Books : Fiction : Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards : Authors A-Z : W : Walker, Fiona

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Hard Times (Wordsworth Classics)

Charles Dickens
Well Groomed

Fiona Walker
French Relations

Fiona Walker
Love Hunt

Fiona Walker
Lots of Love

Fiona Walker
Kiss Chase

Fiona Walker
Four Play

Fiona Walker
Tongue in Cheek

Fiona Walker
Girls' Night Out/Boys' Night in

There's something exceptionally comforting about a short story collection like Girls' Night Out, Boys' Night In. Firstly, there's the choice--this is a truly bumper package, with more than 30 stories by some of contemporary fiction's most familiar names including Kathy Lette, Matt Beaumont, Mike Gayle, Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees. Not only is there some superb writing on offer but you're guaranteed there'll be a story for every mood you're in--be it optimism, anger, revenge, love or hatred. And if you embark on a story you don't like--and there may be a few of those--you can just move on. A few pages further on, there'll be another to grab you, such as "Obedience", the story of a local murder (a nasty stabbing with a cauliflower knife) told by a man more interested in his puppy's progress at obedience classes; or "Delivering Happyware", in which two teenage girls struggle with crushes and their summer job as door-to-door touters of "speedy mops", freezer boxes and toast cutters; or even "Little Boots", an "unfairy" tale about a man whose wife has long since become preoccupied with everything but him and his new dog--a rangy beast with outsized paws and a face full of teeth the size of hunting knives. Like Nick Hornby's Speaking with the Angel, Girls' Night Out, Boys' Night In has been produced for a good cause. One pound of every copy sold will go to War Child, a charity working for children in war zones whose lives have been torn apart by conflict. --Jane Honey
Between Males

Fiona Walker
Snap Happy

Fiona Walker
Lucy Talk

Fiona Walker

The chorus of praise for earlier books by Fiona Walker has been enthusiastic: her five previous international best-sellers have had critics and readers tingling with pleasure at the brilliant one-liners, whimsical plotting and larger-than-life characters. Of course, this kind of acclaim sets up certain expectations, but Lucy Talk is likely to do just as much for Walker's reputation as the much-acclaimed Between Males. The publishers promote her as the "voice of young, media-aware women", and the format of this book (it's told entirely in e-mails and letters) is absolutely right for her tale.
Lucy Gordon, Walker's wacky, beguiling heroine is dealing with a demanding boss (known as Slave Driver), her two critical friends (Jane and Bella) and her family of likeable eccentrics. While everyone tries to draw her attention to the fact that her attractive but fickle boyfriend Greg is taking advantage of her, Lucy's sunny nature blinds her to things that are obvious to everyone else. However, various professional and personal difficulties pitch her into a series of disasters and her equilibrium finally starts to get shaken. Will Walker grant her a happy ending?
This is delightful stuff, and while the e-mail novel is no longer such an innovative concept (perhaps it was when Walker started this), it's still brought off very cleverly here. Plus Walker's skill at finding some middle way between the way people really speak and the more witty discourse of the novel is brilliantly deployed:
He cooked me dinner--yes! This is a first. Admittedly it was only a boil-in-the-bag curry while we were watching a video, but I think it's a positive development in the relationship. I now have two jumpers, a toothbrush, a jar of moisturiser and a pair of jogging trainers in permanent residence at his flat. Am planning to sneak more items in without his noticing over next few weeks in the hope that it will subliminally trigger a sense of security and commitment in him. He's off to a stag party tonight, but I'm popping round first to help him on with his caveman outfit...
--Barry Forshaw
Love Hunt

