In @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social's new novel, small islands in Northern Ireland offer a holding space for pain. With humour and heart, the book explores difficult truths about peace in the aftermath of collective trauma. A reading list inspired by the book: lighthousebookshop.com/posts/the-wh...

The following day, Wednesday 20th May at 7pm, we are thrilled to welcome @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social back to the bookshop to launch her new novel Few and Far Between! lighthousebookshop.com/events/few-a...

My 18th stop on the indie bookstore tour was @curiousfoxbooks.bsky.social Berlin where bookseller, Dave picked Álvaro Enrigue’s You Dreamed of Empires as a favourite recommended read #Indiebooksellers #SaintsAndWarriors

Travelling is great but there’s nothing like coming home to the best people in the world. An utter joy to celebrate Mícheál McCann’s beautiful new collection The Lives of the Saints at the Crescent Arts Centre tonight with incredible music and a stunning introduction by @louisenealon.bsky.social

This is happening on Sunday

Lighthouse Books here in Edinburgh is one of the best places for a reading - intimate and welcoming- so well worth checking this out on May 20th…

My 17th stop on the indie bookstore world tour was Shakespeare and Sons, Berlin where bookseller, Anita picked Siri Hustvedt’s What I Loved as a favourite recommended read #indiebooksellers #SaintsAndWarriors

This will be brilliant! @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social is both wonderful & a fantastic writer. Lucky #Hackney Lucky #readers 🧡🧡 If the tube strike’s called off, I’m there 🤞📚📚🤞 #FewAndFarBetween #bookrecs #BookLaunch

Berlin friends, there are signed copies of #FewAndFarBetween waiting for you to snap them up @curiousfoxbooks.bsky.social Sadly @sheelanogig.bsky.social María Bragadóttir are no longer hanging out in situ waiting to personally greet you.

#London pals - the wonderful @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social will be at Bard Books in E3 next Thurs (21st May 7pm) talking to the equally wonderful Caoilinn Hughes - do book a seat & go - bookings currently low & they deserve support & you can talk about me. Bx

Good people of London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Sheffield - the great @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social is coming your way next week, reading from her latest book FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. Jan is a warm, funny and wonderful writer and her events are just brilliant! 📚🎤😍

If you’re in London, and can make it to Bárd Books next Thursday BOOK NOW to hear the fabulous novelist Jan Carson @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social in conversation with Caoilinn Hughes. www.wearebardbooks.co.uk/event-detail...

It’s mortifying to be scrambling to fill a bookstore event but that’s the reality. I’m in Scotland and England next week. There are tix left for these events. The London one will be cancelled if I don’t sell some tickets soon so all pre-bookings and help with getting the word out is appreciated.

Hi folks. If you were intending to come to the London event in Bard books next week and haven’t booked a ticket yet, would you mind doing so asap as they’re currently dispiritingly low and looking like we might have to cancel. This is a humbling post to have to write 9 books in.

*GRABBY HANDS* Her debut, For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on my Little Pain, was SO good, and now this? A novel about Ruskin? YES PLEASE.

Thinking of starting a new #YogurtsOfTheWorld series in which I offer definitive guidance on the best yogurt to eat in each country. First up Germany where mango vanilla is the best flavour option by miles and, this brand is pretty delicious. Tomorrow I’ll try a different brand

Just finished this beauty from @vickymackenzie.bsky.social For fans of character driven, thought provoking, eloquently written historical fiction. Coming soon from @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social

I feel like there are some obvious reasons why no one else is putting hot coffee inside a waffle cone

I’ve just read Vicky’s brilliant new about to be published historical fiction and she absolutely knows her chops. If you’re writing HF would absolutely recommend grabbing a place on this course quick.

My 16th stop on the indie bookstore world tour was @marginbookstore Ballymoney where bookseller, Melanie chose John Steinbeck’s East of Eden as a favourite recommended read #indiebooksellers #SaintsAndWarriors

Phlox books. My lovely local in Leyton.

Have been in Germany for 25 minutes and have already had my first bout of Deutsche Bahn rage. Why does such an efficient country have the world’s least user friendly transport system?

