Anthologies Books

Book SynopsisDavid F. Walker and David Aja are joined by an array of international talent for an anthology that puts the spotlight on crime noir!In this anthology, a collective of almost thirty authors from all over the globe propose a collection of short crime noir stories that celebrates the genre as well as boldly leading it into the future.

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Book SynopsisThis collection of Russian short stories from the 21st century includes works by famous writers and young talents alike, representing a diversity of generational, gender, ethnic and national identities. Their authors live not only in Russia, but also in Europe and the US. Short stories in this volume display a vast spectrum of subgenres, from grotesque absurdist stories to lyrical essays, from realistic narratives to fantastic parables. Taken together, they display rich and complex cultural and intellectual reality of contemporary Russia, in which political, social, and ethnic conflicts of today coexist with themes and characters resonating with classical literature, albeit invariably twisted and transformed in an unpredictable way. Most of texts in this volume appear in English for the first time. 21 may be useful for college courses but will also provide exciting reading for anyone interested in contemporary Russia.Table of Contents Nikolai Baitov. Solovyov’s Trick; Silentium. Translated by Maya Vinokour. Evgeny Shklovsky. The Street. Translated by Jason Cieply. Vladimir Sorokin. Smirnov. Translated by Maya Vinokour. Nikolai Kononov. Evgenia’s Genius. Translated by Simon Schuchat. Leonid Kostyukov. Verkhovsky and Son. Translated by Maya Vinokour. Sergei Soloukh. A Search. Translated by Margarita Vaysman and Angus Balkham. Margarita Khemlin. Shady Business. Translated by Maya Vinokour. Elena Dolgopyat. The Victim. Translated by Jason Cieply. Kirill Kobrin. Amadeus. Translated by Veronika Lakotová. Pavel Pepperstein. Tongue. Translated by Bradley Gorski. Aleksandr Ilichevsky. The Sparrow. Translated by Bradley Gorski. Stanislav Lvovsky. Roaming. Translated by Bradley Gorski. Valery Votrin. Alkonost. Translated by Maya Vinokour. Linor Goralik. A Little Stick; 1:38 A.M.; No Such Thing; Come On, It’s Funny; The Foundling; We Can’t Even Imagine Heights Like That; Cyst. Translated by Maya Vinokour. Aleksey Tsvetkov Jr. Priceart. Translated by Sofya Khagi. Lara Vapnyar. Salad Olivier. Polina Barskova. Reaper of Leaves. Translated by Catherine Ciepiela. Arkady Babchenko. Argun. Translated by Nicholas Allen. Denis Osokin. Ludo Logar, or Duck Throat; The New Shoes. Translated by Simon Schuchat. Maria Boteva. Where the Truth Is. Translated by Jason Cieply. Marianna Geide. Ivan Grigoriev. Translated by Simon Schuchat.

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Book SynopsisAn issue exploring the metropolis through fiction, essays, art, and interviews spanning generations, continents, and languages. For over a decade, A Public Space has published an award-winning literary and arts magazine that seeks out and supports writers working apart from the mainstreamculturally, aesthetically, economically. From debuting writers to celebrating work in translation, to bringing attention to overlooked writing from previous generations, "every issue of A Public Space juxtaposes finely wrought, carefully edited pieces, putting them in dynamic conversation with one another."

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Book SynopsisThis exquisite anthology collects together the very best fiction from across the Nordic region. Travelling from cosmopolitan Stockholm to the remote Faroe Islands, and from Denmark to Greenland, this unique and compelling volume displays the thrilling diversity of writing from these northern nations. Selected and introduced by Sjon, The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat includes both notable authors and exciting new discoveries. As well as an essential selection of the best contemporary storytelling from the Nordic countries, it's also a fascinating portrait of contemporary life across the region. The perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter's evening. Naja Marie Aidt (Denmark), Per Olov Enquist (Sweden), Dorthe Nors (Denmark), Linda Boström Knausgård (Sweden), Madame Nielsen (Denmark), Rosa Liksom (Finland), Johan Bargum (Finland), Kristín Ómarsdóttir (Iceland), Kjell Askildsen (Norway), Ulla-Lena Lundberg (Finland/Sweden), Hassan Blasim (Finland), Sørine Steenholdt (Greenland, Guðbergur Bergsson (Iceland), Sólrún Michelsen (Faroe Islands), Frode Grytten (Norway), Carl Jóhan Jensen (Faroe Islands), Niviaq Korneliussen (Greenland)Trade ReviewSjon is the trickster that makes the world, and he is achingly brilliant -- Junot Diaz Sjon is an extraordinary and original writer -- A. S. Byatt

