Set in Hampstead in the sweltering heat of the summer of 1989, Meeting the English follows Struan Roberts, a Scot newly arrived in London and bound for the house of Phillip Prys, a literary giant who has suffered a massive stroke and who now needs constant care. To Struan, the leafy streets of Hampstead and the excruciating heat of London are entirely foreign, as are the strange and careless people who live there. It is to be a life-changing summer . . .

Robin Robertson will be reading from his selected works alongside Frank McGuinness

Every time I write for the Picador blog I seem to be admitting to gross omissions in my reading. Whilst this makes for embarrassing moments in editorial meetings, it does also herald the promise of truly brilliant reading experiences. 

Picador author Laura Harrington (left) read The View on the Way Down by fellow Picador author Rebecca Wait (right). She fell in love with the book and decided she had to interview Rebecca for her blog Beyond the Margins. Here's the result - enjoy!

During the many wars that he has lived through, Qais and his family travelled around their country in order to stay alive. Sometimes their intention was to leave their homeland; sometimes it was only to escape from the violence that broke out to safety nearby.

In these maps, you can see his home and the paths of his family's journeys.