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Find out moreThere’s something about a debut. The team at LoveReading adore discovering a new favourite author. Can you imagine the blood, sweat, tears and love that has gone into the process of becoming an author? Here you can be in at the start and then recommend your favourites far and wide.
Shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2010.The Desmond Elliott Prize is an annual award for a first novel written in English and published in the UK. Worth £10,000 to the winner, the prize is named after the literary agent and publisher, Desmond Elliott. Click here to find out more. March 2010 Good Housekeeping selection. Fabulous historical page-turner Before The Earthquake, from debut novelist Maria Allen, sees 15-year-old Concetta piecing together her past after an earthquake devastates her rural Italian village and leaves her with no memory.
Winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize 2010.The Desmond Elliott Prize is an annual award for a first novel written in English and published in the UK. Worth £10,000 to the winner, the prize is named after the literary agent and publisher, Desmond Elliott. Click here to find out more. With such beautiful writing and a wonderful cast of characters you are easily able to suspend disbelief in this magical, wonderful story.
Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2009. Costa Book Awards 2009 Judges' comment: "This beautiful book captured our imagination, exquisitely blending reality and fantasy."
March 2008 Debut of the Month. Winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2008. Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2008.Costa Book Awards 2008 Judges' comment: "This gripping, unputdownable thriller is an exciting new addition to the genre." This is a brilliant first novel from an exceptional writer. Set in Stalinist Russia, it is a tight and gripping tale of an MGB officer who starts to question his superiors and sees through the doctrine of Communist propaganda. Not only is it a compelling murder mystery it is also the story of a man’s journey from childhood to manhood, with surprising twists and turns. The narrative evokes the grimness of a Russian winter in all its bleakness - Doctor Zhivago it is not. The final 100 pages kept me up until the small hours.
Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2007.Costa Book Awards 2007 Judges' comment: "This gripping coming-of-age story dealing with cross-cultural issues in modern Britain is moving, surprising and utterly enjoyable." Please note that an extract from this book will be available to download soon.
Jess, the eight year old daughter of a Nigerian mother and an English father, feels ostracised but is blessed with a vivid imagination. On holiday in Nigeria she meets a girl of her own age, a kindred spirit, perhaps an imaginary friend or her dead twin. I’m not telling you, suffice to say the relationship takes some interesting twists in a challenging read.Comparison: Zadie Smith, Diana Evans, Donna Daley-Clarke.Similar this month: None but try John Bennett. Head to our 'Black Lit Matters' list to find more must-read novels by black writers. To view a reading guide for this title click here
Shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award. Wickedly funny and devastatingly moving, 26a is an extraordinary first novel. Part fairytale, part nightmare, it moves from the mundane to the magical, the particular to the universal with exceptional flair and imagination. A coming-of-age novel with a difference. Head to our 'Black Lit Matters' list to find more must-read novels by black writers.
Read our 'Book-aneers of the Caribbean' listicle to find more unforgettable books by Caribbean writers. Head to our 'Black Lit Matters' list to find more must-read novels by black writers.
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