Fiction Books

Book Synopsis''Dazzlingly intelligent and subtle'' Sunday Times''Worth of Raymond Chandler ... intelligent, inventive, constantly entertaining'' Sunday TelegraphTexan billionaire General Midwinter will stop at nothing to bring down the USSR - even if it puts the whole world at risk. The fourth and final novel featuring the cynical, insolent narrator of The IPCRESS File sees him sent from his shabby Soho office to bone-freezing Helsinki in order to penetrate Midwinter''s vast anti-Communist network - and stop a deadly virus from wiping out the planet.Trade ReviewDazzlingly intelligent and subtle. * Sunday Times *Worthy of Raymond Chandler... intelligent, inventive, constantly entertaining. * Sunday Telegraph *Deighton is a fearless observer of the deceptive human world. -- John Gray * New Statesman *They don't, as they say, write them like this anymore. You will be entertained, informed, thrilled and dazzled. Long may he, and his creations, live on. -- Jeremy Duns * The Guardian *A wonderful mixture of the exciting and the amusingly humdrum ... James Bond may be thinner, but so is his dialogue. -- Jake Kerridge * Daily Telegraph *Len Deighton is the Flaubert of the contemporary thriller writers. -- Michael Howard * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisJack Kerouac''s Great American Novel, now in a delightful new Clothbound Classics editionOn the Road swings to the rhythms of 1950s underground America, jazz, sex, generosity, chill dawns and drugs, with Sal Paradise and his hero Dean Moriarty, traveller and mystic, the living epitome of Beat. Now recognized as a modern classic, its American Dream is nearer that of Walt Whitman than Scott Fitzgerald, and it goes racing towards the sunset with unforgettable exuberance, poignancy and autobiographical passion.Trade ReviewThe most beautifully executed, the clearest and the most important utterance yet made by thegeneration Kerouac himself named years ago as "beat" * The New York Times *Pop writing at its best. It changed the way I saw the world, making me yearn for fresh experience -- Hanif Kureishi * Independent on Sunday *On the Road sold a trillion Levis and a million espresso machines, and also sent countless kids on the road -- William Burroughs

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Book SynopsisLittle Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world''s greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith.Dmitry Andreich Olenin, in the hope of escaping the hollowness of his privilege, joins the army and heads to the Caucasus. There among the foothills he will meet the Cossacks: a people he considers to be at one with the land. In their company he will hunt, he will drink, he will fall in love and, slowly, he will begin to understand that between people, between cultures, there is often a space that cannot be traversed...''It is the richness of Tolstoy''s genius that strikes us most in this story'' Virginia Woolf

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Book SynopsisLittle Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world''s greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-SmithFilled with rich description and luxurious beauty, these ten tales of loss and longing from one of Japan''s greatest writers show the pull between duty and desire, ecstasy and death: a mother lost in mourning, a moonlit journey to fulfil a wish, a night of infidelity, a young lieutenant who ends his life.

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Book Synopsis''The new crime and espionage series from Penguin Classics makes for a mouth-watering prospect'' Daily TelegraphLos Angeles, the late 1940''s. A serial killer stalks the foggy streets at night ...Dix Steele, a former fighter pilot, moved to L.A. after the war, looking for a new life. But the city is gripped by fear of a murderer in its midst. Dix, however, is not scared. And when he bumps into his old friend Brub, now a detective on the trail of the culprit, he is excited to follow the police''s progress. A dark and terrible truth is revealed, in a noir novel like no other.Trade ReviewDorothy B. Hughes was in a class of her own. To be a female author of hard-boiled fiction back in the 1940s was unusual enough, but to write a first-person narrative from the viewpoint of a male serial killer was breaking new ground by anybody's standards. She marked out this territory years before most other writers even knew it existed. -- Max Decharne, author of Hardboiled Hollywood: The Origins of Great Crime Films

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Book Synopsis''The new crime and espionage series from Penguin Classics makes for a mouth-watering prospect'' Daily TelegraphThe Second World War is over. Germany have won the battle. But the fight goes on...It is November 1941, nine months after the Nazis successfully invaded Britain. Churchill has been executed and the King imprisoned in the Tower of London. At Scotland Yard, renowned Detective Inspector Archer just tries to keep his head down. But when what seems a routine murder in a Mayfair flat leads him to something far deadlier, Archer becomes caught between his brutal superiors and the British resistance, and drawn into a plot that could change the future of the world.Trade ReviewLen Deighton is the Flaubert of the contemporary thriller writers. -- Michael Howard * Times Literary Supplement *Deighton's best book ... an absorbingly exciting spy story that is also a fascinating exercise in might-have-been speculation. -- Julian Symons * New York Times Book Review *Horrifyingly plausible. * The Independent *They don't, as they say, write them like this anymore. You will be entertained, informed, thrilled and dazzled. Long may he, and his creations, live on. * The Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''The small hopes and plans and pleasures of children should be tenderly respected by grown-up people, and never rudely thwarted or ridiculed''Continuing the adventures of the March sisters from Little Women, Little Men follows the story of spirited, determined Jo, now married with two sons, and running a school. But this is no conventional school. Its pupils are a band of boisterous orphans, pillow fights are allowed on Saturdays, and each child is respected for who they are including Nat, a skinny, nervous boy with a talent for the violin.Showing how families can take many forms, Louisa M. Alcott's beloved novel is a celebration of the magic of childhood.

