After 26 years in bookselling it's safe to say that The Book People CEO Seni Glaister knows the industry inside out, but she describes herself as 'a rookie once more' as she releases her debut novel The Museum of Things Left Behind in June with 4th Estate.

The novel, set to be one of this year's hottest summer reads, is a 'heart-warming fable' about modern life, bureaucracy and religion in fictional picturesque country Vallerosa, which is sheltered from modern life and capitalism. Reminiscent of works by writers including Italo Calvino and Jonas Jonasson, the novel was submitted anonymously and is 'above all else a hymn to the inconstancy of time and the pivotal importance of a good cup of tea'.