2024 in books: J&A authors feature

It’s been a fantastic year for our authors, and we’re so pleased to see their work featured in roundups of the best books of 2024.

Zoologist Arik Kershenbaum’s second work, Why Animals Talk, was published by Viking in January and was selected by The Guardian as one of their ‘best ideas books’ of the year;’ ‘The current online fascination with videos of ravens and crows speaking in eerily realistic ways may give rise to a more general curiosity about animal communication.’

Literary journal Lunate highlighted Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg as one of their picks. Writer and contributor Adam Farrer described the novel as ‘the itchy, scuzzy and captivating story of life and tensions on a remote women’s commune. I raced through this one, almost out of fear that if I wasn’t quick enough about it, it’d get up and crawl away of its own volition.’

Spycraft by Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman was on two year-end lists – The Economist included it among their favourite non-fiction books of 2024, while History Today praised it as ‘a deeply enjoyable book. . . grounded in meticulous archival research. . . There are fascinating nuggets on every page and, for those wishing to enter the great game, a map of London safehouses, an index of codenames and a potentially handy recipe for poison. . .’

New Zealand publication The Listener chose Tina Makereti’s The Mires as one of their 100 best books of 2024, characterising the story as ‘a textured novel of messages, and the indefatigability of nature.’

Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow by Damilare Kuku was among Brittle Paper’s ‘100 Notable African Books of 2024,’ and described it as ‘a humorous tale of family, beauty, and secrets.’

US publication Smithsonian Magazine included Sophie Shorland’s The Lost Queen in their list of the ‘Ten Best History Books’ of the year: ‘An enthralling and vivid portrait of Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II, that reveals her forgotten place in history.’

The Daily Express featured a collection of the UK’s favourite author’s and their picks for the best books of the year, and Stuart MacBride singled out The Wilds by Sarah Pearse as a highlight. He wrote, ‘A dark and twisty mystery with an excellent sense of place: a talented writer getting better with every book.’

Nigella Lawson shone the spotlight on Sylvia Plath’s Tomato Soup Cake on her website list of stocking fillers. A compendium of classic authors’ favourite recipes published by Faber and featuring J&A’s own Beryl Bainbridge, Nigella described it as ‘the perfect book, compiled with elegant wit, designed with charm and brio. . . the huge pleasure it yields is disproportionate to its modest dimensions. . . It’s a book to be given with glee and read with relish. Total bliss.’

A tribute to William Radice, 1951 – 2024

William Radice, celebrated translator and poet, has died at the age of 73. One of the foremost translators of Bengali to English, William was best known for his work on bringing the writings of Rabindranath Tagore, a key figure of the Bengal Renaissance, to an international audience.

William was the senior lecturer in Bengali in the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London for many years and also translated several works by Michael Madhusudan Dutt. A keen poet, he published multiple volumes of poetry, along with adapting texts for opera librettos during his career.

He is remembered by all of us at J&A, along with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two daughters.

The Guardian features Beryl Bainbridge's classic recipe

A new compendium of classic authors’ favourite recipes, including Beryl Bainbridge, has been featured by The Guardian – with a reminder that ‘a writer’s place is not in the kitchen. . .’

Published by Faber & Faber earlier this month, Sylvia Plath’s Tomato Soup Cake is a new anthology collecting recipes ranging from the homespun to the outlandish, introduced by food writer Bee Wilson.

With unexpected recipes such as Agatha Christie's hot bean salad, Noel Streatfeild's filets de boeuf aux bananas and Spike Milligan's spaghetti dolce, The Guardian noted Beryl’s instant mince as a revolting highlight. Reviewer Rachel Cooke referred to it as ‘quite obviously a crime not only against mince, but also against potatoes, tinned tomatoes, vinegar, and any human beings who might end up having to eat it.’

Remembering Phil Rickman

With great sadness we announce that author and broadcaster Phil Rickman died on Tuesday 29th October at the age of 74.

Lancashire-born Rickman spent most of his adult life in Herefordshire and the Welsh borders. He was the author of 27 novels, including two under the name Will Kingdom and two as Thom Madley, as well as short stories and non-fiction. His debut novel, Candlenight, was published by Duckworth in 1991 and sold over half a million copies worldwide. It was later reissued by his current publisher, Atlantic Books’ imprint Corvus.