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Book Synopsis______________________A richly illustrated and wonderfully eclectic collection of THE WORLD'S GREATEST SPEECHES - THE OLD, THE NEW AND THE UNSPOKEN - from the author of the international bestseller, Letters of Note. Discover speeches that altered the course of history, like NELSON MANDELA’s on the day he became South Africa’s first black President, and outpourings of much-needed change, such as the impassioned, impromptu appeal for women’s rights from SOJOURNER TRUTH, an African-American woman born into slavery. Expect the gloriously unexpected, as KERMIT THE FROG takes to the podium, and celebrate lives well-lived, including TILDA SWINTON’s tribute to ‘every alien’s favourite cousin’, DAVID BOWIE. While some speeches are heard by millions, some remain unspoken: the secret draft prepared for QUEEN ELIZABETH II during a military exercise for World War III, and PRESIDENT NIXON’s chilling public announcement should NEIL ARMSTRONG and BUZZ ALDRIN become stranded on the Moon. Surprising, inspiring and shocking; moving, comforting and enlightening. SPEECHES OF NOTE: seventy-five extraordinary ways to step into someone else’s shoes. FEATURING: Malala Yousafzai * Tilda Swinton * Albert Einstein * Nick Cave * Queen Elizabeth II * Kermit the Frog * Pablo Picasso * Harvey Milk * J. M. Barrie * General Dwight D. Eisenhower * Meghan Markle * Sojourner Truth * Salman Rushdie * Panti Bliss * Nelson Mandela * Robert F. Kennedy * Virginia Woolf * Richard Nixon * Socrates * Nelson Mandela * Mark Twain * Marie Curie * George Bernard Shaw * Susan Sontag AND MANY, MANY MORETrade ReviewAnguish, hope, inclusivity, questioning, grief, love – and seemingly all the parameters of human feeling – are quite brilliantly represented. It’s a lovely dip-in collection that’ll leave you both weepy and inspired. * Scotsman *Wonderful and inspirational... [There are] many oratorical delights within this fascinating and well-presented volume... a collection of many efforts that arose emotion, mirth or wonder.... Readable and enlightening. -- WILLIAM HAGUE * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisFOLLOW-UP TO THE PHENOMENAL INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERINCLUDING LETTERS FROM:Jane Austen, Richard Burton, Helen Keller, Alan Turing, Albus Dumbledore, Eleanor Roosevelt, Henry James, Sylvia Plath, John Lennon, Gerald Durrell, Janis Joplin, Mozart, Janis Joplin, Hunter S. Thompson, C. G. Jung, Katherine Mansfield, Marge Simpson, David Bowie, Dorothy Parker, Buckminster Fuller, Beatrix Potter, Che Guevara, Evelyn Waugh, Charlotte Brontë and many more.Discover Richard Burton's farewell note to Elizabeth Taylor, Helen Keller's letter to The New York Symphony Orchestra about 'hearing' their concert through her fingers, the final missives from a doomed Japan Airlines flight in 1985, David Bowie's response to his first piece of fan mail from America and even Albus Dumbledore writing to a reader applying for the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts.More Letters of Note is another rich and inspiring collection, which reminds us that much of what matters in our lives finds its way into our letters.Trade ReviewAnother mailbag stuffed with funny, heartbreaking and passionate letters . . . engaging, eclectic, geekily and gleefully enthusiastic and laugh-out-loud funny * * The Times * *Shaun Usher's More Letters of Note mines the archives for more gems of the epistolary arts * * Guardian * *Funny, shocking and poignant, More Letters of Note must be one of the most entertaining books of the year * * Financial Times * *From the genuinely funny: Marge Simpson duelling with First Lady Barbara Bush to the truly heart-breaking: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg's last goodbye to their children before execution. Usher's book is unlike anything else you have read. After all, where else can you find out why Norman Mailer refused money to his father, or how Janis Joplin felt before breaking America? Exactly * * GQ * *Some of the letters will make you laugh, other heartbreaking examples will make you cry * * Independent * *Reading through them is addictive, like dipping into a bag of variously tempting assorted candies, knowing that the next one will always bring surprise and pleasure. Usher has an evident knack for selecting letters that land with the force of a good short story, with personalities and dramatic arcs emerging swiftly, from just a page or two. Many of the writers are famous people, caught in a moment of accessibility and rawness or off-the-cuff virtuosity * * New Yorker * *A gloriously presented compilation * * Financial Times * *The literary equivalent of a box of chocolates - bite-sized and pure addictive pleasure . . . The result is beautifully produced, with photographs and colour facsimiles of much of the correspondence. A gorgeous Christmas present * * Sunday Times * *Open the pages of the anthology and the appeal is immediately obvious * * Observer * *It is inspiring, and often sad, funny, and occasionally quite surreal * * GQ * *

