‘Osunde is gifted not only with an astute eye for hypocrisy, but the talent to explore it with sharp insight, deep characterisation, and queer wit.’

‘Paradais leaves its readers breathless, wide-eyed, yet with a startling sense of newfound clarity: a literary tour de force from a writer of truly formidable talent.’

‘The common thread here is that story writing involves some sort of step into the unknown; a leap of faith on the part of the writer. Rather than have all the answers, Reverse Engineering shows us that the best short story writers are those who are prepared to confront grey areas and take us on a journey through them. ‘

‘Every scene in this artistic family saga is fraught with the specific tension of domestic chaos. Mendelson portrays the claustrophobia and discomfort this very particular kind of upper middle class squalor creates: the picture frames stacked double against dusty skirting boards; congealing tangerine peels on the table; the central heating always on full blast with scant thought to the cost.’

‘Armfield’s move into longer fiction is confirmation of a dazzling talent and true ability to get under the skin of things, a novel that is about so much and still just about two people: deep and mesmerising and hauntingly beautiful.’

‘The unsettling idea that Williams seeds with The Doloriad, is not that we should fear humanity’s extinction, but that some distorted form of our species’ existence will continue.’

‘Trauma prowls the spaces in between the fragments of this novel, casting long shadows. However, the narrator is far from devoid of joy; there are moments of indulgent pleasure, conveyed through Deleva’s attention to the sensory; this is a book of pain and suffering, but there is also laughter, art, love and pleasure.’

‘The stories in How to Gut a Fish, bolstered by Armstrong’s rangy and elegant prose, vibrate with a potent energy. We will be lucky indeed if we see a finer debut collection this year.’

‘Using literature to cross physical and psychological borders, Matthieu Aikins’s book is a remarkable feat, a work of deep compassion and a portrait of an era.’

‘This is not the book for someone who needs a gripping plot, or even compelling character arcs. In Cold Enough for Snow, the characters simply exist as they are, their complexities glimpsed but not exposed in their entirety. Rather, this book consists, first and foremost, of an atmosphere, a series of moments, of memories. In a frenzied world, this book feels like a deep, slow breath of fresh air.’

‘ance Move, shows a further refinement of Erskine’s Chekhovian brevity and pathos. The prose is lean and sharp, with Erskine’s native Belfast revealed in relief as a backdrop to her characters’ lives.’

‘Does with apparent ease what so many others have tried and failed to do: reflect a life lived quietly and honestly, give up the search for hidden meanings and accept that, when all is said and done, it is enough, simply, to exist.’

‘Generations of women navigate the tensions between family need and individual agency: Jeffers explores these tensions with warmth, honesty and complexity. Through secrets and revelations, visions and visitations, sharp dialogue and heavy silences, this novel asks many questions which deserve time, attention and celebration.’

‘In examining them from an uncommon angle, Jubber breaks apart the stories now so closely associated with childhood to show us how, even centuries after their first telling, they still reflect the world, in all its darkness and wonder.‘

‘There is power in speculative fiction which offers not only warnings but solutions; or at least, a kind of hope. Here Nagamatsu has crafted a dazzling work of ambition, compassion, and imagination that grapples with all these complexities. It offers a whisper of what might matter most, and how high we might go – together – in dark, dark times.’

‘How do you write Barcelona? Its millennia of history, its cultural landmarks, its struggles and triumphs through civil war, fascism, and movements for independence? In this new collection from Comma Press, the answer is mischievous and defiant: you write Barcelona as a blink.’

‘Take a chapter of Byobu at random and use it as a meditation on words. For anyone doubting whether original thought is still possible, as opposed to fashion posing as innovation, giving due attention to Vitale’s prose will bring them reassurance and optimism.’