News
The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts: read the opening
Read the opening of this modern mythological tale
Blue Water is Waterstones Thriller of the Month
Don't miss Leonora Nattrass' thrilling historical mystery on the high seas
László Krasznahorkai’s new book: read an extract
A Mountain to the North, A Lake to the South, Paths to the West, A River to the East
Out of the Sun: Essays at the Crossroads of Race – Read an Extract
Read an extract of this searing analysis of the relationship between race and art.
BOOTH longlisted for the Booker Prize 2022
Karen Joy Fowler's historical epic is on the Booker Longlist!
The Appeal Wins at the CWA
We are proud to announce that The Appeal by Janice Hallett won the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger award for the best debut novel.
Independent Bookshop Week
We asked Serpent's Tail authors to take us on a journey through their favourite independent bookshops, from London, to Ludlow, to Vermont and beyond!
Viper wins Imprint of the Year at the British Book Awards
Recognised for a brilliant crime & thriller list
An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life: read an extract
Read an extract from Paul Dalla Rosa's debut short story collection
Alex Wheatle on the World Book Night 2022 list
Discover the full list of World Book Night 2022 titles
Easter Holiday Reads
Start your Easter holidays with new fiction that won't just grip you from the very first page, but also challenge your world views and perspectives.
WE MOVE: READ AN EXTRACT
A debut brimful of the music and movement of multicultural London, to stand besides White Teeth, Brick Lane and The Buddha of Suburbia.
Spring 2022 Highlights
Explore all that is to come in Spring, including page-turning reads that will grip you from the very first page.
You Will Write Again: A Letter from Jami Attenberg
An inspirational letter for writers from the author of I Came All This Way to Meet You.
In the Seeing Hands of Others: read an extract
Read an extract from the highly original debut novel 'In the Seeing Hands of Others' by Nat Ogle.
Serpent’s Tail Gifting Guide 2021
The countdown to Christmas has begun with the ultimate Serpent's Tail gift guide.
Passing: New Netflix Tie-in Edition
We're proud to publish the new Netflix tie-in edition of Passing by Nella Larsen.
Mary Gaitskill: a retrospective
Mary Gaitskill is the most acclaimed author you may never have read. We give you the lowdown on her books past and present.
Black History Month: Recommended Reading
Check out our reading recommendations of books by black authors from our Serpent's Tail authors and publishing team.
3 books for Women in Translation Month
Discover three incredible books by women, translated into English.
Two new books coming from Catriona Ward
Discover the new books from the author of The Last House on Needless Street
All of You Every Single One: read an extract
Read the first chapter from Beatrice Hitchman's new novel
The Appeal is the Waterstones Thriller of the Month!
Discover the most innovative crime novel of the year
Sea Change: read the opening
Read the opening of the new novel by the author of The Warlow Experiment.
Burley Fisher’s 10 Books for Independent Bookshop Week
Discover the ten books Burley Fisher picked for Independent Bookshop Week
Pop Song: read an extract
Read an extract of this inventive, exquisite memoir-in-essays by a blazing new talent, Larissa Pham
Serpent’s Tail x Burley Fisher for IBW + Pride Month
Join our Independent Bookshop Week activity with Burley Fisher
The Last Thing He Told Me: Q&A with Laura Dave
#1 NYT bestselling author Laura Dave discusses her ultimate page-turner, The Last Thing He Told Me
The Last Thing He Told Me is Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club Pick for May
Find out what Reese Witherspoon has to say about Laura Dave's The Last Thing He Told Me
Coming soon: Hervé Guibert’s To the Friend Who Did Not Save My Life
An autobiographical novel about queer friendship, gay life and the early days of the AIDS crisis
#ChooseBookshops – Queer Bookshops to Buy From Today
Brilliant LGBTQ+ bookshops to shop at now bookshops are opening!
Carmen Maria Machado wins the Rathbones Folio Prize
In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado's ground-breaking memoir.
The Last House on Needless Street: Q&A with Catriona Ward
Author Catriona Ward discusses her gothic masterpiece, The Last House on Needless Street
Film Deal With Imaginarium For Catriona Ward’s Novel The Last House On Needless Street
Catriona Ward's novel The Last House On Needless Street lands film deal with Imaginarium Productions
Torrey Peters on the Women’s Prize 2021 Longlist
Detransition, Baby is one of the 16 books on the longlist.
Happy 35th birthday to Serpent’s Tail!
We teamed up with Literary Friction podcast for a 35th birthday episode
In the Dream House shortlisted for Folio Prize
Carmen Maria Machado's groundbreaking memoir is one of eleven on the shortlist.
Announcing Oana Aristide’s Under the Blue
Coming in March 2021, a powerful, apocalyptic road trip novel.
Detransition, Baby: Read an extract
To mark Trans Awareness Month, we're sharing a chapter from Torrey Peters' Detransition, Baby.
Black History Month spotlight: Alain Mabanckou
For Black History Month, we're turning the spotlight on our incredible black authors and their work.
Black History Month Spotlight: Lola Shoneyin
For Black History Month, we're turning the spotlight on our incredible black authors and their work.
Black History Month Spotlight: Langston Hughes
For Black History Month, we're turning the spotlight on our incredible black authors and their work.
Black History Month Spotlight: Esi Edugyan
For Black History Month, we're turning the spotlight on our incredible black authors and their work.
Black History Month Spotlight: Pauline Black
For Black History Month, we're turning the spotlight on our incredible black authors and their work.
Black History Month Spotlight: Attica Locke
For Black History Month, we're turning the spotlight on our incredible black authors and their work. Today we shine the light on Attica Locke.
Black History Month Spotlight: Saidiya Hartman
For Black History Month, we're turning the spotlight on our incredible black authors and their work.
Esi Edugyan on the 2020 International DUBLIN Literary Award Shortlist
Washington Black has been shortlisted for the 2020 International DUBLIN Literary Award.
A Ruined Girl: Q&A with Kate Simants
Author Kate Simants discusses her new novel with VIPER publisher Miranda Jewess
On Time and Water: an extract
Read an extract from this beautiful book that marries mythology and climate change.
Essex Girls: the new book by Sarah Perry
Sarah Perry returns to Essex this autumn with her ode to Essex Girls everywhere
Attica Locke: meet your new favourite crime writer
Discover the books by Attica Locke, author of the current Waterstones Thriller of the Month, Heaven, My Home.
Good Morning, Destroyer of Men’s Souls: Q&A and extract
Meet the author & read an extract from this memoir of co-dependency and addiction
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters – a trans take on love and parenting
A uniquely trans take on love and parenting, coming January 2021.
Heaven My Home is the Waterstones Thriller of the Month
We're thrilled to announce that Attica Locke's Heaven My Home is the Waterstones Thriller Book of the Month for June.
Who We Were Book Group Guide
Are you reading Who We Were by B.M. Carroll and loving it? Here are some questions to discuss with your book group about this compulsive thriller of childhood crimes and revenge.
Attica Locke on the Orwell Prize shortlist
We're thrilled to announce that Heaven, My Home, Attica Locke's powerful crime novel set in Texas, has been shortlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2020.
Travel by book: 10 reads to transport you
Allow these books to whisk you away to lands you can only dream of...
Our top audiobook picks for immersion and distraction
We picked our top four audiobooks to transport and distract yourself while you stay home.
What to read when you don’t feel like reading
Our picks of quick reads and gripping stories to get lost in for tough reading times.
The Pine Islands: read an extract
Read the opening of the Man Booker International shortlisted The Pine Islands - out in paperback.
Postscript: Miranda Popkey on Topics of Conversation
'Now here was a woman who wasn’t afraid to articulate her rage'
International Women’s Day 2020: our reading recommendations
Serpent's Tail staff recommend their favourite books by women read in the last year.
Viper: A Q&A with Ren Richards
Viper publisher Miranda Jewess asks Lauren de Stefano, aka Ren Richards, some questions.
All This Could Be Yours: read the opening
Read the opening to the new novel by Jami Attenberg, 'the queen of dysfunctional families' (Refinery29)
6 Ways To Start Talking About Money
Our intern Tamara Southward lists Open Up author Alex Holder's key points about changing your relationship with money.
Viper: A Q&A with Nicola White
Viper publisher Miranda Jewess interviews Nicola White, author of new Irish noir A Famished Heart.
Choi and Krasznahorkai win at the National Book Awards
Two of our authors win prizes at this year's National Book Awards
Viper Books: The Launch
Viper, publishing books with bite: crime, thrillers and other mysterious fiction
Rabbits for Food: read the opening
''I spoke with three psychiatrists and a neurologist who were dead-set against ECT.'
The Broken Ones: read an extract
A gripping psychological thriller exploring the relationships between sisters and mothers and daughters, both their toxicity and love.
A Famished Heart: read an extract
Read the opening from the first in a powerful new crime trilogy set in 1980s Dublin, exploring the power of the Catholic Church and the powerlessness of unmarried women.
Viper Books: our new crime imprint
We're launching a new crime imprint, Viper, in November - find out more
Celebrating Black History Month
Celebrating Black History Month with our authors published over the last year.
Gentleman Jack on the Portico Prize longlist
The prize celebrates books that capture the spirit of the North
Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: read an extract
Read an extract from Saidiya Hartman's subversive and original history of social liberation in the 20th century.
‘I poured everything I felt about caregiving work into the novel’
A Q&A with Lila Savage, author of Say Say Say
The Warlow Experiment: read the opening
Read the opening of Alix Nathan's extraordinary new novel, The Warlow Experiment
Donate to Beauty Banks with Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen
We are mega excited to be teaming up with Waterstones Islington and Beauty Banks to celebrate the publication of Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen
Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen: read an extract
Read an extract from the lost feminist cult classic that defined a generation
Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen: read the author’s introduction
Read Alix Kates Shulman's new introduction - which shows how women are still facing many of the same challenges as they were forty years ago.
A Q&A with The Pine Islands translator Jen Calleja
'It's so much more than a male mid-life crisis novel'
Feminist Book Fortnight: our reading recommendations
From Chris Kraus to Jami Attenberg, here are our recommendations for Feminist Book Fortnight.
Our Easter weekend reading recommendations
Get ready for an epic escape or dabble in a little magic with our latest selection of recommended reads
The Pine Islands is shortlisted for the International Man Booker Prize
The 2019 Man Booker International longlist has been announced
Our post-Fleabag non-conformist library
We've got just the books to help you with your post-Fleabag comedown.
Postscript: Vikram Paralkar on Night Theatre
Find out how Vikram Paralkar's experience in a tiny government clinic a few hours from Mumbai led to him writing the wonderful, atmospheric Night Theatre.
WAH x Serpent’s Tail for International Women’s Day 2019
We're teaming up with beauty powerhouse WAH this International Women's Day
Q&A with Angela Steidele, author of Gentleman Jack
The author of Gentleman Jack on what inspired her to write the biography of Anne Lister
Open Up: The Power of Talking About Money: read the introduction
Alex Holder is here to help you open up those tricky conversations about money.
Sarah Perry is on the 2019 Dylan Thomas Prize longlist
Sarah Perry's Melmoth is one of the twelve books on the 2019 Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist
Q&A with Rebecca Kauffman, author of The Gunners
The author of The Gunners tells us about her acclaimed new novel
Postscript: Raising a toast to weirdness
Ready for some weirdness? If watching The Favourite got you in mood, then you'll love Yelena Moskovich's surreal and seductive Virtuoso. She tells us why weird is wonderful.
Watch Casey Gerald’s TED Talk: The gospel of doubt
Watch the author of There Will Be No MIracles Here give a powerful TED Talk on faith and uncertainty.
The Gunners: Read the first chapter
The Gunners is the ultimate high school reunion novel. Read the opening pages
A white Melmoth Christmas
Read one of our favourite snowy passages from Sarah Perry's gothic masterpiece Melmoth
Ruby Tandoh on Christmas food
Read Ruby's new chapter on Christmas eating - available online in the paperback edition of Eat Up.
Sarah Perry shortlisted for two National Book Awards
Sarah Perry is shortlisted for two National Book Awards: Best Popular Fiction and UK Author of the Year for her bestselling third novel Melmoth.
Recipe: Ruby Tandoh’s three-day whisky gingerbread loaf cake
Make a delicious loaf cake from Ruby Tandoh's Eat Up! for National Baking Week
Read the opening pages of Sarah Perry’s Melmoth
Read the spine-tingling opening to Melmoth, and watch author Sarah Perry read it.
Q&A with Esi Edugyan, author of Washington Black
Esi Edugyan's tells us about her new novel Washington Black, which is on the 2018 Man Booker longlist.