Fiona Walker
Lucy Talk

Fiona Walker

The chorus of praise for earlier books by Fiona Walker has been enthusiastic: her five previous international best-sellers have had critics and readers tingling with pleasure at the brilliant one-liners, whimsical plotting and larger-than-life characters. Of course, this kind of acclaim sets up certain expectations, but Lucy Talk is likely to do just as much for Walker's reputation as the much-acclaimed Between Males. The publishers promote her as the "voice of young, media-aware women", and the format of this book (it's told entirely in e-mails and letters) is absolutely right for her tale.
Lucy Gordon, Walker's wacky, beguiling heroine is dealing with a demanding boss (known as Slave Driver), her two critical friends (Jane and Bella) and her family of likeable eccentrics. While everyone tries to draw her attention to the fact that her attractive but fickle boyfriend Greg is taking advantage of her, Lucy's sunny nature blinds her to things that are obvious to everyone else. However, various professional and personal difficulties pitch her into a series of disasters and her equilibrium finally starts to get shaken. Will Walker grant her a happy ending?
This is delightful stuff, and while the e-mail novel is no longer such an innovative concept (perhaps it was when Walker started this), it's still brought off very cleverly here. Plus Walker's skill at finding some middle way between the way people really speak and the more witty discourse of the novel is brilliantly deployed:
He cooked me dinner--yes! This is a first. Admittedly it was only a boil-in-the-bag curry while we were watching a video, but I think it's a positive development in the relationship. I now have two jumpers, a toothbrush, a jar of moisturiser and a pair of jogging trainers in permanent residence at his flat. Am planning to sneak more items in without his noticing over next few weeks in the hope that it will subliminally trigger a sense of security and commitment in him. He's off to a stag party tonight, but I'm popping round first to help him on with his caveman outfit...
--Barry Forshaw
Kiss Chase

Fiona Walker
Kiss Chase

Fiona Walker
Lots of Love

Fiona Walker
Lucy Talk

Fiona Walker

The chorus of praise for earlier books by Fiona Walker has been enthusiastic: her five previous international best-sellers have had critics and readers tingling with pleasure at the brilliant one-liners, whimsical plotting and larger-than-life characters. Of course, this kind of acclaim sets up certain expectations, but Lucy Talk is likely to do just as much for Walker's reputation as the much-acclaimed Between Males. The publishers promote her as the "voice of young, media-aware women", and the format of this book (it's told entirely in e-mails and letters) is absolutely right for her tale.
Lucy Gordon, Walker's wacky, beguiling heroine is dealing with a demanding boss (known as Slave Driver), her two critical friends (Jane and Bella) and her family of likeable eccentrics. While everyone tries to draw her attention to the fact that her attractive but fickle boyfriend Greg is taking advantage of her, Lucy's sunny nature blinds her to things that are obvious to everyone else. However, various professional and personal difficulties pitch her into a series of disasters and her equilibrium finally starts to get shaken. Will Walker grant her a happy ending?
This is delightful stuff, and while the e-mail novel is no longer such an innovative concept (perhaps it was when Walker started this), it's still brought off very cleverly here. Plus Walker's skill at finding some middle way between the way people really speak and the more witty discourse of the novel is brilliantly deployed:
He cooked me dinner--yes! This is a first. Admittedly it was only a boil-in-the-bag curry while we were watching a video, but I think it's a positive development in the relationship. I now have two jumpers, a toothbrush, a jar of moisturiser and a pair of jogging trainers in permanent residence at his flat. Am planning to sneak more items in without his noticing over next few weeks in the hope that it will subliminally trigger a sense of security and commitment in him. He's off to a stag party tonight, but I'm popping round first to help him on with his caveman outfit...
--Barry Forshaw
Love Hunt

Fiona Walker
Girls' Night in

Most girls know the best nights in consist of other girlie friends, a few bottles of vino (or devilish cocktail concoctions) and a good goss. A Girls Night In provides all this and more between the pages of its cover. A collection of short stories by 32 of the UK's most up-and-coming female authors, this intoxicating anthology is a heady blend of heartbreaks, highs and hit-and-misses. With each writer's distinct perspective and personal style flowing, no two stories are alike--although they all deal with a perennial theme: the battle of the sexes. Contributors include Marian Keyes, Lisa Jewell, Wendy Holden, Amy Jenkins and many, many more. Marian Keyes' "The Truth is Out There" is an unusual, screwball spin on getting over a broken heart--a young woman in the process of a break-up is unwittingly assisted by "a small, yellow, transparent creature who liked to be called Bib", with an eye for the ladies. Lisa Jewell's "Rudy" looks at affairs of the heart from a rare male perspective--the stalker--leaving many a reader, oddly enough, with a wry smile. Innovative, wacky titles abound to induce the reader in: "E-Male of the Species", "Dougie, Spoons and the Aquarium Solarium" and "The Seven Steps from Shag to Spouse". Whether you are drawn to a familiar writer or someone new, you can dip in and out of these tales at whim, gaining a taster of whether you could enjoy a full course of their longer fiction. Either way, raise a glass to toast this eclectic mix of authors united to raise funds for War Child. Proceeds--£1 from every book sold--will promote a Child's Safe Play programme in the Balkans and an educational programme in Rwanda. --Nicola Perry