Why am I passionate about this?
I’m from North East England, an area of the UK under-represented in contemporary fiction. I love reading books from authors who grew up in the same area as me, and I enjoy stories that deal with issues relevant to our communities and capture the unique spirit of the people here. My writing is infused with social and political issues. I’m passionate about stories that explore the world around us and how it impacts people, and all these books do that in very different ways.
Amy's book list on authors from North East England
Why did Amy love this book?
I loved Eliza Clark’s debut novel, Boy Parts, and was keen to read her follow-up. Part crime fiction, part social critique, the author shines a light on the popularity of true crime stories and how we deal with tragedy in our communities. She also weaves the online world into her writing in a way that will be relatable to anyone (like me) who spends too much time on the internet and social media.
She has an original voice that reflects her relationship with North East England. Not many writers from this area make it into publishing, so I seek out the work of those who do, especially if they write northern stories.
1 author picked Penance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
A Guardian Best Book of the Year
A Dazed Best Novel of 2023
'An unmissable banger.' ALICE SLATER
'A meta-meditation on the mysteries, malice, and minutiae of adolescence.' TOM BENN
'You've never read anything like this.' JULIA ARMFIELD
Do you know what happened already? Did you know her? Did you see it on the internet? Did you listen to a podcast? Did the hosts make jokes?
Did you see the pictures of the body?
Did you look for them?
It's been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson rocked the small seaside town of Crow-on-Sea. Based…