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29 Debut Books UK Readers Should Be Picking Up In 2021

Avid readers have a lot to look forward to.

by Alice Broster

Updated: Jan. 25, 2021

Originally Published: Jan. 17, 2021

Bustle

Over the last year it’s very likely your life has changed in ways you couldn’t have imagined. It wasn’t a year for making big plans or certainty. However, in the chaos I’ve come to appreciate the small, certain joys. One of which has been snuggling under the covers with a great book and cup of tea. While it’s too early to start looking forward to trips away again, there’s some great debut books coming out in 2021 that will whisk you away for an hour or two (or even a whole afternoon!)

From love stories set during the witch trials, mythical lands living behind a world of rubbish, and some of the UK’s brightest young minds teaching you how to save, calm down, and work smarter, 2021 looks set to be an exceptional year in books. Many of this year's most promising debut releases are ready for pre-order and what better treat is there than a parcel coming through your door after months of anticipation?

Here are some of the most exciting debut books coming in 2021.

Novels

'Luster' by Raven Leilani

Edie doesn’t feel like she’s getting anything right at all. She hates the admin job she has in an all-white office, she's sleeping with men who make her miserable, and has stopped doing the thing she loves the most — painting. So when she meets Eric she’s ready for a change. She just didn’t realise that this would mean falling into his family, getting entangled in his open-marriage, and drawn in by his adopted daughter. Coming Jan. 21.

'A Burning' by Megha Majumdar

#KolabaganTrainAttack is trending on Facebook. As a girl walks through the slum clutching her most prized possessions she writes “if the police didn't help ordinary people like you and me, if the police watched them die, doesn't that mean that the government is also a terrorist?” Her words spark controversy online, changing her life forever. A Burning is set in India and tells the story of PT Sir, Jivan, and Lovely who all dream of a different future in the wake of devastation. Coming January 21.

'Before My Actual Heart Breaks' by Tish Delaney

Set against the backdrop of The Troubles in Ireland, Before My Actual Heart Breaks sees Mary forced to marry John to save her mother from the shame of having a bastard in the family. Delaney’s debut explores consent, fierce female friendship, and a woman’s struggle to find her voice after years of it being quashed by religion and her family. Coming Feb. 18.

'Open Water' by Caleb Azumah Nelson

Open Water is a painful love story taking race and masculinity in its stride. When two young people meet at a pub in South London they seem to make total sense as a pairing. They're both Black-British, they’re both artists, and trying to make it in a place that they feel neither accepted or celebrated. However, when you only feel respected for your strength, it’s hard to be vulnerable. Coming Feb. 4.

'The Art of Falling' by Danielle McLaughlin

Nessa’s marriage is finally returning to normal after her husband had an affair. Her work life is coming together and everything feels like it’s working out. However, when two strangers appear, one with connection to her personal life and the other to her work, she has to face secrets she thought she’d long since buried and reckon with the fact that a man she so admired might not be so great after all. Coming Feb. 4.

'The Nightingale' by Sam Lee

Sam Lee explores how the world is changing around us through his main protagonist, the nightingale. This elusive bird's arrival in the UK is getting earlier with each spring. And with their numbers dwindling, things aren't looking good for them or the fragile balance of nature of which they're part. Author Lee is a folk musician and Extinction Rebellion activist. He’s combined his talents to chronicle the countryside's true character. Coming March 4.

'Sorrowland' by River Soloman

Vern is escaping a religious compound. As she runs, she begins to realise that her body has taken on extra-sensory powers. She flees to the woods where she gives birth to twins and raises them among nature. However, her body continues to change and she realises she has to face where she’s come from and what they did to her. Coming May 6.

'Cunning Women' by Elizabth Lee

Sarah and her family are outcasts. While they’re rejected by the villagers, they're still relied upon for their mysterious healing powers. When a new magistrate arrives in the town to investigate the strange goings on, his eyes turn to Sarah and he has a torch in his hand. Cunning Women is a tale of heartbreaking love and a young woman coming to terms with her powers. Coming April 22.

'Dream Country' by Ashaye Brown

Dream Country is an explosive debut novel from Ashaya Brown. It tells the story of the triplet Gods of Sleep, Dreams, and Nightmares, who go to war after the death of their mother. When a human enters their world and threatens everything they know, the situation escalates. Brown has created a world infused with Kenyan, Brazilian, Caribbean, and Grecian cultural references for readers to get lost in. Coming April 27.

'The Mismatch' by Sara Jafari

Soraya Nazari knows she wants to do something great. She just isn’t sure what that is yet. She’s trying her hardest to fit in but at 21 she can’t help but ignore the fact that she hasn’t had her first kiss yet. Surely, once that’s out the way she can get on? When she meets Magnus she realises it might be a little bit more complicated. Coming June 24.

'The Tiger Mom's Tale' by Lyn Liao Butler

Lexa has never quite fit into her blonde haired American family. She’s neither white enough or Asian enough to really belong anywhere. However, when her estranged father dies suddenly and she inherits his wealth, she's forced to travel and confront her Taiwanese family about the betrayals in her past. And once she has, can she return to New York to the life that she’s known for so long? Coming July 6.

'The Marks Left On Her' by Di Lebowitz

The Marks Left On Her is a courageous tale inspired by the #MeToo movement. As the only mixed-race child in her Hong Kongese family, Daughter is trying to establish who she is. Her father is gone and her mother is suffering with her mental health. She only has her strict religious Grandmother to fall back on. Girl is reckoning with being ignored until a sexual assault triggers a spiral. Survivor is battling the monsters of her past. Coming September 29.

