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A Year Spent Reading Women of Colour

Sofia Hericson, Foyles' Creative Artworker, reviews a year spent reading only books by women of colour.

Fiction of the Year 2016

It’s that time of the year when we look back over the past 12 months in fiction and try to do the impossible – come up with a list of just 10 must-reads and a further 10 highly recommended titles from all those books that had their first outing in 2016. With so much great fiction published each year, and with only a limited number of hours in which to read, any such list necessarily omits some equally deserving books for no other reason than lack of time to read them all. That’s why we’re asking you to tweet your top three with the #TopFic16 and we'll include our favourites below.

1. Paul Beatty – The Sellout - Foyles book of the year

Of all the various prize winners this year, one book does seem to have claimed top spot amongst them all and not just because the prize it won was the Man Booker, but because it seemed to be a universally applauded choice and was indeed our own Book of 2016 here at Foyles. Our Senior Buyer Heather Baker said of it: 'To say this is a daring, multi-layered, iconoclastic, laugh-out-loud masterpiece is to understate how much I loved it. It made me cry, it made me snort with laughter, and it still makes me furious. Beatty shines a fierce light into places that many would rather remain hidden, and does so with such sharpness, anger and erudition, underpinned with so much love and humour. It is in the truest sense a great American novel.'  The book is a biting satire about a young man's attempt in the wake of the failure of the Civil Rights movement to reinstitute segregation and slavery in his home town, setting himself on a path that will take him all the way to the Supreme Court.

* You can read an extract from it here and also watch an interview with Man Booker judge Jon Day about the judging process and the shortlist.

There’s no real reason to set these two debuts apart from amongst the other books in this list, as each of them holds its own alongside the work of the more established authors, but the authors' names might be less familiar to you - though that looks set to change if these first offerings are anything to go by.

2. Joanna Cannon’s charming The Trouble with Goats and Sheep (paperback due 26.12) is a book with a huge heart. Set in the long hot summer of 1976, it centres around two young girls’ search for their missing neighbour and the secrets their investigation uncovers. It’s about growing up, community, faith and belonging from an author whose light touch belies her profound psychological insight and a carefully constructed narrative. 

Read our exclusive interview with the author here.

3. In Daisy Johnson’s startling first collection, Fen, the wild is always close at hand, ready to erupt. In the liminal land she depicts, animals and people commingle and fuse, curious metamorphoses take place and people and things you thought you’d parted from return, even if you'd rather they didn't...  Daisy’s voice is unique and assured as she explores an unquiet land and the lives of – mostly – the women who live there and are contained by it.

Read an exclusive interview with the author here, and her own introduction to the collection, plus watch a video of her talking about the book.

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4. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave.

Chris Cleave’s fourth novel moves between Blitz-torn London and the Siege of Malta to tell a story of passion, loss, prejudice and courage inspired by the author’s grandfather, who endured the Siege, and his grandfather’s fiancée, a bright and fiercely principled schoolteacher in and around London during the same period. It manages through the stories of a small group of individuals to convey a real sense of the horrors of war and its arbitrary nature, while asking important questions about bravery, survival and loss. And, like all Cleave’s writing, it’s a real page-turner.

Read our exclusive interview with the author here.

5. Autumn by Ali Smith

Any new novel from Ali Smith is cause for celebration and this small masterpiece is just the first in a quartet exploring Ali’s trademark themes of life and death, the passage of time, the power of stories, growing up, friendship, art and love – all executed with the lightness of touch, joy in language and gentle humour we have come to associate with her work. And so contemporary is it, it’s as if the ink has not yet dried on the page: it offers a real snapshot of the confusion and turmoil that followed the Brexit vote, giving it an immediacy that demands attention. Read it. You won’t regret it.

Read our exclusive interview with Ali Smith.

6. Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen

This marked a complete departure from Israeli author Gundar-Gushen’s first novel One Night, Markovitch, which was set in the past and is altogether lighter in tone. Waking Lions is a gripping, suspenseful and morally devastating drama of guilt and survival, shame and desire from an author of whom it has been said that with this novel she invented Israeli noir. The novel centres around one moment in Dr Eitan Green's life, when he fails to stop having hit an Ethiopian migrant while speeding after an exhausting hospital night shift. It is a decision that changes everything, especially when the man's wife knocks at his door and tells him the strange price of her silence...The book looks at the darkness inside all of us and forces us to ask: what would we do? Gripping, provocative, original, It’s stayed with me more, perhaps, than any other book I read this year.

Read our exclusive interview with the author here.

7. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien

This was a worthy contender as a shortlistee for the Man Booker prize. Set in China, it is a history of revolutionary idealism, music and silence, in which, in the face of China's relentless Cultural Revolution, three musicians struggle to remain loyal to one another and to the music they have devoted their lives to. Via an intricately plotted narrative, Thien manages to combine the epic with the personal, making for a profound exploration of a momentous 50 years.

8. Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

Barry is unusual in being equally beloved by both readers and other writers. In her Christmas pick for Foyles, Ali Smith said: ‘nobody writes like, nobody takes lyrical risks like, nobody pushes the language, and the heart, and the two together, quite like Sebastian Barry does, so that you come out of whatever he writes like you've been away, in another climate.’This book tells the story of young Irishman Thomas McNulty who joins the US army and becomes embroiled in first the Indian Wars and then the Civil War.

Read our exclusive interview with Sebastian Barry.

9. Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer’s first novel in 10 years represents a real shift away from some of the more experimental techniques for which he’s known, towards a more conventional and grounded examination of an American family in crisis. While the discovery of his affair causes devastation to Jacob’s family, the State of Israel is also facing destruction in the wake of an earthquake, which triggers a new war in the Middle East. But that’s to make it sound more heavy-going than it is: it’s also full of profound psychological insight and plenty of humour.

Read our interview with Jonathan Safran Foer here.

10. Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

There are a few unconvincing developments in Curtis Sittenfeld’s take on Pride and Prejudice, but you somehow don’t mind because the book is such a delight to read overall: charming, witty and a genuinely winning tribute to Jane Austen, perfectly capturing her arch tone and sharp eye for detail, especially when it comes to Mr Bennet. The action is transposed to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Elizabeth is a 38-year-old freelance journalist yet to find a partner. Older sister Jane, also unmarried of course, is a yoga teacher, about to encounter new reality TV show star, ‘Chip’ Bingley. A fun holiday read.

Read our exclusive interview with Curtis Sittenfeld.

Also highly recommended:

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Fabulous historical novel, the follow up to her debut, After Me Comes the Flood.

Read our exclusive author interview here

Nicotine by Nell Zink

A fierce and funny tale of family and politics.

Read our exclusive author interview here

The Butcher’s Hook by Janet Ellis

A young girl steps out of the confines of her life in 18th century London.

Read our exclusive author interview here

Hagseed by Margaret Atwood

The fourth book in the Hogarth project series, in which authors such as Margaret Atwood and Howard Jacobson offer their own take on a Shakespeare play.

Read more about the Hogarth project here

The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride

Recounts a passionate love affair between a young drama student and an older actor, in McBride's trademark stream-of-consciousness style.

Read our exclusive interview with the author

The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver

Fiscal crisis hits a near-future America and millions of American families find themselves fighting for survival.

Read our exclusive interview with the author

The Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah

Sophie Hannah brilliantly continues the adventures of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot.

Hear Sophie Hannah talk about her book

My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal

Another striking debut, this one follows the fortunes of Leon in England in the early 1980s when his mother is no longer able to look after him and his baby brother.

Read our exclusive interview with the author

What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell

The story of an American expat struggling with his own complicated inheritance while navigating a foreign culture.

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

Worlds collide when a plane crashes into the ocean leaving only 2 survivors in this thriller that explores themes of love, fame, wealth, art and power.

Now it's over to you! Tweet your top three with the #TopFic16 and we'll include our favourites below.

