In the idyllic little village of Champfleury in south-west France, a web of lives interconnect, ready to unravel at the first touch. Into this world comes a walker who speaks to no one and moves on, but the smallest of his actions changes everything, and for everyone in this small community nothing will ever be the same.

In 1959, two famous Spanish matadors, who were best friends, died. Alex y Robert is the witty, modern fable of their grandchildren: Alejandra, a young American woman determined to become a matador, and Roberto, a reluctant star Spanish bullfighter whom she recruits to help her. Part travel adventure, part cultural critique, the novel portrays man’s complex relationship with animals and a new generation’s surprising take on an ancient and controversial spectacle.

In 1959, two famous Spanish matadors, who were best friends, died. Alex y Robert is the witty, modern fable of their grandchildren: Alejandra, a young American woman determined to become a matador, and Roberto, a reluctant star Spanish bullfighter whom she recruits to help her. Part travel adventure, part cultural critique, the novel portrays man’s complex relationship with animals and a new generation’s surprising take on an ancient and controversial spectacle.

Burnt island is about a literary novelist, Max Long, who wins a fellowship to Burnt island to write his next novel. He ends up staying with the very successful novelist James Fairfax whose wife had gone missing under mysterious circumstances. Max also suspects James has not written the novel that has made James his fortune.In a desperate attempt to make more money himself Max decides to compromise his literary talent by writing a horror bestseller. Recently divorced and mentally unstable he starts to see disturbing events on the island which take the form of the horror he is struggling to write.

Deaf at Spiral Park is about a bear that shaves off his fur to join humanity. The antagonist, a recruitment consultant, dies several times, and, ultimately, this teaches her nothing. This is a fresh and original novel which remains accessible and funny in spite of its experimental and philosophical concerns.

Jonathan Taylor’s debut novel, Entertaining Strangers, is a tragi-comedy about the eccentric Edwin Prince – a depressive intellectual obsessed with high culture … and ants.

Heightened realism and urban paranoia combine in short sharp shocker from new writer to watch. Habit combines gritty realism with elements of pure horror, and even comedy, to tie readers to its characters. It therefore has cross-genre appeal to reach a wider general readership.

Berlin at the beginning of the 20th century: When the maidservant Auguste gives birth to her illegitimate daughter Magda, she feels burdened with a child she didn’t want. The girl grows up to become an ambitious woman, desperate for love and recognition. The Nazi propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, appears to answer her need and together they have six children.