Here is the latest newsletter:
Each season, we round up some of the most exciting new books coming out from writers in our region, alongside giveaways, interviews, and other bookish content.
If the National Year of Reading has inspired you to read more in 2026, you've come to the right place. We've rounded up loads of upcoming releases by Northern authors to look forward to, including a giveaway and author interview for one of our favourites.
Plus find out about the books our staff are currently reading and loving, an exciting new audio drama, the world-class author events we're hosting in Newcastle this spring, and much more.
Happy reading,
New Writing North and Durham Book Festival
Malc's Boy by Shaun Wilson
Malc's Boy charts a son’s struggle and friendship with his father, Malc, who leaves him with a legacy of toxic masculinity and violence.
Shaun grows up in Wigton, a small market town on the fringes of the Lake District as the son of a prominent pub landlord known for his acts of brutality. More concerned with establishing himself as an artist than asserting himself physically in the town’s hierarchical pub scene, Shaun rebels against his father’s expectations. But when Malc is attacked by a local criminal, Shaun is forced to confront his father head on and escape the life he's been expected to lead.
Malc's Boy will be published on 23 April 2026 with Conduit Books.
"I wanted a form that would... enable the reader to experience something of the immediacy of life itself — I wanted them to be wrong footed and not know what they would face or feel next."
Read our interview with Shaun to find out more about how Malc's Boy came to be, from its questions about violence and power to how its experimental form allowed Shaun to communicate the truth of his own experience through fiction.
We're giving away three copies of Malc's Boy! 📚
Tell us what you're reading on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags #MalcsBoy and #NorthernBookshelf for a chance to win. Winners will be drawn on 13 April 2026.
 Honoured by Naz ShahLabour MP Naz Shah reveals how growing up against almost impossible odds lit the fire that still drives her today. This is the unflinching account of a young British Muslim woman coming of age and discovering the power of her own voice, an inspiring story of survival, faith and political awakening. |
 Weavingshaw by Heba Al-WasityLeena didn’t believe in monsters until she saw Weavingshaw, the cursed estate on the moors. This dark, gothic slow-burn fantasy romance follows a young woman haunted by the ghosts of her past and the Saint of Silence who promises her greatest desire in return for her darkest secret. |
 Inconceivable by Rebecca CoxonWhen TV documentary director Rebecca Coxon uploaded her genetic data to an ancestry website, it led to the shocking discovery that her father was not biologically related to her. This memoir is a tender meditation on our place within history and a love letter to family in all its forms. |
 Groovy, Laidback and Nasty by Daniel Dylan WrayFrom dazzling electronic futurism to pioneering post-punk, Sheffield has long been a crucible for world-leading music, but has never been celebrated as much as other cities. Discover the story of the city's DIY spirit and the musical visionaries and innovators who helped build its inimitable legacy. |
 No Such Thing as Monday by Sian HughesHaunted by what happened to her sister when they were children, Steffie is stuck in a loop of self-destruction and shame. When her father dies suddenly, it cracks open her past and starts a redemptive journey of a woman piecing herself together in a world that failed to make space for her. |
 The Poetry of Suicide by JT WelschFollowing the loss of his twin sister, JT Welsch was drawn to the stories of poets who took their own lives. This exploration of the relationship between poetry and suicide interweaves these stories with his family history, searching for a new way of understanding these difficult deaths. |
 The Silent Places by Sarah MellorLIVERPOOL, 1981: DS Leigh Borrowdale has just watched a man she’s convinced is a killer walk free, and is dealing with the lack of leads into the fate of her missing brother. As temperatures rise in the city, can she work together with former partner DI Des Chung to face their own past and find out the truth? |
 Dissection of a Murder by Jo MurrayLeila Reynolds’ first murder case is way beyond her expertise – the murder of a well-respected judge – but the defendant is clear. He wants her, and only her. Suddenly, Leila finds herself fighting not only to keep him out of prison, but also to keep her own secrets buried. Guilty or not guilty? You decide... |
 How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca PhilipsonDenver Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time – that’s why you’ve never heard of him. But when his manual for aspiring serial killers is found at a crime scene, DI Samantha Hansen is tasked with tracking down the elusive author. In this dark and twisted tale, who is hunting whom? |
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 What we're reading this spring 🌸How has your reading year started out? Find out about some of the books that have been keeping our team company so far this year, and the reads we're most looking forward to as we head into the spring months. |
 New poetry from the North 🌱This spring sees the release of loads of new poetry from Northern Writers' Award winners, alongside other brilliant poets across the North. Hear from our poetry expert Will Mackie about some of the collections worth picking up. |
The best Northern debut novelists of 2026 ⭐
The best debut novelists of 2026 list from The Observer features 8 brilliant writers – but why does just one of them live and work outside London?
Now more than ever, it is important that the stories we read represent the rich diversity of human experience, which is why we've put together our own complementary list – the best Northern debut novelists of 2026.
Between Us: A new Substack by Anna Barker and Pat Barker ✍️
Mother and daughter writer duo Pat Barker (The Regeneration Trilogy, The Silence of the Girls) and Anna Barker (Book of Crow) have started a new Substack to share reflections on craft, creativity, story and everyday life. Go to our blog for a taste of what's to come!
 Gordon Burn Prize winner 2026 🐌Earlier this month, we were delighted to reveal Endling by Maria Reva as this year's Gordon Burn Prize winner. Get your hands on this unforgettable novel about the journey of three women and one extremely endangered snail through contemporary Ukraine. |
 Hidden Men audio drama 🎧Hidden Men is a powerful new audio drama giving voice to the emotional, physical and often invisible labour of unpaid male carers, created by South Yorkshire writer Malcolm J Hogan. It is available to listen to now on YouTube and regular podcast platforms. |
Right to Read events 📚
To celebrate the National Year of Reading, we're hosting Right to Read, a series of events in the North East with world-class authors. Coming soon is Max Porter (Shy, Grief is the Thing with Feathers) delivering the annual PEN Lecture at Newcastle University on 29 April, and Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain, Young Mungo) launching his new novel at Tyneside Cinema on 28 May.
Northern Bookshelf is published by New Writing North and Durham Book Festival. If you have news about books by Northern authors or you would like to recommend books as a bookseller, librarian, book group or reader, please contact carys@newwritingnorth.com. The next issue will be published in June 2026 and will cover June 2026 - August 2026. The deadline for receipt of information for the next newsletter is 15 May 2026.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this newsletter is correct at the time of going to press, things do change, frequently at the last minute and very often without our knowledge.
