Amanda Craig Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Amanda Craig is a reputed South African-born British writer, journalist, and critic. She is a Catherine Pakenham Award recipient and bestselling novelist. Craig has written several mind-blowing standalone books in her career, including A Vicious Circle, The Other Side of You, Foreign Bodies, Love In Idleness, A Private Place, Lie of the Land, Hearts and Minds, etc. In addition to these, she has written several short stories that have appeared in several popular magazines such as the Sunday Express, Good Housekeeping, New Statesman, Mail on Sunday, etc. After her birth in South Africa, Craig’s parents moved to Italy, where she grew up. Later, she relocated to London with her parents and all of them have been living there since then. Craig’s father, Dennis Craig, was a UN Press Officer and British journalist; while her mother, Zelda Wolhuter, was a journalist from South Africa.

Craig completed her schooling from Bedales School, following by a degree in English Literature from Clare College, Cambridge University. Following her graduation, she was employed in the field of advertising for some time for Terence Conran and J. Walter Thompson before she became a journalist and writer. Craig was active in the field of journalism for 10 years, where she worked for The Times as a critic of children’s books. She has also contributed greatly to other agencies such as The Guardian, BBC Radio 4, The Observer, and New Statesman. For her dedicated work, Craig was awarded the British Press Awards in 1995 and 1997. Before Craig began working as a freelance writer, she worked for the Sunday Express and Tatler. She has also served as a judge for many literary prizes such as Booktrust Award, Wingate Award, and Whitbread Novel Award.

Over the course of her writing career, Craig has penned a cycle of 7 interconnected novels that deal with the contemporary British society. Her expansive, satirical, and dramatic descriptions have made her a leading novelist in the country. Craig’s typical multi-strand approach to fiction writing has often bee compared with the likes of Honore de Balza, Charles Dickens, and Anthony Trollope. Her 1996 book, A Vicious Circle, was slated to be released under the banner of Hamish Hamilton, but it could not happen because David Sexton, her former boyfriend and Evening Standard’s literary editor, threatened to file a libel against. Three months later, the book’s publishing rights were purchased by Fourth Estate and released. It is now in the process of being developed into a TV series by Sharon Maguire for Channel 4.

Although each of Craig’s novels can be read independently, they are connected to each other by recurring themes and characters. Thus, it can be said that her books form a novel sequence. The Sunday Times and Prospect’s Sameer Rahim have labeled Craig as a State of the nation author. Typically, Craig creates a minor character in a book and then uses him or her as the main protagonist in her next book. Various critics have said heaps of praise for her work and her writing style. When Craig struggled to get the novel, A Vicious Circle released, she actively campaigned to bring reforms in the libel laws of the UK. She has compared the Devon county to Narnia and has set a couple of her novels there. As a reader, she likes to read children’s fiction and fairytales. And so, she was among the first ones to praise Philip Pullman, Stephenie Meyer, J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Anthony Horowitz, Cressida Cowell, and Malorie Blackman. She is happily married to a British economist named Rob Cohen. They have 2 children and live in Devon and London.

A successful novel written by author Amanda Craig is entitled ‘Love in Idleness’. It was released by Anchor publication in 2004. The main characters depicted in this book include Theo, Polly, and a few others. Craig has set this novel in Tuscany. The novel opens by showing that Theo is a workaholic lawyer and is married to an English woman named Polly. They have two kids. When Theo and his family go on to live in a rented Italian villa, they hope that their summer days will be relaxing and they will enjoy an exciting holiday in the idyllic villa.

With the romantic interest of her loved ones in mind, Polly invites an eccentric mixture of family and friends along. They include 3 eligible bachelors, a divorcee of the Indian-British origin, having a young son; an ex-model; and Polly’s mother-in-law, who seems quite appalling. Shortly after, the group discovers that the Casa Luna is an enchanted, strange place the desires of the heart are met. But, the price is required to be paid. Later, each one of them indulges in a love affair, but not with the person they first thought. This causes some hilarious and surprising outcomes that are witnessed and enjoyed by everyone.

Another wonderful novel penned by author Craig is called ‘A Private Place’. It was published by the Flamingo publication in 1992. The essential characters mentioned in this novel by Craig include Alice, Winthrop Sheen, Grub Viner, and a few others. Initially, it is shown that Knotshead is a high school that caters to the children of the wealthy, liberal, famous, and deluded. It follows a progressive curriculum and has beautiful grounds and complacent staff. The school appears to be a paradise because of all its high-quality features. However, the odd, the bookish, and the clever get relentlessly persecuted as the kids set up their own rules and regulations in a bubble of prejudice and privilege.

When the intellectual step-daughter of the school headmaster named Alice and the expelled American millionaire, Winthrop Sheen decide to stand up against the bully, Grub Viner is forced to choose between loyalty and love. He is a gifted pianist, but often gets bullied by others. The black comedy soon goes on to result in a murder. This book is compelling, savagely funny, and hilarious. By writing this novel, Craig has tried to provide a satirical take on the so-called progressive schools. Many critics have labeled it as a horribly accurate and bitingly funny description of what happens in progressive schools. It was widely appreciated by a large number of readers across the globe.

One Response to “Amanda Craig”

1. Lizzie Cary: 1 year ago

   I am so loving these books. Have just finished Hearts & Minds (certainly made me think)and am about to get The Lie of the Land. I do hope there will be some more!

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