Re-evaluating Brutalism

Simon Phipps is a photographer and the creator of the New Brutalism collection of photography on Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter. He is a graduate in sculpture from The Royal College of Art. He grew up in Milton Keynes where his parents were architects involved in the design of the city. He has forthcoming exhibitions of his photography at the Foundry Gallery and The Architectural Association. Find Simon on Twitter and Instagram @new_brutalism. His new book, Brutal London, is a photographic look at a side of the capital which has been ignored for too long. The raw concrete and imposing mass of Brutalist architecture is undeniably part of the fabric of London's landscape - both visual and social - and part of our urban history. Below, Simon reviews the Brutalist tendency in post-war British architecture and the positive and lasting value of many of Brutalist London buildings.

The term ‘New Brutalism’ was first adopted in the 1950s after the term Nybrutalism was used to describe Sweden’s raw concrete 1950 Villa Göth. It was then taken up by Alison and Peter Smithson, who went on to play a pivotal role in the development of Brutalism in Britain. New Brutalism’s terms and attributes were further developed and formalised by architectural critic Reyner Banham as: formal legibility of plan, clear exhibition of structure and the valuing of materials for their inherent qualities ‘as found’. Banham further argued that good architecture derives from the correct interaction of structure, function and form, and requires a necessary conceptual element to achieve ‘memorability of image’, thereby becoming ‘great’ architecture.

The Brutalist tendency in post-war British architecture has come under derision and assault from self-appointed expert critics such as Prince Charles and more recently by John Hayes, Minister of State for Transport, who claims that Brutalist architecture is ’aesthetically worthless, simply because it is ugly’. However, its ideals, as realised in skilled and innovative design displaying in buildings such as Erno Goldfinger’s Trellick Tower and Denys Lasdun’s National Theatre, can invoke the sublime with their expressed structure, massed forms and exposed materials of concrete, block and brick. The material and structural qualities, a disavowal of formality and anti-geometric plans allow for the necessary conceptual element that makes buildings like Trellick both memorable and great.

Trellick Tower, standing at 31 storeys, with a 35-storey service tower, has become the standout image of a Brutalist archetype. Situated within the otherwise low-rise Cheltenham Estate in North Kensington, the tower is a continuation of Goldfinger’s experiments in deck access, which he first developed at Balfron Tower in Poplar. The plan incorporated his famous ‘streets in the sky’, where walkways allowed inhabitants access to their own front doors. The strongly articulated and meticulously finished raw concrete frame has the unique hardness and uncompromising materiality that characterises Goldfinger’s buildings. Deep shadows created by the recesses and projections of the expressed architecture move hypnotically across the south elevation, modulated by sun and cloud. Soon after completion in the early 1970s, lack of management and maintenance, a concomitant rise in grossly antisocial behaviour, and a more general antagonism toward high-rise living led to years of neglect and antipathy. Trellick’s reputation plummeted, tabloids dubbed it the ‘tower of terror’ and it became a possible inspiration for the alienating and dehumanising concrete architecture of JG Ballard’s dystopian High Rise. Thankfully, those times have passed and Trellick Tower is now recognised as a masterpiece of Brutalist architecture.

But beyond a renewed admiration of celebrated brutalist archetypes in London, the shameful state of the dismal and feeble architecture which is now prevalent in our cities and countryside has, perhaps, allowed for the greater appreciation and rehabilitation of many of the buildings in the book. But the growing recognition of its merits has come too late for demolished buildings and developments under grave threat, where regeneration – meaning demolition – is sold as a popular fix. With such a severe housing shortage, one could question the sense of reducing thousands of good homes to rubble. Former occupants are left with little hope of gaining homes in the ‘affordable’ percentage of shiny new developments, and the cynical branding of a ‘sink estate’ becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Despite a longstanding campaign to attain listed status for the fortress-like and monumental Robin Hood Gardens in Poplar (left), attempts have failed – demolition is slated, and to use the telling jargon of the developer, the estate’s residents are being slowly ‘decanted’. The Heygate Estate, situated between Walworth Road and New Kent Road, was originally designed along Corbusian principles of order, symmetry and standardisation, set around abundant green space. Sadly, this blueprint for utopian living, which was once home to more than 3,000 people, did not translate well into reality and the housing deteriorated badly after years of neglect. Regeneration, rather than a more socially and ecologically minded refurbishment, was deemed necessary and demolition followed.  Was this really necessary at a loss of nearly 1,200 homes? Southwark Council spent £44 million on removing low- and middle-income residents from estates that were, in essence, structurally sound. International architectural and planning consultant Gensler provided research showing the Heygate homes could have been renovated, with tenants remaining in situ, for £17 million less than the cost of decanting the estate. At least this wanton destruction is partly offset by the increased listing and protection of significant architecture from this period, and the attendant consideration now given to renovation and repair.

