Biography Books

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Book SynopsisA series of luminous vignettes describe the childhood of Argentina's rediscovered modernist writer. Self-contained, interconnected fragments begin with her family's departure to Mendoza in 1910 and end with their return to Buenos Aires and the death of her father in 1915. Lange's notes tell intimate, half-understood stories from the seemingly peaceful realm of childhood, a realm inhabited by an eccentric narrator searching for clues on womanhood and her own identity. She watches: her pubescent older sister, bathing naked in the moonlight; the death of a horse; and herself, a changeable and untimely girl. How she cried, when lifted onto a table and dressed as a boy, and how she laughed, climbing onto the kitchen roof in men's clothing and throwing bricks to announce her performance. Lange makes her domestic setting into a laboratory where strangeness and eroticism combine in delicate, daring flashes of literary brilliance.Trade Review‘[Lange’s] stark, dreamy and often morbid observations that read like windows into the soul . . . Eccentric and obsessive, Lange reveals herself to be a born surrealist, examining and interpreting situations and people from elliptical angles.’ Catherine Taylor, Irish Times----‘A muse to the young Jorge Luis Borges and Oliverio Girondo, Norah Lange was herself a profoundly gifted writer, one capable of drawing her readers back in time, plunging you into a lost world of soulful horseback riding on the pampas and bucolic women’s sewing rooms. Her Notes from Childhood is an endearing, mesmerising, unforgettable masterpiece through which we can see anew the private history of women in Latin America. Read Norah and be bewitched.’ Pola Oloixarac ----'One of the most beautiful and luminous books of childhood memoirs ever written in Latin America, so rich in the genre.'Cesar Aira----'The postcards of gender construction in Notes from Childhood are a delight . . . as is her exquisite prose. The fact that Lange has been considered a secondary figure speaks only of the strict hierarchy of themes that regulated, and in my opinion, continues to regulate entry into the canon.'Marina Yuszczuk----'The apparently peaceful realm of childhood where the book was set concealed the fact that the text turned memories of a life into a literary investigation, the setting of childhood into an often disturbing laboratory.' Silvia Molloy----'Lange never lacked recognition from writers: Cesar Aira, Elvio Gandolfo, and Arturo Carrera have described her as one of the greats of Argentine literature'Adriana Astutti, Clarin

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Book SynopsisWithin two generations humanity is set to leave behind the fossil fuels which built our modern industrial civilisation. The clean energy transition is already underway, and its completion inevitable. So what lies ahead in our future? The key technologies of wind, solar, pumped hydro, batteries, heat pumps and green hydrogen are going to be key, argues Black. But transitions are not necessarily going to be smooth: fossil fuel corporations will go bankrupt and workers will lose jobs; the most powerful fossil fuel states have always pushed back and will continue to do so as their market contracts. However, water cannot be pushed uphill for any length of time. Already clean energy costs have fallen so far that almost all electricity generation capacity being built around the world is renewable; soon, for example, electric models will account for almost all growth in the global car fleet. As more are built, costs come down and rollout accelerates. Whether the transition happens fast enough

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Book SynopsisIn 1888, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche moved to Turin. This would be the year in which he wrote three of his greatest works: Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, and Ecce Homo; it would also be his last year of writing. He suffered a debilitating nervous breakdown in the first days of the following year. In this probing, elegant biography of that pivotal year, Lesley Chamberlain undoes popular clichés and misconceptions about Nietzsche by offering a deeply complex approach to his character and work. Focusing as much on Nietzsche's daily habits, anxieties and insecurities as on the development of his philosophy, Nietzsche in Turin offers a uniquely lively portrait of the great thinker, and of the furiously productive days that preceded his decline.Trade Review'A major intellectual event... simply the best book I have read in a very long time on the greatest philosopher of the modern age' - John Banville'This brilliant book should be a great relief for anyone condemned to read the run of contemporary Nietzsche commentaries; and for anyone who isn't, it could be an introduction which is hard to imagine being surpassed in passion and lucidity' - The Times'Lesley Chamberlain has a rare gift for animating philosophy through intensely human stories' - Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times and Irish Times bestseller, as featured in the Sunday Independent'You're all fallen women. You've sowed the seed of Satan. You are nothing.'Mary Creighton was just 15 when she found herself pregnant out of wedlock, in 1960s Ireland. She dreamed of a happy life with her child, but that was shattered when she was sent away to Castlepollard - a home for mothers and their unborn babies.Stripped of their clothes and forced into gruelling work whilst pregnant, those who survived childbirth were made to force-feed their children for adoption into wealthy families. Babies were ripped out of their mother's hands, but Mary refused to let that happen to her. She managed to escape only to later lose her beautiful daughter to social services and the Sacred Heart nuns, who always managed to catch up with her. After spending time in an infamous Magdalene Laundry, and having another two children snatched away, Mary sought to find her lost children, and demand answers for the atrocities committed supposedly in God's name.This is a haunting account of a mother's worst nightmare, as Mary continues to fight for justice for the mothers who suffered and the babies of Castlepollard: hundreds of which died and are still buried in the grounds today.

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Book SynopsisMaggy Van Eijk knows where the best place to cry in public is: the top deck of a bus, right at the front. She also knows that eating super salty liquorice or swimming in an icy cold pond are things that make you feel alive but aren't bad for you.Turning 27, Maggy had the worst mental health experience of her life so far. She ended a three-year relationship, was almost fired (twice), went to A&E over twelve times, saw three different therapists and had three different diagnoses. But she didn't let that year stop her. Taking pen to paper, Maggy started writing lists. Lists to remind her when she's anxious or when the world won't stop spinning, that everything will be okay, whether it's starfishing her heart out in bed first thing in the morning, or just simply phoning a friend.In her brave and important book, with a brand new chapter, Maggy lays bare the true reality of mental illness in the hope it can help others come out the other side too.

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Book SynopsisFilm star. Icon. Agitator. Martyr. Paul Robeson was a twentieth-century icon; the most famous African-American of his time. The son of a former slave, he found worldwide fame as a performer, travelling from Hollywood to the West End, and even to communist Russia. A champion of social justice and equality, he would go on to lose everything for the sake of his principles. Here, Jeff Sparrow traces Robeson’s remarkable life. Part travelogue, part biography, this is a story of political ardour, heritage, and trauma — a luminous portrait of a man and an urgent reflection on the politics that define us now. Trade Review‘Sparrow shows how this admittedly splendid actor, this marvelous singer, this charismatic speaker, had somehow evolved into something more: he had for many people become the embodiment of the global longing for a better world, a juster dispensation … Sparrow has made perfect and haunting sense of him.’ * New York Review of Books *‘In a chronologically methodical and delightfully insightful approach that might best be described as “bio-tourism”, Australian author, journalist, and broadcaster Sparrow tells the story of preternaturally gifted Paul Robeson … [A]n excellent and perhaps timely reboot of Robeson’s singularly incredible life, especially as its trajectory now intersects with contemporary racial issues.’ * Library Journal *‘Written with an exhilarating combination of insight and passion … A necessary book. A social movement that calls itself “Black Lives Matter” exists because those lives are being treated as if they don't. Sparrow knows that when he writes of the past, “If you believed in nothing, you’d fall for anything”, he is also writing about now.’ * Anna Funder, author of Stasiland *‘This is an inspiring biography of a really remarkable human being.’ -- Johann Hari, author of Chasing the Scream‘Brilliantly told by Jeff Sparrow, Paul Robeson's story is compelling and important. No Way But This is a challenge to history and a reminder of what unites us.’ -- Owen Jones, Guardian columnist and author of The Establishment‘Jeff Sparrow is the latest biographer to tackle this riveting subject and he ably demonstrates how journalistic method can contribute to historical understanding.’ * TLS *‘Urgent and compelling … A mix of essay, journalism, history and biography [that is] engaging, original and insightful … Fascinating, instructive and full of astute observations on race and politics, No Way But This: In Search of Paul Robeson will appeal to readers passionate about social justice and the history of 20th-century political movements.’ STARRED REVIEW * Books+Publishing *‘An amazing story I didn't even know I didn't know. Jeff pulls us through the grubby terrain of race, Jesus, prison, and fascism.’ -- John Safran, author of Murder in Mississippi‘With sensitive inquisition; fierce curiosity; razor-sharp observation; crisp, engaging prose; and a fondness and respect for his subject that fairly sings, Sparrow once again proves himself one of the finest nonfiction writers we have.’ -- Maxine Beneba Clarke, author of The Hate Race‘Part journalist, part historian, Jeff Sparrow writes with loving discernment about a remarkable man and the forces that shaped his unmistakable voice. [This is] a gripping story of courage and commitment, told by one of our finest chroniclers of the human capacity for tenderness amid the squalor. Sparrow takes us on a global journey, revealing that beyond an old man and a river, there lies a deep valley of hatred and hope, sadness and solidarity.’ -- Claire Wright, Stella Prize-winning author of The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka‘Jeff Sparrow's No Way But This is a major addition to what we know of, and how we may know, this 20th-century giant … It's impossible to do justice in a brief space to such a life of commitment — or to suggest just what a compelling narrative Sparrow has made of it. He has aptly brought this giant to the attention of later generations.’ * Sydney Morning Herald *‘Paul Robeson was truly a giant of a man, in physical stature, courage, intellect, and creative endeavour. With this intimate and engaging portrait, we are able to gain an invaluable insight into a major political and artistic talent of the twentieth century. Ours is a time requiring inspiration, affiliation, and solidarity. Paul Robeson surely provides the inspiration we desperately need.’ -- Tony Birch, author of Blood and Ghost River‘A great book about a fascinating man. Read it and be inspired!’ -- Srdja Popovic, author of Blueprint for Revolution‘Both moving and illuminating … It is timely that in an era when there are more African-American men in jail or on parole in the United States than there were men in bondage at the height of slavery and when the Black Lives Matter movement is gathering momentum that there is a book to remind us about this astonishing individual and the political climate in which he used his popular voice to highlight systemic inequality.’ * Readings *‘An illuminating look at the life of a frankly remarkable man.’ FIVE BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ THIS MONTH * The AU Review *‘Book of the week … [A] conscientious and often painful biography.’ * Daily Mail *‘Sparrow has eloquently portrayed Robeson as a giant of a man who was prepared to kill off his career for his political beliefs. He emphasises that past struggles should inform today; we need not just inspiration to act but affiliation to organise and solidarity to withstand.’ * Morning Star Online *‘Remarkable … It revives Robeson as a model of integrity and bravery — someone who, despite the precarity of his social position, risked his life and career for the ideas of workers' rights, black liberation, anti-colonialism and international socialism. As Robeson's story unfolds, the ghosts of past struggles unite with those who fight for political emancipation around the world today. By naming and connecting these diverse groups, Sparrow opens a space for a new public to be formed. Robeson, with his integrity, struggles and flaws, provides a powerful model for the kinds of political action we so desperately need.’ * Sydney Review of Books *‘Told sensitively and often movingly by a writer awake to the nuances of the political and social contexts in which Robeson moved, this is a story that reverberates today, full of tragedy but also exhilaration and promise. It is the story we need to hear.’ * Overland *‘Sparrow's lively portrait should restore a little of the fame the great man deserves.’ * Weekend Herald (Auckland) *‘Robeson’s character, art, principled politics and legacy of extraordinary courage all come vividly to life in No Way But This. There are many worthy books about the life of Paul Robeson, but this is one not to be missed.’ * Red Flag *‘ … a splendid account of this fabulous figure … This is an intriguing life, beautifully realised by a fine writer, and should be widely read and appreciated.’ * The Miner *‘A thoughtful, sensitive and respectful examination of the life and work of Paul Robeson … More than the biography of one remarkable man, the book is a testament to Robeson's conviction that despite it all, there was no way but to struggle for a better world.’ * Green Left Weekly *‘The book gripped me. I read excerpts to The Spouse over breakfast; I neglected the ironing, forgot to water the vegetable patch … Now that’s a book well worth reading!’ * ANZ LitLovers *‘An entertaining, informative and important book.’ -- Kit de Waal, author of My Name is Leon‘Absolutely wonderful.’ -- Simon Callow‘Sparrow's account not only soars, it sings.’ * Sight and Sound *‘This passionate biography is testament to a figure who deserves to be better remembered.’ * Esquire, The Big Book Awards *‘[W]ritten with deep admiration for its subject.’ -- Nadifa Mohamed * The Guardian *‘[A] pleasing, engaging mix of biography, social history, in-the-footsteps research, and personal reflection … A lucid, thought-provoking tribute to Robeson by an author determined to stand where Robeson stood and imagine what he thought.’ * Kirkus *‘Sparrow has made a worthy effort, joining other recent work, including Jordan Goodman’s Paul Robeson: A Watched Man and Gerald Horne’s Paul Robeson: the Artist as Revolutionary. Each is worth reading.’ * Paul Buhle *‘Sparrow’s book is a very effective and compelling way of introducing Robeson to readers not so interested in conventional biographies.’ -- Tayo Aluko * Morning Star *

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Book SynopsisWilliam Young was the son of gentleman farmer Henry Young who owned Cotchford Farm in the mid-nineteenth century. At the age of just twenty-three William left the farm for what we might now term a 'gap year’ working in Canada. This book, based on his own diary from 1854/5, tells the fascinating story of his journey via Liverpool and onwards on a three-masted schooner to New York, Buffalo and eventually Lake Erie. The voyage had its own perils, a long way from transatlantic travel today. Unbeknown to our diarist, the ship he travelled on was part of a criminal enterprise and eventually suffered both mutiny and wreck. In the mill towns on Lake Erie Young proves an indispensable worker both on crops and stonework. Just as he is about to return to England he is beset with difficulties..... His is a young, clear voice on life a hundred and sixty years ago.

