‘I wanted to write a suburban Reacher’: Richard Osman talks to Lee Child about class, success and the secret to great crime writing

The two bestselling authors who both started in TV discuss writing as a second career, natural justice – and what they really think of literary fictionIn the four years since Richard Osman published his first Thursday Murder Club novel he has consistently topped the bestseller lists, and now his quartet of retirement-age detectives will be portrayed on screen by a cast including Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan. Having grown up in Sussex, Osman started out in TV, where he created and co-hosted the gameshow Pointless. His forthcoming novel We Solve Murders – the start of a new series – features a writer billed as the world’s bestselling novelist, “if you don’t count Lee Child”. Child, the creator of former military police officer Jack Reacher, has enjoyed phenomenal popularity since he left his career – also in TV, where he worked on shows including Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown and Cracker – and started writing, with his first novel published in 1997. Raised in Birmingham, he moved to the US in 1998 and now lives between Manhattan and rural Wyoming. He wrote 24 Reacher novels before announcing in 2020 that he would be handing the series to his brother Andrew.Lee Child I feel that writing is always a second-phase career, or at least should be. It’s that rare thing that not only can you do it when you’re older, but you should do it when you’re older. Pick your cliche: your gas tank is full, your database is compiled. You are a person. You are ready to write.... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2024-09-14 09:00:23 UTC ]

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The Guardian view on the Women’s prize for nonfiction: shining a light where it’s badly needed | Editorial

Having a separate award was good for female novelists. Now a medical author is blazing a trail with a true storyFemale nonfiction writers are paid less on average, receive fewer reviews and win fewer prizes than men. Unsurprisingly, this means that women sell fewer books. So far this year, more... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2025-06-15 16:25:21 UTC ]
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Jacqueline Wilson ‘very wary’ of writing adult Tracy Beaker novel

Author says she won’t revisit the beloved character because it would seem ‘inappropriate’ to discuss her sex lifeJacqueline Wilson has said she would feel “very wary” about writing an adult novel about Tracy Beaker “because it would seem inappropriate that we would learn about her sex life”.Last... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2025-05-30 15:19:35 UTC ]
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6 Must-Read Middle Grade Novels in Verse

As a teenager, I remember reading my first novel in verse. I never expected to like poetry. But just a ... Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-05-29 11:30:00 UTC ]
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The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists

After many months of the bestseller lists staying pretty much the same week to week, we have four new titles ... Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-05-29 10:45:00 UTC ]
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Honor Jones on Exploring the Lasting Effects of Childhood Trauma

Feature image © Sarra Fleur Abou-El-Haj. There are echoes of Virginia Woolf throughout Honor Jones’ masterful, exquisitely crafted first novel Sleep, which explores the ways in which a childhood trauma haunts her main character, Margaret, and those around her. The novel opens with scenes of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-27 07:15:09 UTC ]
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Donal Ryan on Embracing the Evolution of Language While Preserving Its Essence

Thirteen years ago, my first novel was published. One of the first reviews it received on Amazon dismissed me as “just another Irish mouther of words.” I was, I have to say, more than a little bit insulted. I am circumspect to the point of obsession about the language I use when I write.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-21 08:53:59 UTC ]
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The Bestselling LGBTQ Books of the Week

Here are the seven queer books that made it onto the bestseller lists this week, from literary fiction to YA SFF. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-05-17 11:00:00 UTC ]
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On Translating Your Own Novel *Back* Into Your Mother Tongue

Andreas Roman is the author of the newly released The Greatest Game of All (Flare Books), his first novel in English. A native speaker and writer of Swedish, Roman wrote The Greatest Game of All in English, then assisted its translation into Swedish for publication before revising the English... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-16 08:58:34 UTC ]
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Playing with words: why novelists are becoming video game writers – and vice-versa

While the novel remains a high-status cultural form, video game writing is still seen as a throwaway art – despite some of the biggest names in fiction being involvedI’ve been working in games for a little more than 15 years, and the main thing I’d say about it at this point is that it’s a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2025-04-30 08:00:17 UTC ]
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The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists

It’s another week where the bestseller lists cannot agree: no single title made it into the top ten on all ... Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-04-10 10:45:00 UTC ]
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The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists

As has been the norm recently, the bestseller lists can’t seem to agree on anything. The New York Times bestseller ... Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2025-03-27 11:15:00 UTC ]
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There and Back with Wally Lamb

For his first novel in nine years, Wally Lamb draws on his battles with self-doubt and addiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-03-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Chimamanda Adichie Is a Hopeless Romantic

Discussing Dream Count, her first novel in 12 years, the Nigerian author shares her thoughts on masculinity, political chaos, and the future of fiction. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2025-03-07 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Chimamanda Adichie’s Fiction Has Shed Its Optimism

The Nigerian American author’s first novel in 12 years depicts troubled relations between men and women—but no tidy resolutions. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2025-03-05 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Dream Count,’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

In her first novel since “Americanah,” she draws on a real-life assault as she follows the lives of three Nigerian women and one of their former housekeepers. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2025-03-02 10:00:13 UTC ]
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