ELT & Literary Studies Books

19211 products


  • Introducing Literary Criticism: A Graphic Guide

    Icon Books Introducing Literary Criticism: A Graphic Guide

    2 in stock

    From Plato to Virginia Woolf, Structuralism to Practical Criticism, Introducing Literary Criticism charts the history and development of literary criticism into a rich and complex discipline.Tackling disputes over the value and meaning of literature, and exploring theoretical and practical approaches, this unique illustrated guide will help readers of all levels to get more out of their reading.

    2 in stock

    £8.54

  • Theatre in Scotland: A Field of Dreams

    Nick Hern Books Theatre in Scotland: A Field of Dreams

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis‘She has, to my knowledge, an almost unblemished record in never having failed to spot a great new play…’ Philip Howard, from his Foreword Joyce McMillan has been writing about theatre in Scotland for more than three decades. As drama critic successively for The Guardian, Scotland on Sunday and The Scotsman, she has reviewed thousands of plays. During that time she has borne witness to an extraordinary cultural and political renaissance in Scotland, reflected in the newfound confidence of its playwrights, in the vibrancy of its theatre culture and in its recent outburst of new theatre companies. Compiled by McMillan and the theatre director, Philip Howard, Theatre in Scotland is a panoramic history of modern Scottish theatre, reported from the frontline. It traces the remarkable journey of Scottish theatre towards its new self-confidence: the road to 1990, when Glasgow was European Capital of Culture; followed by the explosive expansion of the 1990s; culminating in the emergence of the National Theatre of Scotland and its drive to bring theatre culture right into the heart of the nation. Gathered here are the leading Scottish playwrights, from John Byrne to Liz Lochhead, from David Greig to David Harrower, as well as the full breadth of English playwrights, from Shakespeare to Pinter. There are reflections on the great Scottish plays, classic – Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis, Men Should Weep – and modern – Black Watch, The James Plays. There are reports not only from the urban theatre centres of Edinburgh and Glasgow but from all over Scotland; and from the feast that is the Edinburgh Festival, to the nourishing A Play, A Pie and A Pint. A leading thinker and writer about Scotland, McMillan has an incomparable ability to detect the wider cultural resonances in Scottish theatre, and to reveal what it can tell us about Scotland as a whole. Her book serves as a portrait of a nation and a shared cultural life, where visions of ‘what we have been, what we are, and what we might become’ are played out in sharp focus on its stages. ‘When Scottish theatre works [its] magic over the coming years, I will be there, to try to catch the moment in print, and to tell it as it was. And believe me, on the good nights and the bad ones, the privilege will be mine: to be paid to go looking for joy, and occasionally to find it.’ Joyce McMillan 'Joyce has an unrivalled passion and hunger for theatre - to be surprised by it, challenged by it, moved by it. Her prose when describing something which has done just this is inspiring and affecting.' Vicky FeatherstoneTrade Review'A superb collection… it is McMillan's impassioned ability to contextualise the work which makes this book of interest to those who wish to read about theatre but also contemporary political history' * Drama Magazine *'A wonderful book… a work of historical, sociological and political as well as artistic relevance, and also one which is hugely enjoyable… what most shines through these pages is McMillan’s spirit: erudite, curious, generous and with a blood-pumping passion for democracy and the value of theatre' * Bella Caledonia *'A very valuable resource indeed… [an] important book, as well as an invaluable reference work and a jolly good read' * The Herald *'A stimulating and excellent work which covers the decades when McMillan had the joy – her word – to cover Scottish theatre in what is the most exhilarating and fruitful period in its history… a work on Scottish theatre’s past which is of value for today and tomorrow' * Scottish Review of Books *'Our most essential voice on the artform and its relationship to our social and political landscape… an expertly edited compilation' * The Skinny *'Fascinating... a detailed and eclectic picture of how Scottish theatre, and indeed, Scottish life has changed and developed over three decades' * The Stage *'A worthy and most enjoyable collection' * British Theatre Guide *'An extraordinary range… a thoroughly uplifting collection, reinforcing the reputation of a cultural gatekeeper but more importantly celebrating Scottish theatre... vital to anyone seeking to understand Scotland’s cultural life in the last 30 years' * AllEdinburghTheatre.com *

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • The Illustrated Letters and Diaries of the

    Batsford Ltd The Illustrated Letters and Diaries of the

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe story of how a group of precocious young artists shook up the British art establishment, told through their works, letters and diaries. An illustrated history of the linked lives and loves of a group of supremely talented artists of late Victorian Britain through their passionate writings. It features the painters, poets, critics and designers: Ford Madox Brown, Edward Burne-Jones, Fanny Cornforth, William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, William and Janey Morris, Christina, Dante Gabriel, and William Rossetti, John Ruskin, William Bell Scott and Lizzie Siddal. The artistic aspirations and achievements of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood are revealed alongside the interwoven dramas of their personal lives, in letters, diaries and reminiscences, while their genius is displayed in vivid paintings, drawings, designs and poems. The Pre-Raphaelites was a charmed circles of love, friendship and art. Within an ever-changing flow of affections, and intimacies as richly patterned as a tapestry, they worked together as companions, lovers and partners. They shared tragedy as well as happiness, critical hostility as well as success, even the griefs of infidelity and discord. These creative partnerships, which also created the firm William Morris and Co, revitalised Victorian art and design. The new edition publishes in time for the start of the Burne Jones Exhibition at Tate Britain, starting in October 18. It is a vital book in understanding the Pre-Raphaelite art, which remains as popular and moving as ever.