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Book Synopsis''The new crime and espionage series from Penguin Classics makes for a mouth-watering prospect'' Daily TelegraphA mystery writer turns detective to protect the woman he loves. But is he hunter or hunted?The chance meeting between a crime novelist and a married woman blossoms into friendship. When she confides to him that she has been receiving threatening and sadistic letters from an ex-lover, who says he is watching her in the shadows, he knows he must help her. But the trail unexpectedly leads to another writer, Oe Shundei, the mysterious and secretive author of works of grotesque violence. Suddenly nothing is as it seems, and nobody is safe.

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Book SynopsisMARIE CLAIRE BEST BOOKS OF 2023''Funny, clever and unexpectedly profound - I couldn''t put it down'' Helena Attlee''It is remarkable how much information she can convey about Kitty's life . . . solely using wall labels'' IndependentPrized, collected, critiqued. One Woman Show revolves around the life of Kitty Whitaker as she is defined by her potential for display and moved from collection to collection through multiple marriages. Christine Coulson, who has written hundreds of exhibition wall labels for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, precisely distils each stage of Kitty''s sprawling life into that distinct format, every brief snapshot in time a wry reflection on womanhood, ownership, value and power.Described with wit, poignancy and humour over the course of the twentieth century, Kitty emerges as an eccentric heroine who disrupts her privileged, porcelain life with both major force and minor transgressions. As human foibles propel each delicately crafted text, Coulson playfully asks: who really gets to tell our stories?''Heartbreaking and funny . . . truly masterful and patient and insane, in the best way'' Leanne Shapton''Wry, humorous, poignant'' SpectatorTrade ReviewFunny, clever and unexpectedly profound - I couldn't put it down -- Helena Attlee * author of The Land Where Lemons Grow *Arch and wholly original, this is a pocket rocket of a novel. The economy with which Coulson manages to capture a life with equal amounts of both vigour and heartbreak is a stunning achievement. An irrepressible and timeless reflection on art, self and female objectification. -- Wiz WhartonA wonderfully clever concept, and a book that lends itself to being read in a single sitting, during which you’ll feel the corners of your lips curl upwards again and again . . . Coulson’s wry, often humorous, occasionally poignant commentary are moments of transgression and longing that show there’s more to our neoclassical heroine than her fine finish -- Chloe Ashby * The Spectator *Brilliant. Christine Coulson's tragicomedy of manners is an immense delight. Condensed into its witty format is the story of a life, a life like some I have known and others about which I have read. Coulson captures her character's gentle decline with the precision of Edith Wharton and evokes the eras she traverses with such clarity, even wisdom, describing a woman's changing (or unchanging) role in the world with an acuity that left this reader astonished time and again. -- Andrew Solomon * author of Far From the Tree *Short, clever . . . it is remarkable how much information she can convey about Kitty’s life . . . solely using wall labels -- Ann Levin * Independent *Heartbreaking and funny . . . Coulson's language is perfection . . . I love the pages of voices, like voices in the galleries, and so many moments made me laugh. Truly masterful and patient and insane, in the best way -- Leanne Shapton * author of Swimming Studies *A delight! This novel's formal audacity is an impressive feat of imagination. One Woman Show is a moving story of privilege, womanhood, and the sweep of the twentieth century told through a single American life. I loved this book -- Rumaan Alam * author of Leave the World Behind *Wildly original…[A] tiny but powerful novel… It’s sometimes snarky, sometimes sad, with enough poignant moments to make me wish it could go on and on. … You can sit down and read it in less time than it takes to drive to the art museum, but you’ll be thinking about it for far longer. If you appreciate truly original structure and storytelling, put this modern masterwork on your reading list. * NPR *Strange, biting, tender, and heartbreaking in turns. AND all at once . . . I read it in one fell swoop. It is brilliant -- Maira Kalman * author of Women Holding Things *A funny and clever take on the interchangeability of women and works of arts as possessions -- Philip Hook * author of Breakfast at Sotheby's *Beautiful, beautiful book . . . the cover is absolutely gorgeous, it would make a delicious Christmas gift * Art Juice Podcast *Coulson tells us Kitty Whitaker’s story stylishly and succinctly through label-length entries * Harper's Bazaar *Compulsive and spry -- Hephzibah Anderson * the Observer *Coulson’s formally inventive, witty novel uses gallery captions to capture Kitty’s journey through the 20th century. At once terse and expansive, this is a literary experiment that intrigues -- Francesca Peacock * the Mail on Sunday *A highly original and imaginative work that captivates and intrigues . . . so brief that it can be read straight through in an hour, but that is not to say it is slight . . . Coulson’s unusual command of language rewards multiple readings * The Irish Times *the writing is clever, witty and deftly – and at times poignantly–executed, and that more than earns One Woman Show its coveted red dot (aka sales sticker) from us’ * Marie Claire Best Books of 2023 *Unconventional… non-narrative paragraphs somehow add up to create mounting tension, with wry social commentary, feminist barbs and psychological insight bursting through the lacquered surface * The Lady *