It was wonderful to hear of the recent listing of Brixton Recreation Centre at Grade II, designed in 1970 for Lambeth Council by a team led by George Finch. The expressive red brick massing of Brixton Rec framed by sculptural concrete forms is recognised locally for its cultural importance and plays host to a multitude of activities from swimming to indoor bowls, exemplifying Finch's socialist beliefs and his efforts to create an inclusive building for everyone. Virtually unchanged since completion in 1985, its forceful detailing has stood the test of time. I'm very pleased to say that Brixton Rec makes an appearance in the Lambeth section of Brutal London alongside other magnificent buildings by George Finch such as Lambeth Towers. It is through the efforts of campaigning groups such as the C20 Society that the authorities are persuaded of the positive and lasting value of these buildings. I am hopeful that the book will contribute by acting as an incentive for people to roam, to walk the city and give consideration to the great wealth of Brutalist and modernist architecture bestowed upon London by visionary architects.

Absolutely on Music - the Playlist

Haruki Murakami's passion for music runs deep. Before turning his hand to writing, he ran a jazz club in Tokyo, and the aesthetic and emotional power of music permeates every one of his much-loved books. Now, in Absolutely on Music, Murakami fulfills a personal dream, sitting down with his friend, acclaimed conductor Seiji Ozawa, to talk about their shared interest.

Transcribed from lengthy conversations about the nature of music and writing, Murakami and Ozawa discuss everything from Brahms to Beethoven, from Leonard Bernstein to Glenn Gould, from record collecting to pop-up orchestras, and much more.

Below you'll find a selection of music that they listen to and discuss throughout the book. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of every composition in the book, but rather a sampling of the pieces mentioned. We hope that it will give you a taste of the breadth and range of their musical conversations; and perhaps inspire you to listen to more of the music that they talk about in the book.

Should you choose to seek out a track or performance that is not included here, we invite you to share it with us, and the rest of Haruki’s fans, on his Facebook page.

#FoylesFive: Forlorn Festive Fiction

Jay from our Birmingham branch gets us in the Christmas mood, or gets us moody for Christmas with his Forlorn Festive Fiction picks.

To some the Christmas season is a beaming, jovial time, stuffed with laughter, food and parties that leave your memory murky but in a perfectly acceptable and happy way. For others Christmas is garish; a hassle, a time of year where everything that should be sweet only tastes sour in your mouth and you are reprimanded if you don't participate with a convincing smile. For those people we have compiled a list of books that will perfectly match your dark mood. These books will leave you feeling like there is sleet in your heart, frost in your bones, and you will be thrilled to bits that it will leave you feeling morose yet also relieved.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina is a perfect winter read; grey skies shedding an abundance of snow, an unimaginably shattering cold, our protagonists wrapped in the thickest and finest furs. It's just the kind of book you can only read when sitting down (due to its heft as well as the many scenes that will wind you) so you can spend miserable days inside, reading this equally miserable albeit stunning book. The plot is like an epic storm, inside which is brewing an intense romance and the utmost, most brutal despair, and it is completely absorbing.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Dickens is essential at Christmas, but I won't be talking about our beloved old Scrooge here. Instead, I'm going to recommend Dickens' second novel, Oliver Twist. This one isn't quite like the film version you probably know and love. Oliver isn't a cherub faced child with a golden halo of locks. Fagin isn't the crusty yet warm-hearted old fellow who teaches the boys how to steal with a jolly old tune and Sykes definitely isn't a brooding shadow of a character that occasionally growls to provoke a slight gasp from our protagonists. Oliver Twist is a surprisingly dank and atmospheric book, with so much grime and bleakness to make you believe the soggy-aired streets of 19th century London are right outside your door. There is so much in here to unsettle you; Oliver assisting an undertaker and seeing a dead body strewn across a floor, and the vicious row between Fagin and Sykes, where the softened characters from the musical pale drastically in comparison to these nasty, villainous creations.

