The Witch by Marie NDiaye

7 April | 144 pages | France | Bookshop.org UK | Blackwell’s

Lucie comes from a long line of witches. Her own mum was formidable in her powers, but ashamed of her magic. Perhaps as a result, Lucie’s own gift is weak. Lucie’s own children are initiated into their family’s peculiar womanhood when they reach twelve years of age, and in a few short months, Maud and Lise are crying the curious tears of blood that denote their magical powers. Having learned, they take off quickly and fly the nest. Literally.

The Young Die Old by Nguyen Binh Phuong

1 May | 250 pages | Vietnam | Bookshop.org UK | Waterstones

In the mythic village of Phan, two feuding families vie for control of a mysterious treasure said to lie beneath the land, while a former soldier wanders the village, driven by fractured memories, and unfulfilled desires.

Before I Knew I Loved You by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

21 May | 240 pages | Japan | Bookshop.org UK | Blackwell’s

The sixth book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series about a cafe that offers you the chance to travel through time.

A girl wants to make amends with her mother, a man never received a reply from his girlfriend, a woman wants to know her future and a student meets his deceased father.

A Mask the Colour of the Sky by Bassem Khandaqji

4 June | 192 pages | Palestine | Bookshop.org UK | Blackwell’s

Nur, a Palestinian refugee, is often mistaken for an Ashkenazi Jew. Fluent in Hebrew and with a degree in archaeology, he dreams of freedom beyond the fence. When he discovers an Israeli ID card in the pocket of a secondhand coat, he assumes a false identity and is hired for an archaeological dig near Megiddo. Passing as an Israeli, he moves through a world previously off-limits and gains insight into the lives of those he’s been taught to perceive as enemies. 

An Author’s Dozen by Christopher Amato

23 April | 207 pages | Blackwell’s

A woman breaks the world to succeed in a man’s world. A man navigates love and the markets of Sicily, and a woman is obsessed with a mysterious painting. Each of these thirteen tales offers a unique glimpse into the human experience, making the collection a treasure trove for anyone who loves the art of storytelling.

The Philosophy Friends by Mary Moloney

28 April | 400 pages | Bookshop.org UK | Blackwell’s

Struggling to come to terms with the death of her son, fifty-year-old Caitriona decides to enroll in evening class in Practical Philosophy, hoping it will distract her from her grief. There, she meets two other women equally impacted by tragedy. As their lives become increasingly interconnected, they come to realise that the enduring power of female friendship will see them through whatever life throws at them.

John of John by Douglas Stuart

21 May | 400 pages | Bookshop.org UK | Blackwell’s

Cal is a young man returning home to a small village in the Outer Hebrides. He’s out of money and his father needs him. But it is also a return to suppressed emotion and secrecy that not only destroys his father but looks set to determine the relationship between father and son. For both Cal and John, keeping their sexuality secret threatens both their relationship and their own lives.

It Comes in Waves by Rukky Brume

25 June | 368 pages | Bookshop.org UK | Blackwell’s

Onome Odafe has little experience of what it means to lose someone she truly loves. So when her father dies from a stroke, she isn’t sure how to act. Reunited with her siblings and mother in Nigeria, Onome is thrown into the depths of various funeral events, uncomfortable customs and meddling religious figures. One afternoon, her Aunty Eguono’s words upend the only image of her father Onome has ever known.

Panthera’s Haven by Jude Rush

23 April | 350 pages | Bookshop.org UK (ebook) | Blackwell’s

In 1959–1960 America, fourteen teenagers form a mixed gang, named Panthera. Condemned by the youth gangs of the city and inspiring others with their radical nature, they soon find themselves juggling the effects of gang violence and increasing fame. Panthera stands as a daring message to the world. But is their world ready to receive it?

Drummers and Dreamers by Laila Ouarrachy

15 May | 300 pages | Bookshop.org UK (ebook) | Blackwell’s

1960s Casablanca, Morocco: Heartbroken by the sudden death of her father, Tamo – a sharp, spirited teenager from a farm – moves in with her uncle in the city. She bonds with a singer who shares her devotion to Moroccan folk music, and becomes entangled with an idealist student activist. When protests ignite, and violence spreads, surveillance tightens, and every connection carries consequences.

Behind Five Willows by June Hur

26 May | 336 pages | YA | Bookshop.org UK | Blackwell’s

Jane Austen meets historical Korea: The second daughter of a poor family (and secret book transcriber) meets a nobleman (and secret author) as chaperones on a date.