No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy

Mark Hodkinson is one of the great unsung heroes of literature, and here he tackles perhaps the last taboo in publishing: class. With verve, insight and perfectly-captured period detail, he reminds us that not only are books sacred objects that should be available to everyone, but also that working class voices remain more marginalised and underrepresented than ever. No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy redresses this imbalance beautifully, and in a just world will kickstart a long-overdue working class literary renaissance -- BENJAMIN MYERS Mark's journey into his own cocoon of books is a deeply personal tale but one with universal themes for all young lives shaped and transformed in some way by the written word . . . Thoughtful and engaging -- MARK RADCLIFFE This is an impassioned hymn of praise and declaration of love for that complex cultural object, the book. Anyone who has ever read, written or published a book will find their heart's pages turning as they sink joyfully into these craftsman-built paragraphs -- IAN McMILLAN Some kids grow up dreaming of fast cars and fancy clothes. Others just want books and records. If that was you, particularly if you grew up in a small northern town where people said the word book the way they said the word voodoo , this is probably your story. Even if you didn't, chances are you'll love it -- DAVID HEPWORTH Praise for Believe in the Sign: A deftly written, poignant and funny tale of the 1970s * * Guardian * * Written with economy and elegance, self-deprecating but never self-pitying * * The Times * * Hodkinson has a light touch and a modest, self-effacing style which he deploys to discover comedy in the unlikeliest places * * Daily Telegraph * * Clever, occasionally brutal and regularly amusing * * Independent on Sunday * *