11 debut authors set to make their mark this year

A flurry of debut novels are always heavily pushed by publicists at this time of year, but only a handful will make the bestseller list.

In 2022, one of those names was Tessy Gunty, whose debut The Rabbit Hutch won both the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize in the UK and the National Book Award for fiction in the US.

Looking at 2023, these are the debuts Bea Carvalho, head fiction buyer at Waterstones, suggests are the ones to watch.

1. Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

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This debut novel from the screenwriter of Schitt’s Creek and Everything I Know About Love is a funny, satirical and, at times, profound story about a young woman trying to navigate her way through life following a divorce after a short-lived marriage.

“This one is hotly anticipated and inspired by the author’s own experience of getting married and divorced in her 20s, ideal for readers of Dolly Alderton,” says Ms Carvalho.

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2. The New Life by Tom Crewe

This novel is inspired by the story of two men in the 19th century, who wrote the first book about homosexuality at the time of Oscar Wilde’s trial.

“The author has really researched their lives and written this novel about them meeting and writing the book, in the historical context of that time,” Ms Carvalho explains.

3. Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

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Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah had a collection of short stories a few years back (called Friday Black), but this first novel is a dystopian imagination of where the American prison system could end up going. It’s about a sports league that pitches prisoners against each other for entertainment.

“It’s beautiful and brutal, with a really furious social commentary underpinning it,” says Ms Carvalho.

4. Bellies by Nicola Dinan

“This begins as a boy-meets-boy love story, but when the couple leaves university to go to London, one goes through the process of transitioning and the story is about what happens to their relationship from that. It’s a really beautiful, underrepresented love story in fiction,” says Ms Carvalho.

5. In Memoriam by Alice Winn

This is a story of forbidden love between two soldiers in the trenches of the First World War, where among the death and devastation they find fleeting moments of solace in one another.

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6. Lady MacBethad by Isabelle Schuler

This action-packed historical tale is a reimagining of the life of the Scottish queen who inspired the story of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth.

7. Maame by Jessica George

This coming-of-age debut follows Maddie Wright, a 20-something British Ghanaian, as she navigates identity, love, loss and becoming the woman she wants to be, while caring for her father who has Parkinson’s.

8. Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin 

“This is a heartbreaking, beautiful novel about three young kids who migrate from Vietnam to London in the 1980s, and have to find their way in [Margaret] Thatcher’s Britain having left their family behind in very tragic circumstances. It’s a real tearjerker and it’s going to be huge,” Ms Carvalho predicts.

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Other novels publishers have high hopes for include:

9. The Theory Of (Not Quite) Everything by Kara Gnodde 

From this debut writer comes a warmhearted tale about two siblings who, bound by the death of their parents, find themselves living together as adults – even though they have different outlooks on life.

Mimi feels constrained by her genius brother Art, who devises a mathematical algorithm to help her find love. For fans of Lessons In Chemistry and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

10. The Things We Do To Our Friends by Heather Darwent

A dark and gripping novel set in Edinburgh, it tells a compulsive tale of feminist revenge, toxic friendships and deadly secrets. A lead fiction debut for Viking in 2023, it’s already received brilliant early praise from the likes of Emma Flint, Nikki Smith and Julia Heaberlin.

11. Arthur And Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love

Described by the publishers as the “feelgood read of 2023”, this novel is a dual-narrative coming out story of Arthur, a 79-year-old who has spent his life in the closet, and his 21-year-old grandson Teddy, who is trying to find the right moment to come out to his family. It follows the characters as they navigate first loves, heartbreak, and finding their place in their community.

Are any of these novels on your to be read list? Let us know in the comments section below.

– With PA