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Book SynopsisNOMINATED FOR A SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD AND BRITISH FANTASY AWARD "This rich and masterful collection of horror highlights both up-and-coming and established authors in an interesting twist on the standard anthology [...] Highly recommended for longstanding horror fans and those readers who may not think horror is for them. There is something for everyone in this one." — Booklist This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2-week open submissions window. It is the first of what will hopefully become an annual, non-themed horror anthology of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer. Contents List: BUTTERFLY ISLAND by C.J. Tudor RESEARCH by Tim Lebbon SWANSKIN by Alison Littlewood THAT’S THE SPIRIT by Sarah Lotz GAVE by Michael Bailey WHEREVER YOU LOOK by Ramsey Campbell SAME TIME NEXT YEAR by Angela Slatter MINE SEVEN by Elana Gomel IT DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT by Michael Marshall Smith CREEPING IVY by Laura Purcell LAST RITES FOR THE FOURTH WORLD by Rick Cross WE ALL COME HOME by Simon Bestwick THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HYGIENE by Robert Shearman BOKEH by Thana Niveau MURDER BOARD by Grady Hendrix ALICE’S REBELLION by John Langan THE MIRROR HOUSE by Jonathan Robbins Leon THE NAUGHTY STEP by Stephen Volk A HOTEL IN GERMANY by Catriona Ward BRANCH LINE by Paul Finch FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.Trade Review“..there are loads of other short stories by notable and new authors that you would probably want to keep reading over and over.” -- SplatterGeist Reviews"This rich and masterful collection of horror highlights both up-and-coming and established authors in an interesting twist on the standard anthology [...] Highly recommended for longstanding horror fans and those readers who may not think horror is for them. There is something for everyone in this one." -- Booklist"This is a short story collection that does exactly what it sets out to, delight and scare. With stories from well-known authors in the genre as well as a few from emerging voices, After Sundown has something for everyone. Highly recommended." -- The British Fantasy Society“Totally recommended if you like crazy, and mind-bending horror short stories.” -- The Nerd on the Loose"An entertaining, slickly written, mainstream, fun, something-for-every-horror-fan anthology.” -- HorrorTree"In After Sundown, editor Mark Morris has assembled an anthology of twenty original short stories by contemporary writers (most with notable credentials in the field of horror writing, along with some relative newcomers). Standout stories [include] Alison Littlewod's 'Swanskin' [...] a reminder -- if there were any who needed it -- that horror has, at times, every right to sit at the top table of 'literary fiction'. It's an often beautiful and compelling piece that had me thinking of Daphne du Maurier." -- Horla: The Home of Intelligent Horror“Beautifully written pieces that lean into the intuitive and fantastic.” -- Publishers Weekly“After Sundown is a fine horror anthology. Filled with spine-chilling stories, it'll make your heart race nonstop. It proves horror has no boundaries. You can find it in both supernatural and non-supernatural stories. Highly recommended.” -- Fantasy Book Critic“This is a short story collection that does exactly what it sets out to, delight and scare. With stories from well-known authors in the genre as well as a few from emerging voices, After Sundown has something for everyone. Highly recommended.” -- British Fantasy Society“There’s a refreshing lack of pretentiousness about these stories. The authors span several continents so there’s a decent array of themes and styles. Each tale had a very distinct voice, with a superb variety that perfectly illustrates what a broad church the genre covers. I had a blast reading this book. It really has reinvigorated my interest in the horror genre.” -- Stephen Bacon, author & critic“There’s a risk with collections featuring multiple authors that you get one or two duds that spoil the whole collection. Thankfully that wasn’t the case here. After Sundown is packed with excellent horror stories. The stories are all very unique so no two are alike.” -- The Book Lovers Boudoir“Totally recommended if you like crazy, and mind-bending horror short stories.” -- The Nerd on the Loose“It’s a very smart collection and I think lots of horror fans will find across the wider collection something that appeals.” -- Run Along the Shelves

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Book SynopsisThe sixth volume in the ABC of Horror, a non-themed series of original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction the genre has to offer, and edited by Mark Morris.

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Book SynopsisA ground-breaking anthology celebrating Marvel's beloved Black Panther and his home of Wakanda, penned by an all-star cast of authors such as Sheree Renee Thomas and Nikki Giovanni. T'Challa faces the gods of his parents. Vampires stalk Shuri and a Dora Milaje in voodoo-laced New Orleans. Erik Killmonger grapples with racism, Russian spies, and his own origins. Eighteen brand-new tales of Wakanda, its people, and its legacy. The first mainstream superhero of African descent, the Black Panther has attracted readers of all races and colors who see in the King of Wakanda reflections of themselves. Storytellers from across the African Diaspora-some already literary legends, others who are rising stars-have created for this collection original works inspired by the world of the Panther and its inhabitants. With guest stars including Storm, Monica Rambeau, Namor, and Jericho Drumm, these are stories of yesterday and today, of science and magic, of faith and love. These are the tales of a king and his country. These are the legends whispered in the jungle, myths of the unconquered men and women and the land they love. These are the Tales of Wakanda. Featuring stories by Linda D. Addison, Maurice Broaddus, Christopher Chambers, Milton J. Davis, Tananarive Due, Nikki Giovanni, Harlan James, Danian Jerry, Kyoko M., L.L. McKinney, Temi Oh, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Glenn Parris, Alex Simmons, Sheree Renee Thomas, Cadwell Turnbull and Troy L. Wiggins.Trade Review"It's well worth your time, especially if you are a fan" Financial Times "Absolutely filled to the brim with brand new stories... giving voices to those who are not just diverse because they are Black but because of the various cultural backgrounds and experiences they bring to the table." Culturess "Add[s] to Black Panther and Wakanda's richly storied history." ScreenRant "This anthology should sate fans longing for the next 'Black Panther' installment." 3/4 Stars, USA Today "I was engrossed, and devoured this novel in about a day. Some of that is due to the title character... The rest is that Hudlin created a compelling story that Holland was able to translate incredibly well to the written page." Patrick Hellen, AIPT for Black Panther: Who is the Black Panther? "Jesse J. Holland's riveting book The Invisibles shines a long overdue light on the enslaved men and women who were forced to serve in the nation's seat of executive power." J.D. Dickey, author of Empire of Mud: The Secret History of Washington, DC "Although some slaves' lives have been lost to history, Holland creates a vivid portrait of many, including William Lee, who worked as Washington's 'body servant'..." Kirkus for The Invisibles

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Book SynopsisA special reissue from Head of Zeus's bestselling anthology collection of the 100 best crime stories written by women, selected and introduced by award-winning author Sophie Hannah. From Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, to Val McDermid and Margaret Atwood, women writers have long been drawn to criminal acts. Here, award-winning author Sophie Hannah brings together 100 of her favourite examples. Deadlier includes prize-winners, bestsellers and rising stars, so whether you take your crime cosy or hard-boiled, this big, beautiful anthology will keep you reading long into the night.Trade ReviewA mix of old favourites and happy new discoveries * Sunday Times *What a terrific line-up... Sophie Hannah has dug deep and spotted a host of lesser-known but high-quality stories' * The Times *Crime junkies, rejoice!... Will keep you going until Murder on the Orient Express drops in cinemas next month' * Glamour *