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Book SynopsisThe University of St John and the Holy Ghost (known affectionately as Spook) has a problem - and an opportunity. Strange, eccentric art patron and collector Francis Cornish has died and faculty members have been made executors of his complicated will. But in the realization of their duties, they find themselves drawn into Cornish''s bizarre, secretive and mystical world. In this spellbinding trilogy a host of memorable characters - defrocked, mischief-making monks, half-mad professors, gypsies and musical geniuses - become entangled in a story that involves theft, perjury, scholarship, murder, love, and the squandering of plenty of cash.Trade ReviewDeliciously readable * New York Times *One of the most remarkable achievements of contemporary fiction * Sunday Times *Nourishes the brain while it beguiles the senses * Time *A first-rate storyteller and a real moralist with a crackling sense of humour * Newsweek *Davies combines elements of the fantastic with details of everyday life to show us a world in which the miraculous coexists with the mundane * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisThe third in the late Philip Kerr''s universally acclaimed Berlin Noir trilogy, A German Requiem sees detective Bernie Gunther enter the new and terrifying world of post-war Vienna. In the bitter winter of 1947 the Russian Zone is closing ever more tightly around Berlin. So when an enigmatic Russian colonel asks Bernie Gunther to go to Vienna, where his ex-Kripo colleague Emil Becker faces a murder charge, Bernie doesn''t hesitate for long. Despite Becker''s unsavoury past, Gunther is convinced that shooting an American Nazi-hunter is one crime he didn''t commit.But Vienna is not the peaceful haven Bernie expects it to be. Communism is the new enemy, and with the Nuremberg trials over, some strange alliances are being forged against the Red Menace - alignments that make many wartime atrocities look lily-white by comparison.Vividly evoking the atmosphere of postwar Vienna, A Germen Requiem brings all Philip Kerr''s pace and mordant wit to the tangle of guilt, suspicion, and double-dealing that laid the foundations for the Cold War.''For Christmas, I would like all of Philip Kerr''s Berlin Noir novels'' Sam Mendes, Guardian''Philip Kerr is the contemporary master of the morally complex thriller'' New York ObserverTrade ReviewPhilip Kerr is the contemporary master of the morally complex thriller... * New York Observer *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSMITHS PRIZE 2019 ''An ice-cold skewering of patriarchy, humanity and the darkness of 20th century Europe'' The Times_________________________________ ''It''s like this, Saul Adler.'' ''No, it''s like this, Jennifer Moreau.'' In 1988, Saul Adler is hit by a car on the Abbey Road. Apparently fine, he gets up and poses for a photograph taken by his girlfriend, Jennifer Moreau. He carries this photo with him to East Berlin: a fragment of the present, an anchor to the West. But in the GDR he finds himself troubled by time - stalked by the spectres of history, slipping in and out of a future that does not yet exist. Until, in 2016, Saul attempts to cross the Abbey Road again . . . _________________________________''A time-bending, location-hopping tale of love, truth and the power of seeing. Thoroughly gripping'' Sunday Telegraph ''Writing so beautiful it stops the reader on the page'' Independent ''Levy splices time in artfully believable, mesmerizing strokes'' Lambda Literary ''Skewering totalitarianism - from the state, to the family, to the strictures of the male gaze - Levy explodes conventional narrative to explore the individual''s place and culpability within history'' Guardian ''An utterly beguiling fever dream'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewAn utterly beguiling fever dream of a novel... Its sheer technical bravura places it head and shoulder above pretty much everything else on the [Booker] longlist * Daily Telegraph *Writing so beautiful it stops the reader on the page * Independent *A time-bending, location-hopping tale of love, truth and the power of seeing... Increasingly surreal and thoroughly gripping * Sunday Telegraph *Exquisite... A brilliant Booker nominee... Ultimately, Levy is concerned with power – the forms it takes in our lives, the extent to which it is something we both possess and are subjected to * Guardian *One of the big stories in English fiction this decade has been the return and triumph of Deborah Levy... You would call her example inspiring if it weren't clearly impossible to emulate * New Statesman *An ice-cold skewering of patriarchy, humanity and the darkness of the 20th century Europe * The Times *In one short and sly book after another, she writes about characters navigating swerves of history and sexuality, and the social and personal rootlessness that accompanies both * The Atlantic *Charged with themes spanning memory and mortality, beauty and time, it's as electrifying as it is mysterious * Mail on Sunday *Intelligent and supple...a dizzying tale of life across time and borders * Financial Times *It's clever, raw and doesn't play by any rules * Evening Standard *Superbly crafted, enigmatic, tantalizing... Levy defies gravity in a daring, time-bending new novel... Head-spinning and playful, her writing offers sophistication and delightful artistry * Kirkus (Starred review) *One of the best books I have ever read -- Katherine Angel via Twitterplayful, consistently surprising...Levy brilliantly plumbs the divide between the self and others * Publishers Weekly Best Books 2019 *