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Book SynopsisThe RAF Halton Apprenticeship Scheme has a deserved reputation for excellence. The brainchild of MRAF Hugh Trenchard, the founder of the Royal Air Force, it took the ‘traditional’ idea of an apprenticeship and interpreted it in a novel way. It allowed teenage boys from any social background or geography to learn a technical trade that would equip them for their future lives, within and beyond the RAF. It also gave the best an opportunity to become pilots and break into the once public-school-dominated officer class. Of the 50,000 boys trained as apprentices, seventeen won the Sword of Honour at Cranwell, and more than 1,200 were commissioned with 110 achieving Air Rank. Eighteen have been knighted, with well over 1,000 others being honoured at various levels of state. More than a hundred Halton Boys served as pilots in the Battle of Britain (and many more as airframe/engine fitters and armourers), including the mercurial Don Finlay, the former Olympic hurdler. Others like Gerry Blacklock and Pat Connolly flew bombers on perilous missions over Western Europe or took part in the famous ‘Dams’ Raid. Then there were the three men murdered for their part in the Great Escape, and those who battled and survived years as prisoners of the Japanese in the Far East. In the jet era, ex-apprentice Graham Hulse became an ‘ace’ in Korea, serving with an American fighter squadron, and Mike Hines went on to become OC 617 Squadron after having first flown operations during the Suez crisis. Others like Charles Owen became a pioneer commercial jet pilot, and Peter Goodwin had the misfortune of being captured in the first Gulf War and used as a human shield. Some forged successful careers beyond the RAF, like Lawrie Haynes, who was on the main board at Rolls-Royce and is now chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, and Eugene Borysuik – one of the many Polish apprentices trained at Halton, who enjoyed a successful career at GEC. And there were many others beyond air and ground crew including policemen, government officials and even bishops whose careers started with the Halton family. This is the story of Halton told through and by the boys who were there and who are still proud to be called ‘Trenchard Brats’.

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Book SynopsisIn Tomorrow Is Too Late, Grace Maddrell collects testimonies of activism and hope from young climate strikers, from Brazil and Burundi to Pakistan and Palestine. These youth activists are experiencing the reality of the climate crisis, including typhoons, drought, flood, fire, crop failure and ecological degradation, and are all engaged in the struggle to bring these issues to the centre of the world stage. Their strength and determination show the urgency of their cause, and their understanding that the generations above them have failed to safeguard their environment. With contributors aged between eight and twenty-five, this is an inspiring collection of essays from the most vital generation of voices in the global struggle for climate justice, and offers a manifesto for how you can engage, educate, and inspire change for a more hopeful future. Trade ReviewVanessa Nakate (contributor) featured and quoted in ‘7 Young Planet-Saving Activists To Follow, Stat’ https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/climate-activists-on-instagram -- Emily Chan * Vogue *‘Bringing the Climate Crisis Home: How young people can educate their parents’ https://www.theguardian.com/parenting-your-parents/2021/jan/15/bringing-the-climate-crisis-home-how-young-people-can-educate-their-parents * The Guardian *'I've lost friends': the young climate strikers forced to go it alone’ ‘It was the power of social media that inspired Anna Kernahan, 17, Grace Maddrell, 14, and Helen Jackson, 21, to set up Solo But Not Alone, a Twitter page dedicated to sharing the stories of solo climate strikers.’ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/13/young-climate-strikers-go-it-alone -- Jessica Murray * The Guardian *Essay by Nasratullah Elham [Extract from Tomorrow Is Too Late] * The London Magazine *Book review: Tomorrow is too Late, ed Grace Maddrell -- Jeremy Williams * The Earthbound Report *How it feels to watch world leaders make catastrophic climate decisions -- Grace Maddrell * The Independent *Young activists speak out on the climate ‘[A] a remarkable book that shows how educated and passionate young people can be about saving the planet.’ -- Ibrahim Sawal * New Scientist *Gen Z on how to save the world: young climate activists speak out ‘After attending a first climate school strike as barely a teenager, Grace Maddrell, at just 16, has now published Tomorrow Is Too Late (Indigo Press), a book of essays and stories by young activists from around the world illustrating why it is imperative that we act now to avert climate catastrophe.’ * The Observer *Kicked out of School for Being a Freethinker [Extract: Ali Khademolhosseini’s essay from Tomorrow Is Too Late] * It’s freezing in LA! *It’s easy to set climate targets for a distant 2050 – but even tomorrow is too late ‘However you do it, I hope you’ll find a way to hear the voices of these young people, because every single one of them is vital to this fight.’ -- Grace Maddrell * The Big Issue *Vanessa Nakate Wants Climate Justice for Africa -- Vanessa Nakate (contributor to Tomorrow Is Too Late) * Time *

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Book Synopsis"A WW2 heroine." - Dan Snow Love, duty and true-life adventure in the shadow of the Second World War Christian Lamb is one of the last surviving Wren Officers to have served throughout the Second World War, from Blitz ravaged London, to the important Radar and Operations rooms and undertaking a vital role in D Day. Escaping both the Spanish Flu pandemic when she was born and the pandemic we are emerging from today, she has reached the impressive age of 101. Now she leads us through the story of her extraordinary life and the wartime experiences of her fellow Wrens.Trade Review"An extraordinary life." -- Liz EarleEngaging, interesting and really well written, this book is a great read for anyone interested in the experiences of the young women who joined the WRNS during WW2. The author writes about her life but has also included the stories of others too. With fascinating details of daily life in the services, as well as stories of those she met along the journey. A really enjoyable and engaging book for anyone interested in this period. An important piece of our history. * Netgalley *"A WW2 heroine." * Dan Snow *"This was the best kind of memoir, as the author's writing style made me feel like we were friends just sitting and having a conversation about her many experiences. I prefer this warm and fuzzy type of memoir over the ones that are written more like a history book." * Netgalley *

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Book SynopsisA powerful and provocative collection of essays that offers poignant reflections on living between society’s most charged, politicized, and intractably polar spaces—between black and white, rich and poor, thin and fat. Savala Nolan knows what it means to live in the in-between. Descended from a Black and Mexican father and a white mother, Nolan’s mixed-race identity is obvious, for better and worse. At her mother’s encouragement, she began her first diet at the age of three and has been both fat and painfully thin throughout her life. She has experienced both the discomfort of generational poverty and the ease of wealth and privilege. It is these liminal spaces—of race, class, and body type—that the essays in Don’t Let It Get You Down excavate, presenting a clear and nuanced understanding of our society’s most intractable points of tension. The twelve essays that comprise this collection are rich with unforgettable anecdotes and are as humorous and as full of Nolan’s appetites as they are of anxieties. Over and over again, Nolan reminds us that our true identities are often most authentically lived not in the black and white, but in the grey of the in-between.Trade ReviewReview: Don’t Let It Get You Down ‘This fierce and intelligent book is important not just for how it celebrates hard-won pride in one’s identity, but also for how Nolan articulates the complicated—and too often overlooked—nature of personal and cultural in-betweenness.’ https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/savala-nolan/dont-let-it-get-you-down/ * Kirkus *‘Nolan’s writing on identity and self-worth is captivating from start to finish; her words will resonate long after the last page.’ https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/dont-let-it-get-you-down-essays-on-race-gender-and-the-body-2116601 -- Emily Bowles * Library Journal *‘Like the 12 essays in Don’t Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body, Savala Nolan is powerful and complex.’ https://issuu.com/book_page/docs/0721_bookpage -- Priscilla Kipp * Book Page *Review: Don’t Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body ‘…the mix of cultural criticism and thoughtful personal writing will be just right for fans of Roxane Gay.’ https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-982137-26-7 * Publisher's Weekly *Review: Don’t Let it Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body by Savala Nolan ‘Personal and lyrical, this essay collection is full of anecdotes that echo and sentences that stop you in your tracks.’ https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-dont-let-it-get-you-down-essays-on-race-gender-and-the-body-by-savala-nolan/ * Utopia State of Mind *Savala Nolan Is Finally Being Heard Loud and Clear ‘Not only is it an important read, but also a delightful one that shows just how multitalented and impressive the author is when taking on subjects that resonate inside of her but also in the bodies and minds of her readers as well.’ https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/a37028643/savala-nolan-is-finally-being-heard-loud-and-clear/ -- Scott Neumver * Shondaland.com *Twelve revelatory essays probe with unflinching honesty what it means to be black https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/books/review-12-revelatory-essays-probe-with-unflinching-honesty-what-it-means-to-be-black -- Dolen Perkins-Valdez * San Francisco Chronicle *Savala Nolan Takes a Hard Look at the White Gaze and Its Blind Spots ‘Vulnerable, but rarely veering into self-indulgence . . . it is a brutal, beautifully rendered narrative. A standout collection.’ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/12/books/review/savala-nolan-dont-let-it-get-you-down.html -- Tressie Mc Millan Cottom * New York Times Book Review *24 of the best new book releases in June https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/g15922606/new-good-books-to-read/?slide=24 * Cosmopolitan *‘Please don’t call me strong’: notes on race, gender and the body – an extract https://gal-dem.com/dont-let-it-get-you-down-extract/ * Galdem *Savala Nolan: Don't Let It Get You Down review - finding voice in the liminal ‘Finding her voice, her faith, her self in the liminal, Nolan reclaims a mighty tradition and way of telling for us all.’ https://theartsdesk.com/books/savala-nolan-dont-let-it-get-you-down-review-finding-voice-liminal -- Hannah Hutchings-Georgiou * The Arts Desk *

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary memoir of anticipatory grief, seventy-two minutes of life and a silent maternity leave, from artist and academic Tamarin Norwood. A few months into pregnancy, Tamarin Norwood learned that the baby she was carrying would not live. Over the sleepless weeks that followed, Tamarin, her husband and their three-year-old son tried to navigate the unfamiliar waters of anticipatory sorrow and to prepare for what was to come. Written partly during pregnancy and partly during the silent maternity leave that followed, The Song of the Whole Wide World is an emergency response to grief held somewhere between the womb, the grave and the many stories that bind them: stories drawn from medical science, poetry, liturgy, vivid waking dreams of underwater life, and knowledge held deep within the body. This profoundly moving and intimate account offers a lyrical and fearless meditation on birth, death, and the possibilities of consolation.

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Book SynopsisThis is no ordinary parish, and no ordinary priest - a true story of poverty, haunting, exorcism, birth, death and murder. Seth was a priest. He served for 10 years and 163 days. Then he decided to die. “Have you ever questioned whether you are doing the right thing?” Beginning with his bungled suicide attempt, Faithless charts the incidents within Seth's ministry that led him to that point. From dealing with a cult leader to performing exorcisms in haunted houses, Seth has seen the unimaginable. He has escaped from the clutches of a man who showed signs of being possessed and helped rebuild families after unthinkable tragedy. These incidents in his life have one common thread. A young man struggling to find the right thing to do in some of the most desperate situations. All the time, his once boundless faith was dwindling. Will Seth be forced to take a different path? Trade ReviewHave you ever wondered about the spiritual realm and if it really exists? Have you ever wondered about the life of a priest, and what they experience while walking through a Journey with God? What traumas do people carry? Faithless bares all with a raw truth of experience. Check out Faithless, this book by Seth Walker is truly an eye-opener to the people in society today, in a Northern town of unemployment, poverty, alcoholism, drugs, and battery. Seth has experienced all sorts of traumas while walking in his journey with God. This gripping book tells the story of a priest and the raw accounts of his journey. Faithless will have you gripped as Seth tells his story of his daily encounters, the jaw-dropping accounts that will have you thinking how someone deals with the traumas of people. There is also a warning with the book a warning of suicide and violence. Seth writes his accounts on youths on mind altering drugs whilst dabbling with a Ouija board and responding to what they hear. but it’s not all doom and gloom there is also humour tho’ Seth’s faith is tested to a breaking point. A true story of poverty, hauntings, exorcism, birth, death, and murder. A truly heart-wrenching book that will have you gripped from the very beginning. This book is really one we recommend you read, it will certainly leave you thinking about the spirit realm, behaviours, the works of Christ, and the tough journey with God. * Hull Echo *‘Faithless’ is a fascinating book which I found difficult to put down. Initially, I wasn’t sure about reading ‘Faithless’ because I’ve experienced a crisis of faith too. At times, I had nothing to hold on to and I was concerned that reading this book may unsettle me and shake my faith. It didn’t. I’m so glad that I chose to read ‘Faithless’. I can’t escape the irony of a line in the book; ‘becoming a Christian is hard, but staying a Christian is even harder.’ I empathise with Seth Walker’s apathy and spiritual desolation; his point of view. In his own words, he was ill-prepared for the responsibilities put upon his shoulders and it crushed him. When he cried out to God … Nothing. This is a very powerful testimony. I like how he ends the book. * Netgalley *'It’s definitely not for everyone, but it is an instructive read for those considering working in a deprived community. It's not all bleak. There is warmth, even hilarity, as we get to know the characters who inhabit the estate... and, an unexpected chink of light appears right at the very end. Despite the traumatic situations he finds himself in, the author’s pastoral heart shines through. 4 stars.' * Premier Christianity Magazine *

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Book SynopsisMihir Bose, born in Kolkata shortly before Indian independence in 1947, still feels enormous gratitude towards Mr Crombie of the UK's Home Office, who confirmed his permanent resident's rights. After studying in Britain, Bose had dreamed of making a life and career there; now he could pursue it. Shiva Naipaul mocked him for reembracing the colonial lash, doubting Bose's prospects as a writerbut he was wrong.This absorbing account shows how Britain has changed dramatically for the better since the '60s. Then, Indian food was shunned, not adored; landladies wouldn't rent Bose a room; white women would not have relationships for fear of mixed babies; and he suffered several assaults, fearing for his life.Bose could not imagine then that the British would take such great strides towards multi-racial harmony. Yet Britain's complex, sometimes deeply shameful, imperial legacy must still be addressed. India, defying its doubters, has been coming to terms with its tortured past

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Book SynopsisNona Baker stayed behind in the Malayan jungle during WWII and was adopted by Chinese guerrillas. Against all odds, this remarkable, brave young woman, known as Pai Naa (White Nona), remained in the jungle for three years, avoiding capture by the Japanese and betrayal by spies.

