Alison Hennessey
@alisonhennessey.bsky.social
Publishing Director of Raven Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury Books. Lover of the gripping & the gothic, the contemporary & the cunning. Comprehensive school girl in literary world. Easily bribed with a chocolate orange.
Yaaaaay! My beloved dark, unsettling, mad and truly wonderful The Unrecovered by @richardstrachan.bsky.social is the Scottish Book of the Month for @waterstones.bsky.social!
Thank you so so much booksellers for championing such a brilliant book.
Thank you so so much booksellers for championing such a brilliant book.
October 1, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Yaaaaay! My beloved dark, unsettling, mad and truly wonderful The Unrecovered by @richardstrachan.bsky.social is the Scottish Book of the Month for @waterstones.bsky.social!
Thank you so so much booksellers for championing such a brilliant book.
Thank you so so much booksellers for championing such a brilliant book.
The Woman in Cabin 10 is one of my favourite books I have ever worked on so I am SO EXCITED that
a) it's coming to Netflix!! Starring Keira Knightley! And a truly amazing cast
*and*
b) @ruthwarewriter.bsky.social has written a sequel!
Wouldn't trust that law firm though...
a) it's coming to Netflix!! Starring Keira Knightley! And a truly amazing cast
*and*
b) @ruthwarewriter.bsky.social has written a sequel!
Wouldn't trust that law firm though...
July 24, 2025 at 9:02 AM
The Woman in Cabin 10 is one of my favourite books I have ever worked on so I am SO EXCITED that
a) it's coming to Netflix!! Starring Keira Knightley! And a truly amazing cast
*and*
b) @ruthwarewriter.bsky.social has written a sequel!
Wouldn't trust that law firm though...
a) it's coming to Netflix!! Starring Keira Knightley! And a truly amazing cast
*and*
b) @ruthwarewriter.bsky.social has written a sequel!
Wouldn't trust that law firm though...
Write a novel based on this prompt.
July 2, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Write a novel based on this prompt.
It’s also been described as ‘dark and twisted’ by Red Magazine, ‘very funny’ by the Irish Independent and ‘an absolute masterpiece’ by Stylist which frankly is the kind of review I’d quite like to get tattooed on me.
May 12, 2025 at 10:09 AM
It’s also been described as ‘dark and twisted’ by Red Magazine, ‘very funny’ by the Irish Independent and ‘an absolute masterpiece’ by Stylist which frankly is the kind of review I’d quite like to get tattooed on me.
One of the most delightfully brilliant and batshit (in the best way) debuts I have published - Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang - is getting the best reviews and I am so so thrilled 🐁 It’s now the Sunday Times Thriller of the Month!
May 12, 2025 at 10:09 AM
One of the most delightfully brilliant and batshit (in the best way) debuts I have published - Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang - is getting the best reviews and I am so so thrilled 🐁 It’s now the Sunday Times Thriller of the Month!
I don’t know how to do those clever animations people do but basically if you upload a photo and then click alt text a little button appears which, if you press, will highlight all the text in a photo.
May 1, 2025 at 8:41 AM
I don’t know how to do those clever animations people do but basically if you upload a photo and then click alt text a little button appears which, if you press, will highlight all the text in a photo.
So delighted to see Sally Smith’s A Case of Mice and Murder as @waterstones.bsky.social’s Thriller of the Month for May!
An utterly charming, deeply satisfying mystery brilliantly published by my colleague Therese, you are in for a total treat with this series.
An utterly charming, deeply satisfying mystery brilliantly published by my colleague Therese, you are in for a total treat with this series.
May 1, 2025 at 8:03 AM
So delighted to see Sally Smith’s A Case of Mice and Murder as @waterstones.bsky.social’s Thriller of the Month for May!
An utterly charming, deeply satisfying mystery brilliantly published by my colleague Therese, you are in for a total treat with this series.
An utterly charming, deeply satisfying mystery brilliantly published by my colleague Therese, you are in for a total treat with this series.
I beg to differ….
April 15, 2025 at 7:06 AM
I beg to differ….
Thank you to @thebookseller.com for picking Liann Zhang’s Julie Chan is Dead as one of their top picks!
April 9, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Thank you to @thebookseller.com for picking Liann Zhang’s Julie Chan is Dead as one of their top picks!
I cannot get over how great this book looks - so bright, so neon! And I love love love these bright pink endpapers ❤️ 💀 🩸
Cover design courtesy of the wonderful Nibbies shortlisted, David Mann.
Cover design courtesy of the wonderful Nibbies shortlisted, David Mann.
April 8, 2025 at 9:04 AM
I cannot get over how great this book looks - so bright, so neon! And I love love love these bright pink endpapers ❤️ 💀 🩸
Cover design courtesy of the wonderful Nibbies shortlisted, David Mann.
Cover design courtesy of the wonderful Nibbies shortlisted, David Mann.
