British Author Challenge April 2026: Kit de Waal & Stephen Fry

Kit de Waal was suggested by @avatiakh and yet another author I've not yet read.

Selected works
My Name Is Leon
The Trick to Time
Without Warning & Only Sometimes: Scenes from an Unpredictable Childhood
Six Foot Six
Becoming Dinah

Wikipedia page

In addition to being an actor, comedian, podcaster, audiobook reader, etc., Stephen Fry is the author of a number of books in a variety of genres. I've enjoyed reading several of his books—especially his retellings of Greek Myths—and hope others will like reading his work, too.

Selected works
Stephen Fry's autobiography series
Stephen Fry's Greek Myths Reimagined
A Bit of Fry and Laurie scripts
Paperweight
The Ode Less Traveled
The Liar
Making History

Wikipedia page

I will be reading Mythos by Stephen Fry for April. I had no luck at all with anything by Kit de Waal at my local library and precious little by Fry, so I am taking what I can get!

>3 alcottacre: Sorry to hear your pickings are slim, but the one you got is a good one!

If you don't mind ebooks, NetGalley has de Waal's Sweet Pea (aka The Best of Everything) on offer. https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/751245

I've seen Stephen Fry in things and I think I've even heard him narrate something, but I didn't realize he wrote stuff, too.

My library doesn't have a lot (I wanted Paperweight, but no luck), but they do have Stephen Fry in America, so I'll start there.

>5 kac522: I haven't read Stephen Fry in America, but I do remember enjoying the TV series.

>4 amanda4242: Thanks, Amanda. For now, I am going to stick with the Fry book - and am glad to know it is a good one - to try (probably in vain) not to overcommit myself for reads in April. If I have time, I will try and get to Sweet Pea too as de Waal is not an author with whom I am familiar.

I discovered de Waal last year and read 3 of her books. Today I picked up The Trick to Time from the library.
I don't think I'll have time for Stephen Fry this time around.

There were two copies of Kit de Waal's debut novel My Name is Leon in my nearly state-wide, 142 county library system. Fortunately, I had no trouble getting one of the copies.

My Name Is Leon is the first work I've read by de Waal. Carrie (@cbl_tn), knowing that I've had some challenges in the last few years, warned me about grief and loss issues in the book. She was right - I did find it stressful reading at points. There were elements of the book I loved, though, and I plan to revisit it in a few years.

Leon is a good kid, with a great heart. It's a lovely story.

I haven't gotten to Fry yet, but I did read de Waal's Sweet Pea.

I am not going to get to Mythos this month. And I still haven’t read my Kit de Waal pick.

>10 amanda4242: I really liked that one too. I'm almost done on her The Trick to Time, quite a sad read.

Finished The Trick to Time by Kit de Waal. A lovely sad story with a good ending.

The May thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/383994

I have started Mythos by Stephen Fry, but I am not sure if I will be able to finish it before the end of the month. I'll do my best.

>15 atozgrl: No need to rush! Anything read this year counts. I just started listening to the audiobook and am having a blast.

I finished My Name is Leon. I liked it.

I've had my eye on My Name Is Leon for a long time, and I'm glad for the nudge to finally read it. Leon is a great kid and I'm glad to have spent time with him.

>17 Kristelh: >18 cbl_tn: I read it last year and thought it was great too.

>16 amanda4242: Thanks, Amanda. I did finally finish Mythos: the Greek Myths Reimagined by Stephen Fry yesterday. We had to go out of town for an unexpected event, which delayed things a bit. I enjoyed the book quite a lot, and it helped my understanding of the Greek myths.