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Book SynopsisGeorgia Williams’ murder at the hands of college pal Jamie Reynolds was a crime that shocked the nation: chillingly executed and horrific in its sexual depravity. But when Georgia’s devastated mother, Lynnette, and father, Steve, questioned the events leading to their daughter’s death, they discovered it was also entirely preventable. At the time of Georgia’s disappearance, Steve was – ironically – a highly-commended murder squad detective serving with West Mercia Police. The same force, Steve and Lynnette discovered, had had Reynolds in its sights for years before Georgia’s murder, but let him slip their net. Drawing on Steve’s inside police knowledge, the couple exposed the litany of failures that let Reynolds infiltrate their daughter’s life, and allowed him to kill. Now, in her powerful and moving memoir, Lynnette tries to get beyond the platitudes of ‘mistakes made and lessons learned’ to effect real change, and also details the heartbreaking aftermath of a crime that should never have happened.

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Book SynopsisA novel about eccentric 19th-century Englishman Alexander Hare: a trader and slave-owner in the East and a friend of Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, but Hare's chief claim to fame is as the creator of a harem of women from throughout Asia.

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Book SynopsisKim Sturgess was a weekend sailor: he enjoyed club racing and several brief sailing holidays, but had never attempted a substantial expedition. Reaching the age of fifty focused the mind and he decided to sail around Britain. While many cruising sailors would not contemplate a 1900 nautical mile voyage, he broke the voyage into a series of day sails, making it an achievable ambition for him, largely single-handed, and for many other weekend sailors who might dream of sailing around their home island. This book tells the quirky traveller's narrative of the voyage and visits to forty-eight towns. Evoking the spirit of both Jerome K. Jerome with his Three Men in a Boat and Joshua Slocum's Sailing Alone Around the World, Kim shares his thoughts and struggles, recounting how easy it is for anyone to become an adventurer here at home. But don't expect to always agree with him - he has been described as "the Jeremy Clarkson of yachting"!Trade Review"If the thought of tough coastal night passages puts you off sailing round Britain, try Kim Sturgess's tactic of breaking the voyage down into '50 day sails and one night passage' as he did... It's interesting for anyone thinking of making the voyage." (Yachting Monthly) "His narrative grips the reader as we share the heart-in-the-mouth experience... He tells his story with a vivid immediacy: we are there with him. We share the dangers he faces during the miserable summer of 2007, his philosophical observations along the way and his sadness at recurring evidence of national decline in the places he visits." (Cruising Association) “Sail the glorious and challenging coast of Britain with Kim Sturgess in his salty tale…. His leisurely approach to adventure takes in towns and villages along the way and brings to life the great variety of culture and cuisine on our small island… It’s wonderful, warm and well worth a read.” (Sailing Today) An unusual travel guide by an unusual companion.” (Yachting Life)Table of ContentsPreface; PART ONE: SWAPPING THE LONDON UNDERGROUND FOR THE BRITISH SEAS: Cruise Philosophy, My Sailing Experience, Hobo the Yacht, Safety for a Sailor; PART TWO: GREENWICH TO GREENWICH AROUND THE BRITISH ISLES: East: Greenwich to Inverness, North: Inverness to Bangor NI, West: Bangor NI to Newlyn, South: Newlyn to Greenwich; Epilogue; Glossary; Appendix.

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Book Synopsis'Interesting. Fascinating. I wanted to hold Michelle's hand and say “We can do this"' - Louise Allen In 1972, Michelle Pearson gave up her son for adoption. As ‘one of those girls’, she was expected to hide her shame with secrecy. No one should ever find out she’d had a child. But she never forgot the son who was taken from her. In the years that followed she struggled with PTSD, traumatic memory loss, agoraphobia and anxiety – impacting every area of her life. This is Michelle’s story of love, loss and hope; of how over 50 years she has managed the consequences of living with her secret, survived the emotional pain, and finally, after being reunited with her son, the journey to rebuild their lives together.Trade Review'Michelle's story is powerful, deeply moving and the tip of the iceberg as far as the national scandal of forced adoption in Britain is concerned.' * Dr Michael Lambert *'Interesting. Fascinating. I wanted to hold Michelle's hand and say “We can do this"' * Louise Allen, author *

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Book SynopsisIn the Gaza Strip, growing up on land owned by his family for centuries, eleven-year-old Yousef is preoccupied by video games, school pranks, and meeting his father's impossibly high standards. Everything changes when the Second Intifada erupts and soldiers occupy the family home. Yousef's father refuses to flee and risk losing the house forever, so the army keeps the family in a state of virtual imprisonment. Yousef struggles to understand how his father can be so committed to peaceful co-existence that he welcomes the occupying Israeli soldiers as `guests', even in the face of unfair and humiliating treatment. Over time, Yousef learns how to endure his new life in captivity - but he can't anticipate that a bullet is about to transform his future in an instant. Shot by an Israeli soldier at the age of fifteen, and taken to hospital in Tel Aviv, Yousef slowly and painstakingly confronts the paralysis of his lower body. Under the ceaseless care of Israeli medical professionals, he gains a new perspective on the value of co-existence. These transformative experiences set Yousef on a difficult new path that leads him to learn to embody his father's philosophy, and spread a message of co-existence in a world of deep-set sectarianism. The Words of My Father is a moving coming-of-age story about survival, tolerance and hope.Trade Review"To experience love and humanity on many levels, read this story. Beautifully told by a young man whose voice deserves to be heard - even if the world is not yet ready to listen." - Diana Darke, author of The Merchant of Syria "Yousef Khalil Bashir has written a work of profound spiritual beauty, one of the great memoirs to emerge from this terrible conflict. For Israelis like myself, reading Bashir's story is a deeply wrenching experience. And yet, while I strongly disagree with some of his premises, I found myself feeling grateful to Bashir for his open heart and mind. "The Words of My Father" offers all of us hope that this seemingly intractable conflict can find a solution that is just to both sides."-Yossi Klein Halevi, author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor

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Book SynopsisThe Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980) achieved world fame with his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes. In this detailed biography, Rudiger Goerner masterfully depicts the multifaceted artist's life and long career. He traces Kokoschka's path from being the bugbear of the bourgeoisie and a 'hunger artist' to becoming a wealthy and cosmopolitan political and critical artist who went on to shape the European art scene of the 20th century and beyond. The great painter's works as a playwright, essayist and poet bear witness to his remarkable literary quality. Music played a central role in his work, and his passion for teaching led him to establish in 1953 the School of Seeing, an unconventional art school conceived by Kokoschka as an attempt to revive humanist ideals in the horrific aftermath of war. The life and work of Oskar Kokoschka are a reaction against the monochrome monotony of existence; Goerner's biography portrays the artist in all his fascinating and contradictory complexity.Trade Review'Goerner narrates [...] in a compelling way' - Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; 'With appropriately rhapsodic descriptions, Goerner shows how incredibly [...] worldly this petty bourgeois from Poechlarn has been' - Die Welt; ‘An unconventional but long-awaited approach to Kokoschka’s rich oeuvre. Rüdiger Görner does not restrict his considerations to the painter and his formal characteristics but rather sets Kokoschka’s singular character against a social, literary and political background in a century of European turmoil. [...] Görner sheds light on how contemporaries such as Thomas Mann and Karl Kraus viewed Kokoschka’s oeuvre. This new biography is a holistic reflection on Kokoschka as a person, with his paintings and writings, his enemies and lovers, his agonies and his hopes’ Catherine Hug Kunsthaus Zürichs; ‘Rüidger Görner does not separate Kokoschka’s art from his life. The artist was driven, always trying to cross boundaries, be they moral, political or social. The veracity of his art was the result of these frictions never being hidden. Görner works along the same principles, creating a convincing book and presenting the entire Oskar Kokoschka, perhaps for the first time, and leaves the reader with an unforgettable impression’ Johann Konrad Eberlein, former director of the Institute of Art History at University of GrazTable of ContentsThe Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka achieved world fame with his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes. In this first English-language biography, Ru¨diger Görner depicts the artist in all his fascinating and contradictory complexity. He traces Kokoschka’s path from bête noire of the bourgeoisie and a so-called ‘hunger artist’ to a wealthy and cosmopolitan political and critical artist who played a major role in shaping the European art scene of the twentieth century and whose relevance is undiminished to this day. Kokoschka’s achievements as a playwright, essayist and poet bear witness to his remarkable literary talent. Music, too, played a central role in his work, and his passion for teaching led him to establish in 1953 the School of Seeing, an unconventional art school conceived to revive humanist ideals in the horrific aftermath of war.

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Book SynopsisMary’s own story is here revealed and given value in its own right, not merely as ‘the wife of …’ or ‘the mother of …’. This remarkable woman deserves her own place in history. Mary Clegg was a spirited young woman from a liberal, non-conformist background in the East Midlands, the daughter of a head teacher and pioneering educationalist. He believed not just in the value of a broad education, but also in the importance of a stimulating learning environment. When Mary married one of her father’s former teaching staff, effectively relinquishing the chance of an independent career for herself, she focused on supporting her husband’s career and nurturing her three sons. However, Mary’s innate vitality could not be constrained by ‘domestic tasks’ alone. As war loomed again during the 1930s Mary’s humanitarian instincts were given full rein as she quite literally rescued and saved young lives, innocent victims of warped political ideologies in Europe.

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Book Synopsis`There is a physical world, which we all accept as real, but there is also a spiritual world, which interpenetrates this material world and is its cause and foundation. Between these two worlds exists a threshold that can be felt, seen clairvoyantly, traversed and passed through by anyone with a real desire to do so... At this threshold there is a guardian, whose task is to stop humans from passing across it unprepared…’ – From the Introduction. Based on first-hand knowledge, Are Thoresen offers insights into the meaning of the threshold to the spiritual world. He describes his own experiences in encountering this threshold and going beyond it. But there are many thresholds to the spiritual world, he says, and many ways to pass them – as there are many aspects to the `guardian of the threshold’ and versions of the so-called `animals at the threshold’. The worlds beyond, too, have a variety of different constructions – or, as the Bible says: `In my Father’s house are many mansions’. The author describes the methods and techniques for opening the spiritual sense organs required to cross the threshold, and clarifies the differences between Imagination (seeing spiritual `pictures’), Inspiration (understanding those pictures) and Intuition (living `inside’ the spiritual reality). Structuring the book on his own biography, Thoresen conveys many of the lessons he has learnt through decades of familiarity with the invisible dimensions. However, he warns that there is only one good reason to attempt to cross the threshold, and that is to serve God and humanity in the name of love. If we do it out of curiosity, or to enhance our personal development, it would be better not to try.Table of ContentsForeword – Introduction – 1. Childhood (6-12) – 2. Youth(12-21) – 3. Adulthood (21-62) – 4. Senior Years (62-...) – 5. Spiritual Training – Addendum 1: The Twelve Sense Organs and Their Developmental Significance – Addendum 2: The Mystery of the Hexagon