    Out of stock

    £999.99

  • Dickens The Funny Bits

    Bodleian Library Dickens The Funny Bits

    Book Synopsis

    £15.29

  • Literary Theory: A Beginner's Guide

    Oneworld Publications Literary Theory: A Beginner's Guide

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisRescuing the subject from deadly dry theorists and -isms, Clare Connors focuses on the real questions that emerge when we read and study literature - such as how we find meaning and how literature relates to its historical context - before exploring the response of theorists. Using selections from works including poetry by Christina Rossetti and Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain, Connors unites theory with practice, revealing how enjoyable it is to think about reading.

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • Lang Syne Publishers Ltd Massacre of Glencoe

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £6.64

  • Writing Poems

    Bloodaxe Books Ltd Writing Poems

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisDrawing on his extensive experience of poetry workshops and courses, Peter Sansom shows you not how to write but how to write better, how to write authentically, how to say genuinely what you genuinely mean to say. This practical guide is illustrated with many examples. Peter Sansom covers such areas as submitting to magazines; the small presses; analysing poems; writing techniques and procedures; and drafting. He includes brief resumes and discussions of literary history and literary fashions, the spirit of the age, and the creative process itself. Above all, his book helps you learn discrimination in your reading and writing - so that you can decide for yourself how you want your work to develop, whether that magazine was right in returning it or if they simply don't know their poetic arse from their elbow. Writing Poems includes sections on: Metre, rhyme, half-rhyme and free verse. Fixed forms and how to use them. Workshops and writing groups. Writing games and exercises. A detailed, annotated reading list. Where to go from here. Glossary of technical terms. Writing Poems has become an essential handbook for many poets and teachers: invaluable to writers just starting out, helpful to poets who need a nuts-and-bolts handbook, a godsend to anyone running poetry courses and workshops, and an inspiration to all readers and writers who want a book which re-examines the writing of poems.Trade Review'I would recommend this book to any student - It's funny, honest, thoughtful, realistic' - Gillian Allnutt, Northern Echo. 'Peter Sansom's handbook is The Haynes Manual for Poetry' - Cliff Yates. 'Peter Sansom is the best poetry teacher in the world' - Sian Hughes, Guardian. 'The classic Writing Poems - indispensable' - Naomi Jaffa, Poetry Trust.

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • Do Not Go Gentle

    Bloodaxe Books Ltd Do Not Go Gentle

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis wide-ranging selection combines popular choices of traditional poems read at funerals with powerful poems by contemporary writers more tuned to our present age of doubt and disbelief. There are poems here for churchgoers and believers, including classic verses of grief and consolation by John Donne, Christina Rossetti, Emily Bronte and Emily Dickinson, the anonymous Do not stand at my grave and weep, and the poems read at Princess Diana's funeral. But there are also poems for people of all faiths and religions, for agnostics and atheists, and most importantly for those who aren’t sure what they believe, whose grief over loss is the more intense for not knowing what happens to the soul after death. Grief isn’t denied but experienced and made more bearable by being put into memorable words. Searing poems of lament are followed by moving elegies celebrating the lives of those we will always love. Whether and how the spirit survives is then explored in an extraordinary gathering of poems by writers as different and diverse as the Persian mystic Rumi, Zen Buddhist composers of Japanese haiku, and American poets Mary Oliver and Jane Kenyon. Buttressed against their assertions of faith in an afterlife are modern sceptics, from Auden and Larkin to William Carlos Williams and C.K. Williams, whose wrestling with the meaning of death helps us make sense of no sense, mirroring our own anxieties and difficulties. But however various and contradictory these poems, their message chimes with Larkin’s famous words, proving 'Our almost-instinct almost true:/ What will survive of us is love.' Unlike other poetry anthologies of loss, mourning and remembrance, Do Not Go Gentle offers a selection of poems specifically for reading at funerals and memorial services. It can also be used for reading aloud to friends and family, or for reading while numbed and bewildered – all times when the right poem can help us share and bear the burden of immediate grief.

    1 in stock

    £10.80

  • The Poet Lucan: Studies in Rhetorical Epic

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Poet Lucan: Studies in Rhetorical Epic

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisLucan's epic on the Civil War has dodged in and out of fashion. Widely admired in the 17th and 18th centuries, it came in the 19th and 20th to be criticised by comparison with Virgil's Aeneid. The latter was established as the standard by which all other epic poets fail. Lucan's besetting "fault" was seen as his reliance on rhetoric. This work sets out to consider the rules of ancient rhetoric as learned by Lucan and applied in his epic. Four themes commmon to poetry and to the declamatory schools (tyranny, storms, the occult and dreams) are closely analyzed in relation to the poem, and the poem is itself set in the context of the Neronian age.

    2 in stock

    £18.74

  • Evoking (and forgetting!) Shakespeare

    Nick Hern Books Evoking (and forgetting!) Shakespeare

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe text of a talk given by renowned theatre director Peter Brook in Berlin in 1998, addressing essential questions about performing Shakespeare today. Brook invites us to consider the actual conditions of the Elizabethan theatre and the actual qualities of Shakespeare's language. Published as part of the Dramatic Contexts series: important statements on the theatre by major figures in the theatre.