He is best known for the popular Merrily Watkins novels, a unique crime fiction series with supernatural elements set in the Welsh borders, whose titular character is both a vicar and an exorcist. Beginning with The Wine of Angels, first published in 1998, the Merrily Watkins series currently spans fifteen novels, with a sixteenth, The Echo of Crows, slated for release by Corvus in 2025. The series was adapted into a three-part ITV drama featuring Anna Maxwell Martin as Merrily Watkins in 2015.

Phil Rickman’s work has been widely reviewed and praised over the years, with his writing acclaimed by an array of authors, including Steven King, Bernard Cornwell, Peter James, Barbara Erskine, John Connolly and Elly Griffiths.

Having started his working life as a journalist and broadcaster, for many years Rickman also presented the BBC Radio Wales programme Phil the Shelf, which featured book news, author interviews and advice for unpublished writers. He was a long-serving mainstay of the Hay Festival, and lived just up the road from Hay-on-Wye, in a beautiful farmhouse surrounded by rescue donkeys, dogs, and the occasional peacock,

Phil is survived by his wife Carol – his first reader and sternest editor.

Phil’s current editor, Sarah Hodgson, said: ‘I first encountered Phil down the line from a studio at broadcasting house in London when I participated in an episode of Phil the Shelf many years ago, and had no inkling that I would one day have the privilege of publishing his work. He was known for his kindness and gentleness of spirit, and he had a unique creative vision. His loss will be felt deeply by all who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him, and by his many readers around the world. It is some consolation that he had already delivered his next, and now final, novel, a new case for his wonderful heroine Merrily Watkins, which we are proud to be publishing on the Corvus list next year.’

His agents Ed Wilson and Andrew Hewson at Johnson & Alcock added: ‘Crimewriting has lost a true one-off in Phil Rickman – a writer whose kindness and generosity, both with fans and other writers, was as well-known as his brilliant books. His career spanned decades and genres – from the early horror novels, to crime and supernatural thrillers, YA novels (before the term ‘YA’ existed) and even historical, with his two brilliant Dr Dee novels. He was a unique and wonderful man, and managed to be both commercially successful (the Merrily series sold over 300k copies) and also a cult author. His Facebook group PRAS (the Phil Rickman Appreciation Society) was one of the earliest on the platform, and there has been an outpouring of emotion online from the rich and varied community of fans. It is fitting tribute to his indefatigability that his final act was to complete another Merrily novel, which will be published in 2025 for his fans to enjoy.’

Nic Cheetham, MD of Head of Zeus, who was previously Phil Rickman’s longterm publisher said: ‘Phil's Merrily Watkins novels are a masterclass in how to write a series and Phil is entirely responsible for my love of big books, big casts and multiple instalments – not to mention writers doing something just a little to the left of the genre mainstream’

Sarah Pearse surpasses 1.5 million copies sold

Credit: Rosie Parsons Photography

Celebrations are in order, as thriller writer Sarah Pearse has reached the 1.5 million copy milestone. A trilogy following detective Elin Warner, The Sanatorium (Transworld, 2021), The Retreat (Transworld, 2022) and The Wilds (Little, Brown, 2024) were each published to great success. All three novels achieved best-seller status in both the UK and US, and Sarah has been published in over 30 territories worldwide.

‘It’s thrilling to reach such a significant sales milestone and to see new readers discovering my earlier books,’ Sarah said. ‘After The Wilds came out, life became a bit of a whirlwind of travelling around the country to meet readers, supporters and talk to the media.’

The Sanatorium was chosen by Reese Witherspoon for her popular bookclub on its release in February 2021, and TV rights to the novel were quickly snapped up. Sarah is currently hard at work on her first standalone novel, and we can’t wait to see what she does next!

Translation rights assistant vacancy

We are looking for a rights assistant to join the agency’s flourishing foreign rights department.