And I also had to buy myself something to read, which is proving to be enormous fun and very much reminding me of reading Love, Nina.
April 6, 2025 at 9:04 AM
And I also had to buy myself something to read, which is proving to be enormous fun and very much reminding me of reading Love, Nina.
Away for the weekend and completely charmed by this book in the town indie bookshop, which I had to buy for my little boy.
April 6, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Away for the weekend and completely charmed by this book in the town indie bookshop, which I had to buy for my little boy.
Hats off to my colleague’s author who just sent cupcakes through to apologise for the fact they’re massively late with a deadline. All is instantly forgiven.
March 31, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Hats off to my colleague’s author who just sent cupcakes through to apologise for the fact they’re massively late with a deadline. All is instantly forgiven.
Gorgeous new deliveries of finished books to celebrate a sunny spring Monday! A stunningly atmospheric mystery perfect for fans of Tana French and a keep you up all night happily unhinged thriller.
March 31, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Gorgeous new deliveries of finished books to celebrate a sunny spring Monday! A stunningly atmospheric mystery perfect for fans of Tana French and a keep you up all night happily unhinged thriller.
Spring in London when the sun comes out is absolutely the best. Giant fluffy clouds of blossom everywhere in South East London, and warm enough to play in the sand in one of the brilliant free playgrounds ❤️
March 30, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Spring in London when the sun comes out is absolutely the best. Giant fluffy clouds of blossom everywhere in South East London, and warm enough to play in the sand in one of the brilliant free playgrounds ❤️
Highlight of my four year old’s birthday so far has definitely been the dinosaur Lego
March 13, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Highlight of my four year old’s birthday so far has definitely been the dinosaur Lego
How disgustingly beautiful is the special Indie bookshops edition of The House of Barbary? Look at those spredges and endpapers! Our designers and production team have surpassed themselves, which is only right for Isabelle's brilliant novel.
March 4, 2025 at 11:27 AM
How disgustingly beautiful is the special Indie bookshops edition of The House of Barbary? Look at those spredges and endpapers! Our designers and production team have surpassed themselves, which is only right for Isabelle's brilliant novel.
And @richardstrachan.bsky.social's The Unrecovered is described as 'In Richard Strachan’s impressive first novel, the lives of his characters are radically changed not only by the war but by the eruption of the past into the present.'
March 4, 2025 at 10:41 AM
And @richardstrachan.bsky.social's The Unrecovered is described as 'In Richard Strachan’s impressive first novel, the lives of his characters are radically changed not only by the war but by the eruption of the past into the present.'
Chuffed to bits to see two of my books in the Sunday Times round up of the best historical fiction of 2025! So so delighted to see Isabelle Schuler's brilliantly fierce The House of Barbary described as 'A novel of exceptional vigour and originality’ www.thetimes.com/culture/book...
March 4, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Chuffed to bits to see two of my books in the Sunday Times round up of the best historical fiction of 2025! So so delighted to see Isabelle Schuler's brilliantly fierce The House of Barbary described as 'A novel of exceptional vigour and originality’ www.thetimes.com/culture/book...
I’m fairly sure this would have been my dream present as a small child.
March 1, 2025 at 11:40 AM
I’m fairly sure this would have been my dream present as a small child.
The way to publishers’ hearts is definitely via cake. Thank you to lovely Bianca Gillam for sending her editor (and by extension her editor’s desk mates 👋🏻 ) gorgeous cupcakes to celebrate her book coming out - here’s to Bad Publicity.
February 24, 2025 at 11:32 AM
The way to publishers’ hearts is definitely via cake. Thank you to lovely Bianca Gillam for sending her editor (and by extension her editor’s desk mates 👋🏻 ) gorgeous cupcakes to celebrate her book coming out - here’s to Bad Publicity.
Took my small child into the office after his hospital appointment on Monday and it seems he’s a fan of ice hockey romance ⛸️ ❤️
February 19, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Took my small child into the office after his hospital appointment on Monday and it seems he’s a fan of ice hockey romance ⛸️ ❤️
A day off without big plans (apart from, admittedly, a hospital appointment in central London later for a small boy) demands some small indulgence don’t you think?
February 17, 2025 at 11:41 AM
A day off without big plans (apart from, admittedly, a hospital appointment in central London later for a small boy) demands some small indulgence don’t you think?
Happy Valentines Day to you all!
February 14, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Happy Valentines Day to you all!
Incredibly lovely to be at the @goldenhare.bsky.social last night to launch The Unrecovered. A gorgeous indie bookshop in Stockbridge and the perfect venue for a completely fascinating talk with @richardstrachan.bsky.social.
February 14, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Incredibly lovely to be at the @goldenhare.bsky.social last night to launch The Unrecovered. A gorgeous indie bookshop in Stockbridge and the perfect venue for a completely fascinating talk with @richardstrachan.bsky.social.