    1 in stock

    £10.44

  • Love Songs And Sonnets

    Everyman Love Songs And Sonnets

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis is the fourth volume in the series of Everyman Pocket Poet Love Poems, following the success of Love poems, Erotic Poems and Love Letters. LOVE SONGS AND SONNETS takes a wider view of love, covering all aspects of human relationships, from passionate first love to fianl regret. Includes poems by Shakespere, Donne, Dickinson, Lowell. Larkin, Herbet, Horace, Hardy, Rilke, Auden and Burns - and many more. Published in good time for Valentine's Day 1997.

    1 in stock

    £10.80

  • Book of Repulsive Women

    Carcanet Press Ltd Book of Repulsive Women

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisDjuna Barnes (1892-1982) once described herself as the most famous unknown writer, and although her novel "Nightwood" is celebrated, her poetry has been a well-kept secret. This selection contains work written between 1914 and the 1970s. Many of the poems in "The Book of Repulsive Women" first appeared in pamphlets and literary journals in New York and Paris. Published together for the first time, they throw new light on Barnes' development as a writer. The book reveals her as a poet of unique power, at once compelling and disorientating. Marianne Moore observed, "reading Djuna Barnes is like reading a foreign language, which you understand". "The Book of Repulsive Women" includes previously unpublished and uncollected poems, and five illustrations by Barnes herself. Rebecca Loncraine provides an introduction to Barnes' poetry.

    1 in stock

    £9.45

  • English for Management Studies Course Book + CDs

    Garnet Publishing English for Management Studies Course Book + CDs

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £24.00

  • Student Guide to Antonin Artaud: From Theory to

    Greenwich Exchange Ltd Student Guide to Antonin Artaud: From Theory to

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £11.39

  • The Middle English Breton Lays

    Medieval Institute Publications The Middle English Breton Lays

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis volume is the first to make the Middle English Breton lays available to teachers and students of the Middle Ages. Breton lays were produced by or after the fashion of Marie de France in the twelfth century and claim to be "literary versions of lays sung by ancient Bretons to the accompaniment of the harp." The poems edited in this volume are considered distinctly "English" Breton lays because of their focus on the family values of late medieval England. With the volume's helpful glosses, notes, introductions, and appendices, the door is opened for students to study Middle English poetry and the medieval family alike.Table of ContentsPreface General Introduction Sir Orfeo Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Lay le Freine Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Sir Degaré Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Emaré Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Sir Launfal Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Sir Gowther Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Erle of Tolous Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Sir Cleges Introduction, Select Bibliography, Text, Notes Appendix A Marie de France, The Lay of the Ash Tree Appendix B Marie de France, The Lay of Sir Launfal Appendix C Sir Landevale Glossary

    1 in stock

    £17.50

  • Touchwood

    Salmon Poetry Touchwood

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £7.59

  • King Henry VI Part 1: Third Series

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC King Henry VI Part 1: Third Series

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA fresh look at a play usually regarded as the first component of a three-part historical epic, this edition argues that Henry VI Part 1 is a 'prequel', a freestanding piece that returns for ironic and dramatic effect to a story already familiar to its audience. The play's ingenious use of stage space is closely analysed, as is its manipulation of a series of setpiece combats to give a coherent syntax of action. Discussion of the dramatic structure created by the opposing figures of Talbot and Jeanne la Pucelle, and exploration of the critical controversies surrounding the figure of Jeanne, lead to a reflection on the nature of the history play as genre in the 1590s.

    1 in stock

    £11.99

  • King Henry VI Part 2: Third Series

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC King Henry VI Part 2: Third Series

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis edition celebrates King Henry VI Part 2 as one of the most exciting and dynamic plays of the English renaissance theatre, with its exploration of power politics and social revolution and its focus on the relationship between divine justice and sin. An extensive discussion of performance history traces the play's progress on stage from abridgement and adaptation to full historical epic. A survey of criticism discusses the wide range of responses provoked by the play's handling of its historical theme, and concludes by focusing on the element of burlesque in the attempted social revolution portrayed.

    1 in stock

    £11.99

  • The Merry Wives Of Windsor: Third Series

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Merry Wives Of Windsor: Third Series

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare's only thoroughly English comedy, created an archetypal literary figure in the shape of the devious, irrepressible John Falstaff. This stimulating new edition celebrates the play as a joyous exploration of language, but also places elements of its plot firmly in a continental, specifically Italian, tradition of romantic comedy. It draws out the complexities of Merry Wives as a multi-plot play, and takes a fresh and challenging look at both textual and dating issues; a facsimile of the first Quarto is included as an appendix. The play's extensive performance history, both dramatic and operatic, is fully explored and discussed.'This is a significant and substantive edition, in that nothing has been taken for granted, everything has been opened to reconsideration. The commentary is exceptionally detailed and attentive to questions of language and meaning.'John Jowett, Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, Shakespeare QuarterlyTrade Review'This is a significant and substantive editoin, in that nothing has been taken for granted, everything has been opened to reconsideration. The commentary is exceptionally detailed and attentive to questions of language and meaning.' * Shakespeare Quarterly *'Shakespeare genially celebrates his own middle class English provincial background and seeks to do nothing more than entertain- which he does, splendidly.' * Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph, 21.08.10 *

