Susie Boyt writes a column on shopping for the FT Weekend supplement. She is a novelist and lives in London.
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A surprisingly sober fictionalised recreation of the King’s early life with Gladys
A delightful memoir by the fashion photographer about his troublesome, flamboyant boyhood — and a later passion for hats
Two heartbroken people seek out a shared life in this ambitious, refined novel about attraction, disappointment, loss and care
Susie Boyt on why kindness in literature, from Austen to Bellow, should be cherished and treated with caution
A memoir of an upbringing in an intellectual elite full of clashes and strictures
A girl’s imagination adds colour to rural life in 1930s England in this evocative tale
Susie Boyt unfolds the immaculate allure of the linen cupboard
A daring collection of short stories with an aura of cool and featuring dislocated characters
A moving and involving story about a Las Vegas showgirl attempting to conquer past demons
The ‘no presents’ edict sadly de-skills me. It somehow makes me feel deprived
Susie Boyt, herself a devotee of extreme entertaining, shares her tips: from lavish food to fragrant flowers and the vital importance of “a bit of theatre”
When the winter seems endless, could a seasonal dress put a spring in your step?
Two sisters in flight from a troubled home find solace in the Scottish wilderness
‘There is something about watching drag queens that lets teenagers off the sharp hooks of themselves’
‘I tried to concoct a contemporary-ish version of Marlene Dietrich’s splendid yacht attire’
Sometimes it takes a museum-quality gown to give us permission to spend Christmas in bad clothes
Rebecca Rose selects her must-read titles
What to wear for a book launch: something elegant, unexpected and with a hint of elf
A funny tale about the effects of grief on a family and the wider repercussions of the death of a celebrity
‘Mad Men’ creator Matthew Weiner’s dark debut novel explores the collision of privilege and hardship
Still haunted by the dress that got away? A resale site is here to help
‘I never saw the Ready Brek kids as fashion icons but it’s good to keep an open mind’
A small part of me still believes that to be the person in the room with the most feelings is to be the best person
I’ve divided present buying this year into those who need soothing and those who need excitement
This is not Starbucks! You can’t just order essence of Helsinki to sprinkle over your pinecone Frappuccino
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