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Book Synopsis100 of the most astonishing stories of human survival, adventure and exploration, chosen by Levison Wood. We are always captivated by tales of courage and bravery, of world-firsts and death-defying experiences. In this anthology, explorer and bestselling author Levison Wood has gathered 100 of the most fascinating accounts of human endurance throughout history. From the heroism of Antarctic explorers to pioneering women in the Middle East; from record-breaking athletes to survivors of war and torture, this wide-ranging collection embraces both classics of the genre, as well as new and neglected voices. The extracts are organised around a range of themes; you will find those who sought out new frontiers, or who purposely tested their physical limits in full knowledge of the dangers or risks they might face, but also those who endured persecution and suffering, or were thrust into life or death situations yet defied the odds to survive. Endurance is packed full of you-couldn't-make-it-up true stories and adventure fiction classics, from the high seas to the poles, from inhospitable jungles and deserts to the unknown realms of space, through physical and mental despair to euphoric highs. Yet all of these extraordinary stories celebrate the enduring nature of the human spirit, and show the mental and physical determination it sometimes takes to achieve one's aims. This varied and compelling collection will take you on an adventure around the world, but also on an emotional journey exploring what it means to be human. Includes extracts about and by Ernest Shackleton, Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay, Amelia Earhart, Marie Colvin, John Krakauer, Solomon Northrup, Ella Maillart, Freya Stark, Ed Stafford, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Aron Lee Ralston, María Elena Moyano, Gertrude Bell, Isabelle Eberhart, Nellie Bly, Alex Honnold, Nelson Mandela, David Nott, Jules Verne, Neil Armstrong and Scott Kelly.Trade ReviewRediscover old familiar classics, but then be blown away by a new adventure you've never heard of before (and wish you'd known about sooner) * Adventure 52 *PRAISE FOR LEVISON WOOD: 'Levison Wood has breathed new life into adventure travel' Michael Palin. 'Levison Wood is a great adventurer and a wonderful storyteller' Ranulph Fiennes. 'Britain's best-loved adventurer... He looks like a man who will stare danger in the face and soak up a lot of pain without complaint' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisFrank and refreshing, Brigitte Reimann’s collected diaries provide a candid account of life in socialist Germany. With an upbeat tempo and amusing tone, I Have No Regrets contains detailed accounts of the author’s love affairs, daily life, writing, and reflections. Like the heroines in her stories, Reimann was impetuous and outspoken, addressing issues and sensibilities otherwise repressed in the era of the German Democratic Republic. She followed the state’s call for artists to leave their ivory towers and engage with the people, moving to the new town of Hoyerswerda to work part-time at a nearby industrial plant and run writing classes for the workers. Her diaries and letters provide a fascinating parallel to her fictional writing. By turns shocking, passionate, unflinching, and bitter—but above all life-affirming—they offer an unparalleled insight into what life was like during the first decades of the GDR.Trade Review“Her work deserves a much wider reading public outside Germany, where she remains best known for her ambiguously autobiographical final novel Franziska Linkerhand...The eight years of irregular diary entries that make up I Have No Regrets, edited in German by Angela Drescher and now translated into English by Lucy Jones, are a welcome introduction to Reimann’s work.” * Times Literary Supplement *“Reimann left behind a string of novels and several years’ worth of diaries that shed vivid light on life in East Germany from the 1950s to the 1970s. This volume picks up her story shortly after a suicide attempt following a miscarriage.” -- Charlie Connelly * The New European *

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Book SynopsisA German twist on an Anglophone tradition, Science Fiktion provides a disturbing vision of the future from the other side of the Berlin Wall. When a young reader once asked Franz Fühmann if he considered his work to be science fiction, he was quick to deny it: he wanted nothing to do with the genre. As he began writing the stories that make up this volume, however, he found himself coming around to the idea of a hybrid genre—what he calls in German Saiäns-Fiktschen, "science fiktion" with a k. In seven interlocking stories, Science Fiktion offers a steampunk takedown of the logic of the Cold War. In this imagined future, two nations compete for global dominance: Uniterr, an exaggeration of the Eastern Bloc, in which personal freedom is curtailed and life regulated with cartoonish strictness; and Libroterr, in which the decadence of the West has been pushed beyond all reason. The stories follow three young citizens of Uniterr: Jirro, a young neutrinologist whose life is forever changed by a year spent abroad in Libroterr; Janno, a causologist condemned to a life of mediocrity in Uniterr’s bureaucracy for the briefest of impure thoughts; and Pavlo, an inventor and a drunkard, whose mind pushes against the limits of what his world allows. Through these three lives, Fühmann gradually unfolds the contours of their bizarre world in a master class of understated world-making. As the reader is swept up in the madness of Libroterr’s predator ads (which grab you on the street) and Uniterr’s mandatory mind readings, Fühmann’s dark comedy from the last century comes to seem all the more prescient in ours.

