Simon Savidge News Today

A demystification of genre writing across books and games, launching Black To The Future, an Afro-Futurist festival.

Phil Edgar-Jones cut his teeth in the mad world of 90s TV with shows like Big Brother. Under him, Sky Arts is leaving Auntie in its wake

Richie Anderson wowed Strictly Come Dancing fans and judges after a show-stopping performance that incorporated iconic Beyoncé choreography.

The book club's Summer Reads Special was full of excellent tips, but lacked a little bit of jeopardy

A new Radio 4 thriller electrified; Frank Cottrell-Boyce made a compelling case for children’s books; and a charming listener got to run her own station for the day

He has found critical and commercial success, while behind the scenes the frontman has battled with his self-confidence and severe stage fright. He explains why he still loves being in the band

The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey (Peepal Tree) has won the £30,000 2020 Costa Book of the Year award. The Costa Book Awards recognize “some of the most enjoyable books of the year, written by authors based in the UK and Ireland.” Each winner in the five individual categories receives £5,000. The Costa Book of the Year was selected from the category winners and announced in an online ceremony on January 26, 2021. This year’s final judges were Angellica Bell, Horatio Clare, Ji...

Last modified on Thu 28 Jan 2021 06.48 EST Monique Roffey has won the £30,000 Costa book of the year award for her sixth novel, The Mermaid of Black Conch, which opens as a fisherman on a Caribbean island sees a “barnacled, seaweed-clotted” mermaid raise her head from the sea. Suzannah Lipscomb, the historian and broadcaster who chaired the judges, said the novel was “utterly original – unlike anything we’ve ever read – and feels like a classic in the making from a writer at the he...