May and Garmus among key debuts at Doubleday spring showcase

Nikki May’s hotly anticipated Wahala and Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry were among the key titles at Doubleday’s spring showcase on 17th November. 

The event took place at The Alchemist Embassy Gardens in south London's Nine Elms, near Transworld’s new offices, and saw five authors interviewed by critic Erica Wagner.  

May (pictured) told audiences she wanted her debut novel to be ”fun” and “to entertain” because “so many books about Black or brown people are centred on struggle”. Wahala, which publishes in January 2022, is about three mixed-race friends living in London contemplating their future; then Isobel, a glamorous friend from their past, arrives in town. May said she wanted to write a book that has characters like herself in it, who “can talk about jollof rice in the same breath as focaccia recipes”. Although she said it was “basically impossible” not to touch on issues such as race, colourism and class, she "didn't want to bang people’s heads with it”.  

Garmus revealed she started Lessons in Chemistry, which will publish in April 2022, seven years ago when she came home from work after having endured “some everyday sexism” herself. She said she wanted her book to “salute the generation of the so-called average housewives”.  

Paddy Crewe was also interviewed for his literary debut My Name is Yip, which is set during the Georgia gold rush, and follows 15-year-old mute and social outcast Yip Tolroy. The book is due to be published in May 2022.  

Sophie Haydock revealed that she was inspired to write her debut novel, The Flames, after visiting an exhibition of the artist Egon Schiele’s work at the Courtauld Gallery. Her novel, due to be published in March 2022, is about four women “muses” who inspired Schiele. 

Sean Lusk was also interviewed for his historical debut The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley, which will be published in June 2022. It is set against the backdrop of 18th-century London and Constantinople and tells the tale of a young man’s search for his father.