    2 in stock

    £11.99

  • Greenwich Exchange Ltd Sweetly Sings Delaney: A Study of Shelagh

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • The Prisoner of St Kilda: The True Story of the

    Luath Press Ltd The Prisoner of St Kilda: The True Story of the

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn the 18th century shotgun weddings were not unusual, but in most cases it wasn't the bride that was holding the gun. So began the stormy marriage between Lord and Lady Grange, a marriage which was to end with Lady Grange's death on the Isle of Skye after 13 years in exile. The daughter of a convicted murderer, Lady Grange's behaviour, such as her fondness for drink, was so outrageous that her sudden disappearance from public life was not considered surprising. But few knew the true story of her disappearance. This book reveals, for the first time, how the unfortunate lady was violently kidnapped and transported to the remote islands off the west coast of Scotland, spending seven years on the island of St. Kilda's. Condemned to a very different lifestyle than she had enjoyed in Edinburgh, and baffled by the strange tongue of the Gaelic West, she still obstinately survived, finally dying in Skye in 1745.Trade Review... a tale of such scandal and drama that it reads almost like a work of fiction. - CATHERINE SALMOND, Edinburgh Evening News... this fascinating account of one of the most beguiling characters in Scotland's history... Despite the unhappy ending, it's a stunning story and Margaret Macaulay has done it full justice. - TREVOR ROYLE, The HeraldYet there's another story of human hardship in [St Kilda]'s history that's been much less analysed - not one of evacuation but of abduction. Not of escape, but of exile. A story of political intrigue, betrayal and personal tragedy. - SUNDAY POST

    1 in stock

    £8.54

  • Edwin Morgan: In Touch With Language: A New Prose

    Association for Scottish Literary Studies Edwin Morgan: In Touch With Language: A New Prose

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisI try to write something every day even though I am not writing poetry, just to get myself in touch with language.Edwin MorganEdwin Morgan (19202010) is one of the giants of modern literature. Scotland's national poet from 2004 to his death, throughout his long life he produced an astonishing variety of work, from the playful to the profound.Edwin Morgan: In Touch With Language presents previously uncollected prose journalism, book and theatre reviews, scholarly essays and lectures, drama and radio scripts, forewords and afterwords all carefully moulded to the needs of differing audiences. Morgan's writing fizzes with clarity and verve: the topics range from Gilgamesh to Ginsberg, from cybernetics to sexualities, from international literatures to the changing face of his home city of Glasgow. Everyone will find surprises and delights in this new collection.

    1 in stock

    £22.46

  • Aunt Grizelda's Treasury of Grim and Grisly Rhyme

    Hogs Back Books Ltd Aunt Grizelda's Treasury of Grim and Grisly Rhyme

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £6.99

  • John Milton's Paradise Lost

    CONNELL PUBLISHING LTD John Milton's Paradise Lost

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisDr Johnson sums up the case against Milton: “the want of human interest is always felt.” It is the apparent distance of Paradise Lost from ordinary humanity that has thrilled or repelled critics throughout the ages. While many readers are carried away by Milton’s sublimity, others are daunted by his grandeur, scope and learning. Milton himself declared that he would not begin to write until he had “completed the full circle of my private studies”. The Greek word for a circle of learning is the root of “encyclopaedia”; and Milton’s erudition is encyclopaedic. Paradise Lost draws on both ancient learning and the scholarship of his day, displaying not only his deep knowledge of the Bible and Biblical scholarship, and his passionate assimilation of the classics, but also his absorption in astronomy, cosmology, geography, numerology and science. Yet many critics of Paradise Lost argue that all this circling lacks a human centre. Who, after all, is the hero? Adam and Eve in their unfallen state are too remote from us; Christ is not yet incarnate; God cannot be a character. Which leaves us with the magnificently problematic figure of Satan. In this fascinating study of Milton’s great poem, Caroline Moore suggests that, contrary to what these critics argue, the core of Paradise Lost is extraordinarily human. Milton himself believed that poetry excelled at describing “the wily subtleties and refluxes of man’s thought from within”. This is precisely what Paradise Lost does. If, to a generation raised on the novel, Milton’s methods of psychological exploration seem strange, this only intensifies the effect: Paradise Lost is a poem that explores the dark byways and infinite strangeness of the human heart.

    2 in stock

    £8.54

  • The Connell Guide To Charles Dickens's Hard Times

    CONNELL PUBLISHING LTD The Connell Guide To Charles Dickens's Hard Times

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £8.54

  • The Crooked Dividend: Essays on Muriel Spark

    Association for Scottish Literary Studies The Crooked Dividend: Essays on Muriel Spark

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis volume of fourteen essays offers fresh insight into the life and work of Muriel Spark (19182006), one of Scotland's most internationally celebrated writers. Known for her cultural cosmopolitanism and sharp wit, Spark was prolific as a novelist, poet, short story writer, dramatist, and literary critic. The Crooked Dividend provides a thorough overview of Spark's multifaceted work and examines the cultural, literary, and personal frameworks that shaped her writing. These essays contextualise Spark within post-war British culture, analyse the influence of longstanding Scottish literary traditions on her work, and explore the full range of her literary output through topics such as gender, religion, and politics. In a comprehensive examination of her publications, archive material, and colourful career, this volume celebrates and reaffirms Spark's international legacy.

