Portraying one art form through another is a notoriously difficult task. Debate always rages when a book is adapted for the screen, and arguably depicting the visual or aural through the written word is an even more daunting task. Here we have a look at some of the best works of fiction themed around the joy of sound, from ivory-tickling primates to mixtape-ing pop fans.
An accomplished novelist and short story writer, and a professor of creative writing at the University of Warwick, A. L. Kennedy understands the perils of relying on real life to draw your fictional characters. In this extract from On Writing, Kennedy describes the responsibility of invading a reader’s space, and how not to fill your fiction with the ghosts of your past.
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake is a heart-rending and profoundly moving story of love and loss in World War II. As part of the new Penguin By Hand series, the cover has been recreated in hand embroidery by Jenny Hart. Read more on her creative process, and the challenges of using embroidery for a book jacket design, in this exclusive interview.