For those of you just picking up on my #IndieBooksellers thread. My new novel #FewAndFarBetween is dedicated to our own favourite bookseller, David Torrans (No Alibis) and indie booksellers everywhere. Trying to see how many i can visit in a year. Follow along at #SaintsAndWarriors

My 15th stop on the indie bookstore tour is Elk Books, Warrenpoint where bookseller, Helene chose Liam Higginson’s The Hill in the Dark Grove as a favourite recommended read #indiebooksellers #SaintsAndWarriors

This quietly biting sentence made me laugh out loud @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social

Indie bookstores need your support! #IndieBooksellers #ShopLocal

In the last month I’ve visited almost twenty indie bookstores and, honestly folks, why would you buy your books elsewhere when you could have your own personal book expert to hand? Look at these wonders, they’re amazing #SaintsAndWarriors #IndieBooksellers

My 14th stop on the indie bookstore world tour was with @bridgestreetbooks in Wicklow Town where bookseller, Hilary chose Lori Inglis Hall’s The Shock of the Light as a favourite recommended read #indiebooksellers #SaintsAndWarriors

Up the North coast in the sunshine this afternoon, meeting lovely readers and their dogs in Waterstones, Coleraine and Margin Books, Ballymoney. Also ate a caramel square as big as my own head #FewAndFarBetween

My 13th stop on the indie bookstore world tour was the Village Bookshop, Greystones where bookseller, Lorna chose Lisa See’s The Island of Sea Women as a favourite recommended read #indiebooksellers #SaintsAndWarriors

Newry bus station on a Friday night, where adventures go to die - once saw a rat eating a dead seagull here and, while I know there’s a metaphor in there somewhere, I have never managed to figure it out.

It was lovely to have @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social visit us yesterday!

My 12th stop on the indie bookstore tour was the beautiful children’s bookstore @halfwayupbooks.bsky.social in Greystones where bookseller, Alex chose Sarah Webb’s The Bookshop Sisters as a favourite recommended read #indiebooksellers #saintsandwarriors

If you’ve ever tried to write a book whilst simultaneously juggling a million other responsibilities, you need to read Caitríona Lally’s Home Economics. It’s class. @newislandbooks.bsky.social

Or you could sign up for our Big Book Quiz at Belfast Book Festival in June

Have spent five hours in Manchester airport today. This snapshot, taken just before security, pretty much sums up my worldview at this point. I once had dreams and aspirations. Then I spent 5 hours in Manchester airport.

The 11th stop on my independent bookstore tour of the world was @livre_moi in Rabat where bookseller, Melanie chose Chimamanda Ngozi Adochie’s L’autre Moitié du Soleil (Half of a Yellow Sun) as a favourite recommended read #indiebooksellers #saintsandwarriors

Ten hours in Casablanca

Felt Agatha Christie-esque, might delete later.

No. 10 in my “world” tour of independent bookstores is Bloom Books Casablanca, Morocco where bookseller Salma has picked Fredrick Backman’s My Friends as a favourite reading recommendation #indiebooksellers #saintsandwarriors

I am an absolute sucker for an old cinema and this one in Rabat is particularly stunning.

Hats off to Sandycove for adding this note on how to recycle a proof at the back of Kathleen MacMahon’s “Other People’s Lives” (which is a cracking read). Other publishers take note.

My beloved Carrefour is not quite the same in Morocco - coconut yogurts only come in enormous 8 packs, there’s an instore dj and a woman chased me round the shop with a broom. Panicked and bought 2 litres of pineapple juice and some weird flavoured crisps.

Best thing I saw today #Rabat

On the absolute off chance anyone is knocking about Morocco this week, I have an event in Casablanca on Monday and one in Rabat on Tuesday. Information below and on my website.

Agatha Christie pulls no punches when it comes to assessing character (nb Mr Cocks is a real person, not a fictional one) Also please enjoy this photo of young AC surfing in South Africa as it has made my day. Both taken from The Grand Tour letters and photographs

Some useful public speaking tips from Freud here.

It’s the end of April. I spent an enormous amount of time on trains and buses and consequently read a lot of great book. This is why I can’t get my best reads of the month down to any fewer than 12. Please forgive me. They were all excellent.

Massive congratulations to Danielle McLaughlin who is the very best of us, on the launch of another brilliant book tonight @booksupstairs.bsky.social If you haven’t got a copy of #Rituals yet pick one up quick - everyone needs a bit of Joan in their life @stingingfly.bsky.social

Heads up all the many many people I’ve told to apply for a John Hewitt Summer School bursary… they’re opening for application on May 8th. Information on the JHS website www.johnhewittsociety.org