Which debut novels should you be reading in 2026?

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and realities of writing debut novels with three breakout authors.

What are the best books get you out of a reading slump? How did Snakes on a Plane inspire a literary sensation? What did James Joyce and Pakistani rap teach one of our debut novelists? And does a writer need to be completely delusional to finish writing a novel?   This week on Ask Penguin we sit down with three breakout debut authors, Angela Tomaski , Sufiyaan Salam , and Madeline Cash , to discuss the messy, hilarious reality of writing a first novel. And as always, we answer all your bookish questions and provide some much-needed reading recommendations.  Discover all the books mentioned in this episode here About the books Wimmy Road Boyz is a blistering story of masculinity, violence and love set over the course of a single, surreal night, told in energetic and cinematic prose. The Infamous Gilberts is a novel buoyed by love, buffeted by loss, and tangled together in an unputdownable story where the lines between eccentricity and madness, cruelty and love become hilariously heartbreakingly blurred. Lost Lambs is a novel of quick-witted observation and surprising tenderness, conspiracies, loss and humour, a family saga for the twenty-first century, all held…

People in this episode

Host: Penguin Books UK

Guests: Angela Tomaski, Sufiyaan Salam, Madeline Cash

Topics covered

• debut novels
• writing process
• book recommendations
• literary inspiration
• reading slump

Keywords

• debut novels
• writing
• book recommendations
• reading slump
• literary inspiration

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Wimmy Road Boyz, The Infamous Gilberts, Lost Lambs, Snakes on a Plane

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