books
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Research carried out as part of the National Year of Reading, in partnership with KPMG UK, has revealed that pressures on young families, as well as gaps in confidence and knowledge, are contributing to a sustained decline in parents’ engagement with activities known to support children’s early literacy development. The research is part of an…
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Are you an emerging writer seeking to learn about creating fiction and keen to receive plain-speaking advices? Then a book written by best-selling novelist John Dean, in which he examines the craft behind fiction, could well be for you. In On Writing, John, who is best known for his crime novels, 26 of which have…
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“I know that some novelists do not plan, just start writing and see where the story takes them, but in my experience that often takes them into a cul-de-sac and things can become horrendously convoluted as they try to write themselves back out. I am one of the many novelists who do plan and I…
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A question which I am sometimes asked by readers is ‘what do you think is your best book?’ The answer may come over as glib but is absolutely genuine. ‘The next one,’ I say. That is because I genuinely believe that an author never stops learning, however many books they sell and however positive reviews…
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One of the most prestigious honours in the crime writing world has been awarded to Mark Billingham, in recognition of his twenty-five year contribution to the genre. The author, whose debut novel Sleepyhead was abestseller, the first of many, has been awarded the Diamond Dagger by the Crime Writers’ Association. Mark was born in Birmingham…
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He’s back! One of the fictional world’s most unusual killers has returned in the sequel to the novella Koki, by thriller writer Malcolm Beadle. The first book in the series by Malcolm, of Darlington, County Durham, which was published in 2025, introduced readers to former rodeo clown/turned Army sniper Trent Blane. Blane has been a…
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Authors and football personalities supported the official launch of the National Year of Reading at The Emirates, the home of London club Arsenal. The nationwide initiative from the Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust seeks to address the steep decline in the nation’s enjoyment of reading by inspiring people of all ages to…
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The latest book written by author Tracey Iceton has been published – and it’s a remarkable work which is very different from her previous titles. Sparky: My Barn Owl Tale (2026, Cinnamon Press) is Sparky’s semi-(auto)biographical account of life before, and since, she and Tracey met in 2022. Hatched in the UK in August 2017,…
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The business world was shaken to its core with the publication six years ago of the searing expose of corporate big business The Diary of Ridley Pinstripe. Indeed, it was so shaken that virtually no one bought a copy of the book, so now it has been relaunched thanks to popular lack of demand and…
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Preparations are well under way for the beginning of the National Year of Reading 2026, which aims to tackle the steep decline in reading for enjoyment among readers of all ages. The campaign is being run by the National Literacy Trust and the Department for Education under the rallying call Go All In, which was…
John Dean - Crime Writer 