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Book SynopsisA collection of the greatest women's travel writing selected by journalist and presenter Mariella Frostrup. From Constantinople to Crimea; from Antarctica to the Andes. Throughout history adventurous women have made epic, record-breaking journeys under perilous circumstances. Whether escaping constricted societies back home or propelled by a desire for independence, footloose females have ventured to the four corners of the earth and recorded their exploits for posterity. For too long their triumphs have been overshadowed by those of their male counterparts, whose honourable failures make bigger news. In curating this collection of first-hand accounts, broadcaster, writer and traveller Mariella Frostrup puts female explorers back on the map. Her selection includes explorers from the 1700s to the present day, from iconic heroines to lesser-known eccentrics, celebrating 300 years of wild women and their amazing adventures over land, sea and air. Reviews for Wild Women: 'A stirring whistle-stop tour, led by women who often risked disapproval in leaving home to roam the world' Vanity Fair 'Like any good travel book, Wild Women succeeds in casting the reader's mind off on journeys of its own, inspiring fresh plans and what the Germans call Fernweh, or a longing for faraway places' TLS 'Required reading for anyone who assumed that 'the road less travelled' was a solely masculine preserve' Sunday IndependentTrade ReviewRequired reading for anyone who assumed that "the road less travelled" was a solely masculine preserve * Dublin Sunday Independent, Must Reads of 2019 *This fine anthology brings a female voice to a subject too long dominated by men... It curates some incredible tales' * Wanderlust *At a time when #MeToo is striking rather a strident note, these insights into the peculiar experiences and observations of courageous and articulate women in a male-dominated world are a joy to read * Country Life *Like any good travel book, Wild Women succeeds in casting the reader's mind off on journeys of its own, inspiring fresh plans and what the Germans call Fernweh, or a longing for faraway places * TLS *A stirring whistle-stop tour, led by women who often risked disapproval in leaving home to roam the world * Vanity Fair *

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Book SynopsisFrom crowded train stations to quiet woods and from city centres to our own back gardens, birds remind us that nature is everywhere. But do you know which is the king of the birds? Has anyone ever told you how the brave swallow got its forked tail? And what of the owl, who was really a baker’s daughter?Take a look inside The Magpie’s Nest, where a hoard of stories, riddles and rhymes is waiting for you.Suitable for all ages and charmingly illustrated by Lakeland artist Becca Hall, this is an essential collection of stories for all who love the natural world.

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Book SynopsisThe first step on the road to change is to imagine possibility.Imagine A Country offers visions of a new future from an astonishing array of Scottish voices, from comedians to economists, writers to musicians. Edited, curated and introduced by bestselling author Val McDermid and geographer Jo Sharp, it is a collection of ideas, dreams and ambitions, aiming to inspire change, hope and imagination. Featuring:ALI SMITH, PHILL JUPITUS, A.L. KENNEDY, ALAN CUMMING, KERRY HUDSON, GREG HEMPHILL, CAROL ANN DUFFY, CHRIS BROOKMYRE, ALISON WATT, ALASDAIR GRAY, LEILA ABOULELA, IAN RANKIN, SELINA HALES, SANJEEV KOHLI, JACKIE KAY, DAMIAN BARR, ELAINE C. SMITH, ABIR MUKHERJEE, ANNE GLOVER, ALAN BISSETT, LOUISE WELSH, JO CLIFFORD, RICKY ROSS, TRISHNA SINGH, CAMERON McNEISH, ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH, CARLA JENKINS, DON PATERSON, AND MANY MORE . . .Trade ReviewAn ambitious, thought-provoking, diverse collection of imaginings. I laughed, I cried -- WILL DEANA fascinating and rich collection * * The National * *Thoughtful . . . idealistic and interesting * * Scotsman * *

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Book SynopsisIn this lively collection, wine snobs receive their comeuppance at the hands of Roald Dahl and Edgar Allan Poe; innocents over-imbibe in tales by Jack London and Alice Munro; riotous partying exacts a comic price in stories by P. G. Wodehouse and Kingsley Amis; Charles Jackson and Jean Rhys chronicle liquor-soaked epiphanies; while John Cheever, Vladimir Nabokov and Robert Coover set their characters afloat on surreal, soul-revealing adventures. Here, too, are well-lubricated tales by Dickens, Twain, Beckett, Colette, Dorothy Parker, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Doris Lessing, Frank O'Connor, Penelope Lively, and many more.The settings include hotels and restaurants, a wine cellar in Italy, a café in Paris, a bar in Dublin, a New York nightclub, Jazz Age speakeasies, suburban lawn parties and the occasional gaol cell, and are peopled by lovers and loners, barmen and chorus girls, youths taking their first sips and experienced tipplers nursing hangovers.Whether living it up or drowning their sorrows, the vividly drawn characters in these sparkling pages will leave you shaken and stirred.

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Book SynopsisThe Golden City of Prague has long been an intellectual centre of the western world. The writers collected here range from the early nineteenth century to the present and include both Prague natives and visitors from elsewhere. Here are stories, legends, and scenes from the city's past and present, from the Jewish fable of the golem, a creature conjured from clay, to tales of German and Soviet invasions. The international array of writers ranges from Franz Kafka to Ivan Klíma to Bruce Chatwin, and includes the award-winning British playwright Tom Stoppard and former American Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, both of whom have Czech roots. Covering the city's venerable Jewish heritage, the glamour of the belle-époque period, World War II, Communist rule, the Prague Spring, the Velvet Revolution, and beyond, Prague Stories weaves a remarkable selection of fiction and nonfiction into a literary portrait of a fascinating city.Richard Bassett, former Central European correspondent for The Times, knows his subject inside out. Here is Prague in all its brilliance, a city rich in folklore both Slavic and Jewish, whose history is the stuff of legend - Jan Hus, Charles IV and his eponymous bridge, serial defenestrations; Prague in the dark years of World War II, in the grey years of Communism, in the excitement of the Velvet Revolution. And here is today's Prague, a vibrant cosmopolitan capital where a new generation of Czech writers - Sylva Fischerova, Daniela Hodrova and others - explores its identity in new and exciting ways.A unique collection of fiction and non-fiction to delight and stimulate travellers and stay-at-homes alike.