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Book Synopsis''An astonishing portrait of an innocent on the verge of discovering the cruelties of love... there are whispers here of the future work of Elena Ferrante'' Elizabeth Strout, from the introduction''Life was a perpetual holiday in those days...''It''s the height of summer in 1930s Italy and sixteen-year-old Ginia is desperate for adventure. So begins a fateful friendship with Amelia, a stylish and sophisticated artist''s model who envelops her in a dazzling new world of bohemian artists and intoxicating freedom. Under the spell of her new friends, Ginia soon falls in love with Guido, an enigmatic young painter. It''s the start of a desperate love affair, charged with false hope and overwhelming passion - destined to last no longer than the course of a summer.The Beautiful Summer is a gorgeous coming-of-age tale of lost innocence and first love, by one of Italy''s greatest writers.''Pavese, to me, is a constant source of inspiration'' Jhumpa Lahiri''One of the few essential novelists of the mid-twentieth century'' Susan Sontag''[Pavese writes books of] extraordinary depth where one never stops finding new levels, new meaning'' Italo Calvino''For my trip to Los Angeles, I''m packing The Beautiful Summer, a slender account of love in 1930s Italy'' Jessie Burton, bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The MuseTrade ReviewAn astonishing portrait of an innocent on the verge of discovering the cruelties of love... an inimitable read... there are whispers here of the future work of Elena Ferrante -- Elizabeth Strout, from the introductionOne of the few essential novelists of the mid-twentieth century -- Susan SontagThere is never any doubt of Pavese's talent * The Times *[Pavese writes books of] extraordinary depth where one never stops finding new levels, new meanings -- Italo CalvinoThere is something about [Pavese] that is insinuating, haunting and lyrically pervasive * New York Times Book Review *Cesare Pavese's cool, contemplative voice was the most important among postwar Italian writers -- W. S. DiPieroPavese, to me, is a constant source of inspiration -- Jhumpa LahiriFor my trip to Los Angeles, I'm packing Cesare Pavese's The Beautiful Summer, with an introduction by Elizabeth Strout, a slender account of love in 1930s Italy -- Jessie Burton, bestselling author of 'The Miniaturist' * Guardian Best Summer Books 2018 *Reminds one very much of the trajectory of the relationship between two young people at the heart of André Aciman's Call Me By Your Name * RTE Recommended Summer Reads *Penguin's re-release of Cesare Pavese's The Beautiful Summer (as choice a pick as its title implies) is simply gorgeous * Marie Claire - Best Books to Read This Summer *Pavese writes with a vivid quietude that is always engaging * Guardian *[A] remarkable author * Scotsman *We must be grateful to the Penguin European Writers series, a precious venture in these dark times -- John Banville