The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic and proactive, well-organised with excellent attention to detail, and a desire to build a career in translation rights. They will have at least one year’s experience working within the industry, preferably in international rights. A knowledge of a foreign language would be a plus.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Preparing bookfair catalogues and schedules

• Running the department’s newsletter for foreign publishers and scouts

• Liaising with authors and foreign publishers for production of foreign editions

• Collecting and producing publicity material

• Drafting and processing contracts

• Invoicing, monitoring and chasing payments

• Sourcing and tracking tax forms for our authors

• Database management (knowledge of Bradbury Phillips appreciated but not crucial)

There will be good opportunities for career development within this role, with close training and mentoring by the head of rights, and the possibility to attend some fairs and progress to managing some territories.

This is a full-time position. Johnson & Alcock supports flexible working, with a minimum of three days per week at our offices in Somerset House in London. We encourage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

Salary: £26k

To apply, please email your CV and a covering letter to Hélène Butler at applications@johnsonandalcock.co.uk by 31 October 2024.

Nick Bradley named a Rising Star of UK writing

The National Centre for Writing has revealed the shortlist for their International Literature Exchange (ILX) 10 Rising Stars of UK Writing, and J&A author Nick Bradley has been chosen as one of their top picks.

Featuring a variety of prose, poetry, and creative non-fiction writers, the list represents authors who the Centre believes have ‘the powerful potential to speak to and engage with global literary audiences.’

The National Centre for Writing is a literature development agency and national centre for writing based in Norwich. Offering writers the opportunity to connect, learn and seek inspiration from one another, they run a series of in-person and online events and festivals throughout the year.

Nick’s debut novel The Cat & The City was published by Atlantic in 2020 and received praise from BBC Radio 2, The Guardian, The Independent and The Times. His second novel, Four Seasons in Japan (Doubleday), was published in 2023 to rave reviews.

Emily Haworth-Booth wins the Mslexia Novel Competition winner

J&A author Emily Haworth-Booth has been announced as the winner of the Mslexia Novel Competition for her work Mare.

Awarded every two years to the best novel, short story, poetry and flash fiction on offer, Mslexia cultivates a portfolio of competitions that have ‘propelled many women’s writing careers to the next level.’

Judge Sophie Hannah, author and writing coach, ‘loved' Mare. 'I was gripped by her first description. The concept and her approach to it are really bold – she just goes for it!’

‘I loved her playful approach and admired how she switched between prose and prose poems,' commented literary agent Sophie Lambert. ‘It sits outside the mainstream in a good way.’

Rounding out the trio of judges, literary critic Natasha Onwuemezi found Emily’s writing to be ‘incredible, wonderfully weird and thought-provoking. I loved its take on gender and physicality, and our proximity to the natural world.’

A keen animal lover, Emily was inspired to write Mare when issued a prompt to write a poem about desire during a writing course. ‘I wrote a love letter in second person to this horse I was looking after. It started off based on my own experience, but got longer and more fictional as I worked on it, going from second to third person, then to first person narrated by a fictional ‘I’ that wasn’t me any more.’

Dame Professor Sue Black selected to join the Order of the Thistle

Dame Professor Sue Black is widely recognised for her groundbreaking work as a forensic anthropologist and has now been invited by King Charles to join the Order of the Thistle. A chivalric order bestowed by the reigning monarch and believed to have originated in the 1400s, the honour currently recognises 16 knights and citizens who have held public office or have made a particular contribution to national life across law, medicine, politics and business.

The order is recognised by the ceremonial dress of a green velvet robe and black velvet hat topped with an ostrich feather. The Order’s motto, Nemo me impune lacessit – ‘No one provokes me with impunity’ – is a former motto of the Stuart dynasty and is also used by the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Dame Professor Sue Black will be officially sworn in at a ceremony held this summer at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, alongside fellow Scots, human rights activist Sir Geoff Palmer and lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy.

Professor Black, who was born in Inverness, set up the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at Dundee University and pioneered new identification techniques to convict paedophiles, with her further research on biometrics taking her to Kosovo and Sierra Leone to assist in international war-crime investigations.

Awarded a life peerage in 2021, Professor Black, who is currently serving as president of St John’s College at Oxford University, described the news of her latest honour as ‘somewhat surreal. Contact from the Palace was so totally unexpected. . . I don’t think it has really sunk in fully and all I can promise to do is to serve as best I can.’