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Book SynopsisOluwale Now explores the contemporary issues that David Oluwale’s story touches upon through over 40 selections of poetry and prose (including prize-winning submissions from Hannah Stone; Gill Tennant, Gayathiri Kamalakanthan) as well as over 20 featured artworks and photography. Central to this book are the themes of memory, belonging, otherness and optimism. Building upon Remembering Oluwale: An Anthology (edited by SJ Bradley, Valley Press, 2016), this anthology moves through historical and contemporary pain towards hope; there is an upward thrust through Oluwale Now which refuses to deny or sugar-coat the horrors of systematic racism and brutality but allows us a glimpse of a better future. "A powerful, varied, lyrical tribute that mobilises our memory and engages the imagination" Gary YoungeTrade Review"A powerful, varied, lyrical tribute that mobilises our memory and engages the imagination." Gary Younge

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Book SynopsisNEW PAPERBACK EDITION 2015 saw the publication of The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, edited by Sinéad Gleeson. The Long Gaze Back was widely acclaimed and went on to win Best Irish-published Book of the Year 2015 at the Irish Book Awards. More importantly, it sparked lively discussion and debate about the erasure of women writers from the literary canon. One question kept arising: where was the equivalent anthology for women writers from the north? The Glass Shore, compiled by award-winning editor, broadcaster and critic Sinéad Gleeson, provides an intimate and illuminating insight into a previously underappreciated literary canon. Twenty-four female luminaries — whose lives and works cover three centuries — capture experiences that are both vivid and varied, despite their shared geographical heritage. Unavoidably affected by a difficult political past, this challenging landscape is navigated by characters who are searingly honest, humorous and, at times, heartbreakingly poignant. The result is a collection that is enthralling, stirring and quietly disconcerting. Individually, these intriguing stories make an indelible impact and are cause for reflection and contemplation. Together, they transgress their social, political and gender constraints, instead collectively presenting a distinctive, resolute and impassioned voice worthy of recognition and admiration. Featuring stories by: Rosa Mulholland, Erminda Rentoul Esler, Sarah Grand, Alice Milligan, Eithne Carbery, Margaret Barrington, Janet McNeill, Mary Beckett, Polly Devlin, Frances Molloy, Una Woods, Sheila Llewellyn, Linda Anderson, Anne Devlin, Evelyn Conlon, Mary O’Donnell, Annemarie Neary, Martina Devlin, Rosemary Jenkinson, Bernie McGill, Tara West, Jan Carson, Lucy Caldwell and Roisín O’Donnell.

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Book SynopsisTHE GOOD AUDITION GUIDES: Helping you select and perform the audition piece that is best suited to your performing skills As an actor at any level – whether you are doing theatre studies at school, taking part in youth theatre, preparing for drama-school showcases, or attending professional acting workshops – you will often be required to prepare a duologue with a fellow performer. Your success is often based on locating and selecting a fresh, dynamic scene suited to your specific performing skills, as well as your interplay as a duo. Which is where this book comes in. This collection features twenty-five fantastic duologues for two men, almost all written since the year 2000 by some of our most exciting dramatic voices, offering a wide variety of character types and styles of writing. Playwrights featured include Mike Bartlett, Howard Brenton, Jez Butterworth, Alexi Kaye Campbell, Ella Hickson, Sam Holcroft, Anna Jordan, Rona Munro, Jack Thorne and Tom Wells, and the plays themselves were premiered at the very best theatres across the UK including the Manchester Royal Exchange, Watford Palace, the Almeida, Bush, Hampstead, Royal Court and Soho Theatres, and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Drawing on her experience as an actor, director and teacher at several leading drama schools, Trilby James equips each duologue with a thorough introduction including the vital information you need to place the piece in context (the who, what, when, where and why) and suggestions about how to perform the scene to its maximum effect (including the characters' objectives). The collection also features an introduction on the whole process of selecting and preparing a duologue, and how to present it to the greatest effect. The result is the most comprehensive and useful contemporary duologue book of its kind now available. 'Sound practical advice... a source of inspiration for teachers and students alike' Teaching Drama Magazine on The Good Audition Guides

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Book SynopsisFrom the simplest slab of weathered stone to the most imposing monument, every marker in Glasnevin cemetery bears witness to a life that, in ways small or large, helped shape the history and culture of the Irish state. Shane MacThomáis offers a fascinating insight into some of these lives in this book. Within its pages, you'll meet not only the heroes of the Irish fight for freedom, like Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera, but also lesser-known Irish men and women who made important contributions to the state in the arts, sports, military service, politics and other areas of Irish life. Glasnevin Cemetery, encompassing Mount Jerome, Bully's Acre, the Hugeunot Cemetery and the jewish Cemetery, has great national significance through the social and historical influence of the people buried there from all walks of life over 178 years. Famous people interred there include the founder of the cemetery, Daniel O'Connell, as well as Charles Stewart Parnell, Anne Devlin, O'Donovan Rossa, Christy Brown, Brendan Behan and Luke Kelly.Trade Review"MacThomáis [...] has a great knowledge of graveyards and a great knack for storytelling" -- Colm Farren"our cemeteries are a treasure trove of the fascinating, the tragic, and the unexplainable."

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Book SynopsisOver 700 years of literature about, or set in, Venice. Contains extracts from the works of poets, novelists, playwrights, historians and travellers. With city maps and an index.

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Book SynopsisNew Writing Scotland is the principal forum for poetry and short fiction in Scotland today. Every year we publish the very best from emerging and established writers, and list many of the leading literary lights of Scotland among our contributors.