    2 in stock

    £17.95

  • Dedalus Book of the Occult: A Dark Muse

    Dedalus Ltd Dedalus Book of the Occult: A Dark Muse

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £11.39

  • Expiation

    Persephone Books Ltd Expiation

    Book Synopsis

    £16.00

  • My Favourite London Devils: A Gazetteer of

    Tangerine Press My Favourite London Devils: A Gazetteer of

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £9.50

  • Greenwich Exchange Ltd Hart Crane

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • Under the Same Moon: Edward Thomas and the

    Enitharmon Press Under the Same Moon: Edward Thomas and the

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA hundred years ago Edward Thomas was killed in the Battle of Arras (April 1917). The reputation of his poetry has never been higher. Edna Longley has already edited Thomas's poems and prose. She now marks his centenary, and adds to the growing field of Thomas studies, with this close reading of his poetry. Longley places the lyric poem at the centre of Thomas's poetry and of his thinking about poetry. Drawing on Thomas's own remarkable critical writings, she argues that his importance to emergent 'modern poetry' has yet to be fully appreciated. Thomas, as a leading reviewer of poetry in the early 1900s, was deeply engaged with the traditions of poetry in the English language, as well as with contemporary poetry. Under the Same Moon takes a fresh look at Thomas's relation to the Romantic poets, to Great War poetry, to Robert Frost, to W.B. Yeats. By making detailed comparisons between their poems, Longley shows how the aesthetics of Thomas and Frost complement one another across the Atlantic. She argues, perhaps controversially, that we should think about Great War poetry from the perspective of Thomas as 'war poet' and critic of war poetry. And she suggests that to focus on Thomas is to open up poetic relations in the 'Anglo-Celtic' archipelago. Under the Same Moon is also a study of lyric poetry: its sources, structures and forms; the kinds of meaning it creates. Longley asks what exactly happened when, in December 1914, Thomas morphed from a prose-writer into a poet; and she approaches the lyric from a psychological angle by comparing Thomas with Philip Larkin.

    2 in stock

    £21.25

  • Macbeth, Macbeth

    UEA Publishing Project Macbeth, Macbeth

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis ‘A miracle, an instant classic.’ Slavoj Zizek, philosopher The tragedy is done, the tyrant Macbeth dead. The time is free. But for how long? As Macduff pursues dreams of national revival, smaller lives are seeding. In the ruins of Dunsinane, the Porter tries to keep his three young boys safe from the nightmare of history. In a nunnery deep in Birnam Wood, a girl attempts to forget what she lost in war. Flitting between them, a tortured clairvoyant trembles with the knowledge of what's to come. A collaboration between two of the world's most eminent Shakespeare scholars, "Macbeth, Macbeth" is a unique mix of creative fiction and literary criticism that charts a new way of doing both, sparking a whole new world from the embers of Shakespeare's original tragedy. ”Macbeth, Macbeth” weaves a thread that enrichens the original classic with the manic energy of Tristram Shandy, the grim intensity of Crime and Punishment, and the existential absurdity of Waiting for Godot. 'A thrilling re-imagination of Shakespeare’s darkest play.' Lucy Bailey, theatre director‘Shakespeare, I suspect, would have been delighted.’ Don Paterson, poet

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • Remembering Christopher Robin: Escaping

    Unicorn Publishing Group Remembering Christopher Robin: Escaping

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis story began a hundred years ago when a child became the inspiration for his famous father, A. A. Milne, who created one of the best known children's characters in recent history. His parents wanted a girl and to begin with treated him as one. They were initially quite distant from him and his upbringing was left to a loyal and loving nanny. Unfortunately, this left Christopher Robin Milne terminally shy and lacking in self-confidence. Unable to escape from the shadow of his fictional self, he became an object of continued interest from a non-understanding public. His salvation started with being sent away to Stowe School, going to Cambridge and joining the Army in the Second World War as a sapper. After an unhappy and directionless time immediately post-war in London, he eventually married and, very successfully, ran a bookshop in the South West for twenty-one years. His life was dominated by a love of the countryside, learned at his parents' country home, Cotchford Farm in Hartfield, East Sussex, and much later in Devon. How he turned his life round, against the odds, is the subject of this biography.

    1 in stock

    £24.00

  • Priestley At Kissing Tree House: A Memoir

    Great Northern Books Ltd Priestley At Kissing Tree House: A Memoir

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA lost and now found memoir of J.B. Priestleywritten by someone who knew him better than most others: his own personal secretary. Written in the 1980s, though never published, the manuscript has only recently resurfaced. It provides a unique, warm and intimate portrait of the private, hidden life, of one of the twentieth century's most widely read authors and great public figures. The book reveals Priestley's daily routines, his writing habits, hobbies, weaknesses, eccentricities and his correspondence with a variety of organisations and people, including family, and other renowned authors and figures of the twentieth century; a warts and all portrait, truthful, revealing, moving. A book which in the end, displays great love for its subject. It is a memoir that also reveals the somewhat old-fashioned role of a live-in personal secretary / assistant to an author and the close relationship that develops with such a job. KISSING TREE HOUSE Kissing Tree House is the name of the house where Priestley and his wife, the archaeologist Jacquetta Hawkes, lived from December 1959 until his death in 1984. The house is in the small village of Alveston about four miles from Stratford. Of historical interest, the house has been a listed property since 1972. Listing NGR: SP2344156412 Priestley had many guests and held many dinner parties at Kissing Tree; he was visited there by many famous figures. "One day I very much hope that Mrs. Batten will write a book about me because, as I have pointed out to her, she knows me better than anyone else who might want to write such a book" J.B. Priestley, 26th June, 1979