Amy Twigg named one of The Observer's 'Best new novelists for 2024'

Amy Twigg has been selected by The Observer for their list of ‘Best new novelists for 2024’ for her highly anticipated debut, Spoilt Creatures. The annual list shines a spotlight on the best authors based in the UK and Ireland; previous authors chosen by The Observer include Sally Rooney, Louise Kennedy and Douglas Stewart.

Set in a close-knit community of women living in the South Downs, Spoilt Creatures has already received rave reviews in the build up to its release. Described by Kiran Millwood Hargrave as ‘heady with the possibilities of language and the righteousness of female rage,’ and ‘lush and dreamlike’ by Colin Walsh, Twigg examines sisterhood, obsession and transgression through these women and the men who disturb their peace.

Spoilt Creatures will be published by Tinder Press on June 6th.

Orbit acquires ‘wild-ride’ of a new epic fantasy The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford

Orbit has signed The Bone Raiders, a fast-paced and highly entertaining new epic fantasy from Jackson Ford, author of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind. Orbit UK Publisher Anna Jackson acquired World English language rights in two novels set in the world of the Bone Raiders from J&A’s Ed Wilson. Bradley Englert, Senior Editor at Orbit US, has acquired rights in US & Canada. Orbit will publish the book globally in May 2025.

This epic fantasy follows the story of the Rakada, a fearsome band known as the Bone Raiders, due to their charming habit of wearing the bones of those they kill on their armour. But being a raider is tough these days, especially when the High Chieftain is trying to wipe out you and your kind. When Sayana, a young Rakada scout, finds herself face-to-face with a fire-breathing lizard of legend during a raid-gone-wrong, she comes up with an audacious plan to save the Rakada and preserve their way of life. A plan that involves convincing the lizard to let her ride it . . .

‘I really fell for The Bone Raiders – this is such a fun and absorbing epic fantasy that really packs a punch,’ announced Acquiring Publisher Anna Jackson. ‘With a fast pace, great sense of humour and a superb ensemble cast, it’s perfect for fans of lively epic fantasy with attitude such as Kings of the Wyld, The Grey Bastards, The Blacktongue Thief and The Blade Itself. Get ready for the Rakada . . .’

Author Jackson Ford said, ‘Bad guys are always the best fun to write – especially bad guys who have everything to lose. I fell hard for the Rakada, and especially for Sayana, who has no idea what she's about to get into. I had a wild time creating the world of The Bone Raiders, and I can't wait for readers to get their teeth into it.’

‘Take one fearsome warrior band, add a giant fire-breathing lizard, heap on sass by the bucketload – it can only be the new Jackson Ford!’ commented Ed Wilson. ‘We’re delighted to have Anna and Bradley from Orbit along for the ride. Epic fantasy has never felt so fresh and feisty.’

Jackson Ford is a pseudonym for Rob Boffard, a South African writer who now lives in Vancouver. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Frost Files series, about a government operative with telekinetic powers. This series begins with The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind and has sold over 90,000 copies. He has released four science fiction novels under the name Rob Boffard, and was previously a journalist for over a decade, writing articles for publications and sites including the Guardian, the BBC, Wired Magazine and io9.

Sam Holland's The Twenty awarded the Dutch Silver Bat

The Twenty, the second novel by crime writer Sam Holland, has won the Silver Bat award for ‘Thriller of the Year’ at the Nederlands Thriller Festival. Published by HarperCollins NL in August of this year, The Twenty has been praised by readers and critics alike for Holland’s trademark ‘nail-biting’ and ‘addictive’ writing. She is the first author to be awarded a Bronze and Silver Bat in successive years.

Holland’s win was announced at a ceremony during the annual Thriller Book Festival, which took place in Zoetermeer. A prominent event in the Dutch literary calendar, this is the second year Holland’s books have been recognised; The Echo Man was previously awarded the Bronze Bat for ‘Best Debut Thriller’ in 2022.

Amy Arnold shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize 2023

Amy Arnold has been shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize 2023 with her second novel, Lori & Joe, published by Prototype. This is Amy’s second shortlisting, following her debut Slip of a Fish, which was also the inaugural winner of the Northern Book Prize.

