VICTORIA GOSLING is the founder of The Reader Berlin and The Berlin Writing Prize. In 2021, her debut novel BEFORE THE RUINS was published by Henry Holt (USA) and Serpent’s Tail (UK). Her second novel BLISS AND BLUNDER was published by Serpent’s Tail in August 2023. She is represented by Judith Murray of literary agency Greene & Heaton.
Victoria accepts commissions as a freelance writer, editor and consultant. She is also available to teach writing workshops and for readings and events. These days, she divides her time between Wiltshire and Berlin. Contact her at victoria@thereaderberlin.com. She tweets @VictoriaGosling and is having a go at Instagram here. Follow her for writing-related randomness.
BLISS AND BLUNDER was selected as a summer read by the TLS, Grazia and Good Housekeeping. You can read Victoria’s piece about Arthurian legend and national myth over at LitHub here.
“Exquisitely written and structurally bold … a deeply impressive novel” – Eva Dolan, author of This Is How It Ends
“Whipsmart … Gosling’s prose is ironic, honest and humorous in a postmodern collage of myth and modernity.” – Kim Sherwood, The Guardian (full review here)
“Bliss and Blunder, like the questing beast of legend, is many things at once; epic, sprawling yet intricate, it’s a novel of action and intimacy, an astute critique of our technological era, a fitting homage to Arthurian myth, and a moving, highly original story in its own right.” – Roisin Kiberd, author of The Disconnect
A thrilling romp through contemporary Britain with an eye on its ancient past. Victoria Gosling’s Bliss & Blunder manages to be simultaneously pacy, rich and formally adventurous – Ben Fergusson, author of Tales from the Fatherland
“The vivid sensuality of a summer’s day and the brutal compulsiveness of a battle march … Playful, clever and romantic, like the best Arthurian myths, with something new and electrifying that is all Gosling’s own. The women are wild, the tension is exhilarating, and the jokes are very, very funny.” – Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta, authors of The View Was Exhausting
Praise for BEFORE THE RUINS:
“Gosling is a stylish, sophisticated writer, and we realize that we are following Andy on what amounts to a grand scavenger hunt for the truth. Rain falls relentlessly, and the ensuing floods form an ominous backdrop to a story that becomes darker as it goes along.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“Before the Ruins is a lush and layered thriller that mystery lovers will savor.”
—Real Simple
“In this wonderfully sophisticated and beautifully conceived novel, the exceptionally talented Gosling does what many new authors can’t: She skillfully navigates several interconnecting timelines in an already multifaceted and complex story. This can be problematic for even the most successful and seasoned novelists, but Gosling handles this obstacle with a unique and clever touch that is quite refreshing. ”
— New York Journal of Books
“Whip-smart.”
—ShelfAwareness
“Gosling uses her richly ruinous setting as a jumping off point to examine class, innocence, morality, and loss.”
—Lit Hub
“Richly atmospheric and exquisitely written, Before the Ruins is wistful and haunting, hopeful and beautiful. Confidently contributing to the tradition of British mysteries, Gosling has delivered a tale that will satisfy fans of Tana French and Paula Hawkins.”
—BookPage
“The moody, gothic atmosphere enhances this very English [story]…Gosling not only excels in writing a mystery steeped in British history, but a mystery of this woman—how did she overcome what happened to her as a child, how did she become this person she is now?”
–Newcity Lit
“Gosling’s atmospheric debut takes a familiar theme – the way the things we do as teenagers reverberate in later life – but treats it with care and empathy…it’s the finely drawn characters, especially the spiky narrator Andrea, that linger in the memory.”
–Daily Mail UK
“[A] stellar debut. . . .The gorgeous, poetic prose perfectly complements the suspenseful plot. Gosling is off to a terrific start.”
–Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The elements of mystery serve to provide narrative tension, but the real point here is Gosling’s examination of the disappointment of modern living, the emptiness of adulthood, and the notion of the fake diamond necklace so many of us spend our lives searching for… Come for the missing person mystery, stay for the existential ennui.”
–Kirkus
“Engrossing, beguiling, and with an undertow of menace, Before the Ruins is a masterly debut from a richly talented author.”
–Sarah Waters, author of The Paying Guests
“Lush and razor-sharp, Before the Ruins is both deliciously gothic and completely contemporary. Every single page is absorbing and surprising.”
–Flynn Berry, author of Under the Harrow
“I don’t know the last time I enjoyed a book this much. Unbelievably tense and incredibly smart, Victoria’s Gosling’s story about four friends playing a truly terrifying game of cat-and-mouse in a deserted manor house is the perfect menage a trois of superb plotting, haunting characters, and gorgeous, atmospheric prose. Tana French fans will devour this.”
–Aimee Molloy, author of The Perfect Mother
“Four disaffected teenagers, a deserted manor, an unlimited supply of drugs, and a cache of potentially explosive secrets. What could go right? Before the Ruins, Victoria Gosling’s stunner of a debut novel, is rich with mystery and moral disorder. It put me in mind of Edward St. Aubyn and Donna Tart; dark, fierce, and totally addictive.”
–Valerie Martin, author of Property and Trespass
Interviews:
LA Times: Interview with Rachel Barenbaum
Center for Fiction: Interview with Henry Holt editor Caroline Zancan
Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Live Launch with Flynn Berry
EXBERLINER: Interview with Alexander Wells
Articles:
