It’s Pick of the Month time and the shortlist for August 2020 has a definite family feel about it. Are you drawn to either John Grey or Sam Hickford as they try to make connections in ‘To a Father I Never Knew’ and ‘Familiar Tissue’, or appreciate, and identify with, Sunyi Dean transforming into her mother in ‘Dust’. Is it Susie Wild with her husband ‘Nude, smoking, in the dawn doorway’ that captivates or Frank Dullaghan, his sister singing him to sleep (past, present and future merging) in ‘How to Escape and Other Theories’, deserving your interest? Or does Lucy Atkinson pull at every parental instinct as you watch Persephone emerge from Winter in ‘Sunspot’?
All six of the shortlist have been chosen by Helen or Kate or received the most attention on social media. They can be found below or by clicking on ‘Vote for Your August 2020 Pick of the Month′ in the Categories list to your right on the screen.
Voting is now closed. August’s Pick will be announced on Friday 18th September
For the coronavirus period, our normal Pick ‘prize’ of £10 towards the UK charity of your choice or a National Book Token will rise to £30*. Charities and booksellers, both, have been hit hard by the shutdown and we wanted to make a (admittedly very small) gesture of support.
*Book tokens can only be used within the UK and will be divided between £20 for the winning writer and a £10 token for the person of their choice.