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Book SynopsisWinner of the BOCAS Prize for Fiction 2023Winner of for the Authors'' Club Best First Novel Award 2023Shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2023Shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize 2023Shortlisted for the Kitschies Golden Tentacle Award 2023Longlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2023''BELIEVE THE HYPE'' Stella''A searing symphony of magic and loss, love and hope'' Marlon James''A mesmerising love story, achingly tender'' Bolu BabalolaDarwin is a down-on-his-luck gravedigger, newly arrived in the Trinidadian city of Port Angeles to seek his fortune, young and beautiful and lost. Estranged from his mother and the Rastafari faith she taught him, he is convinced that the father he never met may be waiting for him somewhere amid these bustling streets.Meanwhile in an old house on a hill, where the city meets the rainforest, Yejide''s mother is dying. And she is leaving behind a legacy that now passes to Yejide: the power to talk to the dead. The women of Yejide''s family are human but also not - descended from corbeau, the black birds that fly east at sunset, taking with them the souls of the dead.Darwin and Yejide both have something that the other needs. Their destinies are intertwined, and they will find one another in the sprawling, ancient cemetery at the heart of the island, where trouble is brewing...Rich with magic and wisdom, When We Were Birds is an exuberant masterpiece that conjures and mesmerises on every line. Ayanna Lloyd Banwo weaves an unforgettable story of loss and renewal, darkness and light; a triumphant reckoning with a grief that runs back generations and a defiant, joyful affirmation of hope.''Exceptional'' Jacob Ross''Exquisite'' Avni Doshi''It''s a knockout, and Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is a star'' Niven Govinden''When We Were Birds marks the emergence of a distinctive and powerful voice'' Pat Barker, author of The Silence of the GirlsTrade ReviewThis magical tale of a Trinidadian gravedigger searching for a father he never met proves we should believe the hype * Stella, Sunday Telegraph *Luminous, gripping, packed with drama, colour and tension... A thoroughly original and emotionally rich examination of love, grief and inheritance... Like the vultures which escort dead souls to the afterlife, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo's novel takes flight and soars * Economist *Tender and lonely and powerful... A love letter to Trinidad [and] a vivid debut about romance and loss in the Caribbean... It also centres another kind of love: the complexity of mothering and its beautiful and terrible consequences... Lloyd Banwo conjures an aching sexual energy, places the lovers in deliciously paced jeopardy and takes the tale to an agreeably thundery climax * Guardian *Beguiling, mesmerising, vibrantly alive... There's a lovely dreaminess to the prose and a heart-stopping romance alongside the supernatural magic but it's a novel firmly rooted in the nitty gritty of life * Daily Express *Soulful, haunting, a deep-rooted love story... Uniquely tackling themes of grief, identity and acceptance, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo's rhythmic prose builds tension at every step... A tale of finding one's self * Stylist *Lyrical, powerful, thought-provoking... This is a book about the histories we try to erase and the importance of reckoning with them. It is about 'small lives'; about honouring deaths that have gone 'unclaimed', 'unremembered', 'unmourned' * Irish Independent *Suffused with myth and magic, eerie, enchanting... The atmosphere is intensely conjured, with squalling storms, luscious food and sinister acts by night... In the Trinidad of Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, the departed are never gone * Sunday Telegraph *Mythic and captivating, electric, breathtaking... The anchor of this story is Trinidad itself. Banwo roots the reader in its traditions and rituals, in the sights and sounds and colours and smells of fruit vendors, fish vendors, street preachers and schoolchildren, in the glorious matriarchy by which lineage is upheld * New York Times Book Review *Rich and rhythmic, triumphant and joyous... An enchanting exploration of love and loss, a ghost story whose characters are haunted by their ancestral responsibilities... I only wish I could have basked in the beauty of [the love story] for longer * New Statesman *A searing symphony of magic and loss, love and hope, where in the middle of death, love comes shiny, sparkling and alive. This book might just heal you -- Marlon James, author of 'Black Leopard, Red Wolf'Exceptional. The originality of its premise, the power and beauty of its prose, the depth of its explorations of what it means to love and be loved... When We Were Birds is about the silver cord of memory and blood and history that binds a family of women even after death. I loved this book -- Jacob Ross, author of 'Black Rain Falling'A fabulous journey to a fictionalised Trinidad, where reality and imagination, the living and the dead converge... Lovers of the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Isabel Allende will feel right at home... A warm, vibrant and ultimately, uplifting debut * Sunday Independent *Combining the richness of myth with razor-sharp observation of contemporary life, When We Were Birds marks the emergence of a distinctive and powerful voice -- Pat Barker, author of 'The Silence of the Girls'I was spellbound! A gorgeous, fantastical story that deftly weaves the earthly and ethereal and melds their boundaries. Womanhood and life within death is told through magical realism. A mesmerising love story that is achingly tender -- Bolu Babalola, author of 'Love in Colour'A rich mixture of the real and fantasy landscapes of Trinidad... Lloyd Banwo gives both [protagonists] an authentic voice, and we feel their conflicts and urges deeply. As the novel rushes them towards its dramatic conclusion, you almost wish for more time with them and the enigmatic world she has created * i paper *A beautifully rich and alluring love story... When We Were Birds is a mesmerizing work of fiction, embedded with timeless, mythic magic and wisdom. A stunning new voice in fiction, Banwo's tale is a standout from the crowd * Daily Hive *Heart-warming and heart-breaking, fantastical and familiar, with characters that burrow their way into your heart and mind with their tragedies and triumphs, When We Were Birds is the kind of story that makes you want to spread your arms open wide, embrace the sky, and take flight in your own little