Catherine Newman sees the heartbreak and comedy of life with wisdom and unflinching compassion. The way she finds the extraordinary in the everyday is nothing short of poetry. She's a writer's writer-and a human's human. KATHERINE CENTER , New York Times bestselling author Again, I will use my own book as an example here – when it came to querying The List of Suspicious Things, I already had The Trouble with Goats and Sheep as a comp (see above) but because it’s set in West Yorkshire, is dark (!), and uses dialect in the dialogue, I combined it with A Kestrel for a Knave (or the film Kes) to give a more accurate flavour of the book. Gloriously funny, utterly heartbreaking, and really just brilliant, We All Want Impossible Things is one of the best novels on friendship I've ever read. I loved it. AJ PEARCE, author of DEAR MRS BIRD The List of Suspicious Things is a tender and moving coming of age story about family, friendship and community. Sometimes the strongest connections are found in the most unlikely of places.

Together with her best friend Sharon, Miv introduces us to a remarkable cast of characters in her local town: Omar, the shopkeeper who is raising his son Ishtiaq while battling the grief of losing his wife; Mr Ware, the teacher whose life and sense of self is slowly crumbling; and Helen, the young librarian who harbours dark secrets of her own. As the girls’ lives become intertwined with the subjects of their investigation, Miv begins to realise the complexity of the adult world around her—from the good to the bad. But as the risks grow greater, ripples start to shatter the fragile illusions that hold their world, and their community, together." This whole experience came about because I knew instinctively that I needed to do something different. I needed courage, dramatic change and a sprinkling of foolishness to make this happen but I listened to my instincts and the rest is history. She said: “My own childhood was haunted by the Yorkshire Ripper and I wanted to write a novel that captured the atmosphere of the time and the shadow he cast over the community, while also celebrating human resilience and the power of connection. Not using the biggest selling book of the year/decade as your only comp – it paints you into a corner and there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, tread it carefully. I really get the negativity around providing comp titles. Who wants to reduce their work to being just like someone else’s? Isn’t the whole point to be original? Well, yes, but remember that there is nothing new under the sun and providing a comp title doesn’t mean that you are saying ‘this book is exactly like my book.’A heartwarming tale about the power of human connection, written with empathy, warmth and care. To read it is to feel that little bit better about life' ELIZABETH DAY Butterfield said: “I don’t buy many books anymore, I’m not really supposed to, but I only do it when I fall in love with something extraordinary and there are actually novelists here who I’ve naughtily bought. And The List of Suspicious Things is exactly that, an extraordinary novel. It gave me the courage to follow my true North. And it’s not just for artists or writers. When we get to a certain age or stage in life, it can feel as though our path is set. This can be a real impediment to doing/being somebody different. Humans are elastic so whatever age/stage you have the capacity to be something completely different. Never write off the ability to follow your dreams. Miv lives with her Dad, her Mum (when she’s not having one of her regular spells in hospital, having completely withdrawn from life) and auntie Jean. She caught her Dad and auntie Jean talking about moving away from Yorkshire, citing the Ripper as one of the reasons, so if Miv can discover the identity of the killer, maybe she won’t have to move away from her dear friend Sharon, and so it is that 11 year old Miv decides she’s going to catch The Yorkshire Ripper, and persuades her best friend Sharon to help her. A riotously funny and fiercely loyal love letter to female friendship. The story of Edi and Ash proves that a best friend is a gift from the gods.... I laughed while crying, and was left revived. Newman is a comic masterhand and a dazzling philosopher of the day-to-day. AMITY GAIGE, author of SEA WIFE

Venetia Butterfield, managing director of Hutchinson Heinemann, said: "Jennie’s extraordinarily moving, accomplished and beautifully written novel kept me awake until 3 a.m. Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Yes. It would be to create your own little writing bubble, where you very much manage/limit how much you take on in terms of views on publishing as an industry/what sells/how difficult it is to get an agent etc. These are all things that any writer who wants to be traditionally published will have to face, but if you take on too much of that while you are writing, it can really demotivate you. Save that for later, focus on the writing first. A heartwarming, and moving experience, and I loved it. I shall be very surprised if this debut novel isn’t a runaway success, and one that the author justly deserves. You know when you just know a book is going to be huge, that a talented new author has burst on the scene?? Well, here we have it. First of all, the characterisation is exemplary. I love Miv and she’s an unforgettable character and yes, you could say she’s obsessive but she’s only looking for distraction from difficulties at home. Miv has good instincts even if she doesn’t entirely understand what she sees which is certainly true at the start when her naivety is clear to see but not at the end. Her friendships are a thing of beauty especially with the lovely Sharon, the “Terrible Twosome” and their friendship is wonderful. It isn’t all plain sailing by any stretch as they witness some cruelty and meanness that beggars belief but sadly is all too believable. All the characters spring to life, even the ones you’d rather didn’t.

How did Catherine Neman write a book about dying that is so luminously alive? Earthy, funny, and terrifyingly honest - this is a book with heart and guts and all the other goopy gravt we need to stay among the living. A radical delight. RUFI THORPEJennie said: “It’ll sound really trite, but I really did have a moment where I thought: ‘I’m nearing 50, and I’ve had this thing that I’ve wanted to do since I was child. If not now, then when?’