The Bank Holiday weekend has arrived, and what better way to spend the Jubilee than with a book in hand? If you’re stuck for things to read or need to get out of a reading rut this Bank Holiday then don’t worry, we have you covered!
Here’s what our agents and team will be reading on this long weekend:
Madeleine Milburn, Founder, Director, and Literary Agent: I’ll be re-reading Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry so I can be reunited with Elizabeth Zott…Her voice brings me so much joy!
Emma Bal, Literary Agent: I love history, and when I’m not working on non-fiction, I particularly enjoy historical fiction – this Bank Holiday I plan on starting Booth by Karen Joy Fowler, which follows the infamous American family who produced Abraham Lincoln’s assassin.
Liane-Louise Smith, International Rights Director: I want to dive into Will and Testament by Norwegian author Vigdis Hjorth. It came highly recommended by a Swedish editor and has been on my to-be-read pile for far too long.
Hannah Todd, Literary Agent: I’ll be reading Red White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I’m fully leaning into the Jubilee festivities by using it as an excuse to revisit a fun, queer, enemies-to-lovers romcom with a royal edge!
Giles Milburn, Managing Director: I know I should be reading over the Bank Holiday, but I’m really looking forward to watching The Staircase – the new series with Colin Firth and Toni Collette. The documentary was utterly compelling in its portrayal of how a family copes in the most extreme of circumstances, so I’m hoping the series lives up to the drama of real life.
Hannah Ladds, Dramatic Rights Agent: I’ve been looking forward to reading Hanya Yanagihara’s To Paradise for ages! I loved both A Little Life and The People in the Trees. I like to save weighty reads for holidays where I can get properly lost in the pages (in this case the many, many pages) without any distractions. I’m hoping it will be cathartic!
Chloe Seager, Literary Agent: I’ll be reading Idol by Louise O’Neill – I love Louise’s addictive, searing YA but I haven’t read any of her adult fiction yet, so I’m excited to dive into this.
Hayley Steed, Literary Agent: This Bank Holiday I’ll be reading Janice Hallett’s The Appeal – I love a fun mystery novel, and it sounds like a brilliant and original structure for a novel in the genre!
Emma Dawson, Operations Coordinator: I’ll be devouring The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson because I adore dark, funny, messy novels about family dynamics. This novel also explores a female artist who has put her career second to her husband’s art career, which sounds like a powder keg about to explode, and I’m here for the drama.
Valentina Paulmichl, Associate Rights Agent: I will be reading Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason – I know I’m late to the party but I’ve been meaning to read this for a long time, and I can’t wait to get fully immersed in this dazzling, dark and yet tender novel.
Esmé Carter, Assistant to Madeleine Milburn: I’ll be reading Luster by Raven Leilani. I’m very late to the party with this one but in my defence, it has been on my bookshelf for ages! I’m really looking forward to having the time to devour it over the long weekend.
Olivia Maidment, Literary Agent: Like everybody else, Shuggie Bain broke and fixed and broke my heart all over again, and so this weekend I’ll be reading Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart. I picked up a signed copy from my local indie which has been staring at me from the bookshelf, and I can’t wait to get back Stuart’s world, warmth, and writing.
Georgia McVeigh, In-House Editor: How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie – this is a really fun dark comedy, featuring a brilliantly twisted protagonist
Rachel Yeoh, Associate Agent: I’ll be reading Portrait of a Thief by Grace Li – I have always been fascinated by the repatriation of looted art, and the fast-paced, contemporary heist plotline mixed with a post-colonial voice feels right up my street!
Mina Yakina, New Draft Intern: All The Lovers of The Night by Mieko Kawakami – the author is known for her poetic and sentimental writing and I love diving into books that explore the darker feelings we are all prone to experiencing at times.
Elinor Davies, Assistant to Hayley Steed: I’ll be reading Sunny by Sukh Ojla because I love finding new memorable female characters who over-share like your closest friends. It’s been sitting on my desk since it came out a couple of months ago so I’m excited to finally dip in!
Saskia Arthur, Office Assistant: This Bank Holiday I’ll be sinking my teeth into People Person by Candice Carty-Williams. I adored Queenie for its razor-sharp humour and refreshing sexual frankness, and I’m so excited to dive into Candice’s latest work, which explores paternal abandonment and complex sibling relationships.
We hope you have a lovely long weekend and get the opportunity to pick up a good book too!
