‘Reverse Engineering II is a remarkable anthology and a wonderfully looping set of conversations about the elusive nature of the creative process.’

‘Not just a nostalgic curiosity, but an important piece of the social history of Britain in the 1930s’

‘If there is anything in common between Haven and Donoghue’s multi-million seller Room (2010), it is the exploration of how human beings respond to extraordinary circumstances: something she achieves by acute observation and attention to (poignant) detail. ‘

‘The soundtrack to Animals at Night, Naomi Booth’s new collection of short stories, comes from the wild creatures active at night — the coughing of foxes, scratching of rats, alien noises of pheasants. There is also something in the mix here that comes from the animal nature of people themselves, sensations that are amplified in the deep darkness of the night hours.’

‘All credit here to Frances Riddle, the translator of this novel, for her skill in finding the precise English words to convey so strongly the internal sense of a narrative steeped in sadness and yearning.’

‘When violence erupts between mother and daughter it is never abusive on Liz’s part and concludes in shared remorse and closeness. Irvine paints a vivid picture of the developing relationship between the two of them, and her story throws a bright spotlight on how easy it is for those in authority to make false judgements about parenting which stem from one small and innocent mistake.’

‘What magic is not, as Alice Tarbuck makes very clear, is an escape from reality. It is, rather, about exploring our connections with other energies in our world.’

‘There is no trace of melodrama in this taut and elegantly-written novel, but a measured weighting of what, in the end, is important in life and what is only vanity or hubris.’