THE MERCY STEP by @marciahut ‘Mercy loves school almost more than Dolly (who is definitely not allowed to go). From that very first day she stopped being Mummy’s shadow and swivelled her gaze towards knowledge.’ As great a work as Jeanette Winterson’s ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT, Marcia Hutchinson’s THE MERCY STEP is a stunning achievement and Mercy Hanson will stand as one of the twenty-first century’s greatest literary characters. A direct line to childhood, Hutchinson immerses the reader in the joys and triumphs, and the abuses and bitter betrayals, of a clever, imaginative, black girl growing up in 1960s and 1970s Bradford. This is a novel that roars with intent, declaiming the resilience of one young spirit in a hard world of casual violence, parental neglect and systemic prejudice. Without doubt, Mercy is a literary hero for our times; funny, opinionated, strong, smart, indomitable and completely unforgettable. I will have the honour of interviewing Marcia at this year’s @LincBookFest at 6pm on Saturday 4th October. Do join us and get a chance to meet one of the most interesting and compelling debut authors in many a long year. lincolnbookfestival.org/fest… #TheMercyStep @CassavaRepublic

NOT TO BE MISSED! We can’t wait to welcome guest author Marcia Hutchinson to @LincBookFest for a very special conversation with me (🙏) about her critically acclaimed solo literary debut, The Mercy Step. Marcia was named among the best debut novelists of 2025 by the Observer for this brilliant, sad, funny book with its inspiring young protagonist, Mercy. 📅 Sat 4 October, 6pm | Lincoln Arts Centre | £8 / Live Pass £5 Tickets available here: lincolnartscentre.co.uk/even… Marcia will also be running a life writing course earlier that Saturday. Again, not to be missed! lincolnartscentre.co.uk/even… @marciahut @CassavaRepublic

THE HOUSE AT DEVIL’S NECK by @TomMeadAuthor Tom Mead is rapidly becoming one of my favourite contemporary crime authors. His understanding and appreciation of golden age crime fiction ensures that his Joseph Spector novels, set in the time immediately prior the Second World War, are beautifully crafted celebrations of the form. ‘The House at Devil’s Neck’ is an exquisite puzzle of a novel, intricate and complex, and ultimately supremely satisfying. The atmosphere is unsettling and Gothic, as secrets of identity and trauma threaten to engulf the present. Eerie, uncanny and compelling, I could not put it down. I will have the pleasure of chatting to Tom - alongside Philippa East and Jack Cartwright - at this year’s @LincBookFest at 7.30pm on Saturday 4th October. Do join us! lincolnbookfestival.org/fest…