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Book Synopsis'He [Harwood] is the sole Horatio known to me in this age of Hamlets...' - C. S. Lewis, from Surprised by Joy --- Cecil Harwood (1898-1975) - lecturer, Waldorf teacher, writer, editor and anthroposophist - pioneered and developed the first Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf) school in the United Kingdom (the New School in London, now Michael Hall School in Sussex). He also led the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain for some 37 years. In 1922, at the age of 24, Harwood attended a festival of English folk song and dance in Cornwall, alongside his life-long friend Owen Barfield. It was here - and not in the academic citadel of Oxford University, where they were both part of the literary circle known as the Inklings - that Harwood and Barfield were to encounter the work of Rudolf Steiner through meeting Daphne Olivier. Sun King's Counsellor provides an intricate picture of the human connections, cultural movements and spiritual background that contributed to what came together in Cornwall in 1922, leading to Harwood's life's work. Featuring a colour plate section and full index, it documents Harwood's early years and antecedents, marriages to Daphne Olivier and Margaret Lundgren, friendships with Barfield and C.S. Lewis, his life-changing meeting with anthroposophy and Rudolf Steiner, teaching and educational work, and Harwood's critical role in healing divisions within the Anthroposophical Society. Based on extensive research of primary sources, Blaxland-de Lange's biography reveals the multi-faceted, flexible and sacrificial nature of this unique personality. Alfred Cecil Harwood - he preferred 'Cecil' instead of Alfred, with its meaning of 'wise counsellor' - began his career with the hope of becoming a writer, and had neither the intention nor ambition to become a teacher or the head of a national organization. Yet he became both an exemplary teacher and leader, as well as a celebrated author, editor, translator and lecturer.Table of ContentsIntroduction - PART ONE: 1. Ralph Vaughan Williams, Rudolf Steiner, and a Meeting in Cornwall - 2. Family Backgrounds: Lord Olivier and Minister Harwood - 3. Personal and Professional Engagement - 4. Marriage and the Founding Years of Michael Hall - 5. Early Writings - 6. Waldorf Translator, Editor, Playwright and Author - 7. Prelude to Chairmanship of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain - PART TWO: 1. The Minehead Years - 2. The Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain in a Time of War - 3. Family Man, Advocate and Adviser - PART THREE: 1. The Destiny of Britain within Europe and the Wider World and the Individual Human Spirit - 2. The Anthroposophical Society and the Healing of Divisions - 3. Anthroposophia, New Friendships and the Role of Eurythmy - Conclusion - Notes - Index

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Book SynopsisMany myths, masquerading as facts, were flourishing, when Anthony Meredith’s first Arnold biography came out, almost twenty years ago. Accordingly, he misrepresented several key issues, just as previous biographers had done. He also fudged others, for Arnold was still alive, and so, too, was his forceful carer. The many Arnold myths lived on. Three years ago, however, Malcolm Arnold’s daughter, Katherine, encouraged the biographer to write a new book with the true story of her father’s last thirty years. She had much new evidence to support it - material that confirmed her suspicions that when her father, in mid-life, came under the total control of two different carers, his vulnerability had been terribly exploited. Arnold’s last thirty years could only properly be understood if seen in the context of his earlier life, so a full biography beckoned. Nor could the years after the composer’s death be omitted, for things occurred in this period that shed much light on previous dramas. The Inside Story, then, sweeps away the many myths that have surrounded the intriguing figure of Malcolm Arnold. It offers arresting new facts about his life, fresh insights into his music and much food for thought about the care of the mentally ill and its legal aspects. This important addition to the literature of British music is an engrossing saga, told with compassion and candour.

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Book SynopsisEverybody knows Charlotte Brontë. World-famous for her novel Jane Eyre, she’s a giant of literature and has been written about in reverential tones in scores of textbooks over the years. But what do we really know about Charlotte? 
As the famous siblings celebrate their bicentenaries, Charlotte Brontë Revisited looks at Charlotte through 21st-century eyes. Discover the real Charlotte: her private world of convention, rebellion and imagination, and how they shaped her life and writing – including the paranormal, nature, feminism and politics. It’s an indispensable guide for students and literature lovers, and emphatically shows why Charlotte is as relevant today as she ever was.Trade Review`Interweaves biography and reference to scholarly material with [Franklin’s] own take on pertinent aspects of Charlotte’s oeuvre ... [Her] witty tone makes the calibration of these two things — the pleasure of the literary enthusiastic and the scholarly — both easy and enjoyable. Franklin deftly mixes contemporary humour with reflectivity ... superbly written, exuberant.’
 Brontë Studies Journal

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Book SynopsisIn the groundbreaking tradition of In the Dream House and The Collected Schizophrenias, a gorgeously illustrated lyrical memoir that draws upon the Japanese myth of the Hyakki Yagyō — the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons — to shift the cultural narrative around mental illness, grief, and remembrance. Are these the only two stories? The one where you defeat your monster, and the other where you succumb to it? Jami Nakamura Lin spent much of her life feeling monstrous for reasons outside of her control. As a Japanese Taiwanese American woman with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, her adolescence was marked by periods of extreme rage and self-medicating, an ever-evolving array of psychiatric treatments, and her relationships with those she loved — especially her father — suffered as a result. Frustrated with the tidy arc of the typical mental illness memoir, the kind whose trajectory leads toward being ‘better’, Lin sought comfort in the Japanese folklore she’d loved as a child, tales of supernatural creatures known to terrify in the night. Through the lens of the yōkai and other East Asian mythology, she set out to interrogate the Western notion of conflict and resolution, grief, loss, mental illness, and the myriad ways fear of difference shapes who we are as a people. Divided into four acts in the traditional Japanese narrative structure and featuring stunning watercolour illustrations, Jami Nakamura Lin has crafted an innovative, genre-bending, and deeply emotional memoir that mirrors the sensation of being caught between worlds. Braiding her experience of mental illness, the death of her father, and other haunted topics with the folkloric tradition, The Night Parade shines a light into dark corners in search of a new way, driven by the question: How do we learn to live with the things that haunt us?Trade Review‘At once a medical memoir ... and a reflection on mythology — the personal, the collective, the inherited — The Night Parade moves with courage ... Jami Nakamura Lin’s speculative memoir is a feat of storytelling; one that I found deeply moving.’ -- Katie Goh‘The Night Parade is a stunning excavation of personal and collective histories, filled with the endless alchemy of storytelling. Jami Nakamura Lin writes with meditative precision and expansive empathy, challenging and reaffirming what communal stories can make possible. Exploring the many worlds that flourish beyond certain knowledge, this boundary-blurring memoir finds power in the undefinable. It reveals to us that the fracturing of a story can be beautifully fruitful. Teeming with language that is transformative and fully embodied, and gorgeously illustrated by Cori Nakamura Lin, The Night Parade is a generous and abundant feast for our living and our dead, our salvaged lineages, and our continuing stories.’ -- K-Ming Chang, award-winning author of Bestiary‘Jami Nakamura Lin has reinvented the genre of memoir, weaving an intricate braid of fable, memory, art, cultural legacy, and legend into a gorgeous tapestry of the stories that made her. The haunting illustrations by her sister, Cori Nakamura Lin, are a potent reminder that no one is self-authored. We all collaborate to become ourselves. Serpentine, polyphonic, and stunningly textured, The Night Parade positively pulses with life.’ -- Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, award-winning author of The Fact of A Body‘A gorgeous invocation of the magic-haunted spaces between lived experience and folkloric traditions, between the living and the dead, between memory and story. I loved The Night Parade.’ -- Kelly Link, bestselling author of Get in Trouble‘Beautifully written and imaginative, The Night Parade takes speculative nonfiction to new heights. Jami Nakamura Lin is both poet and storyteller, mystic and philosopher, teaching us to see the world differently, to suspend our disbelief, using mythology to interrogate our notions of family, grief, fear, love, and belonging. There is no other book like this — it’s truly a stunning and visionary work of art.’ -- Jaquira Díaz, author of Ordinary Girls: a memoir‘Genre-defying and deeply poetic, The Night Parade invites the pandemonium within the personal and mythic to a round table where ancestors and folkloric creatures transform grief, memory, and mental illness into the tangible. Ancient tales and horrific spectres braid throughout Jami Nakamura Lin’s life, but will worm your way under your skin, prompting the question: what do we cut out from our lives and histories and what do we let grow with us? Impossible to put down, gut-wrenching, and magical. I cannot think of a writer who has written so personally while acknowledging ancestral and cultural grief with such grace and honesty. A crucial and groundbreaking entry for the literature of the Asian Diaspora and explorations of mental illness.’ -- Sequoia Nagamatsu, author of How High We Go in the Dark‘The Night Parade is stunning — it is haunting and magical and terrifying at once. Deeply intimate, but with a sense of scope that transcends history and genre, I loved stepping into this dream of a memoir, of a shared experience.’ -- Catherine Cho, author of Inferno‘With abundant honesty and tenderness, Jami Nakamura Lin wraps her story in the expansive frameworks of folklore and the mystical, bringing in centuries of storytelling about love and loss, death, illness, and mystery. A moving and notable memoir.’ -- Aimee Bender, New York Times bestselling author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake‘In this gorgeous and unique debut memoir, Lin draws on the Japanese myth of the Hyakki Yagyo (the “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons”, in which demons and spirits march through the streets at night) to document her struggles with bipolar disorder and her father’s fatal illness … Throughout, Lin draws on characters from the Hyakki Yagyo (like the hideous, flesh-eating Oni Baba, or the vengeful ghost whale known as Bakekujira) to contextualise and come to terms with her feelings, sometimes using them to personify her “ugly” emotions, other times using them to interrogate cultural narratives about monstrousness. Interspersed throughout are full-colour illustrations of each creature by her sister, Cori … The result is a memorable and moving exorcism of the monsters within.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘Lin uses mythology from her Taiwanese and Japanese heritage to make sense of mental illness, cancer, and pregnancy loss … Throughout this inventive narrative, Lin takes calculated literary risks, ranging from the use of epistolary forms to experiments with point of view. These risks pay off mightily, coming together in a vulnerable, insightful, and refreshingly original meditation on survival, illness, and grief. A stunning memoir about the stories that make us who we are.’ -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review‘In this debut speculative memoir, Lin isn’t afraid of her demons. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager, Lin struggled to manage her illness while caring for her cancer-stricken father. Unhappy with the rose-coloured narratives about recovering from mental illness, she takes a different approach here, leaning into the darkness. Inspired by Japanese, Taiwanese, and Okinawan ghost stories, Lin blends memoir and horror — plus stunning illustrations — to consider what it means to co-exist with anguish.’ * The Millions *‘Highly innovative ... Using Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese folklore to enrich her story, the author (who is a Japanese Taiwanese Okinawan American) delves into her own powerful feelings of rage, despair, loss, and hurt, ultimately emerging from each experience stronger and with more insight into not only herself but also her complex family history. With compelling prose, this title weaves folktales about frightening and monstrous figures into the narratives of Lin’s own developing bipolar disorder, her lineage, and her father’s illness. Her gorgeous writing draws readers into her gripping story, which is organized into a four-part narrative structure drawn from Japanese literary tradition. The book is richly illustrated by the author’s sister, Cori Nakamura Lin. VERDICT An engrossing memoir by an extraordinary debut author.’ -- Rebecca Maugridge * Library Journal, starred review *‘Part personal narrative, part mythical taxonomy, The Night Parade intertwines Nakamura Lin’s lifelong experience of bipolar disorder with figures from Japanese and Taiwanese myth, resulting in a moody, unusual, and compassionate portrait of a struggle too often reduced to cliché.’ * The Boston Globe *‘In an extraordinary exploration of life in all its stages, debut memoirist Jami Nakamura Lin turns to the monsters of Japanese and Taiwanese folklore to better understand her own mental illness, the death of her father and the birth of her child. Featuring illustrations of these fantastical beasts by the author’s sister Cori Nakamura Lin, this book is an “abundant feast for our living and our dead”, according to … author K-Ming Chang.’ * San Francisco Chronicle *‘In this highly innovative memoir, Lin shares her experiences as a person with bipolar disorder as she comes of age, marries, experiences a miscarriage, loses her father to cancer, and becomes a mother … With compelling prose, this title weaves folktales about frightening and monstrous figures into the narratives of Lin’s own developing bipolar disorder, her lineage, and her father's illness. Her gorgeous writing draws readers into her gripping story, which is organised into a four-part narrative structure drawn from Japanese literary tradition. The book is richly illustrated by the author’s sister, Cori Nakamura Lin. An engrossing memoir by an extraordinary debut author.’ -- Library Journal, starred review‘“In the presence of a story … time collapses. This is why I am always telling it.” So begins Lin’s memoir-cum-bestiary, a narrative of discovering her bipolar disorder, the struggle to start a family, and her beloved father’s death and its aftermath. Along the way, she tells stories of the yōkai, the liminal, ambiguous, supernatural creatures of Japanese folk and fairy tale, in the legends of which Lin finds parallels to her family’s experience of colonisation, trauma, immigration, and community. Illustrated in dreamy gouache and watercolour by Cori Nakamura Lin, the author’s sister, The Night Parade explores the many ways we — humans as individuals, humans in community — use stories to make sense of our lives. When calamity strikes, as in every life it must, the tales of the yōkai tell us why and how we can keep it from happening again. “To prevent disaster,” Lin writes, “worship the thing that eats you.” Heartfelt and thoughtful, this painfully lovely memoir will appeal to readers of Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House and Sabrina Imbler’s How Far the Light Reaches.’ * Booklist *‘Lin’s braiding of personal experience and cultural touchstones make this memoir very special.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘This genre-bending and emotionally resonant memoir offers a masterfully braided narrative of Lin’s experience with mental illness, the death of her father, the grieving process, and Japanese, Taiwanese, and Okinawan legends to interrogate the very notion of recovery. The result is a deeply textured portrait of the experiences that haunt us and the ways in which we can begin to feel whole again.’ * Chicago Review of Books *‘Beautiful and bizarre … explode[s] conventional narratives of mental illness and grief … weaves together fable and memory, research, and family history with elegance and honesty to create a singular record of family, diaspora, art, and belonging.’ -- Kathleen Rooney * Chicago Magazine *‘Based on a traditional Japanese narrative structure, this riveting speculative memoir by Jami Nakamura Lin is accompanied by the luminous illustrations of her sister, Cori. Grappling with themes of family, neurodivergence, illness, and identity, Nakamura Lin presents a nuanced, raw, and poetic redefinition of memoir.’ * Ms. magazine *‘Inventive … Jami Nakamura Lin weaves together threads of memoir and Japanese and Taiwanese mythology to create a gorgeous mosaic of family, grief, illness, inheritance, and love.’ * Shondaland *‘Both heart-wrenching and heart-filling … It’s breathtaking to read the way [Jami Nakamura Lin] skillfully utilises the Hyakki Yagyo — a procession of supernatural oni and yokai in Japanese folklore and mythology — to recontextualise and reconsider narratives of grief, mental illness, and memory-making. This is a book to keep at your bedside.’ * Conde Nast Traveler *

