We are delighted to announce LWC June speaker as Amy St. Johnson of Aitken Alexander Associates. on June 22, kicking off at 6pm.
I joined Aitken Alexander in 2018, and work with Clare Alexander and her clients. I am also building a list of my own… I started out as a reader for the agency. During that time I found How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones (represented by Clare Alexander), which has been shortlisted for the Women’s Prize 2021, and Highway Blue by Ailsa McFarlane who was chosen as one of The Observer’s 10 best debut novelists of 2021 (represented by Emma Paterson).
I read widely across book club fiction, thrillers and literary fiction. Books I have enjoyed recently are Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keane, The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey, Memorial by Bryan Washington, Hot Stew by Fiona Mozley, TheMost Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo, The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, The Topeka School by Ben Lerner, Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, Girl A by Abigail Dean, My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley and Consent by Annabel Lyon. I love Kate Atkinson, Elena Ferrante and Sarah Moss.
I have a passion for novels about dysfunctional families and I am on the lookout for something with a great story, that has multiple POVs or crosses generations, in the vein of Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell, Commonwealth by Ann Patchett or The Leavers by Lisa Ko. I am also particularly looking for a thriller. I am a huge fan of psychological suspense and stories with killer twists or heart-wrenching hooks but I am also interested in finding a really smart locked-room mystery with a bit of an edge (I’m thinking Jonathan Creek meets Jackson Brodie).
We look forward to talking to Amy and finding out more about her wishlist and how she works with her clients.
Members you will receive a link automatically on the day of the event and for non-members, you can book an advance ticket here. You will receive a link to the event on the 22 June.