way. It is glorious -- Robert Jones Jr, author of 'The Prophets'Magical, enchanting, majestic... Infused with the lush and terrible beauty of the Trinidadian landscape, When We Were Birds weaves dreams and apparitions, religion and myth, into a story of love in its many manifestations -- Barbara Jenkins, author of 'De Rightest Place'An eloquent and breathtaking novel from an irresistible new voice. The words are there on the page and then whoop! Suddenly they are right in the centre of your heart. Ayanna Lloyd Banwo writes on the wings of love and death -- Tessa McWatt, author of 'The Snow Line'A moving and fervent meditation on belief, love, family and the transitionary power of death, Banwo's spirited, finely wrought prose draws you in and doesn't let go. When We Were Birds marks a distinctive, bold and truthful new voice in literature. Long may she fly -- Courttia Newland, author of 'A River Called Time'I absolutely loved it, and I'm sure everyone who picks it up will love it too. When We Were Birds has a similar power and depth to This One Sky Day. It is a love story between two outsiders but also a love letter to language itself, full of myth but deeply grounded in reality. I cannot wait to read what Ayanna writes next! -- Anna Ellory, author of 'The Puzzle Women'Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is one of those rare voices you come across once in a long while - strong, confident and necessary. She reminds us what we should expect from great writing: the daring to take chances and to experiment with language and form -- Helon Habila, author of 'Travellers'Set in a Trinidad both magical and real, and written in a rich demotic; so much more than a love story -- Louise Kennedy, author of 'Trespasses'Uplifting, engaging, expansive: this was just the book I needed. In a voice infused with the rhythms of Trinidad and Tobago, Banwo has crafted the perfect love story, one that moves with deftness between the furies of urban poverty and the gentle infinities of the afterlife. The hard-won peace and redemptive love in this story are real, and something we need more of in the world -- Kawai Strong Washburn, author of 'Sharks in the Time of Saviours'A vibrant and immersive exploration of the bonds that connect us to the past and to each other. Here, history reverberates and intoxicates. Ayanna Lloyd Banwo has swept me off my feet - she writes with the confidence and skill of prize-winning greats like Marilynne Robinson, Toni Morrison, and Isabel Allende -- Megan Bradbury, author of 'Everyone is Watching'It's a knockout, and Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is a star. I want to read everything she writes. Deep with magic, superstition, grit and heart, [and] a powerful conduit to our ownership of personal heritage -- Niven Govinden, author of 'This Brutal House'A shining new light on the literary scene. When We Were Birds is a novel reminiscent of old folklore tales, woven with myths, ghosts and love, and told with a powerful voice that is simply unforgettable -- Ronali Collings, author of 'All the Single Ladies'Stunning, lyrical, original. A work of real power and beauty, a story of magic and love, the living and the dead in Trinidad, this novel had me spellbound. I was with Yejide and Darwin all the way -- Zoe Somerville, author of 'The Night of the Flood'Ayanna Lloyd Banwo's voice is haunting, and When We Were Birds is a novel of exquisite detail that opens up the liminal space between folklore and the world we inhabit -- Avni Doshi, author of 'Burnt Sugar'Haunting, beautiful and sharply observed. A story that gets under your skin, with characters that burrow into your heart. I adored it -- Sara Nisha Adams, author of 'The Reading List'Ayanna Lloyd Banwo's electric, musical prose draws us in - we follow Darwin and Yejide as they slip in and out of incredible worlds. This is a story fluttering between dark and light, life and death, hollowing out a place in us all for love -- Richard Georges, author of 'Make Us All Islands'Authentic, stirring, magical - a book that will haunt you long after you finish reading it. Full of intricate details and rhythmic prose, it explores the complexities of love and legacy, the struggles of life and the rituals of death -- Shakirah Bourne, author of 'In Time of Need'A love story, a ghost story and a coming-of-age story, all masterfully woven into one. I loved it -- Claire Adam, author of 'Golden Child'This wonderfully original debut novel unspools at the stormy crossroads that separate the living and the dead... Banwo has created a unique world expansive enough to contain a ghost story, a love story, a mysterious mythology, and a thoughtful examination of how family bonds keep us firmly rooted to our pasts... [She] deftly weaves the realistic and the fantastic into a strange and compelling tapestry, a world readers will happily return to, even if they don't usually gravitate toward fantasy * Kirkus *[A] love story threaded through with supernatural events and dangerous secrets * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis''A tender, heart-felt read, with the perfect blend of ingredients: New York, food, family and romance!'' Sophie Cousens-----Where better to start again than New York?Iris arrives in the city of dreams, intent on restarting her culinary career, and leaving her recent heartache behind.Wandering the streets at a famous food festival, Iris feels like she''s living in a movie. Then she stumbles upon a gelateria that looks strangely familiar. Inside, she meets Gio: a perfect leading man with an irresistible smile - and a crisis of his own.As fate would have it, Iris is the one person with the answer to his problem. She just can''t tell him that . . .So, can Iris finally let go of the past - and let herself fall in love?A sumptuously cosy seasonal love story set in sparkling New York, from the queen of the ''what if?'' romance Josie Silver.-----''Joyous, uplifting and heart-racingly romantic. I devoured it. You''ll find me in Little Italy licking gelato off a hot Italian stallion''s chest'' Cathy Bramley''A unique and gorgeously written love story bursting with characters you''ll want to protect'' Lizzie Damilola Blackburn''Deliciously romantic - I loved everything about it'' Libby Page''A magical love story that had me hooked from the first page'' Cressida McLaughlinTrade Review'The sweetest love story . . . you're going to LOVE it' * Marian Keyes on ONE DAY IN DECEMBER *'Heartbreakingly beautiful, butterfly-inducing and laugh-out-loud funny' * Paige Toon on THE TWO LIVES OF LYDIA BIRD *'Sexy, funny and poignant' * Sophie Cousens on ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND *

