The most anticipated book releases of September 2021
Autumn is the busiest time of the year for the book industry, with publishers releasing the best book titles to lighten wallets in the lead up to the festive season. Within the A-list line-up this year, are books by the bestselling Irish writer Sally Rooney, the award-winning Financial Times political correspondent Sebastian Payne, Professor Bobby Duffy, journalist Noah Hurowitz and former chief of staff Gavin Barwell. From drugs to politics, sex to money, romance to betrayal, you’ll be sure to find something that will satisfy your literary cravings.
Generations: Does When You’re Born Shape Who You Are? – Bobby Duffy, (Atlantic Books), £15.95.
Published: 2 September
Are we in the middle of a generational war? Are Millennials really entitled “snowflakes”? Are Baby Boomers stealing their children’s futures? Are Generation X the safest generation? Will Generation Z fix the climate crisis? Professor Bobby Duffy seeks to answer all of these age-dependent questions in this original and deeply researched book. Informed by original analysis of hundreds of studies, Duffy explores whether when we are born determines our attitudes to money, sex, religion and politics and what implications this will have for humanity’s future.
Beautiful World, Where Are You – Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber), £12.79.
Published: 7 September
This is the latest novel from the internationally renowned author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends. The plot follows Alice, a novelist, who meets Felix, who works in a distribution warehouse, and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, Alice’s best friend, Eileen, is getting over a break-up and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. The book follows these four young characters as they navigate jobs, relationships, anxieties and adulthood whilst trying to make sense of themselves and the world around them.
Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour’s Lost England – Sebastian Payne (Pan Macmillan, £16.15)
Published: 16 September
The award-winning journalist and Whitehall Editor for the Financial Times has written a compelling political road trip through ten constituencies to tell the story of Labour’s red wall. Originally from the North East himself, Payne is on a mission to uncover the real story behind the red wall and what turned the seats blue during the 2019 general election. Beginning in the Blyth Valley in the North East and ending in Burnley, Payne discovers a more nuanced story – of how these northern communities have fared through generations, struggling public services, de-industrialization and the changing nature of work. Broken Heartlands features interviews with local people as well as major political figures from across the spectrum, from Boris Johnson to Sir Keir Starmer, to explore the significant role socio-economic forces have played in the changing of the political landscape.
El Chapo: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Infamous Drug Lord by Noah Hurowitz (Simon & Schuster, £11.99)
Published: 16 September
A fascinating investigation into the life and legend of Mexican kingpin Joaquín Archivaldo “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, which builds on author Noah Hurowitz’s revelatory coverage for Rolling Stone of El Chapo’s federal drug-trafficking trial. The book takes a dive into the harrowing details of Mexico’s drug violence and high-level corruption. Drawing on interviews with former cartel insiders, Mexican journalists, DEA agents, Chapo’s family members. Hurowitz explores the story of the now-imprisoned drug lord and the social structures that supported and enabled his rise.
Chief of Staff: Notes from Downing Street by Gavin Barwell (Atlantic Books, £15.95)
Published: 16 September
In this gripping insider memoir, Theresa May’s former Chief of Staff reveals what really went on in the corridors of power – and sheds vital light on May’s turbulent premiership. Barwell was by her side for two years: he was there when she negotiated her Brexit deal, met Donald Trump, heard about the poisonings of the Skripals in Salisbury, responded to the Grenfell Tower fire, met Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer to broker a cross-party Brexit agreement – and ultimately when she made the decision to stand down as Prime Minister. In Chief of Staff, Barwell shows how the government operates during times of crisis, as well as offering a record of some of the most eventful episodes in our contemporary political history.
Keep your eyes peeled for reviews of these books by the Reaction team throughout September.