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Book SynopsisLady Anne Bacon was a highly educated woman who lived through the political and religious transitions of five reigns, embedded at the Tudor court. Drawing on her forthright letters and other sources, this deeply researched and compellingly readable book reveals her extraordinary part in shaping the public story of Tudor history.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisFollowing the acclaimed No Visible Bruises, a piercing account of the author’s childhood in an evangelical Christian community, her teenage escape, and her career as a reporter at the frontline of the global epidemic of violence against women. Award-winning journalist Rachel Louise Snyder has spent her career reporting on abuse that happens under the cover of ‘private life’. And yet the story of her own troubled family is one she has always kept locked away. Snyder was eight when her mother died, and her distraught father thrust the family into an evangelical, cult-like existence halfway across the country. Furiously rebellious against this life, she was expelled from school, and then from home. Living out of her car and relying on strangers, she soon found herself masquerading as an adult, talking her way into college, and eventually travelling the globe. In places like India, Tibet, and Niger, she interviewed those who had been through the unimaginable. In Cambodia, where she lived for six years, she watched a country reckon with the horrors of its own recent history. Written with a storyteller’s gift for immediacy, and weaving the personal with the universal, Women We Buried, Women We Burned is a necessary story of family struggle, female survival, and the passionate drive to bear witness.Trade Review‘With the same virtuosity and eye for detail she brought to No Visible Bruises, Rachel Louise Snyder uses her own story to illuminate the many divides that plague America, from class and culture wars to toxic religiosity and frayed family ties. Women We Buried, Women We Burned is a gorgeous memoir that parses the patriarchy with an endearing frankness as fierce as it is, astonishingly, forgiving.’ -- Beth Macy, New York Times bestselling author of Raising Lazarus and Dopesick‘Bravery and honesty are the cornerstone of the memoir, but Snyder adds to this — generosity. This is a compassionate telling of a sometimes brutal story. Women We Buried, Women We Burned reminds me of opera, with its beautiful sadness and artistic triumph. The hope contained on these pages is hard won, and all the more precious due to the struggles from which it emerges.’ -- Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage‘With a journalist’s keen eye and a novelist’s elegant prose, Rachel Louise Snyder delivers an unsentimental and bone-deep observational memoir of death and family, class and history, East and West, and politics and travel; at the centre of each story is a reaffirmation of human survival as an art of triumph.’ -- Suki Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Without You, There Is No Us: undercover among the sons of North Korea's elite‘Women We Buried, Women We Burned is a profoundly moving and layered memoir that is nuanced in all the spaces where life gets complicated. A writer with wit as sharp as her prose, Rachel Louise Snyder’s story connects on so many levels because she writes honestly about traumas, forgiveness, and the hard work it takes to build a life. A truly stunning book that will broaden hearts and minds, and also educate and inspire.’ -- Loung Ung, bestselling author of First They Killed My Father‘A bold and searing memoir about family and violence, illness and independence, pain and fear and beauty. With wry humour and enormous humanity, Rachel Louise Snyder shows us how to summon the courage to imagine in a cruel and dangerous world. A beautiful book.’ -- Patrick Radden Keefe, New York Times bestselling author of Rogues, Empire of Pain, and Say Nothing‘A harrowing story of survival that also brims with warmth, wit and insight, this memoir has the propulsive force of a novel, driven by a spirit of compassion and curiosity that will not be broken.’ -- Chelsea Bieker, author of Heartbroke and Godshot‘Rachel Louise Snyder’s story begins with a series of profound losses but becomes, in her careful and compassionate telling, a story about what we might gain by looking directly at the most difficult parts of our pasts. This is a gorgeous and radiantly honest book, brilliant in its ability to capture the way grief reverberates across a lifetime. Rather than force trauma into a false closure, Snyder transforms it into a radical openness and ability to connect.’ -- Danielle Evans, author of The Office of Historical Corrections‘As stunning as it is powerful, Women We Buried, Women We Burned is a tour-de-force memoir of family, faith, love, loss, resilience, and, ultimately, redemption. With deftness and grace, Snyder navigates the complicated terrain of childhood trauma and presents a model for how to reconcile with the ghosts of your past.’ -- Monica West, author of Revival Season‘The tenacity and bravery of a young woman determined to survive and make her own mark on the world move the narrative with unstoppable force as the sentences build in intensity and poignancy … Anyone moved by No Visible Bruises should put this at the top of their to-read list. Exceptional writing, a harrowing coming-of-age story, and critical awareness combine to make a must-read memoir.’ -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review‘Snyder’s most recent book, No Visible Bruises, explored the psychological entanglements of domestic violence. This offering once again considers complex relationships, but at a personal level … searingly honest and moving.’ * Booklist *‘How do you write a book about overcoming extreme hardship, about the singular people who convince you to take a chance on yourself, about finding the big world after a childhood that prepared you for a tiny one, about discovering that you love the people who failed to love you — and manage not to strike a single trite note? How do you remember every detail and make the reader feel like they saw, heard, and felt each moment? I have no idea, actually, but Rachel Louise Snyder has done it.’ -- Masha Gessen, National Book Award–winning author of The Future Is History and Surviving Autocracy‘With wonderfully evocative prose, Rachel Louise Snyder captures here the stark horror of a child losing her mother and half her roots as she’s then swept into her evangelical father’s second family and has to either flee or be erased. As nakedly honest as it is fair, what is so remarkable about Women We Buried, Women We Burned is that Ms. Snyder does flee, and her lone voyage to her very self is the voyage of so many girls and women around the world who have been uprooted and cast aside and must find their own way back. This is an important and profoundly moving memoir, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.’ -- Andre Dubus III, New York Times bestselling author of Townie and Such Kindness‘An affecting memoir … Excellent writing and a clear perspective enhance this primer on how to hope.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘[A] gripping memoir … Snyder’s curiosity is matched by her own resilience; writing stories about survivors parallels her own story of overcoming trauma and finding grace.’ * Washington Post *‘A penetrating memoir on grief and redemption … Snyder delivers her inspiring story with lyrical prose and sharp insights, particularly about the fraught father-daughter relationship at its centre. It’s an eloquent portrayal of the power of forgiveness.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Inspirational … Snyder observes the world with both an unsparing eye and a generous spirit … Instead of getting trapped in the familiar impasse of either/or, Snyder thinks in terms of ands. This expansiveness is of a piece with her writing on domestic violence … Snyder’s memoir shows how one might — must — live amid multiple truths.’ -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *‘Women We Burned is written with precision and intention. It is affecting but, crucially, never sentimental — and full of hard-won hope.’ -- Pippa Bailey * The New Statesman *‘The author of No Visible Bruises writes a searing memoir telling the story of her triumph over impossible odds, from her mother’s early death, expulsion from school and homelessness to her global reporting on domestic violence.’ * USA Today *‘Snyder’s memoir is as heartbreaking, wrenching and compelling as the stories of the victims in her eye-opening book on domestic violence … In explaining her own history, Snyder shows why she was drawn to the darkest stories and how she is able to retell them with such detail and compassion … The violence and neglect of her adolescence sounds nearly unsurvivable. And yet she is here, proof that there can be healing, reconciliation and professional triumph.’ * Minneapolis Star-Tribune *‘Rachel Louise Snyder’s two most recent books are like pendant portraits, each complementing and illuminating the other, a literary matched set. In No Visible Bruises, Snyder probed the pathology and sociology of intimate partner violence … Women We Buried, Women We Burned, an engrossing memoir of her own troubled, motherless early life, helps explain both her attraction to that dark subject and her appreciation of its complexity. [Snyder’s] difficult past, with all its emotional complexities, becomes an asset. It renders her unafraid to explore the grittier aspects of human nature … moving.’ * The Boston Globe *‘Compelling, propulsive, gripping and disturbing in equal measure.’ -- BookPage, starred review‘For fans of Tara Westover’s Educated, Snyder provides a triumphant story of beating the odds and of radical self-definition — with a punk rock backdrop to boot.’ * Oprah Daily *‘[Snyder’s] background as a journalist shines through as she describes her experiences honestly but without added drama or artifice, instead letting the people and events speak for themselves. This results in a narrative whose style belies its depth, for even as Rachel recounts her own maturation as a woman and a writer, she’s also commenting obliquely on how trauma is recapitulated and the countless ways in which male authority warps and erases women’s stories and lived realities. How she undertakes this work is subtle, even crafty.’ * Bookreporter *

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Book SynopsisYou're probably familiar with tired cliches around gaming culture in the media... that video games are violent and damaging. That they re for children, or society's outcasts; for the lazy and those without purpose. Joe Donnelly is here to tell you that video games, in fact, save lives. They saved his. Inspired by his own experience navigating depression following a tragic personal loss, Checkpoint reflects on the comforting and healing effect that entering into new digital worlds and narratives can have on mental health both personally and on a wider scale. From the big-budget triple A studios, to the one-person indie set-ups, there are thousands of eye-opening games exploring human complexities overtly and subtly all waiting to enthrall and comfort players old and new. Through exclusive, in-depth interviews with video game developers, health professionals, charities and gamers alike, Joe makes the case for the vital value of gaming culture and why we should be more open minded and willing to pick up a controller if not for fun, for the well-being of ourselves and our loved ones.

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Book SynopsisFeatured in Stylist’s ‘Can’t Miss’ Books of 2023 Sometimes I think that carrying — other people, the continuity of history, generational identity, the emotional load of the everyday — is the main thing that women do. In Marina Benjamin’s new set of interlinked essays, she turns her astute eye to the tasks once termed ‘women’s work’. From cooking and cleaning to caring for an ageing relative, A Little Give depicts domestic life anew: as a site of paradox and conflict, but also of solace and profound meaning. Here, productivity sits alongside self-erasure, resentment with tenderness, and the animal self is never far away, perpetually threatening to break through. Drawing on the work of figures such as Natalia Ginzburg, Paula Rego, and Virginia Woolf, Benjamin writes with fierce candour of the struggle to overwrite the gender conditioning that pulls her back into ‘the mud-world of pre-feminism’ even as she attempts to haul herself out. From her upbringing as the child of immigrants with fixed traditional values, to looking after her mother and seeing her teenager move out of home, she examines her relationships with family, community, her body, even language itself. Ultimately, she shows that a woman’s true work may lie at the heart of her humanity, in the pursuit both of transformation and of deep acceptance.Trade Review‘Marina Benjamin can take the everyday … and transform it into deeply affecting prose.’ -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *‘Marina Benjamin writes with a frankness, depth and wisdom…In A Little Give, she turns her exacting philosopher’s mind, and opens her capacious heart to, her own life … [an] erudite and thought-provoking book … A Little Give is a memoir, but it can also be read as a manifesto for living in greater ease with change and decay, which is metamorphosis, which is life itself.’ -- Margie Oxford * The Spectator *‘Acerbic and tender all at once, A Little Give voices the unspeakable tangle of feelings that assail women in middle age. I can think of few writers so astute and exact as Marina Benjamin.’ -- Katherine May, author of Wintering‘With its unfailing attentiveness to the sensory and emotional textures of everyday life, Marina Benjamin’s beautiful writing feels like a model of good care. A wry, absorbing, and very moving book.’ -- Josh Cohen, author of How to Live. What to do.‘A small book with a big heart, A Little Give re-humanises those household chores that fall to women — cleaning, cooking, picking up after others, caring for elders, the constant emotional labour involved — and lights up the meaning of dailiness.’ -- Beth Macy, author of Dopesick and Raising Lazarus‘Bold and tender, fierce and true — I loved it.’ -- Rachel Seiffert, author of A Boy In Winter‘Marina Benjamin’s powerful, poetic essays reaffirm the vital role of women’s work in building homes, lives, and worlds. Essential reading in these culturally fractious times.’ -- Silvia FedericiSilvia Federici, scholar, teacher, and feminist activist‘A wonderful, insightful, absorbing account of the work women do and the roles they inhabit (or which inhabit them). How do the competing claims of care for others and personal freedom shape us? Benjamin is brilliant at evoking the everyday and the unspoken, those most intimate moments that are often left out of the public idea of a life — the time spent cleaning a floor, grooming a dog, lingering in the empty bedroom of a child who has departed for college. No one writes more movingly, or with more intellectual breadth and incisiveness, about the lived experiences of women.’ -- Sandra Newman, author of The Heavens‘A Little Give is one of those books that reorients our sense of how society is ordered. Its interlinked pieces take another look at those human tasks traditionally designated as “women’s work” and recasts them as profound and essential acts of labour and love.’ -- Geordie Williamson * The Australian *‘Brave and curious, an examination of what it means to live and care.’ -- Emilie Pine, author of Notes to Self‘We all know the existential funk that housework can incite, women more so than men as they have traditionally carried the load. Not to mention the mixed emotions that go with caring for others. Marina Benjamin ruminates on the historical and societal pressures, constraints and value of this work through the lens of her own Iraqi-Jewish family — her dynamic, frustrated mother who drummed into her that “women were put on this planet to please” and her creative father who didn’t question that being looked after was his due. No simple solutions are offered. Instead, she rewardingly riffs on the visceral push and pull of this work.’ -- Cameron Woodhead * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘[An] exquisite book … Benjamin’s essays investigate the social and philosophical dimensions of housework, tracing the fine filaments that bind women to a system of gender inequality … It zigzags between memory, discovery and reflection, taking the reader to the heart of the essay form. It is a journeying style of writing that constantly drives at its ideas without needing to be sure of their endpoints; it expects a question, not an answer.’ -- Camilla Nelson * The Conversation *‘Energetic and thought-provoking.’ -- Vicki Renner * ArtsHub *‘It’s a book you can sink into and return to, for the wisdom of its reflection and the beauty of its sentences.’ -- Jo Case * InDaily *‘A wonderful memoir by one of my favourite contemporary writers and thinkers.’ -- Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance and Signal Fires‘Benjamin's overriding mission … is to render the invisible visible … As I read A Little Give, my thoughts kept returning to the performance art projects carried out by Mierle Laderman Ukeles throughout the 1970s. In one, she shook hands with 8,500 sanitation workers, thanking them for “keeping New York City alive”. In another, she washed the steps at the entrance to the Wadsworth Atheneum museum in Hartford, Connecticut, rendering visible the work of low-paid custodial staff. Her point was that maintenance is undervalued. Benjamin's thoughtful book demonstrates the many ways in which it still is.’ -- Amy Walters * The Canberra Times *‘Stunning … I inhaled this book.’ -- Sam Baker * The Shift podcast *‘[A] warm, engaging work, no matter the reader's gender.’ * Red Tape *‘Elegant and elegiac.’ -- Shyamantha Asokan * workingmum.co.uk *‘Personal and lyrical.’ * The Irish Times *‘Editor, journalist, and memoirist Benjamin meditates on feminism, family, and women’s work in a series of linked essays that cohere into a thoughtful reflection on the trajectory of her life … An intimate and powerfully written look at women’s lives.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘This book separates itself from the others in its specific concentration on the domestic work of women … Especially well-suited for women seeking validation regarding the daily labours of love, or those seeking another source of political writing about the division of labour following Eve Rodsky’s Fair Play. Ideal for libraries that house Benjamin’s first two installments, as well as those where titles regarding women’s rights and injustices are needed.’ * Library Journal *Praise for Insomnia: ‘A darkly thrilling beauty of a book … Benjamin’s talent is Arachne-like. The materials she integrates are eclectic, and the resulting constructed web of her thoughts is architecturally robust and resplendent with dazzling prose.’ -- Tali Lavi * Australian Book Review *Praise for Insomnia: ‘A short, ludic book about long white nights ... [Benjamin] writes feelingly about the frustrations of being awake when you don’t want to be ... Her moans about her futile thought-loops alternate with flattering descriptions of her radiant nocturnal consciousness.’ -- Zoë Heller * The New Yorker *Praise for The Middlepause: ‘Lucid and sophisticated … A restrained but wonderful guide to the convulsive changes of 50 and over … This is a book that yields valuable insights on almost every page.’ -- Melissa Benn * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisAt birth it was only Amal's father who looked at her and said "I see hope in her face. I want to call her 'Amal'- meaning 'Hope'- in the hope that Allah will give us boys after her." The fifth daughter in a patriarchal society and an indigenous Bedouin in a Jewish state, Amal Elsana came into this world fighting for her right to exist. Today she is a key shaper of public opinion on Israel's marginalized minorities.Hope is a Woman's Name tells of Amal's journey navigating interweaving systems of power and oppression - the patriarchal and the nationalist - in her fight for justice and equality. As a shepherd at the age of 5, she led her flock across the green mountains of Laqiya, her village in the Negev in southern Israel, and later ran literacy classes for the women in her tribe in her early teens, the beginning of a lifelong career organizing people to promote policy change for Israel's Bedouin, a minority within the Palestinian minority. She later established economic empowerment programs for marginalized women, helping to found an Arab-Jewish school, and creating organizations to promote shared society. Where others come up against obstacles, Amal builds bridges; not by sacrificing her identity, but by embracing it. Each thread of her identity - Bedouin, Arab, woman, feminist, Palestinian and Israeli - is woven into the tent of her life, a tent where no one is left out in the sun.

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Book SynopsisThis collection brings thirty authors in from the margins to occupy centre-page. Queer storytellers. Working class wordsmiths. Chroniclers of colour. Writers whose life experiences give unique perspectives on universal challenges, whose voices must be heard. And read. Emerging writers chosen from open-submission are placed alongside established authors— Aisha Phoenix, Alex Hopkins, Bidisha, Chris Simpson, DJ Connell, Elizabeth Baines, Gaylene Gould, Giselle Leeb, Golnoosh Nour, Hedy Hume, Iqbal Hussain, Jonathan Kemp, Julia Bell, Juliet Jacques, Justin David, Kathy Hoyle, Keith Jarrett, Kerry Hudson, Kit de Waal, Lisa Goldman, Lui Sit, Nathan Evans, Neil Bartlett, Neil Lawrence, Neil McKenna, Ollie Charles, Padrika Tarrant, Paul McVeigh, Philip Ridley, Polis Loizou.Trade Review"In these locked down and unfocused times the short story is a much needed respite from the current Covid-19 bleakness. With Mainstream, Inkandescent has gathered together a wonderful collection of fascinating and eclectic stories. Sad, funny, horrifying and demystifying, the unique voices within take us on an open-minded journey around the world. Loved it." – Kathy Burke; "A riveting collection of stories, deftly articulated. Every voice entirely captivating: page to page, tale to tale. These are stories told with real heart from writers emerging from the margins in style." – Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of The 392 and Your Show; "A triumphant celebration of exiled voices" – Cash Carraway, author of Skint Estate; “MAINSTREAM. An Anthology of Stories from the Edges was published by the indie publisher Inkandescent, crowdfunded through Unbound and edited by Justin David and Nathan Evans, who also run the press. So many aspects about this book and the stories caught my interest – from the publisher to the crowdfunding campaign, to the way they 'found' the authors and, of course, the stories themselves. I’m always a bit nervous to write about anthologies, concerned not to do justice to their authors and the breadth of their topics, takes and techniques, but I will give it my best because I really enjoyed it and encountered so many authors I would like to read more from. The publishers actually had me at their name… (I’m a sucker for an evocative pun). But it’s not just the name, it’s also their "by outsiders for outsiders" statement and their invitation in the anthology’s dedication that reads: "for everyone who’s ever been kept out because of who you are or where you are from, come in…" I’ve heard a few of those promises and they often wake the cynic in me. After having read the stories in the anthology and after having browsed their front- and backlist, this seems to be one of the genuine ones. Interestingly, in our research about the 'diversity' in British publishing, my colleague Anamik Saha and I encountered an unease or ignorance of publishing staff about how to approach and sell to people beyond the white middle-class and their fictitious impersonation "Susan". Inkandescent just do it. Another revealing but maybe not surprising observation is that MAINSTREAM (Inkandescent, 2021) – just like Common People (Unbound, 2019 ), The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working Class Writers (Unbound, 2022), The Good Immigrant (Unbound, 2016; UK edition), and Nasty Women (404ink, 2017), to name just a few – is yet another crowdfunded anthology that aims to rectify an imbalance in publishing and give a stage to voices that are often marginalised and/or ignored. I’ll leave it at that. Golnoosh Noor read from her story "Happy Ending" at the anthology’s launch in July 2021. There are 30 contributions in this anthology – 15 written by established writers, 15 by emerging ones – and it’s rather impossible to sum them all up. They vary in style, theme, mode, perspective and every other possible element of a good story. Some follow realistic conventions, others not at all; one contribution even uses the structure of a nursery rhyme. While some stories are rather straight-forward, others take more time to figure out. The narrators reveal different levels of reliability, but they all suck you into their respective story. I was tempted to just quote some of the endorsements, but I’ll try to be more specific. Let me start with this first observation: what the stories have in common is that they don’t fall into the trap of the single story. There would have been many opportunities to tell the story of a queer Muslim woman in Iran and Saudi Arabia or an encounter between a gay teenager and an older man in the lavatories of a train station that would have perpetuated the stereotypes with which we are so often confronted. Golnoosh Nour ("Happy Ending") and Neil Bartlett ("Twickenham") created complex characters and scenarios with round characters (and, in my opinion, very credible teenage minds) that give you a completely different view. Throughout the book, I found, the round characters provided a welcome change from often stereotypical depictions of, e.g. gay teenagers, working-class children, trans women, people who are HIV positive, street sweepers (not that I have come across that many before), and Muslim families. In the MAINSTREAM anthology, you will find stories written from the point of view of children and elderly people with dementia and everything in between. In fact, the stories are arranged according to the age of the characters and that makes for a very interesting read (says the person who likes to jump around in anthologies). Some of the recurring topics are the barriers that marginalised people encounter in the UK and beyond – and it’s not just London or England and not just contemporary settings – experiences of a pressure to conform as well as the search for and finding ones 'tribe'. Hedy Hume’s "The Beach" is such a story about the life-changing effect that the encounter of a loving community and becoming part of it can have. Some stories are told in retrospect from a more mature perspective, so we’re observing the characters trying to make sense of their lives and how they got where they are now. In "The Beach", the retrospective is interrupted by some memories on another time level, while the act of remembering and sense-making is solved differently in other contributions. In Neil Bartlett’s "Twickenham", the narrator thinks about the many "kinds of silence there are in this story" and how these could be seen as "places we might need to get back to, if we are ever to understand how we got from there to here". Families play a rather important role throughout the anthology. As they do in life, I guess. Here, I felt they were often included as the first space in which the characters explored their identities – or the first collective that demanded conformity ("people like us aren’t like that" – Nathan Evans, "Going Up, Going Down"). Many contributions directly or indirectly allude to the past and the families of their protagonists. How families can be a loving and nurturing environment, or how they can have a detrimental effect on the very fabric of your body (an allusion to "Scaffolding" by Giselle Leeb). And in some cases, the reflection of the protagonists can change their perception of the past: “sometimes the way we choose to love perpetuates the damage we seek to diminish.” (Alex Hopkins, "Last Visit") However, the stories are never just about one thing, one aspect of a character’s identity, one issue with the family or one ‘problem’ they need to overcome. They are also not 'just' about the struggles the off-mainstream characters face, even though it does play a role how the characters are marginalised and hindered in their choices by ‘mainstream’ society. Or how they are discriminated within what one could see as ‘their own’ community at first glance, e.g. for being gay and HIV-positive. The 30 stories leave lots of space to come to one’s own conclusion. And they also provide opportunities to check your own perception and maybe even your own tendency to pigeon-hole as you read.” – Sandra van Lente, Literary Field; "Mainstream, the new anthology of short stories from Inkandescent, is a kaleidoscope of experiences. For a reviewer, this is a challenge — it seemed almost impossible to compress each narrative together into one single review. The resounding message from the collection, ‘stories from the edges’, is as promised in the title and also more – these are universal challenges told from the margins, but also with the ugliness and discomfort which is symptom of demystifying hard truths. Mainstream should come with a trigger warning: it’s furious and it doesn’t take prisoners. You can expect to feel uncomfortable as you intrude on the lives of each of the narrators in these works. You can also rest assured that nothing will be glamorised for your benefit. David and Evans write in their introduction that their publishing company was: founded "by outsiders for outsiders", to celebrate original and diverse talent and to publish voices and stories the mainstream neglects – specifically those of the working class and financially disadvantaged, ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ+ community and, crossing the Venn diagram, those with physical disabilities and mental health issues. From this, you can gain that Mainstream will not be a smooth or homogenous read, but I also had my concerns upon reading this. Would it be one of those book collections that only accepted each ‘minority’ writer under a certain condition? That they might be compelled to only talk about their particular disadvantage? But Inkandescent are more aware than that. While each story does chime with the next, following a coming-of-age trajectory that navigates desire, identity and self-worth, there is very little else that joins each of the writers together. Whether you are reading about the fantastical island of Massor in Bidisha’s 'The Initiation' or the heart-wrenching autofiction-esque talk on a park bench in DJ Cornell’s 'Coup de Grace', there is a lack of pandering to a reader’s desire for a similar tone or genre. There are no heroic, plain and likeable underdogs. Cruelty and neglect are systemic to the five very different childhoods that are presented in the opening five stories by Kathy Hoyle, Lui Sit, Padrika Tarrant, Lisa Goldman and Gaylene Gould respectively. The distorted grip on reality that each of these young narrators show reveal real worlds that have turned against them, although some understandings of this are better than others. In Lisa Goldman’s 'Easy Peelers', the death of a loved one and the discrediting of the working class are recounted through the easily impressionable nature of a young girl. With her mastery of the slightly-altered language in this piece, the writer shows how an impressionable mind is shifted from what is real into the dominant version of a tragedy: where being an 'easy peeler' is due to your own laziness, where ‘England’s plugged into the sun’ and it’s ‘making the world better […] because we’re the best and things are bad', and finally where the 'May Day Massacre' can be quickly softened into the 'London riots'. Innocence is synonymous with invisibility, and imaginative inner worlds are often discredited in these stories – 'we’d just read a story about an alien who talked to a flower [..] she had to believe me,' Lui Sit’s narrator writes in 'Giant’' and yet his inner world must be disbelieved if he is to conform to his mother’s idea of the real world. The final story I wanted to single out from this impressive, opening five was Gaylene Gould’s 'The Spinney'. Tracing the movement through puberty of a young woman, Gould presents stigmas around period shame and rape culture in the unfolding of a painful warning tale. The power of myths written in to cover up a taboo, in this case the 'Witch' who is fabricated in the place of a rape at school, holds such influence that it remains with the narrator even when she reaches adulthood with a daughter of her own — 'Elaine breaks into a run and with each breathless step reminds herself that she is no longer ten years old, and that there is no such thing as witches, especially those that come to take your bleeding daughter as retribution.' The power of the myth is tangible and silencing, leaving a terrible taste in the reader’s mouth. Being susceptible to the power of someone (or something) else is also another ongoing presence throughout the collection, and there are no sudden acts of heroism or deus ex machinas popping out through the structures of any of these stories. Neil Bartlett’s 'Twickenham', Golnoosh Nour’s 'Happy Ending', Juliet Jacques’s 'A Review of "A Return"', Justin David’s 'Serosorting' and Keith Jarrett’s 'It May Concern' all resonate in their navigation of love and its disturbing relationship with power. Sometimes brutally sensory and exciting, other times revealing the blandness of casual relationships, self-worth is often a victim here. As Keith Jarrett’s narrator writes — 'I searched for the ugliness I thought I deserved'. Being an object of desire also feeds off these narrators, and relationships are formed out of disassociations where even being named becomes a danger — 'if you name something, you can fix it to you'. There is also a lonely beauty in the language and detail of these stories too, like this passage from Neil Bartlett’s 'Twickenham': 'Most inexplicably of all, there’s a piano — really — a great, big, black grand piano– something I didn’t know anybody had in their house — and it seems to be collecting all the light in the room. The lid is a pool of oil — and there’s a sheet of music on it, floating. It looks like something somebody must have lost.' Another connection to make between these stories is an obsession with physical and psychological dismorphias. Giselle Leeb’s haunting 'Scaffolding' is a frightening study of the psychosomatic, finding parallels with DJ Connell’s comment in 'Coup de Grace' that 'this caring for the bruises of others was what had me trapped'. The AIDS crisis looms in several of the stories too – it is a grim shadow running through the bodies and psyches of multiple characters. Justin David’s character in 'Serosorting' pointedly marks it as the 'grubby stains of mortality… an infection running through us all […] we are all unclean'. Polis Loizou’s 'Pixmalion' is a subtle study of the impact of social media on the modern relationship. Louizou’s multimedia narrative describes the defensive rhythms of messaging a stranger online, and the desire to seem both unattainable and uninterested: 'There’s a "sticker" on the photo, with a flame emoji to slide up so as to express your lust for him. It takes Herculean effort, but I only slide the flame to just over halfway. I’m sure I’m alone in doing so. Let his ego be starved a little; the doubt may even nourish him.' This piece exposes those safe, 'screen' flirtations which usually trail off immediately. It is brilliantly captured. Iqbal Hussein’s 'The Reluctant Bride' is the study of the Partition, in which the harsh politics of love are told through the allure of an almost unbelievable fairy tale. A homage to the magical realist format, a semi-real churail narrates the piece with a playful layering of stories and a spine that 'rat-a-tats like a burst of firecrackers'. Full of imagination yet equally weighted and painful, I was glad that the curators of this anthology included the more fantastical and speculative genres alongside pieces that were more obviously social commentary. Mainstream is blunt, sexy and unapologetic. I was intrigued by the liveliness of each voice that Inkandescent gave ear to, and the great difficulty for a reviewer trying to pull each of the works together. Each story is its own very different act of defiance, making for an unexpected and addictive read.” – Georgie Proctor, The Word Factory

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Mrs Engels and The Sisters Mao, an intimate family memoir about filial love and its limits, separation, and loss. Gavin is spending the quarantine with his eighty-year-old mother, whose mind is slowly slipping away. He has returned home to care for her and to write a novel. But all he can write about is her. In this frank and revealing memoir, he unspools an intimate story of his upbringing and early adulthood: feeling out of place as a child, homophobic bullying at school, his brother’s mental illness and drug addiction, his father’s sudden death, his own devastating diagnosis, his struggles and triumphs as a writer, and above all, his relationship with his mother. Her brightness shines a light over his childhood, but her betrayal of his teenage self leads to years of resentment and disconnection. Now, he must find a way to reconcile with her, before it is too late.Trade Review‘Flayingly authentic and sensationally compelling … one of the best books of the year.’ -- Anthony Cummins * The Observer *‘Cells is a raw, throbbing thing; the literary equivalent of an open wound, but one that’s been cauterised by a highly skilled surgeon … one of the very best, most authentic, beautiful, and brutal depictions of a deep and abiding, albeit imperfect love between a son and his mother, not to mention the story of the making of an acutely talented writer.’ -- Lucy Scholes * The Telegraph *‘Raw and deeply affecting.’ -- Fiona Buckley * The Guardian *‘Fantastic.’ -- Seán Hewitt * Sunday Independent *‘Already established as a leading voice in Irish literature as a novelist, Gavin McCrea’s first foray into memoir, Cells, allows him to pour his literary prowess into a heart stopping excavation of the self … An antidote to shame that this country sorely desires, Cells will heighten the capacity for empathy in all who read it. Not least of all, empathy for the self.’ -- Helen Cullen * The Irish Times *‘Remarkable’ -- Andrew McMillan‘McCrea lays himself bare.’ -- Sophie Grenham * The Sunday Times *‘A brave, raw, visceral memoir told with such acuity, insight, and compassion, I could barely put it down. Gavin McCrea’s unflinching mapping of his family’s struggles, his own journey towards individuation and self-realisation, as well as his deep, conflicted love for his mother, is beautifully rendered, painful, and real. A stunning, memorable read.’ -- Lisa Harding, author of Bright Burning Things‘McCrea’s emotionally intelligent dissection of personal relationships ensures that this is no squalid misery memoir.’ -- Houman Barekat * TLS *‘While a deeply personal book, Cells represents an important comment on modern Ireland.’ -- Luke Warde * Sunday Independent *‘Cells is a compulsive tidal force of a book: detailed, vulnerable, and brave, it pulled me in swiftly and held me to the very end.’ -- Seán Hewitt, author of All Down Darkness Wide‘This is a book that brims with stored-up pain — and with a very particular kind of courage. For all its dark and sometimes brutal honesty, what the reader is going to remember here is the way that McCrea’s prose fights on through his hurt to bring home pages that seem lit from within by love and beauty. A memoir that is as rewarding as it is undoubtedly challenging.’ -- Neil Bartlett, author of Ready To Catch Him Should He Fall and Address Book‘Reading Cells, I was struck by McCrea’s generosity in interrogating personal histories as they relate to wider familial and social systems. Contemplating devotion and loss with revolutionary sensitivity, what results is a stunning work of emotion-mapping. Cells is a dazzling exploration of nuance; pondering the formative threads that piece together the self, sewing a new lineage of interconnectedness towards acceptance.’ -- Peter Scalpello, author of Limbic‘A life recollected in vivid scenes, Cells is both brutal and tender in its depiction of the relationships that shape a self. Leading the reader through moments of darkness and of luminosity alike, this is a work of intellect and eloquence, but also a work of great heart. I was deeply moved as I read, and so grateful that this book found its way to me.’ -- Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat‘McCrea is one of Ireland’s best contemporary authors.’ -- Sara Baume * Irish Examiner *‘Using the fine brushstrokes of his relationship with his mother, Gavin McCrea creates a remarkable self-portrait which becomes, then, a portrait of our times. This memoir will comfortably sit alongside other great Irish memoirs of recent decades, not least the work of Nuala O’Faolain, Hugo Hamilton, and John McGahern. This is a brave book, beautifully written, fearless, vulnerable, self-aware, honest, and not without moments of intimate levity. McCrea is prepared to express his rage at how the world has unfurled around him, but he does so with delicacy and love and a daring sense of invention.’ -- Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon‘Honest, moving, raw, and unsparing this memoir makes you think and feel. With Cells, Gavin McCrea has established himself as one of Ireland’s finest writers.’ -- Paul McVeigh, author of The Good Son‘An unflinching memoir about interiority, in multiple senses of the word, and the ways in which shame and trauma inflect the spaces of our material lives. Gavin McCrea’s writing is attentive and deeply intelligent; it teems with the life of its subject, refrains from glumness or easy answers, and all with an elegance that makes Cells a captivating read.’ -- Jack Parlett, author of Fire Island‘Gavin McCrea has written a succession of cells that open up a world of wonder. As smart as it is witty, this memoir grips in a journey that will make the reader feel, understand, and, on top of that, marvel at the cost of love and the things people need do to survive.’ -- Gillian Slovo, author of Every Secret Thing‘Gavin McCrea’s wonderful memoir Cells is aptly named. His writing gets under the skin and drills through the bone and into the marrow of what pain and joy it is to be a mother and to be that very particular mother’s child.’ -- Tish Delaney, author of The Saint of Lost Things‘Raw, courageous, and heartfelt … a brutal, tender book, and one which merits reading with all the same attention and care with which it is written.’ * Totally Dublin *‘He writes beautifully.’ -- Orna Mulcahy * The Gloss *‘A riveting, deeply considered memoir … as with the best memoirs (Nuala O’Faolain’s Are You Somebody? is one touchstone) McCrea uses his own life as a springboard to discuss wider Irish society … From the wonderful prologue that will instantly hook readers, to the many surprising twists introduced without fanfare throughout the book, Cells is an excavation of the past by a writer who knows exactly what he’s doing.’ -- Sarah Gilmartin * The Irish Times *‘A writer of enormous talent and courage, Gavin McCrea’s Cells is the kind of book you can’t put down ... The kind of book you’ll never forget, the kind of book you’ll press on other readers so you can discuss it together.’ -- Caitriona Lally, author of Eggshells‘A visceral and searching memoir where the author displays seemingly inexhaustible strength in revealing his vulnerability.’ -- Brendan Daly * The Sunday Business Post *‘In its ungarnished prose and loud inner voice, Cells stitches raw memories with new meanings to craft a brilliant composite of a son’s unexamined relationship with his mother. The memoir pairs McCrea’s unspoken shame with his private sanctums to show how it’s these cells — physical or fantastical — where we sometimes finally find the words to speak.’ -- Nathan Smith * The Saturday Paper *‘[Q]uite fearlessly, McCrae lays it all bare … [Cells is] brave; brilliantly written; almost unbearably raw and frank; but also tender and sweet.’ -- Peta Stavelli * NZ Booklovers *‘In this exceptional memoir, McCrea (Mrs. Engels) unflinchingly untangles his family’s history and its effects on his adult self … a powerful and complicated reckoning with the ghosts of family dysfunction. This one isn’t easy to shake.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘A harrowing but ultimately very rewarding read.’ -- Martín Von Hildebrand * The Sunday Business Post *Praise for The Sisters Mao: ‘McCrea’s portrait of Jiang Qing is a masterpiece of characterisation: at once monstrous and pitiable. The Sisters Mao is dazzlingly clever and original.’ -- Antonia Senior * The Times *Praise for The Sisters Mao: ‘The Sisters Mao is a spectacular novel, utterly enthralling and insightful; every voice is penetrating, dazzling. In spite of the setting, it is full of relevance for these times; it manages to be both historically authentic and thrillingly contemporary. Gavin is a writer of extraordinary talent, and I cannot think of a kind of reader who I would not recommend this novel to.’ -- Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter WitherPraise for The Sisters Mao: ‘McCrea has conducted exceptionally deep research to conjure up nuanced, authentic portrayals of the worlds of the book — but the text carries his knowledge lightly, supporting rather than dominating the story. The Sisters Mao is the best sort of historical fiction; one that illuminates the contemporary moment with great insight. Profoundly brilliant, it will no doubt be a huge contender on the literary awards circuit, but also one that is pushed feverishly from reader to reader with excitement.’ -- Helen Cullen * The Irish Times *Praise for Mrs Engels: ‘[Gavin McCrea] deserves praise for his command of voice in Mrs Engels … This is the best kind of historical fiction — oozing period detail, set in a milieu populated by famous figures and events about which much is known, but seen through the eyes of a central character who, due to her illiteracy, left no ready access to her experience in the form of letters or diary entries: a rich and accomplished first novel.’ -- Lucy Scholes * The Independent *

