Eoghan Funge takes a look at the authors worth watching this coming year. Whether for better or for worse, these authors have seemed to make an impact on their field, and have drawn great attention ahead of the release of their respective works.
2023 has a lot in store, with authors who had previous mass successes coming back after a brief hiatus, to exciting debuts and experimental writing, with many choosing to break their norms and go for a new genre. Coming off the back of the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems as though many writers are trying to strike a balance when writing dramatic loss based novels. This more sensitive approach could draw forward a more human reaction to that of loss and struggle - often written as a means of romanticising the traits of their characters. This article takes a look at some of the most anticipated upcoming novels of 2023 - new authors and old are bringing their best.
Aidan Cottrell-Boyce - End of the Nightwork
Liverpool native Cottrell-Boyce has been a politician, academic scholar, writer and Postdoctoral Research fellow, and is set to publish his debut novel End of The Nightwork in January 2023. It would surprise many to hear that the ex-Green Party candidate is now releasing a novel, one which takes a look at a man with a disorder that results in his body ageing sporadically. The Guardian’s Jude Cook has described the novel as “Bold philosophical musings on the end of the world in a thrillingly ambitious debut about a man with a condition that causes rapid ageing”. As one can deduce from this reading, it won't be a novel that appeals to everyone’s tastes, however, it is certainly one for bibliophiles to watch out for, as it could spell a path for a new mass success author akin to John Green.
Michael Magee - Close To Home
Fiction editor of Belfast based magazine The Tangerine Michael Magee has decided to try his hand at fiction writing, releasing Close to Home in 2023. Magee has shown a clear warmth toward his home. Close to Home is set in Belfast against the backdrop of ever growing class divides. Nicole Flattery, author of Show Them a Good Time, has said it to be “The best debut I've read in years - a tender examination of class, masculinity and place”. Penguin Books says the novel is: “Luminous and devastating, a portrait of modern masculinity as shaped by class, by trauma, and by silence, but also by the courage to love and to survive.” Magee is most certainly an author to watch - especially due to his Irish roots, drawing a focus on class disparities in built up areas on the Island of Ireland.
Cecily Pin - Wandering Souls
Adding another debut to this list, Cecily Pin’s Wandering Souls is a novel which has themes that, as discussed in this article's intro, seeks to sensitively look at the struggles of immigrants coming into countries that seem to be going through a rebirth of conservative thought and political drive. Wandering Souls follows the story of three Vietnamese siblings who seek refuge and support in the United Kingdom. It takes a look at how quickly circumstances can change, and how those who seek support can have it - they need to readapt, overcome and move again. By the looks of things, Wandering Souls is an honest look at the struggles faced by those who seek refuge in the United Kingdom - but also an investigation on the relationships of the families affected by immigration.
No books by HarperCollins or any subsidiaries have been used in this article, in solidarity with the ongoing strikes within the publishing house.