London Book Award Nomination Kate Williams: '[on The Pleasures of Men] .. an ambitious, challenging concern with form combined with a pitch-perfect historical ear. Williams has a gift for grotesque sensuality, impregnating her city with a fine layer of clinging filth... This intoxicating and disturbing novel is properly thrilling and extraordinarily well-written.'

The Independent: “The Pleasures of Men shares with Wolf Hall an ambitious, challenging concern with form combined with a pitch-perfect historical ear. Williams has a gift for grotesque sensuality, impregnating her city with a fine layer of clinging filth... This intoxicating and disturbing novel is properly thrilling and extraordinarily well-written. Kate Williams is already an accomplished biographer; The Pleasures of Men shows a soaring talent let loose.

Kate Williams is well-established as a thoroughly evocative historical writer, and is very much in the public light as both presenter and historian. She has appeared on Newsnight and the Today programme, as well as taking part in innumerable radio discussions; be they historical, political or culture-based. Her first novel, The Pleasures of Men is set in 19^th Century London, following a female protagonist who becomes obsessed with a series of East-End murders. Having received an indecent number of degrees from Queen Mary, Royal Holloway and Oxford, (not forgetting an additional doctorate at the latter), Kate now teaches the MA in creative writing at Royal Holloway. Kate’s third historical biography is due out this year from Random House.