Hello!

It’s a delight to be writing today with news of a future publication.

You might have noticed that we’ve been rather quiet recently, but behind the scenes we’ve been reading, falling in love with new books and getting ready for the joyful task of bringing them into the world.

I can now tell you about one of them:

Mother           

We’ve just announced in The Bookseller that we’ve signed a beautiful new novel called Mother, by Henry Sutton.

Henry is best known as a very fine crime writer - but Mother is something else… What that is, is pleasingly hard to describe. The headline of the article in The Bookseller is that it’s a “page-turner” which is certainly true. Henry is remarkably skilful at holding back information until just the right moment, to keep us desperate to know more and to make us want to dive ever deeper. But this is also a book to linger over. One that burns on in your mind long after you’ve reached the final pages.

Henry’s cited Virginia Woolf and Mrs Dalloway as touchstones - which also might give you an idea of why Elly and me fell so hard - and why we think it will move and delight people who care about the kind of books that we do. We also love it because it’s a big-hearted act of tenderness and empathy.

It is a book inspired by Henry Sutton’s own mother, putting readers deep inside the thought stream of Romy, a middle-aged woman trying to come to terms with who she is, what she has done and where she is heading.

Romy has escaped to a remote Catalan villa to reckon with a life fractured by trauma, guilt, and disappointment. Alone for the first time in years, she hopes to detach from the roles that have defined her—wife, mother, failure, burden—and instead embrace aimlessness and quiet. But the past proves inescapable.

The novel traces Romy’s consciousness in looping, lyrical prose, alternating between caustic humour and deep vulnerability. Her encounter with a stranger in a supermarket, and a surprise visit from a kindly neighbour, stir the possibility of connection and transformation. But the real movement in this novel is interior: a woman finally confronting the question of whether she can forgive herself—not for one single act, but for the accumulated sadness of a life half-lived.

It is delicate, intimate and moving; a short novel that takes place over the space of just five days  - but with a resonance that will keep it fixed in your head long after the final page.

We’re publishing in early 2028 and I’m looking forward to telling you much more about it soon!

More, more

We also have some other very splendid books in the pipeline. I’ve already dropped a few hints in our newsletters about Alex Pheby’s EXTRAORDINARY novel, The Picnic, and there will be more soon.

I’m keen to build up suspense and anticipation. Because: oh boy. You have to be ready for this one. It will knock you out of your shoes.

Excitingly, we also have other books in the pipeline that we can’t even talk about yet. But once we’ve dotted and crossed a few i’s and t’s, I’ll have the honour and delight of announcing them too.

Soon!

How Do People Stay the Same

It’s just over two months until Mark Bowles’ second novel is released - and already we’re' getting some wonderful advance praise.

For instance:

‘A journey backwards into and out of the darkness with a companion who is erudite, biting, witty, annoying, garrulous, overbearing, charming, angry, awkward and tender – like that best friend you sometimes can’t stand but always love.’
C.D. Rose

‘A great, great book. A savage and tender work of contemporary disquiet from one of the most distinctive voices in British fiction.’
Stu Hennigan

Wondrous... A celebration of life -- a remarkable balance of woe and cynicism and wonder and joy'
Sara Baume

I told you it was good!

More details below, in our ever expanding PS section - and you can pre-order your copy now.

More, more, more

If you are thinking about buying a book from us, whether a pre-order or a title from our proud backlist, we’re always grateful and glad. If it’s possible, we’e even more grateful to our subscribers - and if you want to join their ranks, you can find details here.

Don’t forget we have our Critical Reading class too. Places are filling up - but there’s still time to book on the course starting in August.

Okay - we’ll be back soon with more, more, more.

Until then,

Fondly,
Sam

PS Critical Reading

Briefly, in case you don’t know, our Critical Reading class is a six-month online course – hosted via Zoom – for readers, writers and everyone who wants to develop a deeper understanding of novels and how they work. It looks into the tricks of the author’s trade, and the decisions and craft that go into making a fine book. It also provides a forum to more simply discuss what these books are about, what we think of them and how much we enjoy them.

We look at six novels, at the rate of one a month. All classes run on Tuesday evenings from 19:00 to 21:00. For the August 2026—January 2027 classes, the dates and selected titles are:

CLASS 1

11 August 2026, Katherine Mansfield, The Garden Party and Other Stories

15 September 2026, Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit

13 October 2026, Philip Roth, The Plot Against America

10 November 2026, Fran Ross, Oreo

8 December 2026, George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo

12 January 2027, Orhan Pamuk (trans. Erdag Göknar), My Name Is Red

To sign up for class one, click here.

CLASS 2

18 August 2026, Katherine Mansfield, The Garden Party and Other Stories

22 September 2026, Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit 

20 October 2026, Philip Roth, The Plot Against America

17 November 2026, Fran Ross, Oreo

15 December 2026, George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo

19 January 2027, Orhan Pamuk (trans. Erdag Göknar), My Name Is Red

To sign up for class two, click here.

The course of six two hour lessons costs £135. You can get more details about the classes by clicking here and I’ll paste some more information about the books in the PS section below this email. They are all fascinating! I’m looking forward to them lighting up the darkness as we plunge into next winter. (They will also help keep the lights on here at Galley Beggar and fund our print runs and authors. We’re always very grateful to everyone who joins in.)