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • An Analysis of Mary Douglas's Purity and Danger:

    Macat International Limited An Analysis of Mary Douglas's Purity and Danger:

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisMary Douglas is an outstanding example of an evaluative thinker at work. In Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo, she delves in great detail into existing arguments that portray traditional societies as “evolving” from “savage” beliefs in magic, to religion, to modern science, then explains why she believes those arguments are wrong. She also adeptly chaperones readers through a vast amount of data, from firsthand research in the Congo to close readings of the Old Testament, and analyzes it in depth to provide evidence that traditional and Western religions have more in common than the first comparative religion scholars and early anthropologists thought.First evaluating her scholarly predecessors by marshalling their arguments, Douglas identifies their main weakness: that they dismiss traditional societies and their religions by identifying their practices as “magic,” thereby creating a chasm between savages who believe in magic and sophisticates who practice religion.Table of ContentsWays in to the Text Who Was Mary Douglas? What Does Purity and Danger Say? Why Does Purity and Danger Matter? Section 1: Influences Module 1: The Author and the historical Context Module 2: Academic Context Module 3: The Problem Module 4: The Author's Contribution Section 2: Ideas Module 5: Main Ideas Module 6: Secondary Ideas Module 7: Achievement Module 8: Place in the Author's Work Section 3: Impact Module 9: The First Responses Module 10: The Evolving Debate Module 11: Impact and Influence Today Module 12: Where Next? Glossary of Terms People Mentioned in the Text Works Cited

    1 in stock

    £8.58

  • Homers Iliad

    Clairview Books Homers Iliad

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA fresh translation of Homer's Iliad in Classical style.

    1 in stock

    £19.12

  • This is Architecture: Writing on Buildings

    Unicorn Publishing Group This is Architecture: Writing on Buildings

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisWe all consume architecture – it’s the one artform we can’t avoid. So it’s hardly surprising that the finest writers have applied their minds to it. Most of them aren’t architects, but their powers of perception are such that what they say gets under the skin of a building – and gives us a lesson in how to look at architecture. You’ll be entertained and enlightened as you find out why Goethe went from being dismissive of Strasbourg Cathedral to being an awed admirer; why Ruskin was offended by decorated shopfronts; why D.H. Lawrence loved Etruscan temples; why Tom Wolfe ridiculed the Seagram Building; why Vita Sackville-West saw Chatsworth as an alien interloper; why Rose Macaulay was passionate about ruins; And what Evelyn Waugh thought of Gaudí. The answers, and plenty more, are all here. Knowing them will transform the way you see buildings and deepen your understanding of architecture.

    2 in stock

    £21.25

  • Chaucer's Italy

    Haus Publishing Chaucer's Italy

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisGeoffrey Chaucer might be considered the quintessential English writer, but he drew much of his inspiration and material from Italy. Without the tremendous influences of Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio, the author of The Canterbury Tales might never have assumed his place as the 'father' of English literature. Nevertheless, Richard Owen's Chaucer's Italy begins in London, where the poet dealt with Italian merchants in his roles as court diplomat and customs official, before his involvement in arranging the marriage of King Edward III's son Lionel in Milan and diplomatic missions to Genoa and Florence. Scrutinising his encounters with Petrarch, Boccaccio, and the mercenary knight John Hawkwood, Owen reveals the deep influence of Italy's people and towns on Chaucer's poems and stories. Much writing on Chaucer depicts a misleadingly parochial figure, but, as Owen's enlightening short study of Chaucer's Italian years makes clear, the poet's life was internationally eventful. The consequences have made the English canon what it is today.Trade Review'Very readable and well-paced - covers an amazing amount of ground.' Marion Turner, author of Chaucer: A European Life 'A fascinating insight into Chaucer's world.' Mary Hollingsworth, author of Princes of the Renaissance 'Richard Owen performs the remarkable feat of showing us Italy through Chaucer's eyes. It's a wonderful evocation of the vibrant intellectual, commercial, and cross-cultural exchanges at the height of the Middle Ages - and the perfect read for a getaway break to Florence, Genoa, or Milan.' Ross King, author of The Bookseller of Florence 'Inherently interesting, deftly written, impressively organised and presented.' Midwest Book Review