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Book SynopsisFrom Antarctica and the deserts of the US-Mexico border, to a Siberian whale-killing station and the alleyways of Taipei, these dispatches describe a world in perpetual motion (even when it is ''locked-down''). To travel, we are reminded, is to embrace the experience of being a stranger - to acknowledge that one person''s frontier is another''s home.In 1984 Granta published its first issue devoted to travel writing. Nearly forty years after that genre-defining volume, a new generation of writers from around the globe offers a new vision of what travel writing can be.Granta 157 is guest-edited by award-winning travel writer William Atkins. It features:Jason Allen-Paisant remembers the trees of his childhood Jamaica from his home in LeedsCarlos Manuel Alvarez navigates Cuba''s customs systemEliane Brum travels from her home in the Brazilian Amazon to Antarctica in the era of climate crisisFrancisco Cantu and Javier Zamora: a former border guard travels to the US-Mexico border with a former undocumented migrant who crossed the border as a childJennifer Croft''s richly illustrated essay on postcards and graffiti, inspired by Los Angeles Bathsheba Demuth visits a whale-hunting station on the Bering Strait, RussiaSinead Gleeson visits Brazil with Clarice LispectorKate Harris with the Tinglit people of the Taku River basin, AlaskaArtist Roni Horn on Iceland Emmanuel Iduma returns to Lagos in his late father''s footsteps, NigeriaKapka Kassabova among the gatherers of the ancient Mesta River, BulgariaTaran Khan with Afghan migrants in Germany and Kabul Jessica J. Lee in the alleyways of Taipei, Taiwan, in search of her mother''s homeSven Lindqvist in the Mauritanian Sahara in 1987 - a previously unpublished essay by the late icon of travel writingBen Mauk among the volcanoes of Duterte''s Philippines Pascale Petit tracks tigers in Paris and IndiaPhotographer James Tylor on the legacy of whaling in Indigenous South Australia

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Book SynopsisIs there an ‘after the virus’, or is covid-19 and a world of future pandemics simply something we will have to live with for an indefinite period of time? In all honesty, no one knows the answer to that, which is why it is so destabilising. The covid pandemic poses huge challenges for Scotland – but also a unique opportunity to rethink who we are as a country, where we are heading, and how to restructure our economy, culture, politics and relationships in addressing the deep disparities the virus has exposed. Bringing together the unique voices of some of our best creative writers, poets and commentators, this book makes a significant contribution to rethinking our future. It explores what ‘after the virus’ could look like, and how it might be possible. Here are the hopeful voices we need for a time of both uncertainty and exploration.Trade Review'This book is a timely and welcome tonic for the dark times we are living through.' – Elaine C Smith, Actor and Campaigner 'What binds our nation is not birth, but love.' – Ian Hamilton, QC and Author 'In the dark times, we need sparks of light like this to show the way forward to a brighter future.' – Val McDermid, Author 'This diverse range of voices beautifully show us that another world is possible, another Scotland is possible.' – Aamer Anwar, Lawyer and Former Rector, University of Glasgow

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Book SynopsisFrom Ferdinand Dennis, the critically acclaimed author of the novel Duppy Conqueror, comes The Black and White Museum, a collection of both highly personal and universal short stories. These at their heart reveal the emotional drama of faded love, the loss of individual and shared memory and the wistful longing for home. His stories powerfully portray the black presence in post-Windrush London, with its hurtling gentrification and everyday racism. Ferdinand's characters gain wisdom and maturity with age but become powerless, as they are less able to change the course of their lives. For some there is the temptation of a return "home" but home, like London, has also moved on and is not the paradise of their memories. 'I first encountered the short story form during my West London Comprehensive schooldays in Doris Lessing's Nine African Short Stories. Since then I have devoured short stories from de Maupassant, Joyce, Somerset Maugham, Flannery O'Connor, Marquez, John Cheever and William Trevor, as well as collections from the Caribbean, North and South America and Britain'. Ferdinand DennisTrade Review'A writer inspired by the idea and realities of African and the African diaspora, which he has explored in novels, short stories and travelogues, creating a unique body of work that deserves greater recognition' [Margaret Busby] ; An elegant writer, both in fiction and non-fiction who deftly weaves the takes of the diaspora into his work' [Gary Young]; 'Dennis does not disappoint with memories "rushing forward like volunteers for a good cause". Riveting, sensitive snapshots of inner city London Life'[Yvonne Brewster, author and founder of Talawa Theatre Company] '15 short stories written over five decades, confirms Ferdinand Dennis as a flâneur and urban philosopher exploring territory he first began to map in his now classic novels' [GUARDIAN]

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Book SynopsisNarratives of the body are versatile and From the Body demonstrates this.Here, there are confessions, recollections, and love letters, all dealing with topics as wide-reaching as eating disorders, disability, and gender dysphoria. In this collection of personal essays and creative nonfiction, its contributors have responded to food and the body in intimate but universal ways, sharing experiences that will resonate with readers.Featuring the award-winning poet Andrew McMillan and dedicated mental health campaigner Cara Lisette, From the Body is a tender and honest discussion of how we feed and fuel our bodies and how we may, in time, come to treat them a little kinder.