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Book SynopsisHis royally sanctioned dinner party a shambles and a murderer on the loose, Ciel Phantomhive is a veritable prisoner in his own home, alongside those of his guests who still live. And in the most shocking of turns, the young earl finds himself now without his indispensible manservant, Sebastian. Never one to take misfortune lying down, Ciel seizes control of the investigation into the suspicious deaths. But as the mystery deepens, there happens upon the young earl''s doorstep an odd priest, wearing an insolent smile and an inverness cape, which flaps and splashes being him... Is this mysterious thirteenth guest the perpetrator of the crimes that have bloodied the halls of Phantomhive Manor?

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Book SynopsisJames Herbert was not just Britain's number one bestselling writer of chiller fiction, a position he held ever since publication of his first novel, but was also one of our greatest popular novelists. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his twenty-three novels have sold more than fifty-four million copies worldwide, and have been translated into over thirty languages, including Russian and Chinese. In 2010, he was made the Grand Master of Horror by the World Horror Convention and was also awarded an OBE by the Queen for services to literature. His final novel was Ash. James Herbert died in March 2013.Trade ReviewThis is a powerfully disturbing read…two pages in, the reader is hooked, and Herbert has done his job. The horror. The horror. * Guardian *A literary Steven Spielberg * Sunday Times *A chilling classic haunted house tale -- Publishers Weekly, starred reviewA new James Herbert novel is always a mesmerizing experience * Fangoria *

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Book SynopsisThe novels of the American writer, Cormac McCarthy, have received a number of literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. His works adapted to film include All the Pretty Horses, The Road, and No Country for Old Men the latter film receiving four Academy Awards, including the award for Best Picture. McCarthy died in 2023 in Santa Fe, NM at the age of 89.Trade ReviewRemarkable… a staggering achievement * Scotsman *His sentences have the solidity of stones and the clarity of diamonds * Financial Times *A true work of literature… If McCarthy’s goal was for these books to haunt readers long after they are set aside, then he has succeeded. * LA Review of Books *Remarkable… [Stella Maris] harmonises both sadly and gorgeously with its recent predecessor. Side by side, both novels affirm the extraordinary poetry and strangeness of McCarthy’s vision * Sydney Morning Herald *Like Bach’s concertos, these triumphant novels depart the realm of art and encroach upon science, aimed at some Platonic point beyond our reckoning where all spheres converge * TIME *Great additions to McCarthy's already outstanding oeuvre and proof that the mind of one of our greatest living writers is as sharp as it has ever been. * NPR *

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Book SynopsisIn a gorgeous pocket-sized hardback, Another Night Before Christmas is Carol Ann Duffy's magical contemporary reworking of the famous poem by Clement C. Moore. Beautifully presented, this wonderful festive poem, illustrated with Rob Ryan's paper cut artwork, is the perfect Christmas gift. On the night before Christmas, A child in a house, As the whole family slept, Behaved just like a mouse . . . It's the night before Christmas and a young girl creeps down the stairs, determined to find out for certain whether Santa is real . . . But try as she might, she can't keep awake and is soon fast asleep. She doesn't stir, even when Santa and his reindeer land on her roof-top - but then, when he bursts out of her fireplace, she wakes to a room filled with magic. As she watches him fly off into the night, she knows that she will never forget this sight because, at Christmas, the best gif

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Book SynopsisThe timely, exceptionally powerful new novel from the Booker-shortlisted author of OXYGENTrade ReviewExceptional . . . it describes a journey with many false starts and blind alleys; in its attention to detail, and its recurring theme of the power of images, it does so spellbindingly * Sunday Times *The writing is clear, precise, feelingly observant . . . Miller is a fine writer * Spectator *A powerful and lively book, seriously engaged and cathartic . . . gently, almost imperceptibly, impelled by the nourishment of love * Financial Times *A novel about humanity and inhumanity, about the nature of truth, reality and representation, and, most of all, about the ways in which we choose to see the world . . . A profound novel, meditative, not conclusive, offering no simplistic answers . . . it leaves the reader with a feeling of courage and, in the face of so much evidence to the contrary, hope * Observer *A shocking, moving but ultimately hopeful vision of the best and worst of humanity * Sunday Express *A delight to read . . . a novel of great intelligence and understanding, populated by characters who are recognisable yet exceptional * Time Out *Beneath the simplicity lies the profundity of Miller's writing . . . In Clem Glass, Miller has created neither a victim nor a victor but a man driven by his own innate decency, a character in whom we can believe, a person about whom we care and that is what great writing is about * Irish Times *The uncluttered narrative and the slow, quiet accumulation of everyday detail imbues this novel with a quiet grace, which is redemptive in itself * Daily Mail *A haunting exploration of good, evil and the possibility of redemption * Red *Miller has found in the tricky subject matter a vein of emotion that he draws from to brilliant effect * Herald *Delicate, compassionate * Metro *Andrew Miller again proved his ability to blend a sturdy and satisfying architecture of character and plot with headline-hot themes * Independent *[There are] some sentences you want to re-read, not because their meaning is unclear, but because they condense the world into a couple of words, capture a certain truth * Sunday Business Post *Once again Miller shows himself to be an acutely sensitive observer of life at a particular moment in history * Wall Street Journal *A work of solemn artistry. Miller's style is one of guarded lyricism, in which he allows just enough poetry in the language to get the job done, the mood or moment caught -- Editors' Choice * New York Times Book Review *Subtle, beautifully written . . . Miller's prose brings grace and lucidity to what is dark and baffling in Clem's predicament, the predicament of a caring man in an uncaring universe * Boston Globe *

