Last call for this: The Republic of Consciousness 2025 shortlist readings at the Deptford Lounge 6.45-8.30pm tonight, 13th March. I'll be there with fellow judges Alice Jolly & Houman Barekat & writers, translators & publishers inc Les Fugitives, Peninsula, CB Editions, Divided & Bullaun Press. Tickets here
Jude Cook
Thursday, 13 March 2025
I reviewed Hugh Thomson's wonderful counterfactual Byron novel, Viva Byron!, which imagines what would have happened if Lord Byron had gone to fight for Simon Bolivar and not for the Greek War of Independence. It you know your Romantics, this one's for you. Read my Spectator piece here
Thursday, 27 February 2025
For February's Substack I wrote about the perennial problem of how to start. Read Beginning: Conquering the Blank Page for free here
Friday, 31 January 2025
My first Substack of the year goes the full Nigel Slater. I wrote about surviving the culinary delights of the 1970s in About a Boyhood. Read it for free here
Thursday, 30 January 2025
Tremendously proud to be one of the judges for the 2025 REPUBLIC OF CONSCIOUSNESS PRIZE. Here's the 10-strong longlist. An impossible choice, and so many books narrowly missed inclusion. But it represents some of the best of what small presses are currently publishing. More details here
Friday, 27 December 2024
Thursday, 12 December 2024
I enjoyed writing about Sarah Manguso's coruscating novel, Liars, for Review 31's Books of the Year 2024. Read here