Five books chosen by Ashley Hickson-Lovence

Here are a few books I’d love to recommend for BookTalk:

Small Things Like These  (2022) by Claire Keegan

Such a quiet, precise and deeply moving novel. It says so much in so few pages and reminds me that restraint in writing can sometimes be more powerful than spectacle.

Lanny (2019) by Max Porter

Wild, strange and completely alive on the page. I love the freedom of the form and the way the novel feels simultaneously noisy and quiet.

NW (2013) by Zadie Smith

A novel that completely opened up possibilities for me formally. Restless, funny, fragmented and deeply human. It captures voice and place with such confidence and energy.

Lunch Poems (1964) by Frank O'Hara

One of the collections I return to most. The poems feel conversational, playful and spontaneous while still being incredibly crafted. They make everyday life feel electric.

Poor (2020) by Caleb Femi

A poetry collection that completely changed the possibilities of what I thought poetry could do. Musical, cinematic and full of tenderness. Every page feels alive.