Jack Fogg

Speculative fiction, historical fiction, upmarket crime and thriller

In fiction, I’m drawn to books which combine compelling storytelling, engaging characters and strong plotting. I particularly love novels of ambition and scope, which are full of big-hearted characters and aren’t afraid to entertain. Some of my favourites include The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, the Slow Horses series by Mick Herron, Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon, the Shardlake series by CJ Sansom, and the Jackson Brodie novels by Kate Atkinson.

When I worked at Penguin Random House, I commissioned and published the Wool trilogy by Hugh Howey and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and I would love to find books that could sit alongside these. Stories with a speculative edge, which introduce an element of the unknown into real-world settings, or throw forward into imaginable versions of our future.

Memoir, narrative-led non-fiction, nature, food, sport, psychology, business, craft and design, social sciences, investigative journalism.

In non-fiction, my tastes are broad, and I read widely in the areas of memoir, current affairs, politics, biography, sport, history, psychology, pop science, food and nature writing.

I’m especially drawn to great narrative non-fiction which has a deep focus and then expands outwards to explain a whole culture or subculture – books such as Dark Money by Jane Meyer or Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. I also love memoir or biography which simultaneously brings to life a time, place and personality, and favourites include The Return by Hisham Matar, Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell and Open by Andre Agassi. And I’m a sucker for a great piece of immersive journalism, of any variety and on any topic, where the writer really embeds themselves in the story they’re reporting. Bill Buford’s brilliant books on Italian and French cuisine are particular favourites.