I really enjoyed this novel. It is a satire on family relationships, consumerism, Big Pharma and marriage, among other topics. Veblen Thorstein, the protagonist, is a very sympathetic character – confused, vulnerable and determined to be honest with herself. The plot gallops along, the book being warm and witty, fantastical but also richly human. There Read the full article…

I made a rare visit to the town I was born and grew up in at the weekend. I was there to promote my book, ‘The Naples of England’, about my upbringing in the 1950s and 1960s on a council estate in the town. Coincidentally, the Social Mobility Commission had reported only this week on the Read the full article…