    1 in stock

    £10.44

  • We the Parasites

    UEA Publishing Project We the Parasites

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn her debut book, A. V. Marraccini explores how we inhabit works of art, and how our sense of longing informs and changes our relationship to them. Intertwining fig wasps, Updike, Genet, Twombly, Rilke, jewel heists, and a vividly rendered panoply of histories and myths from classical antiquity, We the Parasites both tells a strange love story and makes a slantwise argument about reading with the body, and what it ultimately means to know, and to want.‘We the Parasites is my new favourite book, a dazzlingly erudite disquisition of the erotics of criticism, riven with knockout sentences and a luxuriant sensibility. A.V. Marraccini stops you in your tracks, urges you to think with her a while about the delicious joy of art, how we grow huge and terrifying on it, and how this thievery, this parasitism is necessary both for its continuance and for our own.’ Lauren Elkin, author of Flâneuse: Women Walk The City‘In 1964, Sontag wrote: ‘In place of a hermeneutics we need an erotics of art.’ Since then, many works of criticism have paid lip service to this desideratum, but few have managed to achieve it... In We the Parasites, encountering a work of art is not fixed as a safe looking at, but rather as an eating, a kissing, a being-seduced-by, a being-contaminated by, a being-infected-by that restores art and criticism to the dangerous adventure that it is.' Ryan Ruby

    2 in stock

    £11.69

  • Beyond Chocolate

    Unicorn Publishing Group Beyond Chocolate

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £21.25

  • Mage Publishers Forugh Farrokhzad: Another Birth & Other Poems:

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £22.49

  • A Measure of Belonging: Twenty-One Writers of

    Hub City Press A Measure of Belonging: Twenty-One Writers of

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA New York Times Books New & Noteworthy book • A Most-Anticipated Book from BookPage, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Paperback Paris • Glowing reviews and features in Garden & Gun, CNN Philippines, Chapter16, Kirkus Reviews, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and more This fierce collection celebrates the incredible diversity in the contemporary South by featuring essays by twenty-one of the finest young writers of color living and working in the region today, who all address a central question: Who is welcome? Kiese Laymon navigates the racial politics of publishing while recording his audiobook in Mississippi. Regina Bradley moves to Indiana and grapples with a landscape devoid of her Southern cultural touchstones, like Popeyes and OutKast. Aruni Kashyap apartment hunts in Athens and encounters a minefield of invasive questions. Frederick McKindra delves into the particularly Southern history of Beyonce's black majorettes. Assembled by editor and essayist Cinelle Barnes, essays in A Measure of Belonging: Twenty-One Writers of Color on the New American South acknowledge that from the DMV to the college basketball court to doctors’ offices, there are no shortage of places of tension in the American South. Urgent, necessary, funny, and poignant, these essays from new and established voices confront the complexities of the South's relationship with race, uncovering the particular difficulties and profound joys of being a Southerner in the 21st century.Trade ReviewA Measure of Belonging challenges the idea of a monolithic Southern culture." --New York Times Book Review "The South on exhibit here does feel new: polygot, multiracial, small-c catholic, urbanized, unwilling to accomodate or overlook the past but instead primed to confront it head-on, and keen to sift the South's virtues--lovingly--from its flaws." --Garden & Gun "Sharp and witty, this collection shows that there are many different ways to live, breathe, thrive and be a person who belongs in the South." --Bookpage, starred review "Cinelle Barnes has compiled the most diverse portrayal of the contemporary South I've read to date. These beautifully-written, clear-eyed essays present the American South through the eyes of its black and brown voices and expand the reader's view of belonging to or hailing from the region. I love this collection and its depictions complicate the South in ways that mainstream America sometimes refuses to believe about our ugly/beautiful South. A Measure of Belonging is a major contribution to the canon of Southern literature and each of the writers give of themselves fully. It is a book for our times. Welcome to the 21st century!" --Crystal Wilkinson, author of The Birds of Opulence "Totally engaging, this informing, thought-provoking collection is valuable for its vision of a South that is not monolithic."--Publishers Weekly "Across the collection, the writers push against the limits of what we think we know about the South." --Kirkus Reviews "A Measure of Belonging is a stark reminder that, behind the draping magnolias and weeping willows, the south has a loaded history, the effects of which still ripple through today’s society. Cinelle Barnes's anthology is but one call to awareness, a call to artful rebellion." --NewPagesTable of ContentsOsayi Endolyn (Atlanta, GA) Soniah Kamal (Atlanta, GA) Jennifer Hope Choi (Charleston, SC) Kiese Laymon (Oxford, MS) Devi Laskar (Atlanta, GA) M. Evelina Galang (Miami, FL) Tiana Clark (Nashville, TN) Latria Graham (Spartanburg, SC) Aruni Kashyap (Athens, GA) Minda Honey (Louisville, KY) Regina Bradley (Kennesaw, GA) Natalia Sylvester (Austin, TX) Christena Cleveland (San Francisco, CA) Nichole Perkins (Brooklyn, NY) Ivelisse Rodriguez (Whitsett, NC) Gary Jackson (Charleston, SC) Frederick McKendra (Little Rock, AR) Toni Jensen (Fayetteville, AR) Diana Cejas (Durham, NC)

