Smelling of Rooks
Nine Years in the Norfolk Alps
Will be published approx. on 21. September 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-78463-405-6 (ISBN)
Description
From the author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin comes a candid, comic and irresistibly companionable portrait of a writer's life in rural Norfolk.
Drawn from Louis de Bernieres's hugely popular Facebook posts written between 2015 and 2024, Smelling of Rooks gathers a decade of reflections, anecdotes and observations on everything from music, cats and motorcycles to politics, parenting and the perils of social media. It is a book about the texture of ordinary days, told with the warmth, eccentricity and mischief that have made de Bernieres one of Britain's most beloved storytellers.
Set against the rolling fields and modest peaks of what he calls the 'Norfolk Alps', this accidental memoir captures a writer at ease with his life, his readers and his absurdities. There are riffs on the pleasures of cooking and DIY, portraits of friends and neighbours, the escapades of his children, and the unpredictable joys of country living.
At once funny, tender and defiantly unfiltered, Smelling of Rooks shows Louis de Bernieres as he really is - reflective, unpretentious and gloriously human. A celebration of family, friendship and the small wonders of daily life, it is a book to dip into, laugh with, and treasure.
Drawn from Louis de Bernieres's hugely popular Facebook posts written between 2015 and 2024, Smelling of Rooks gathers a decade of reflections, anecdotes and observations on everything from music, cats and motorcycles to politics, parenting and the perils of social media. It is a book about the texture of ordinary days, told with the warmth, eccentricity and mischief that have made de Bernieres one of Britain's most beloved storytellers.
Set against the rolling fields and modest peaks of what he calls the 'Norfolk Alps', this accidental memoir captures a writer at ease with his life, his readers and his absurdities. There are riffs on the pleasures of cooking and DIY, portraits of friends and neighbours, the escapades of his children, and the unpredictable joys of country living.
At once funny, tender and defiantly unfiltered, Smelling of Rooks shows Louis de Bernieres as he really is - reflective, unpretentious and gloriously human. A celebration of family, friendship and the small wonders of daily life, it is a book to dip into, laugh with, and treasure.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
Not illustrated
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
366 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78463-405-6 (9781784634056)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Louis de Bernieres, born in 1954, is a British writer, poet and musician who has written several novels, collections of poetry, and albums of his own songs. He has a degree in philosophy from Manchester University, a PGCE from Leicester Polytechnic, and a masters degree from London. He performs concerts of his own poetry and songs. He has had many jobs, including army cadet, teacher, motorcycle messenger, carpenter, and landscape gardener. He lives in Norfolk with his son, Robin, daughter Sophie, and five cats.