26 May
Ben Schott born London 1974. The son of a neurologist and a nurse achieved a double First from Cambridge. Schott's Almanac was first published in 2005 and is now a bestselling reference book published annually. Discover Schott's Almanac
Our Guest Editor's quirky debut, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, was an instant hit and has now been made into a movie starring Ewan McGregor. In this special section discover more about this author's books and find out about the stories and authors who have inspired and influenced his writing.
The Legacy of Hartlepool Hall Paul Torday
From the author of instant bestseller Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, comes a highly readable, witty tale of unwanted inheritance, uptight Britishness and the preservation of a lost way of life. Format: Hardback - Released: 05/01/2012
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Film tie-in edition Paul Torday
An unusual and delightful debut that all lovers of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian will adore. Normally I find novels written in emails, memos, diary entries and the like, such as this is, irritating but this succeeds... Format: Paperback - Released: 12/04/2012
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Orion 20th anniversary edition Paul Torday
A Special Edition of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday to celebrate Orion's 20th anniversary.
Winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 2007.An unusual and delightful debut that all lovers of A Short History... Format: Paperback - Released: 20/02/2012
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Paul Torday
Shortlisted for the Newcomer of the Year Award at the Galaxy British Book Awards 2008.Reviewed on Richard & Judy on Wednesday 25th July 2007.Winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 2007.An unusual... Format: Paperback (b Format) - Released: 14/06/2007
More Than You Can Say Paul Torday
November 2011 Book of the Month.
Very different from his previous novels but this tightly written story with a PTSD suffering ex-soldier as the narrator is a gripping and rewarding read. Don’t be... Format: Paperback - Released: 06/08/2011
The Hopeless Life of Charlie Summers Paul Torday
A sad comedy of the boom and sudden fall of the hedge funds, of the American market affecting us, of financial risk and con all wrapped round the tale of a likeable character who eventually finds redemption in a clever... Format: Paperback - Released: 28/10/2010
The Girl on the Landing Paul Torday
September 2009 Book of the Month.
A ghost story … well, maybe a psychological thriller … but then again … it’s a tale of love rediscovered and it’s very clever. In fact it... Format: Paperback - Released: 03/09/2009
The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce Paul Torday
September 2008 Book of the Month.
The slow decline of a wine collector told backwards. We meet Wilberforce as he ascends into alcoholism and then... Format: Paperback - Released: 01/09/2008
Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe Norman Davies
April 2012 Guest Editor Paul Torday on Vanished Kingdoms...
I found this book about states and kingdoms that have had their day in
the sun, and then vanished, compelling and very relevant. Norman Davies
writes about lost nation states such... Format: Hardback - Released: 27/10/2011
Pigeon English Stephen Kelman
April 2012 Guest Editor Paul Torday on Pigeon English...
I loved this novel of an innocent Ghanaian child who comes with his mother to England and then gets caught up in the gang life of a suburban wilderness somewhere in... Format: Paperback - Released: 05/01/2012
Hangover Square A Story of Darkest Earl's Court Patrick Hamilton, J.B. Priestley
April 2012 Guest Editor Paul Torday on Hangover Square...
This novel is an atmospheric and gripping evocation of the lost souls that haunt bars and cheap hotels in west London in 1939. The central figure is George Harvey Bone, who... Format: Paperback - Released: 28/06/2001
The Long Good-bye Raymond Chandler
April 2012 Guest Editor Paul Torday on The Long Good-bye...
There are other contenders for the invention of the wisecracking, tough but romantic private eye, but if Raymond Chandler wasn’t the first, I think he was the best. In this... Format: Paperback - Released: 28/10/2010
South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition, 1914-17 Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton
April 2012 Guest Editor Paul Torday on South...
I read this book only the other day. I can’t believe I’ve overlooked it until now. The story of Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic in 1914 just before war broke out is... Format: Paperback - Released: 04/11/1999
A Dance to the Music of Time: Spring Anthony Powell
April 2012 Guest Editor Paul Torday on Dance to the Music of Time...
This is a cheat, because this work consists of twelve novels. But they plot the lives of a group of characters as they weave in and out... Format: Paperback - Released: 02/10/1997
Award winning comic author, Paul Torday our Guest Editor
He burst on to the literary scene in 2006 with his first novel, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, an immediate bestseller that has been sold in 25 countries. Born in 1946 and educated at Pembroke College, Oxford, Torday only turned to fiction-writing later in life, and his first novel was published at the age of 59. Prior to that he was a successful businessman living in Northumberland.
The movie Salmon Fishing in the Yemen opens 20 April. You can see a trailer below.
He is quoted as saying about his late start, “As you get into your late fifties you begin to realise that everybody else is younger and cleverer than you are, so it’s time to move on. I thought to myself, 'I’ll just have one last go. If nobody shows any interest, that’s it.’ Since Salmon Fishing in the Yemen he has written a new book every year.
Find out why Paul has chosen these books and what significance they have to him as a writer.
Vanished Kingdoms by Norman Davies I found this book about states and kingdoms that have had their day in the sun, and then vanished, compelling and very relevant. Norman Davies writes about lost nation states such as Burgundy and Aragon and even the USSR. FIND OUT MORE.
Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman I loved this novel of an innocent Ghanaian child who comes with his mother to England and then gets caught up in the gang life of a suburban wilderness somewhere in south London. What I most admire about the book is the way the author gets across the voice of the child narrator. FIND OUT MORE.
Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton This novel is an atmospheric and gripping evocation of the lost souls that haunt bars and cheap hotels in west London in 1939. The central figure is George Harvey Bone, who is a hopeless drifter, and mentally unstable. He falls for an actress called Netta – herself not much more than a prostitute – and she uses him until his money starts to run out. FIND OUT MORE.
The Long Good-bye by Raymond Chandler There are other contenders for the invention of the wisecracking, tough but romantic private eye, but if Raymond Chandler wasn’t the first, I think he was the best. In this novel Philip Marlowe takes risks to defend a man who turns out to be not worth the trouble. FIND OUT MORE.
South by Sir Ernest Shackleton I read this book only the other day. I can’t believe I’ve overlooked it until now. The story of Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic in 1914 just before war broke out is absolutely compelling. FIND OUT MORE.
A Dance To The Music Of Timeby Anthony Powell This is a cheat, because this work consists of twelve novels. But they plot the lives of a group of characters as they weave in and out of each other’s lives in the period from just before the First World through to the nineteen sixties. FIND OUT MORE.
Categories
Alan Bradley 
