Isabel Costello

LATEST ARTICLES ( 428 )

• Starting from Here and Now

  

  A belated happy new year! This isn’t the first post I was expecting to write in 2018, but for reasons which will become apparent, I’ve decided to take a more... Read more

  Posted on 09 January 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• My Books of 2017

  

  This is one of the most fun posts to write but it’s also difficult, when I spend the entire year featuring books I’ve really enjoyed and rated here on the... Read more

  Posted on 11 December 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Guest Author – Isabel Losada: Sex – Let’s Be Honest

  

  I’ve resisted using this line for more than six years but this week’s post really is Sex on the Literary Sofa, discussed in frank terms by two women called... Read more

  Posted on 06 December 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Launch of Stories for Homes 2 – an Anthology in Aid of Shelter

  

  On Saturday night I took part in a fantastic event supported by the Folkestone Book Festival: the paperback launch of the second volume of Stories For Homes,... Read more

  Posted on 27 November 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Book Review – This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam...

  

  This is the first time I’ve ever reviewed a book I have listened to, rather than read. There’s been a huge boom in the popularity of audiobooks in recent years... Read more

  Posted on 22 November 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• How Do You Know If a Novel’s Worth Writing?

  

  A few weeks ago I was walking along Newport Sands in Pembrokeshire with a clear head and a feeling of serenity – unfortunately it didn’t last long. Read more

  Posted on 16 November 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Guest Author – Charles Lambert on Entrapment

  

  This week I am delighted to welcome back Charles Lambert, one of the most consistently brilliant authors I’ve discovered through running the Literary Sofa,... Read more

  Posted on 08 November 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Slow Journeys – Why We Read

  

  Today I’m pleased to be receiving a visit from one of the most prolific and versatile people I’ve met in the book business, and many of you will know her too:... Read more

  Posted on 01 November 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writers on Location – Henrietta Rose-Innes on Cape Town

  

  Last week’s piece on Resilient Thinking and First Drafts was my first post about writing in a long time and it struck a chord with so many people that I’ve... Read more

  Posted on 18 October 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Resilient Thinking and First Drafts

  

  As Hemingway famously said, ‘the first draft of anything is garbage.’ (I always thought he said ‘shit’ but anyway.) And as he also famously said, ‘writing is... Read more

  Posted on 11 October 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writers on Location – Naomi Hamill on Kosovo

  

  Last week’s Autumn Sofa Spotlight sparked lots of interest, so thank you very much to the many who read and shared it. One of the most rewarding comments I get... Read more

  Posted on 05 October 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Sofa Spotlight – Autumn 2017

  

  Welcome to the Autumn 2017 Sofa Spotlight, my quarterly selection of titles which have really stood out amongst the many I read. Read more

  Posted on 26 September 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Guest Author – Tor Udall on Writing About Grief and Transformation

  

  Autumn has made an early appearance this year and many of us will be keen to seize any opportunity to revisit the summer, which is exactly what’s happening toda... Read more

  Posted on 19 September 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• York Festival of Writing 2017 – From a Different Angle

  

  When something inspires and motivates you, when it makes what you already love seem even more fun and worthwhile and connects you with lots of others who feel... Read more

  Posted on 12 September 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Verdict on My Summer Holiday Reading 2017

  

  I love September – it’s the start of a new year for me in every sense, when I’m full of plans and energy (horrible depressing January, you can’t compete). Read more

  Posted on 05 September 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Two Weeks in Northern Spain (Asturias/Cantabria/Galícia)

  

  Hope you’ve had a good summer – it’s great to be back on the Sofa after the break and I’ve spent the last couple of days fine-tuning an autumn programme... Read more

  Posted on 31 August 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Guest Author – Annemarie Neary on Fictional Orphans

  

  This wasn’t supposed to be the final blog post before the summer break but it is (see Postscript for my excuse), and I can’t think of a better way to round up... Read more

  Posted on 26 July 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writers on Location – Jenny Ashcroft on Recreating a Vanished Egypt

  

  Today’s guest Jenny Ashcroft is an author I’ve wanted to feature on the Literary Sofa for ages and it’s wonderful that the moment has now come… Jenny and I met... Read more

  Posted on 19 July 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writers on Location – Vanessa Lafaye on Key West, Florida

  

  There was a really enthusiastic response to last week’s showcase of new fiction by The Prime Writers so on behalf of us all, many thanks to everyone who has... Read more

  Posted on 12 July 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• The Prime Writers Showcase – Summer 2017

  

  Today, as a supplement to my Summer Reads 2017 selection, it’s great to be bringing you something a bit different: a showcase of recent and ‘coming soon’... Read more

  Posted on 05 July 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE