Born in Scotland, Elizabeth Macneal is a potter based in Limehouse, East London, working from a small studio at the bottom of her garden. She read English Literature at Oxford University, before working in the City for several years. In 2017, she completed the Creative Writing MA at UEA where she was awarded the Malcolm Bradbury scholarship.
Her debut novel The Doll Factory won the Caledonia First Novel Award and was published in Spring 2019 in the UK by Picador, who won a 14-way auction for the title, and Simon & Schuster / Emily Bestler Books who snapped up US rights in a significant deal.
The Instrumentalist (2024) Harriet Constable "I was swept away by this searing portrait of ambition and betrayal. Occasionally a book arrives which not only moves but performs a vital function: and The Instrumentalist restores Anna Maria's name as she deserves, removing her from the forgotten annals of history."
Bay of Thieves (2024) Megan Davis "A classy, gripping thriller about power, corruption and wealth, and a deeply human drama where so much lies at stake."
Whale Fall (2024) Elizabeth O'Connor "I absolutely adored Whale Fall. I fell completely under its spell: the quiet beauty of it, the mounting sense of loss, the subtle way that Elizabeth O'Connor handled the exploitation, betrayal and desecration of a small community. Every sentence rang with clarity and authenticity. I felt the salt stinging my cheeks, smelled the smoke from the fires, and more than anything, Manod's hope and longing and fight rooted within me too. It's a triumph; Elizabeth should be so proud."
The Painter's Daughters (2024) Emily Howes "A moving exploration of the familial ties that bind us and the grief of a life half-lived . . . a wonderful debut that lingered with me."
The Household (2024) Stacey Halls "I devoured The Household by Stacey Halls. Meticulously researched and thoroughly entertaining, I was struck most of all by its hopefulness: about forgiveness, friendship, the choices we make and the opportunity for a second (or third) chance. This is undoubtedly Stacey Halls' best novel yet - I can't wait to see what she writes next."
Fifteen Wild Decembers (2023) Karen Powell "I was spellbound by this fictionalised portrait, brimming with the texture of the dank, wild hills of Yorkshire, the weight and power of grief, and the contentment to be found in daring to forge one's own path in the world. Delightful and intriguing; each sentence is so sharp, so shining."
The Witching Tide (2023) Margaret Meyer "I absolutely devoured The Witching Tide. Margaret Meyer evokes the uncanniness, the appalling cruelties of the witch trials in a way that is also thoroughly humane and shining. To read this book is to step inside time, to feel the bite of the sea air, to walk in the grime alongside Martha as she fights the tide of unspeakable cruelty and suspicion. It is a powerful, riveting read, each sentence pristine and haunting, and I can't wait to read what Margaret Meyer writes next."
Dark Earth (2022) Rebecca Stott "Dark Earth skillfully imagines a past world where women must fight to survive in a society of feuds, violence and nation-building."
Briefly, A Delicious Life (2022) Nell Stevens "I found myself floored by Nell Stevens' mastery with language, by her deep understanding of the human spirit, by the astonishing freshness of this historical novel. Briefly, A Delicious Life is a shining work of art and Nell Stevens is an original, whose touch is as deft as it is masterful."
Violets (2022) Alex Hyde "Stunning and original... Written in pristine prose, it reminded me of the possibilities of language."
The Key in the Lock (2022) Beth Underdown "The Key in the Lock is an absolute triumph! Dark, clever and utterly enthralling, this is historical fiction - and storytelling - at its absolute best."
Devotion (2022) Hannah Kent "Absolutely stunning. The writing, the characters and the twist were just perfect. Any Hannah Kent novel is guaranteed to be powerful, moving and so imaginative, but this was something else. It is a story that will stay with me."
The Christie Affair (2022) Nina de Gramont "I was enthralled, moved and entertained by The Christie Affair. This is a book which has it all - romance, enigma and wit in bucketloads. What's more, its devilishly good plot could out-do those written by Agatha Christie herself."
My Phantoms (2021) Gwendoline Riley "Devastated by this novel. Gwendoline Riley can draw character like nobody else. The weight each pristine, witty sentence carries! This is life, its aches, its silences, its love, what is carried and left unsaid. Her prose is so sharp you could cut yourself on it."
Victoria Park (2021) Gemma Reeves "I absolutely loved Victoria Park. It's a stunning portrayal of a London community, where moments of heartbreak, sympathy and joy cast deep reverberations. A triumph of compassion and redemption, the lives of the characters are so finely observed, they might be our own. It reminded me of Elizabeth Strout and Jennifer Egan, and I know I'll be thinking about Wolfie and Mona for months to come."
The Push (2021) Ashley Audrain "I was totally hooked. Compelling, addictive, chilling. Smashing read."
The Cat and The City (2020) Nick Bradley "An inventive, clever and beguiling read. With Tokyo as the backdrop, this is a beautifully written novel about belonging and loneliness, about escape and destruction, where the enmeshed narratives (and a magical cat) bind the city together."
The Mercies (2020) Kiran Millwood Hargrave "The Mercies is storytelling at its most masterful. This is an exquisite tale of sisterhood, of love, of courage and of what happens when communities turn on each other . . . I raged, I laughed, I cried. I urge you to read this novel."
