Chris Whitaker: ‘I sometimes wonder if the road I went down was linked to this violent act that happened when I was a kid’
A chance discovery in a library helped Whitaker overcome the trauma of a brutal stabbing and set him on the path to becoming a writer
All Fours by Miranda July: One woman’s quest for life after midlife
Novel challenges assumptions about ageing and desire with humour and honesty
Orla Mackey: ‘Irish people are great storytellers. Take a look around any Irish pub and you’ll see people in deep chat’
Author of Mouthing and 2022 Irish Novel Fair winner gives the impression of an accidental writer: ‘A teacher who writes a bit in between watching Real Housewives’
Earth by John Boyne: the footballer’s story
Second of four interconnected novels explores a more subtle side of abuse
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio: a world of endless possible husbands
The author’s wit and humour keep the reader engaged as curiosity outweighs any irritations with the concept
I was first to read The Handmaid’s Tale, that’s my claim to fame: Valerie Martin on friendship with Margaret Atwood
American novelist’s latest book, Mrs Gulliver, reimagines Juliet as a cunning blind brothel worker
Edel Coffey on My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes: Rich, and multilayered storytelling
Author’s humanity as much as her humour keeps readers coming back
Catherine Doyle: ‘Death and loss do exist in the world of children, so I never try to shy away from them’
The latest novel by the children’s author draws from her own childhood, when her brother became seriously ill
Carys Davies: ‘Dispossession and the theft of land was very much on my mind’
Author’s latest novel Clear is set during the forced evictions of the Scottish Highlands
The Playdate by Clara Dillon: A gripping page-turner that asks some tough questions
What sets this novel apart from the slew of school-gate novels is its unforgettable protagonist, Sara
The Playdate by Clara Dillon: A gripping school-gates thriller with a chilling, compelling protagonist
The story is so tense at times as to be almost stressful
‘What’s it like to be a girl in a band?’ - The Liverbirds; Whatever Happened to Birdie Troy; The Future of Songwriting reviews
Edel Coffey on Britain's First Female Rock'n'Roll Band; a music novel by Rachael English; and nonfiction by Kristin Hersh
Green Dot by Madeleine Gray: Promising debut novel about the adrift twentysomething life
Despite the arch and exuberant writing style, there is a bleak undercurrent to the book
Breakdown: A modern cautionary tale about the costs of limiting our options to suffocating roleplay
Through her precise observations, Sweeney builds a case against everything – modern life, marriage, technology, capitalism, self-delusion, the whole lot
Novelist Hisham Matar: ‘I’m fascinated by my friendship to my male friends. It just seems like such an important thing’
The novelist has been shaped by the Libyan embassy siege in London in 1984, and the kidnapping of his father