Science fiction novella Swindon Mountain by Harriet Hitchen has been named the top selling title of 2025 at independent bookshop Bert’s Books. The smash hit novel outsold all other titles in the past year, beating Booker prize winners, TV stars and more.
Shop owner Alex adds that Swindon Mountain is ranked 20th overall on the bookshop’s top 50 all time greats since the shop opened in 2019.
This follows a busy year for author Harriet Hitchen, speaking at Swindon Festival of Literature and the Vale and Downland Museum at Wantage.
What is the book about?
A mountain unexpectedly appears in the Marlborough Downs, overshadowing the city of Swindon. It arrives quietly, straddling the boundary between Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. It looks as if it has always been there.
But it hasn’t.
No one knows where it has come from.
Clare Holworth joins an archaeological investigation alongside a multi-agency team tasked with understanding and managing the site — before public pressure grows out of control and the truth is lost in the stampede for the summit.
‘The mountain appeared overnight behind that ridge. It arrived five months ago without fuss or storm or earthquake’
Science Fiction merges with archaeology in this sublime exploration of mystery, landscape and personal rediscovery
**As seen in New Scientist’s ‘The best new science fiction books of February 2025’**
PRAISE FOR HARRIET HITCHEN
‘Unique and captivating’
‘Definitely left its mark on me … 5 stars’
‘Fascinating’
‘Absorbing’
Buy now:
