Jon McGregor gets better with every novel. His latest offering, Lean Fall Stand, has received rave reviews, building on the reputation of his previous book, Reservoir 13, and confirming his reputation as one of our most exciting voices in English literature. Fellow novelists have been falling over themselves to praise McGregor’s writing but it is the musician Jarvis Cocker who perhaps sums up the new book best: “Jon McGregor has crafted a unique narrative, encompassing frozen wastes and altered interior landscapes. Sit. Read. Applaud.” McGregor is a master of playing on readers’ expectations and Lean Fall Stand begins like a regulation thriller. Robert Wright, a veteran of the Antarctic, is caught in a devastating storm and is the only person on the field trip who knows what happened. But on his return to England, he is unable to speak, suffering from aphasia, and has to be cared for by his wife. What follows is a Beckettian exploration of language itself, as Robert struggles to communicate and the couple adjust to a life that neither had predicted. Town Hall £10 Sunday 3 October 6pm Big Screen Watch online £5 @marlboroughlitfest.org No surprise that McGregor, who is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Nottingham, has already won the IMPAC Dublin Literature Prize, the Costa Novel Prize and twice been longlisted for the Booker Prize. Other awards surely await.

Reviews:

‘It leaves the reader moved and subtly changed, as if she had become part of the story’ Hilary Mantel

Jon will be appearing at LitFest on Saturday 2 October at 6pm at St Mary’s Church Hall at a live event.