He is overdue an authoritative new study and CHARLES MANSON: COMING DOWN FAST (Hodder, June 2009) looks like the one.
Jamie Byng, Managing Director & Publisher
I hope that Reif Larsen’s wildly original and completely captivating debut novel, THE SELECTED WORKS OF T.S. SPIVET (Harvill Secker, May 2009) finds the huge audience it deserves. Narrated by this twelve year old genius cartographer, it tells the story (in pictures as well as words) of his epic journey from his home in Montana to the Smithsonian in Washington as T.S. also tries to come to terms with the death of his younger brother Layton. I have never read anything quite like it although I think it could capture readers’ hearts and minds in the way LIFE OF PI has.
Andrea See, Online Marketing Executive
My heart goes out to Jozef in Charles Lambert’s LITTLE MONSTERS (Picador, February 2009). He’s Carol’s (the protagonist) uncle and, later, partner – though it’s nowhere near as horrible as that sounds! This debut novel tells the story of Carol’s life and it’s
totally heart-wrenching. It’s a book I very much recommend.
Anna Frame, Publicity Assistant
Sarah Hall got a lot of attention for her debut, HAWESWATER, while follow-up THE ELECTRIC MICHAELANGELO was Booker-shortlisted. It’s been five years since then, and I’m really looking forward to seeing if her latest title, HOW TO PAINT A
DEAD MAN (Faber, June 2009) will live up to its predecessors.
Andrea Joyce, Senior Rights Manager
I’m very much looking forward to reading EVERYTHING RAVAGED, EVERYTHING BURNED by Wells Tower (Granta, April 2009). It’s a debut collection of short stories by a young American who won the Paris Review Discovery prize. I’ve heard they are dark and funny – perfect!
We've shown you ours, now show us yours - what books are you excited about in 2009?