Tom Lee, chair of the judges, said of the novel: ‘Written in prose of astonishing musicality and resonance, Lori & Joe captures precisely the ebb and flow of a woman’s thoughts as she walks the Cumbrian fells following her husband’s sudden death. At first a seemingly quiet and meditative novel, the story that unfolds is anything but quiet – an unforgettable and devastating portrait of regret, secrets and harm amid a landscape of haunting beauty.’

The Goldsmiths Prize was founded in 2013 to ‘reward fiction that breaks the mould or extends the possibilities of the novel form’. The winner will be announced on 8th November.

Murder in the Family is an international bestseller

Cara Hunter has become an instant New York Times bestseller in her first week of publication in North America. Her novel Murder in the Family has entered the paperback fiction chart at number two. It also entered the bestseller lists in USA Today and the Toronto Star. In the UK, where Murder in the Family was first published in July, it hit the Sunday Times best-sellers chart at number 7.

News of these fantastic sales comes in a week where the Foreign Rights department has also concluded a translation deal for Cara in her thirtieth territory.

Cara’s first standalone novel focuses on an investigative true crime TV show, bringing together a group of experts to examine an unsolved murder from twenty years before.

The British Fantasy Awards shortlist is revealed

The shortlist for this year’s British Fantasy Awards has been announced and we’re delighted to see our authors Caimh McDonnell and Shauna Lawless included among the nominees.

Caimh is up for the ‘Best Audio’ award for this work narrating the first entry in his Stranger Times series, while Shauna has been nominated for Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer for her debut novel, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men.

The British Fantasy Society was founded in 1971 and has dedicated itself to promoting the best writing in the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres. The Society’s accolades are the longest running fantasy awards in the UK; previous winners include Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, Iain Banks, Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman.

This year’s recipients will be decided by a special panel of readers appointed by the BFS, with a ceremony held in September at Fantasycon to announce the winners.

Million copy milestone for Sarah Pearse

Sarah Pearse has achieved the fantastic milestone of selling over one million copies worldwide of her novels, The Sanatorium and The Retreat. Published in 2021 and 2022 respectively, both books hit the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists, and The Sanatorium was chosen as a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.

Internationally, Sarah’s books have been published in over 30 territories.

This wonderful news has landed during the week of the UK paperback release of The Retreat, and Sarah is currently working on Book Three – watch this space. . .

Heather Critchlow nominated for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize

Bloody Scotland, the festival honouring international crime writing has announced their shortlist for the 2023 season, and we’re delighted to see Heather Critchlow in the running for the Debut Prize for her novel Unsolved. In good company, Heather is nominated alongside Fulton Ross (The Unforgiven Dead), Heather Darwent (The Things We Do to Our Friends), Kate Foster (The Maiden) and Callum McSorley (Squeaky Clean).

Founded in 2012, Bloody Scotland has established itself as the country’s leading international crime writing festival and features a range of novels on criminal subjects, from fictional forensics and psychological thrillers to tartan noir and cosy crime novels.

The festival will take place in Stirling from the 15th to 17th of September.

Sinclair McKay's 'multifaceted portrait' of Churchill acquired by Viking

Viking have announced they will publish J&A author and historian Sinclair McKay’s next work, a biography of Winston Churchill to coincide with the 150th anniversary of his birth in 2024.

Meeting Churchill: A Life in 75 Encounters will be published in hardback in autumn 2023. The blurb reads: ‘This insightful portrait of Winston Churchill delves beyond well-known political moments, incorporating perspectives from various individuals who encountered him throughout his life. From Bletchley Park codebreakers to Hollywood stars, Harold Wilson to Gandhi, these lesser-known interactions reveal glimpses of the man behind the legend.’

‘We meet Churchill the mischievous schoolboy with a penchant for singing obscene songs, and Churchill the elder statesman shedding a tear in the House of Commons smoking room. Other incidents include a young journalist rudely dismissing a call from Churchill as a prank, and a visiting Dwight D Eisenhower dreaming of being strangled, only to awake entangled in Churchill’s borrowed nightshirt.’