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Book Synopsis"[Selected Poems] offers readers a chance to catch on to one of the most distinctive talents of our time, one of the few who can genuinely startle...Ruefle is clearly one of the best American poets writing, and her body of work is remarkable for its spiritual force, intelligence, stylistic virtuosity, and adventurousness."--Tony Hoagland of all things standing furthest from what is real, stand these trees shaking with dispensable joy ...Mary Ruefle is the winner of the 2011 William Carlos Williams Award and has authored ten collections of poetry; The Most of It, a book of prose; and A Little White Shadow, a collection of erasures. She teaches at Vermont College.Trade Review"Her Selected Poems, like the work of William Carlos Williams, is a testimony not only to the power of artfulness, but to human empathy."--Rodney Jones, from his 2011 William Carlos Williams Award citation "This first retrospective collection from Ruefle, which selects from her nine previous books of poetry... shows her to be a poet of visionary imagination, abiding sensitivity, and melancholy humor."--Publishers Weekly "One of the enjoyable paradoxes of reading Ruefle's work is how easy it is to read, but how many possible meanings you can make. Though sometimes described as an experimental or "post-avant" poet, I have always found Ruefle's work intelligently accessible, charming and reader-friendly."--Jeannine Hall Gailey, The Rumpus "Ruefle is clearly one of the best American poets writing, and her body of work is remarkable for its spiritual force, intelligence, stylistic virtuosity, and adventurousness."--Tony Hoagland, On the SeawallTable of ContentsStanding Furthest; Transpontine; Replica; The Intended; From Memory; Patient; Without an Acre; All the Activity There Is; Barbarians; Perfume River; At the North Pole; The Beautiful Is Negative; The Last Supper; Pen and Ink; Depicted on a Screen; Heaven on Earth; The Beginnings of Idleness in Assisi; Lapland; Diary of Action and Repose; How It Is; Timberland; Cul-de-Sac; The Pedant's Discourse; Instrument of the Highest; Naked Ladies; Towards the Correction of Youthful Ignorance; Trust Me; Entirely, Eventually; Nice Hands; Rain Effect; Cold Pluto; Out of a Hundred; Merengue; Topophilia; Perpetually Attempting to Soar; Talking to Strangers; The Brooch; The Cart; The March; Ancestors; The Butcher's Story; The Hand; Minor Figure; Glory; The Wild Rose Bush; The Balloon; Perfect Reader; Tilapia; The Passing of Time; When Adults Talk; Marked; Argosy; Sentimental Education; Chilly Autumn Evenings; The Jewel; County Fair; The Letter; Pressed for Details; The Edge; Furtherness; Thistle; Nothing Like the Earth; Full Moon; Silk Land; Against the Sky; Mariposa and the Doll; Patina; Mercy; Among the Musk Ox People; Seven Postcards from Dover; The Tragic Drama of Joy; The Great Loneliness; The Feast; Zettel; Japanese Bloodgod; Magnificat; My Life as a Farmer (by James Dean); Critique of Little Errors; Concerning Essential Existence; Do Not Disturb; The Little I Saw of Cuba; In the Office of the Therapist I Behold the Extinguished Guests; The Nutshell; Why I Am Not a Good Kisser; Proscenium Arch; Oh Myrtie; From Here to Eternity; A Picture of Christ; Gathered on a Friday in the Hour of Jupiter; How I Became Impossible; The Tenor of Your Yes; My Happiness; The Meal That Way Always There; Kiss of the Sun; Pontiac; My Timid Eternity; Sweet Morning; The Imperial Ambassador of the Infinite; After a Rain; Thirteen; Lines Written on a Blank Space; Little Questions; Quick Note About the Think Source; Kettle; Lullaby

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Book SynopsisA collection of personal essays examining relationships, whiteness, and masculinity. Nicholas Ward’s debut essay collection, All Who Belong May Enter, centers on self-exploration and cultural critique. These deeply personal essays examine whiteness, masculinity, and a Midwest upbringing through tales of sporting events, parties, posh (and not-so-posh) restaurant jobs, and the many relationships built and lost along the way. With a storyteller’s spirit, Ward recounts and evaluates the privilege of his upbringing with acumen and vulnerability. Ward’s profound affection for his friends, family, lovers, pets, and particularly for his chosen home, Chicago, shines through. This collection offers readers hope for healing that comes through greater understanding and inquiry into one’s self, relationships, and culture. Through these essays, Ward acknowledges his position within whiteness and masculinity, and he continuously holds himself and the society around him accountable. All Who Belong May Enter was selected by Jaquira Díaz as the winner of the 2020 Autumn House Nonfiction Prize. Trade Review“Well observed and curious, these essays will appeal to readers who, like Ward, are sensitive to inequality but unsure how to combat it.” * Publishers Weekly *“In All Who Belong May Enter, Ward thoughtfully and honestly interrogates aspects of masculinity and how it affects his relationships and how he moves through the world. He expands his personal story to explore how gentrification has changed cities like Detroit and Chicago, considering white silence and complicity. An introspective, beautifully written work.” -- Jaquira Díaz, author of Ordinary Girls

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Book Synopsis“Wherever you are, there is home.” The flutter of first dates, the thrill of a text-back, the heart-stopping seconds before coming out, and the rush when finally discovering who you truly are – all of these life-changing moments across the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ experience are ready to explore in this bright and inspiring comics anthology! The Color of Always is a collection of personal stories, testimonies, heirlooms, evocations, and evangelisms for queer creators and readers that celebrates feeling good about who you are, and coming into your own at last. Featuring stories and art from BRENT FISHER, MARIO CANDELARIA, PRIYA SAXENA, MICHELE ABOUNADER, JAZZLYN STONE, ELISA ROMBOLI, LAURA HELSBY, RACHEL DISTLER, KATIE HICKS, LIANA KANGAS, and many more!Trade Review“an absolutely beautiful tribute to queer love and relationships.” – Booklist (Starred)“A magnificent book, filled with stories that will make you think and feel.” – Lilah Sturges (Jack of Fables, Lumberjanes)"An eclectic collection of deeply felt and frequently uplifting stories from across the spectrum of human experience." - Library Journal“Reinforces the fact that love comes in many forms and that everyone deserves it.” – Sweeney Boo (Captain Marvel, Over My Dead Body)

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