    2 in stock

    £11.04

  • Henrytown

    Dzanc Books Henrytown

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTwenty years ago, Henrytown came crackling over Rocky Mountain radio frequencies as a spoken history—a series of tall tales Chris Erickson would recite between folk songs on his insomniac broadcast “The Old-Time Music & Lore.” A chimerical masterwork of storytelling and performance art, Erickson’s folklore recast the American Midwest as its own fantastical condition, captivating a cult-listenership steeped in small-town mythologies like Wisconsin Death Trip, Winesburg, Ohio, and Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Pigeons.This volume, produced in partnership between Dzanc Books and Graver Goods, brings that beloved town back to the page. Local brainiac Amber Kusnetsov goes missing after a mediocre performance on a biology quiz. A deadly explosion at Polk Plastics sends plumes of acrid smoke into the community.  Gloria-half-of-something the Wampus Cat murders dirtbike enthusiast Mandu Fam Lam Bartlum behind the Park Tavern. Old Lookie floats slowly over the earth on his adult tricycle. John Dinger the Large is on his way to Niantic to kill trolls!Sung out by a town crier as mysteriously attuned to weather patterns and local myths as he is to the pandemonium of American speech, Chris Erickson’s debut work isn’t so much a novel as a telling the bees—a promiscuous, hive-minded folklore which speaks in many voices at once, past the human, and knows that every town is its own living breathing superorganism.

    2 in stock

    £14.24

  • A Naturalist's Manor

    Chax Press A Naturalist's Manor

    2 in stock

    2 in stock

    £17.10

  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

    Broad Book Press The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisGo Beyond the Ban. Rediscover Twain''s Timeless Tale.Part of the Contested Classics Series, this distinctive edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain reinvigorates the timeless classic with a contemporary lens. First published in 1876, Twain''s novel captures the youthful adventures and mischiefs of Tom Sawyer, a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. This edition not only brings to life the charm and humor of Twain''s writing but also thoughtfully addresses the reasons behind the book''s contested status in modern times.Our editors identify the text that has been challenged and dives deep with annotations on the main reasons for banning The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Racial Stereotypes and Language: Twain''s portrayal of race and use of racially charged language, particularly in the depiction of the character Jim, has been a significant point of contention, prompting debates about racial sensitivity and historical context. Mischief and Rebellion: Tom Sawyer''s antics and rebellious nature, often seen as promoting bad behavior or disrespect for authority, have been reasons for the book''s challenge, especially in school settings. Societal Critique: The novel''s critique of adult hypocrisy and societal norms, while lauded for its honesty, has also been viewed as problematic for younger readers. Portrayal of Violence and Criminal Activities: Scenes depicting violence and criminal activities, such as grave robbing and murder, have led to concerns about the book''s appropriateness for a young audience. This edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is not just a return to the cherished adventures of a young boy but an invitation to understand and discuss the complexities and challenges that have followed the novel into the 21st century. It is an essential read for those who wish to explore how a beloved classic holds up under the scrutiny of contemporary values and debates.

    2 in stock

    £16.07

  • This Side of Paradise

    Simon & Schuster This Side of Paradise

    2 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    2 in stock

    £18.00

  • Losers

    Peninsula Press Ltd Losers

    Book SynopsisYou are a loser. This isn't a personal slight, but an impersonal truth of the species, writes Josh Cohen in this essay about love, literature and politics. Today, no figure in more ridiculed and reviled than the loser. In the wake of recent political upsets, the bruised liberal dreams of winning it all back. Meanwhile a swollen self-help industry continues to grow with a single, seductive promise: read this, and join the ranks of the winners. But being a loser isn't a personal failing; it's an essential part of being human. In this remarkable essay, at once political, philosophical and very funny, psychoanalyst Josh Cohen teaches us to take pride in embracing our inner loser.

    £7.46

  • Writing an Academic Paper in English:

    Springer Nature Switzerland AG Writing an Academic Paper in English:

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis book is for university students, with at least a mid-intermediate level of English. It can be used as part of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course, either alone or with the companion volume Giving an Academic Presentation in English. The chapters are independent so that EAP teachers and students can choose those sections that best fit their needs. This means that a course can range from a minimum of 20 hours, up to 60 hours or more. There is an introductory chapter that includes what role academics play in today’s world, where success is not just measured in terms of paper output but also involvement in interdisciplinary projects and supporting society at large. Each chapter covers a particular section of a paper (Abstract, Introduction, Methods etc) and begins with a discussion exercise on what the exact purpose of each section is. This purpose is also highlighted by comparisons with non-academic situations where similar skills are required. There are many examples and templates – none of which are lengthy or complex - but which are designed to highlight key points. Students learn what style to adopt (we vs impersonal), the correct tenses to use in each section, typical mistakes, and useful phrases. The course is highly practical and is also designed to be fun to use. Other books in the series: Giving an Academic Presentation in English Essential English Grammar and Communication Strategies Adrian Wallwork is the author of more than 40 ELT and EAP textbooks. He has trained several thousand PhD students and researchers from around 50 countries to write research papers and give presentations. He is also the co-founder of e4ac.com, an editing agency for non-native English-speaking researchers.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 Getting started Chapter 2 Introduction and Review of the Literature Chapter 3 Introduction: Part 2 Chapter 4 Methods Chapter 5 Results Chapter 6 Discussion Part 1 Chapter 7 Discussion Part 2 Chapter 8 Conclusions Chapter 9 Abstracts Part 1 Chapter 10 Abstracts 2 and Titles Chapter 11 How to write and structure a paper: a very brief summary Aim of this book Other books in this series Use of icons A note for teachers About the author Acknowledgements Full table of contents Index

    2 in stock

    £23.74

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