New work by Smith, Cain and James revealed at Penguin General showcase

Ali Smith, Susan Cain and Marlon James were among the line-up of authors at the virtual Penguin General 2022 Spring Showcase yesterday (5th October). 

Smith revealed her new book, Companion Piece (Hamish Hamilton), which will be published on 7th April 2022 and is about “companionship where we least expect it”.  

She said: “It’s about the importance of freedom of movement, in all that phrase’s many meanings but particularly its importance to the imagination; [it's] about the importance of imagination in and to everything. That’s all I’m going to tell you about it, because I’m still writing it. Forgive me, wish me luck, more soon, and all my warmest to you."

Other key titles included Cain’s latest work Bittersweet (Viking), also out on 7th April, as well as James’ Moon Witch, Spider King (Hamish Hamilton), the sequel to Black Leopard, Red Wolf.  

There were a number of new debuts previewed, including Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn (Viking), out 31st March; When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo (Hamish Hamilton), which will publish on 10th February; Ruth & Pen by Emilie Pine (Hamish Hamilton), released 5th May; and The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn (Fig Tree), out 2nd June.  

Hannah Chukwu, assistant editor at Hamish Hamilton, also revealed there will be a second instalment of the Black Britain Writing Back series, with six non-fiction titles published in February, with work spanning the turn of the 20th century to the present day.