Read a short story from Simon Rich’s hilarious new collection, Hits & Misses
'Simon Rich is outrageously, lavishly gifted' - Caitlin Moran
'Simon Rich is the funniest writer alive' - Matt Haig
'Fabulously funny' - Lauren Laverne
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Carmen Maria Machado's memoir In the Dream House is coming Autumn 2019
An exclusive extract from Gentleman Jack
Continuing our Pride 2018 celebrations, we're thrilled to share an exclusive extract from Gentleman Jack, our forthcoming biography of the extraordinary Anne Lister.
Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? Cathi Unsworth on the spooky true story
Cathi Unsworth's new crime novel, That Old Black Magic, is based on a real-life murder that happened in 1943. Read all about it...
On Ruby Tandoh’s Eat Up! and Why Brownies Are Good for The Soul
Inspired by Ruby Tandoh's wonderful manifesto Eat Up!, here's a recipe for salted caramel brownies to help conquer Sunday-evening blues.
Read a short story from Joy Williams’ The Visiting Privilege
The Visiting Privilege by Joy Williams is Alison Flood's (The Bookseller) November Book of the Month. Read a short story ahead of publication.
Announcing Sarah Perry’s third novel, Melmoth
Step inside to find out more about the author of The Essex Serpent's new novel, Melmoth.
Andre Alexis, author of Fifteen Dogs & The Hidden Keys, interviewed by his editor
The Giller Prize-winning author of Fifteen Dogs speaks to his editor about his new novel, The Hidden Keys.
Ten things you might not have known about Fernando Pessoa
To celebrate our gorgeous complete edition of The Book of Disquiet being published, we're sharing with you ten things you might not know about Fernando Pessoa, one of Portugal's greatest writers.
I Love Dick – reading group questions
Due to popular demand, we've done some reading group questions for Chris Kraus's seminal feminist novel/memoir, I Love Dick.
A reading list for your nuclear bunker
Is it the end of the world as we know it? Be prepared with editor Nick Sheerin's ultimate post-apocalyptic reading list.
Veronica: If there’s nobody watching, what’s the point?
Mary Gaitskill paints a familiar-looking world in which beauty is the holy grail. Marketing manager Flora Willis looks at how we feel when there's nobody watching
Book cover design: Kenzaburo Oe’s The Silent Cry
Designer Steve Panton on the many faces of Kenzaburo Oe's The Silent Cry - and the final cover choice.
GET A LIFE with Vivienne Westwood
From 13th October you can own your very own collection of Vivienne Westwood's innermost thoughts and feelings on fashion, the environment, philosophy and culture. Have a look inside...
Eileen Myles ran for US President and other true stories
Most people would fit one of these things into their life at most.
The Little Communist Who Never Smiled: read an extract
At 14, Nadia Comaneci was the first Olympic gymnast to be awarded a perfect 10. Lola Lafon's novel is a powerful re-imagining of her life
Watch Eileen Myles read An American Poem in 1993
We love this video, recorded in 1993, of Eileen Myles reading 'An American Poem', which is included in I Must Be Living Twice
Down to the Blackwater shore: Sarah Perry on creating the setting for The Essex Serpent
Sarah Perry takes us on a tour of the fictional Essex village in which much of The Essex Serpent is set, and shows us her original sketch of the location.
Let Me Be Frank: I Love Dick, So Sad Today, The Argonauts and ‘confessional’ literature
Does I Love Dick, and subsequent genre-bending autobiographical works by women, deserve to be called 'confessional'?
Serpent’s Tales with Pete Ayrton and Ruth Petrie
Thirty years of barmy anecdotes from founder Pete Aytron and managing editor Ruth Petrie, ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime.
The Accusation, coming 2017
We're excited to be publishing The Accusation by Bandi, a collection of short stories by a North Korean writer.
Adrian McKinty’s top 5 flawed detectives in literature
Adrian McKinty's top 5 flawed detectives, to rival his own drinking, smoking, cocaine-taking, speed-limit-breaking Sean Duffy.
What about Chris? Eileen Myles’ intro to I Love Dick
The original Semiotext(e) edition of Chris Kraus's I Love Dick included this brilliant introduction by Eileen Myles, 'What about Chris?'.
What do you do all day? Interview with Joanna Biggs
Joanna Biggs is the author of All Day Long, a fascinating exploration of 32 different working days, from that of a ballerina, to a care worker, to a giggle doctor, and everyone in between. Her editor...
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by Simon Rich
I’ll never forget the night I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus. I was only ten years old at the time, but I can still picture it vividly. My mother was standing beneath the mistletoe and Santa was right...