The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig

The Post Office Girl is about a young girl named Christine, whose life has been deeply submerged in poverty and loss. She earns just about enough money to support her ailing mother by spending every day working at the post office. Until one day her estranged aunt calls and requests Christine to join her and her husband at a luxurious Swiss resort. This is an extreme turning point for Christine, who experiences unfathomable delights and indulgences, only to abruptly lose it all. When she returns to her former life, things have altered drastically for Christine and it is unbearable for her. Due to Zweig's stellar prose and sympathetic characters, a chill exudes from this book from both the setting and the themes that trickle through it. Utterly beautiful and heartbreaking, this one is sure to leave you feeling more than a bit sombre. Published posthumously, the sense of tragedy surrounding this book intensifies once acknowledging the end of Zweig's own life.

A Meal In Winter by Hubert Mingarelli

Two soldiers, one a captive man, the other a stranger with a searing hatred. They sit down to a meal in the middle of nowhere and the tension literally bleeds from the page. Set in a vicious winter in the midst of World War 2, this is a poignant, powerful book that will make your stomach lurch, twist and plummet all at once. Mingarelli keeps details to a minimum, opting for a more compact and precise approach that focuses singularly on one day, with only brief references to past events to fill us in. Despite being slender, this book has a lot of weight and is one that won't leave your consciousness in a hurry.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

Anne Bronte didn't flinch away from any subject matter here; this book is full of harshness and villainy that easily compete with its other siblings in the Gothic genre. Mrs Graham and her young son are an unexpected arrival in a small, rural village, and she swiftly becomes a subject of scrutiny as she doesn't regularly attend church and she raises her child in an untraditional manner. Our narrator, Gilbert is fascinated by her and cannot resist delving into her ambiguous past.  When we hear the name Bronte, the last book that springs to mind is this one. People tend to envisage the steadfast, passionate Jane Eyre or the howling, desolate moors of Wuthering Heights but I wish more people thought of the dilapidated Wildfell Hall and the mysterious black-clad figure of Mrs Graham. This is a dark, intriguing story that I feel is perfect for any brooding reader over the winter months.

#FoylesFive: Non-Fiction Picture Books

Matt from our web team tells us all about his favourite Non-Fiction children's books for this Christmas and beyond.

Atlas of Oddities by Clive Gifford & Tracy Worrall

A beautiful book celebrating the diversity, wonderfulness and epicness of our little blue and green planet. Discover the weird and wonderful, the strange and fairly odd, all illustrated fantastically. With the wildest of habitats from blistering hot deserts to the icy mountain ranges, and animals galore for everyone to enjoy.

Illuminature by Rachel Williams & Carnovsky

Reveal the hidden secrets of our natural world with this fab interactive and bold kaleidoscopic book!

Use the magical lens to find out which animals are prowling after dark, the dazzling daytime adventures of creatures and the amazing unseen lives of plants and trees. With a marvellous design that leaps from the pages, this lovely tome will keep younger and older readers, and explorers happy for hours on end.

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky

One of my favourite books right now. This is the fascinating illustrated history of science's most famous and influential women: biologists, physicists and x-ray crystallographers and lots, lots more. What’s wonderful about this book is the perfect balance of fun and education, and it looks absolutely stunning too.

Atlas of Animal Adventures by Rachel Williams, Emily Hawkins and Lucy Letherland

Delve into the animal world, find out hundreds of incredible facts and discover animals that you never knew existed. Brought to you with gorgeously colourful images, and filled with more creatures than an Indiana Jones movie and twice as adventurous… go forth traveller!

Animasaurus by Tracey Turner

Let’s face it, pre-historic animals are amazing. Their size alone is enough to make us gaze with wonder, but this is just scratching the surface of how astonishing the animals in our past can be. Hamsters with horns, giant kangaroos and millipedes the size of a person, plus much more - all lovingly drawn in eye-popping colours.