Zennor in Darkness and A Spell of Winter (see below for links) are both set in England during the First World War; in The Siege and The Betrayal, the setting is Leningrad during the Second World War and immediately after; the background to Exposure are the spy scares of the Cold War. A finely wrought psychological thriller … But it’s ultimately a novel about the ways in which we remember and, as such, a fitting contribution to Dunmore’s extraordinary legacy. Reading a proof copy of this novel, all four sides of the cover are full of praise for Helen Dunmore.

Aside from the building being larger than member and staff requirements, refurbishing the building and letting excess space, as either offices or residential, would require a significant loan. It’s no coincidence the Lecture Theatre is this venue’s largest space – One Birdcage Walk was literally built for conferences. For Augustus and Julia, and those who share their radical views, the initial events of the French Revolution provide a concrete example of the people exercising their rights. Lizzie is married to a builder, one her family does not like, and there is a sense of oppression, sexual obsession, and dread in the relationship between them. One aspect of the book that I was rather surprised by, is that Dunmore, near to the beginning of the novel, clarified something that could in fact have been an interesting mystery throughout the book.

The HQ working group’s draft report and business case has now been considered by the trustee board, which has consulted with and sought assurance from the finance board, audit and risk committee and strategy committee on the assumptions and approach taken.

As this gives such a fascinating insight into life for women in Georgian England - not only was this a thrilling read it also gave me an impactful look at British history. The dialogue felt forced, unnatural, and repetitive, and the prose and plot were too slow, and plodded along. Her novels illuminate not only the suffering of these forgotten people but their small joys, the ties of family and of faith, the stubborn determination of individuals, even in the grimmest of circumstances, to hold onto the humanity that redeems us. My father was the eldest of twelve, and this extended family has no doubt had a strong influence on my life, as have my own children. On the corner of St James’s Park, it’s just a moment’s walk from both Westminster and St James’s Park underground, and is easily accessible from mainline stations too.

Despite its slower pace, I was pleased to find this story an incredibly engaging one with broad, expansive characters and fully realized settings. Diner questions where Lizzie has been on her nocturnal wanderings, and a chance encounter with a dressmaker on the streets of Bristol reveals a clue to John Diner's past. There is no mistaking her powerful sense of the maternal but the fascination perhaps resides in the idea of mother and child as one (the mother lives on in the life of the baby that killed her). Her first novel, Zennor in Darkness, was a remarkable debut, but in comparison suffers from a surplus of detail. Its unencumbered lightness does not come out of nowhere: it has been years – and books – in the making.