Viking said: ‘The book showcases the profound transformations during Churchill’s lifetime, which ran from Benjamin Disraeli’s premiership to the release of the Rolling Stones’ ’Route 66’, and the shift from steam to atomic power. Examining controversial aspects of his legacy, this multifaceted portrait challenges preconceived notions, inviting readers to reconsider the complexities of Churchill.’

‘This is Churchill through the eyes of those who met him, brought to life by Sinclair McKay’s wonderfully vivid writing. It is not only a joy to be in Sinclair’s company on the page, but throughout the publishing process,’ said editorial director Connor Brown. ‘We are so proud to publish him at Viking and look forward to another success together.’

McKay said, ‘There are very few historic figures who absolutely everyone felt they somehow knew; yet in the case of Churchill, a dive into sometimes forgotten archives and memoirs kept by those who met him show us flashes of a man who moved through a thousand different worlds.’

He added: ‘Whether chatting with Charlie Chaplin under rich Hollywood skies, or jousting intellectually over salon dinners with the Bloomsbury group; smoking with Stalin in the Kremlin, dining with his Essex constituents in a Chigwell hostelry, or weekending with Einstein at Chartwell, Churchill – as seen through the eyes of others – emerges as a man on to whom the fears and dreams and passions of a century were projected. It is such a huge privilege to be working once more with the brilliant and inspirational team at Viking: their enthusiasm is authentically Churchillian.’

Photo credit: Liam Bergin

Neal Street options Cara Hunter's first standalone novel

Neal Street Productions have picked up the television rights to Cara Hunter’s first standalone novel, Murder in the Family, set to be published in July by HarperCollins. Cara is the author of the Sunday Times best-selling DI Fawley crime novels, which have sold more than a million copies in the UK and have been published in 27 territories internationally.

Murder in the Family is an ingeniously plotted and addictive novel about an unsolved murder that gripped the nation. When Luke Ryder was found dead in the garden of the family home in London in 2003, he left behind a wealthy, older widow and three step-children. Years later, a group of experts are filmed on the set of a true-crime show as they re-examine the evidence – with shocking results.

Neal Street produces award-winning film, TV and theatre and is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023. Their most recent television slate includes the hugely successful Call the Midwife for the BBC, now in its 13th series, and along with The Franchise, an original TV comedy pilot, which Neal Street will produce for HBO and will be directed by Sam Mendes. Film projects include the newly released Empire of Light, for Searchlight Pictures, written and directed by Sam Mendes, starring Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth and Toby Jones, as well as the multi-award-winning 1917 starring George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch. Nicolas Brown from Neal Street said: ‘We are delighted to have been fortunate enough to acquire the screen rights and are looking forward to working on an adaptation that does justice to Cara’s uniquely entertaining and thrilling book.’

Remembering D. M. Thomas, 1935 – 2023

Poet, novelist, biographer and long-time friend of J&A Donald Michael Thomas has died, aged 88. Considered one of the greatest contributors to modern literature, Donald’s work has been translated into 30 languages worldwide and received numerous accolades throughout his lifetime.

Born in Cornwall in 1935, he spent some of his childhood in Australia, before returning to the UK to finish his schooling. He studied English at Oxford, graduating in 1958, and worked as a teacher and lecturer for a number of years.

Donald had learned Russian during his National Service in the 1950s, and maintained a lifelong interest in Russian culture and literature. He would go on to publish a number of well-received translations of Russian poetry, including the works of Anna Akhmatova, Alexander Pushkin, and Yevgeny Yevtushenko. He also wrote a biography of novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, which was awarded the Orwell Prize in 1999.

The writer of dozens of poetry collections and fourteen novels, including the Russian Quartet, his best-known work, The White Hotel, was published in 1981 and is regarded as a ground-breaking examination of eroticism and sexuality. It won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction and the Cheltenham Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, coming a close second to Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. William Golding and Graham Greene were huge fans of the novel, naming it their ‘book of the year,’ and Rushdie himself considered The White Hotel to be a work of ‘blazing imagination and intellectual thought.’

Donald passed away in his beloved Cornwall, and is survived by his fourth wife, Angela Embree, and his three children. Leaving behind a wealth of thought-provoking writing created over a colourful lifetime, he will be sorely missed.

Photo credit: Ken Goff, The Guardian