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Book SynopsisNot many ‘amateur’ yacht designers would dare to enter the first boat they had ever designed into the epic offshore Fastnet Race, let alone with the intention of winning it. But that is what Dick Carter did in 1964, beating all 151 other yachts, some sailed by the most notable sailors of the day. He repeated the feat 4 years later with another of his own designs (which also won the Admiral’s Cup that year as top boat and top team), but by then he could certainly not be described as an ‘amateur’ yacht designer. His radical innovations created fast and comfortable boats which were much in demand in this, the golden age of offshore racing. They were commissioned by the top sailors and succeeded in winning the Admiral’s Cup, Southern Cross Series, One Ton Cup, Two Ton Cup and many of the biggest races. He even went on to design the massive 128-foot Vendredi Treize for Jean-Yves Terlain to sail single-handed in the 1972 OSTAR (trans-Atlantic) race – the longest boat ever to have been raced single-handed. But after just a decade at the top of his game, he quit the world of sailing and moved on to other challenges. He hadn’t been heard of for so long that sailors assumed he was dead. His surprise appearance at the funeral of Ted Hood gave rise to the suggestion that he wrote this book. It is beautifully produced with many fabulous photographs and boat plans and was first published in the US by Seapoint Books and is now published in the UK by Fernhurst Books. While his career as a yacht designer may have been brief, the impact of his innovations has lasted the test of time. Who today would think of an offshore yacht without internal halyards in the mast or that the rudder always had to be fixed to the keel? These concepts, and many more, were first introduced by Dick Carter.Trade Review“A fascinating account of his work by one man with a real ‘eye for a boat’.” (Julian Stockwin) “An excellent book” (Seahorse) “An exceptionally attractive sailing book… an educative and admirable book.” (Yachting Monthly) “Both interesting and entertaining… handsome, beautifully illustrated hardback. In my opinion it is a purchase that will not be regretted, as it is a jewel of a book for anybody who loves boats and sailing… If I was going to buy just one sailing book this year, it would be this one.” (Flying Fish)Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Prologue; Introduction; 1. Early Days: Summer Sailing on Cape Cod; 2. International 14 and Racing for Yale; 3. Firefly Racing; 4. Racing and Cruising the Medalist; 5. A New Approach to Offshore Yacht Design; 6. Campaigning RABBIT; 7. The 1965 Fastnet Race; 8. TINA; 9. International Offshore Rule; 10. OPTIMIST and RABBIT II; 11. The Tower; 12. RED ROOSTER and the Admiral’s Cup; 13. The Carter 33; 14. Rothschild’s GITANA V; 15. VENDREDI TREIZE; 16. One Ton Cup Competition; 17. Cruising with the Swing Keel; 18. The Carter 30 in Poland and Russia; 19. RABBIT’s Legacy; Other Notable Boats; Epilogue; Honor Roll.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisDuring a long Fleet Street career Tim Walker met and interviewed many of the world’s most famous actors and entertainers but, it isn’t just the names of his subjects that glitter — although they are impressive enough — it is the insights, the humour, and the exquisite style of these pieces that makes them jump off the page. Walker does more than sprinkle a little star dust into our lives. Time and again he crystallizes what others might have sensed but not articulated, casting light into previously unseen corners of the lives we thought we knew. Here you have 71 of the world’s most celebrated people captured by a master craftsman who analyses and defines, but is never overawed. You will, at turns, be entertained, enlightened, surprised and occasionally shocked but, best of all, repeatedly made to laugh aloud at the wit, passion, talent and foibles of those who have entertained us for most of our lives.Trade ReviewSangita Myska, BBC A brilliant book… a brilliant set of pen profiles from Charlton Heston to Greta Scacchi and Ronnie Corbett. When you read Tim Walker’s Star Turns, you feel as though you’re sitting down, having a glass of wine with them, and having a good old gossip. Fay Weldon, Mail on Sunday 'Tim Walker writes such a good, readable book.' Kevin Maguire, the New Statesman 'He may have escaped the Greensill inquiry with the official equivalent of a slap on the wrist from a wet lettuce leaf, but David Cameron didn’t emerge so lightly from a brush with Ronnie Corbett. The 5ft 1in comedian never looked up to Dodgy Dave after an encounter in No 10. 'In a forthcoming book Star Turns, the author and former Telegraph journalist Tim Walker recalls how Corbett disapprovingly regarded Cameron as unimpressive and “too eager to please” at a Downing Street reception that was given in order to enlist opponents of Scottish independence. 'The final half of the Two Ronnies died in 2016, a year that Walker, who was briefly a Liberal Democrat candidate in Canterbury at the last general election, describes as the loss of innocence and the start of a harsher, less humorous era with Brexit.' Richard Eden, the Daily Mail 'Waspish theatre critic Tim Walker has optimistically invited national treasure Stephen Fry to the launch party for Star Turns, his forthcoming book about his encounters with the rich and famous. 'Walker has included a chapter on Fry, who was upset by something he'd written about him. 'He even quotes the multi-talented comedian and author on the back-cover blurb of the book, saying: 'Tim Walker is a creep from the inner ring of Satan's rectum.' 'I look forward to the party, Tim, but I don't expect to see Fry there.'

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Book SynopsisYear after year the family returns to the lake. The children, barefoot and free, explore its sun-drenched wilderness... The summer Bruce turns ten seems, at first, like any other: swimming out to the raft, watching the gulls, frogs and herons, catching crayfish. But just when he thinks that life is perfect, everything begins to change, and over the course of two months both the harshness of the adult world and the patterns of the natural reveal themselves.Barefoot at the Lake is not only a beautifully written boy’s-eye view of the animals, humans and landscape of his youth, it is also delightfully funny, with a moving wisdom at its heart.Trade Review`A long, hot summer's day of a book -full of wonderful stories, poignant memories and acute observations of the natural world.' Kate Humble | `Enchantingly written. Gently and lovingly, Bruce Fogle's writing highlights something we are in danger of losing for ever: that we can understand ourselves most profoundly only in relation to the wilderness.' Ruth Padel | `In this glorious memoir of boyhood holidays, he proves himself to be a craftsman of a writer ... It's a book full of quiet wisdom, and also an inspiring account of how an adult vocation can grow from the formative experiences of childhood.' Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller

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Book SynopsisA Daily Express Book of the Year ‘Engrossing … grips you and doesn’t let go.’ The Spectator ‘Waterdrinker’s gift for savage comedy and his war correspondent’s eye have few contemporary equivalents.’ The Times A thrilling escapade through the Soviet Union of the ’90s and early 2000s by a tour guide turned smuggler turned novelist, that tells the unputdownable story of modern Russia. One day, in 1988, a priest knocks on Pieter Waterdrinker’s door with an unusual request: will he smuggle seven thousand bibles into the Soviet Union? Pieter agrees, and soon finds himself living in the midst of one of the biggest social and cultural revolutions of our time, working as a tour operator ... with a sideline in contraband. During the next thirty years, he witnesses, and is sometimes part of, the seismic changes that transform Russia into the modern state we know it as today. This riveting blend of memoir and history provides startling insight into the emergence of one of the world’s most powerful and dangerous countries, as well as telling a nail-biting, laugh-out-loud adventure story that will leave you on the edge of your seat.Trade Review‘Waterdrinker’s gift for savage comedy and his war correspondent’s eye have few contemporary equivalents.’ -- Simon Ings * The Times *‘A gripping memoir by one of Holland’s most admired novelists … a valuable historical document of the era.’ -- Rupert Christiansen * The Telegraph *‘Engrossing … grips you and doesn’t let go.’ -- Matthew Janney * The Spectator *‘A disarming, erudite, shocking, laugh-out-loud Dutch bestseller.’ -- Rory Maclean * TLS *‘A wonderful, page-turning narrative … fascinating and endlessly readable … Waterdrinker is a gifted storyteller.’ -- Donal O’Keeffe * Irish Examiner *‘The recreations of revolutionary Russia are vivid (including his hatred of the Tsar, Lenin, and Stalin) as is the daily reality of living in glasnost Russia. There are some positively Dostoevskian characters, and his portrait of Russia caught at twin moments of upheaval (1917, 1988) is an epic tale told with deceptive simplicity.’ -- Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘A remarkable, sly blend of memoir and history, past and present, amusement and bemusement. How the memoir of a Dutch writer selling bibles in Russia also becomes the story of our past century is beyond me. But in Waterdrinker’s masterful hands, it does. The Long Song of Tchaikovsky Street is a spectacular tale, and a towering achievement.’ -- Shalom Auslander, author of Mother for Dinner‘Russia’s recent history has been inspirational and unpredictable, tragic and bizarre, and it takes a quirky literary autobiography like this to capture that. From showing the Russian president’s wife through Amsterdam’s red-light district to wheeling and dealing in the dying days of the USSR, Waterdrinker offers up an eminently readable and critically affectionate vision of a Russia constantly in the throes of reinvention.’ -- Professor Mark Galeotti, author of A Short History of Russia‘An evocative personal history of smuggling and surviving.’ * Foyles *‘I really enjoyed it … it spoke to my own experiences.’ -- Mark Galeotti * The Spectator TV *‘Peter Waterdrinker’s experiences of Russia over the past quarter century are undoubtedly worth telling … his descriptions are evocative.’ -- Owen Matthews * Catholic Herald *‘In this compelling memoir … Waterdrinker recounts the awful and at the same time great decades that gave Russians a radically redefined role on the world stage … An intensely personal perspective on geopolitical transformation.’ -- Bryce Christensen * Booklist, starred review *‘[Waterdrinker] interweaves memoir and history in this impressionistic account of Russia from the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution to the present day … [he] incisively captures the beauty and terror of his adopted country … Russophiles will savour this iconoclastic portrait of modern Russia.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘An octogenarian aristocrat cooped up in a decrepit Soviet madhouse, doctors requiring bribes before even considering treating patients, the wife of a Russian president touring Amsterdam’s red-light district, lust-driven physicists embezzling foreign aid programs, the mad monk Rasputin. These are just a handful of the memorable characters Pieter Waterdrinker draws in his idiosyncratic, darkly humorous, captivating blend of memoir, history, and reportage that spans Russia’s last century. It’s a terrific read that will engage and inform in equal measure.’ -- Gordon Peake * The Canberra Times *‘Compelling.’ * The Herald *‘Words by Waterdrinker are as amazing as a superior circus.’ * Elsevier *‘How evocatively Waterdrinker can write! A hundred years after the Russian Revolution, he makes this violent period of history shine once again.’ * Zin *

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Book SynopsisSay ‘Eh-oh!’ to Nikky Smedley and Laa-Laa Over the Hills and Far Away follows Nikky through the Teletubbies years, from her role as a bistro table during her audition to the show’s international success and the accompanying hounding by the press. In this warm, funny, affectionate look back at life on the Teletubbies set, Nikky reveals all, including tales about dogs and asthma, raging arguments about fruit, and the games the cast and crew played to amuse themselves during long shoots in their massive costumes. Join Nikky and Laa-Laa on their extraordinary journey from the very beginning to handing the torch to another performer for the next generation.Trade Review‘Puts us right inside those hellishly uncomfortable costumes, without trashing the magic or betraying the children who gave Laa-Laa their love.’ ‘Charming, funny, insightful, beautifully written.’My showbiz memoir of the year. A hit!Top notch insight into the woman within the puppet.Funny, poignant and heart-warming.This book is the reminder I didn’t know I needed.What a wonderful book! Beautifully written and Nikki’s sense of humour shines through the pages.

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Book SynopsisPreviously unpublished work from the acclaimed author of several great classics, detailing the last years of her life.

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Book SynopsisAs he works his way through his medical training, Ike Anya’s grandmother reassures him, ‘Everything worthwhile is achieved small by small.’ Small by Small charts the triumphs and failures of Ike’s student days through to his first demanding year as a house officer. A medical memoir unlike any from the West, this is filled with the colour and vibrancy of tempestuous 1990s Nigeria, where political unrest, social change and a worsening economy make a doctor’s life particularly challenging. Full of compassion and insight, often humorous and always moving, this is a unique doctor’s journey.Trade ReviewA small miracle of a book. It entertains with delicious storytelling, and leaves us feeling moved and satisfied, and all in a beautifully unhurried way.An uplifting story of hope and ambition vividly recalled. Filled with fascinating characters and insights.I raced to the end of this richly evocative memoir of the challenges of training as a doctor in 90s Nigeria. It’s a good corrective to This is Going to Hurt.A marvellously rich and lucid account of a doctor’s journey, clear-eyed and compassionate.Anya’s wit is sharp, his humour gentle and his insights are so clearly based on an abounding curiosity and a deeply held compassion for his fellow humans.Beautifully told.A rich, alive and warm masterpiece.

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