'The Landfill Mountains' by Rab Ferguson

Joe is 16 years old and living in a world that’s been destroyed by climate change. He has been left with nothing but a mountain of rubbish. His living conditions are so toxic that he has to travel to another city to seek out a cure for six year old Lily’s deadly illness. However, once he gets there he finds a land filled with mythical creatures from a forgotten time. Coming October 12.

Non-Fiction

'How To Save It' by Bola Sol

How To Save It is one of the first books in the How To... series from #Merky Books. Sol explains that if you want to get a hand on your finances this year and thrive, then you’ve got to know where your money is going, what’s coming in, and how to talk about it. In seven chapters Sol addresses saving, budgeting, and dealing with any negative feelings or past experiences you have towards your finances. Available now.

'How To Move It' by Joslyn Thompson Rule

How To Move It is another book in the #Merky Books How To… series. Described as a personal trainer in your pocket, Thompson Rule explains what the power of movement can do for your overall wellbeing. If you’ve ever been too scared to try that new fitness class or piece of equipment then this book is for you. Available now.

'How To Calm It' by Grace Victory

A third in the #MerkyBooks series, How To Calm It is by health and wellness influencer Grace Victory. Victory has created a little space on the internet to share the joys and difficulties of achieving inner calm and the impacts it can have on your overall health. After a year that’s been so taxing on so many people, How To Calm It includes hints and tips to finding peace, whatever that may look like for you. Available now.

'Happy Planning' by Charlotte Plain

Plain spent her time in lockdown reflecting on how to create order in chaos. In Happy Planning she teaches you how to successfully plan the things you actually have control over. From weekly food shopping and meal prep to bigger goals like parties and weddings she shares her wisdom so you’ll never feel last-minute panic again. Available now.

'The Unusual Suspect' by Ben Machell

At the age of 21, Stephen Jackley, a geography student with Aspergers, decided to become a bank robber. He’d never robbed a bank before, but in the looming financial crisis of 2007 he’d become obsessed with Robin Hood. He disguised himself, worked out escape routes, and used replica pistols to successfully hold up a string of banks and steal thousands in a bid to steal from the rich and give to the poor. This is a remarkable true story. Coming January 21.

'The Rag and Bone Shop' by Veronica O’Keane

Have you ever wondered where good ideas come from? It can sometimes feel like that one creative stroke of genius was once in a lifetime and if you don’t hold on long enough it’ll pass you by. However, in The Rag and Bone Shop O’Keane explores how memories are made and why some things stick with us. Coming Feb 4.

'Birdsong In A Time Of Silence' by Steven Lovatt

The country went quiet in March 2020. However Lovatt noticed that as people slowed down the sounds of the birds only got louder. If you want to pick up a new hobby in 2021 then Birdsong In A Time Of Silence makes a pretty compelling case for making it birdwatching. He delights in their oddities and characteristics and shares why they’re so important. Coming March 4.

'Working Hard, Hardly Working' by Grace Beverley

Buy On Bookshop.org

Grace Beverley serves some serious inspiration for the business-minded. She’s the founder and CEO of hugely popular sustainable fitness fashion and tech businesses TALA and SHREDDY and stands for everything that old business isn’t. In her debut book she talks about resisting the pressure to work 24/7, working smart, and maintaining that elusive work-life balance. Coming April 13.

'All Boys Aren’t Blue' by George M. Johnson

All Boys Aren’t Blue is a collection of essays on childhood, adolescence, and college years which see Johnson reflect on coming of age while queer and Black. They discuss gender identity, Black joy, brotherhood, family, and consent. All Boys Aren’t Blue has already been a massive sensation stateside. Coming May 1.

Poetry

'Teeth In The Back of My Neck' by Monika Radojevic

Monika Radojevic won the #MerkyBooks New Writers' Prize for her debut collection, Teeth in the Back of My Neck. She explores the joy, sadness, and confusion you can often feel when your history is split around the globe. Coming May 4.

'Rotten Days In Late Summer' by Ralf Webb

Rotten Days In Late Summer is Ralf Webb’s debut collection of poetry. They explore grief and class, as well as love and youth both set in and out of the English countryside. Coming May 25.

'Stereo(TYPE)' by Jonah Mixon-Webster

Mixon-Webster won the 2020 Windham-Campbell Prize for their work on self-identification, Blackness, and fighting for freedom. In such a chaotic time, they explore what it takes to dismantle corrupt powers. Coming July 13.

‘Ace of Spades’ by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s debut novel Ace of Spades has been described as Get Out meets Gossip Girl. It’s a shocking thriller set in an elite private school. When a rumour starts to spread among the students about the only two Black students in the institution, they are forced to confront each other. However, it’s not just their reputations that are on the line. It’s their lives.

‘Before I Saw You’ by Emily Houghton

Alfie Mack has been in hospital for months after an accident that has turned his life upside down. But when Alice Gunnersley moves onto the ward, things start to change for the btter. The pair sleep next to each other but are separated by a curtain. She’s been burned so badly she hasn’t even seen herself yet. As the pair start to talk, they realise they have more in common with each other than just their current circumstances.

‘Dark Horses’ by Susan Mihalic

Roan Montgomery is on track to go to the Olympics. She’s loved riding all her life but her passion has trapped her in the grips of her abusive father, Monty. She’s never seen a future for herself that doesn’t involve competitive riding and a schedule ruled by her father. But when she meets Will, she can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

‘What Beauty There Is’ by Cory Anderson

After his dad goes to jail, Jack Morton is watching his family fall apart in front of his eyes. His younger brother Matty is so vulnerable and there's a risk he'll go into foster care. The only thing that will keep them together is if Jack tracks down the drug money that landed his dad in prison. However, it’s not going to be easy. He has to escape the man who orchestrated the faulty drug deal and who still holds a grudge against his dad.

This article was originally published on Jan. 17, 2021