My new short story collection is out soon!

We are delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of Ian Gouge‘s latest collection of short stories, Writing to Gisella and Other Stories, on the 3rd October, 2026. The collection opens with an updated version of the 2017 novella, Writing to Gisella. ~ Writing to GisellaIn many ways it was the perfect summer break: taken on impulse, and filled … Continue reading My new short story collection is out soon! →

“The Café with no Name”

I'm not a particular fan of rules and guidance when it comes to writing fiction i.e. "show don't tell", "a story needs a beginning, middle and end" etc. There are multiple ways to construct a narrative and tell a story; I don't see why we should restrict ourselves. Having said that, in reading Robert Seethaler's … Continue reading “The Café with no Name” →

“Red Sky in Morning’

Simply excellent. In Red Sky in Morning Paul Lynch has woven an authentic and engrossing tale of desperate men, one who strives to escape, the other bent to do the catching. This is a brutal tale of misplaced men in a country that doesn't want them. Lynch's portrait of Faller is magnificent, n animal for … Continue reading “Red Sky in Morning’ →

“What We Can Know”

Oh dear. And I'm usually such a fan of Ian McEwan's work... What We Can Know was a real let-down. From my perspective, fundamentally flawed (and spoiler alert...) Setting the book in the middle of the twenty-second century: what was that all about? Not only completely unbelievable but distracting and unnecessary. The premise of the … Continue reading “What We Can Know” →

IMPORTANT – FOR ALL INGRAM SPARK USERS

I have just discovered there is an opt-out to help prevent your books being sold to AI companies (which presumably means the default is ‘opt-in’…) You can find the opt-out link here (pass it on): https://www.ingramcontent.com/page/ai-opt-out

Writing to Gisella and Other Stories

We are delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of Ian Gouge's latest collection of short stories, Writing to Gisella and Other Stories, due out on the 3rd October, 2026. The collection opens with an updated version of the 2017 novella, Writing to Gisella. Writing to GisellaIn many ways it was the perfect summer break: taken on impulse, and … Continue reading Writing to Gisella and Other Stories →

July’s Substack highlights

"when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something." - Ernest Hemingway A selection of recent posts from my Substack site. Also, on the same site, don't miss the free serialisation of my magic realism novel, The Big Frog Theory. If … Continue reading July’s Substack highlights →

“Twist”

Twist is the fifth novel from Colum McCann I've read - and I daresay it won't be the last. A fluent narrative with just enough in terms of 'teasers' to keep you reading. Interestingly, many of these come at the beginning of chapters rather than at the end; a kind of trailer for what could … Continue reading “Twist” →

“Life A User’s Manual”

I should start by confessing that it has taken me more than two years - if not three or four! - to finish reading Georges Perec's novel, Life A User's Manual. And why is that? Although it weighs in at 500 pages (in my 2008 Vintage paperback edition), it's not the size of the book … Continue reading “Life A User’s Manual” →