A bit more on those wonderful books in the Critical Reading course:

Katherine Mansfield - The Garden Party and Other Stories

When Katherine Mansfield died in 1923, Virginia Woolf wrote in her diary:

“When I began to write, it seemed to me there was no point in writing. Katherine won’t read it. Katherine’s my rival no longer.”

Virginia Woolf’s rival. That’s how good she was.

Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit

Jeanette Winterson is too spiky, too smart, too much to be safely accorded national treasure status — but she’s undoubtedly an asset to our literature. Her debut novel is one of her very best — and that’s saying something.

Philip Roth, The Plot Against America

Philip Roth is less fashionable than he was — but he’s no less brilliant. The Plot Against America is one of several of his novels that now seem like terrifying acts of prophecy, as well as superb works of art. ‘What would happen if fascists took over the USA?’ he asks here. And, well, yes.

Fran Ross, Oreo

Fran Ross wrote comedy for Richard Pryor — which is all some people will need to know to want to read this book. In case you want more, it’s an inventive, genre busting, taboo busting, burst of brilliance. Paul Beatty has also pointed out that it’s “hilarious.”

George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo

I’m guessing you know about this one? But it’s confession time for me — I haven’t read it! What I do know is that George Saunders is a very fine writer — and also that my co-director Elly tells me this is a clever, thought-provoking, fantastic novel. I’m looking forward to finding out…

Orhan Pamuk (trans. Erdag Göknar), My Name Is Red

This is one I have read. It left such an impression, in fact, that I can still remember where I was when I read it and how much I enjoyed it. Mind you, I’m alarmed to note that was over twenty years ago. But I’m guessing it’s stood the test of time. Orhan Pamuk is a remarkable writer, after all.

PPPS.

As mentioned, we’ve started taking pre-orders for Mark Bowles’ new novel. We’re going to be publishing it in July - so that’s another very good reason to look forward to the summer.

How Do People Stay The Same is the follow-up to Mark’s first novel All My Precious Madness, which (yes it did!) won the inaugural Speakies Best Fiction Award, and was shortlisted for The Goldsmiths Prize, The James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and The Author's Club Best First Novel

How Do People Stay The Same contains the exquisite prose and lacerating wit that readers loved so much in All My Precious Madness - but this book also reveals even more layers to Mark’s talent. It’s a delicate, deeply tender book – an exploration of family, childhood, love, and the personal bonds that tie us together.

It’s told as a series of journal entries that move backwards in time, following the life of Patrick Boyd – from the present-day contentment of family life and backwards through darker, lonelier, sadder stretches of time.

It lays all of Patrick’s experience before us, with the challenges of work, housing and all the other pinpricks of existence jostling with his complex inner world. It reveals a fragile man ground down by the world around him – but who might just be able to change and might just have the hope of a brighter future.

Might…

Anyway, it’s wonderful. Elly and I love this book and we’re very proud to be able to present it to you - and to the world. You can get your copy here.

PPPPS. Telenovela — still great!

I hope you’ve been enjoying Telenovela — and maybe even taken some hope from its story about the final days of a mad, rightwing dictator.

We still have a few special signed limited edition subscriber copies, as well as signed regular subscriber copies - and you can snap one up by subscribing right now!

We're also very proud to be the first publisher to have the Books By People stamp - and it feels very fitting that it should be on Telenovela; a book about the fight against authoritarianism and all the associated nonsense.

PPPPPS Substack again

Thank you to everyone who has also read my Substack. It’s still going well. Really well! Whoopee!

It’s already started making a bit of money for Galley Beggar - a blessing, after six years of increasing prodution costs - but I’m also very keen to keep most of it free and accessible so that all our newsletter readers should be able to enjoy it too. You can find my ‘stack’ here.

I recently went viral by complaining about viral book marketing on fascist-hate-site Booktok: BookTok Must die!

That was gratifyingly meta experience. More recently I’ve also been complaining about people in the book world not paying for books. (I do also write more positive things. Honest!)

PPPPPPS Another reminder of the podcast I appear on with the wonderful Lori Feathers. We’ve had some amazing guests recently and fascinating conversations. The most recent episode features a fascinating conversation with David Keenan about his novel Boyhood.

PPPPPPPS The Good Solder

The usual reminder that we’ve produced an ebook edition of The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford.

If you haven’t read it, now is your chance. Ford’s novel is superb; a shocking and constantly surprising tale of marital strife, sexual intrigue, deep deception, fathomless mystery and tragic death. It’s wrong-footing, deceptive, brilliantly plotted … and a masterpiece. One of the finest novels of the twentieth century.

PPPPPPPPS You can find us on Bluesky if you’re keen for more book talk.

PPPPPPPPPS Thanks for reading all the way down here. I’ve been enjoying the Geese album, in spite of all the hype, after a Galley Buddy and dear friend of the press convinced me to give it a listen. I’m also pleased to report that the new Tori Amos album sounds pretty good at first listen. So does the Kneecap album - even if it isn’t quite so much sheer damn fun as the last one.