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Book SynopsisWhen a man is discovered dead by poisoning in his empty home his beautiful wife, Ayane, immediately falls under suspicion. All clues point to Ayane being the logical suspect, but how could she have committed the crime when she was hundreds of miles away?As Tokyo police detective Kusanagi tries to unpick a seemingly unrelated sequence of events he finds himself falling for Ayane. When his judgement becomes dangerously clouded his assistant must call on an old friend for help; it will take a genius to unravel the most spectacular web of deceit they have ever faced...SALVATION OF A SAINT is a magnificently complex and page-turning thriller starring international crime fiction''s most enigmatic sleuth.This is essential reading for all fans of exceptional crime fiction.Trade ReviewBrilliant ... While readers of classic mysteries will be delighted with the elegant solution, the book will also appeal to fans of procedurals that carefully develop the relationships among the investigative team members * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisIn this sexy paranormal romance novel set in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward tells the story of two couples - both fighting to find love in the midst of the war with the Lessening Society.A vampire aristocrat, Peyton is well aware of his duty to his bloodline: mate with an appropriate female of his class and carry on his family''s traditions. And he thought he''d found his perfect match - until she fell in love with someone else. Yet when his split-second decision in a battle with the enemy endangers the life of another trainee, Peyton has to face the idea that his future, and his heart, actually lie with another.Novo, as a female in the Black Dagger Brotherhood''s training program, feels like she has to prove herself to everybody - and she has no interest in being distracted by falling in love. But when Peyton proves to be so much more than a rich playboy, she is forced to confront the tragedy

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Book Synopsis''Anyone who binge-watched Bridgerton needs this feminist regency romance on their radar'' Cosmopolitan''Pulls on every heartstring: perfection'' Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author''Excellent'' Jodi Picoult, No.1 New York Times bestselling authorGoing toe-to-toe with a brooding Scotsman is rather bold for a respectable suffragist, but when he happens to be one''s unexpected husband, what else is an unwilling bride to do?London banking heiress Hattie Greenfield wanted just three things in life:1. Acclaim as an artist2. A noble cause3. Marriage to a young lord who puts the gentle in gentlemanWhy then does this Oxford scholar find herself at the altar with the darkly attractive financier Lucian Blackstone? Trust Hattie to take an invigorating little adventure too far. Now she''s stuck with a churlish Scot who just might be the enTrade ReviewPortrait of a Scotsman, like all of Evie Dunmore's excellent books, sits squarely at the unique intersection of history, romance, and women's rights... a spot where I could happily stay forever -- Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling authorRemarkably sexy and surprisingly complex . . . A novel that crackles with tension and pulls on every heartstring: perfection -- Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling authorPortrait of a Scotsman is a captivating mix of history, romance, and politics that transports readers back in time. ?Evie Dunmore's gorgeous prose, electric chemistry, witty dialogue, poignant plot, and compelling characters light up the page in this delightful novel. A stunning read! -- Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling authorDunmore is in a league of her own with these romances! Vivid, magical and with a steam factor that'll make you get up and open a window in your house. An absolute triumph and a joy to read -- Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling authorIntelligent and achingly poignant. Dunmore is a genre-defying storyteller -- Lauren Layne, New York Times bestselling authorPortrait of a Scotsman crackles with passion, both in the bedroom and when it comes to righting social ills. This is why Evie Dunmore is my favourite historical romance author! -- Stephanie Marie Thornton, USA Today bestselling authorFans of Outlander and Poldark, listen up! Dunmore's Scotsman has it all: a talented heroine who's true to herself, a hero who respects her, and whip-smart social commentary that illuminates a lesser known chapter of English history - all wrapped up in the sexiest possible package -- Kerri Maher, author of The Girl in White Gloves

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Book SynopsisAmanda Quick, the New York Times bestselling author of 'Til Death Do Us Part, transports readers to 1930s California, where glamour and seduction spawn a multitude of sins . . .

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Book SynopsisAfter escaping the grip of the workhouse, Lily has kept her fiance's business afloat while he is away fighting on the Western Front. Still battling on, she's now doing her bit for her country as an auxiliary nurse - but one thing above all else continues to weigh heavily on her heart: her long-lost sister. Born just before her mother died, the scandal was hushed-up and the baby spirited away. But now, at last, there is hope Lily could find her little sister for she has a clue to go on: the name of the notorious baby farmer who bought the child all those years ago. Mrs Jolley. Using all her pluck, and with the help of her two friends Margie and Fanny, Lily will do anything in her power to find her little sister and save her from the dark streets of London. With Winter drawing in, and the war with no end in sight, will she be able to bring her family together?

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Book SynopsisA steamy second chance romance about restoration and renovation, and uncovering all the things that build character within ourselves, from the popular TikTok author, perfect for fans of Lucy Score, B.K. Borison and Sarah Adams.Readers say ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐!''Tender, vulnerable, emotional, sheer perfection''''A beautifully crafted, character driven romance. An absolute joy to read''''So we have second chance romance, forced proximity, and marriage of convenience?! Sign me up!''''By far one of the best books ever! It''s fun, real, and so filled with deep love''.......................They say love and construction don''t mix. By that logic, hate and construction may as well be condemned. LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had one short and contentious summer fling when they were teens - certainly nothing to build a foundation on. But a decade later, when their grandmothers

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Book SynopsisThe Confessions of Frannie Langton meets The Ghost Ship in this epic tale of adventure and forbidden love that reimagines one of the first purported female pirates.

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Book SynopsisA hockey player and a baker shoot their shot in this steamy new romance by Lana Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author of The Nanny.This time they''re both playing for keeps . . .When a very public breakup becomes a PR nightmare for Ian Chase''s team, he hopes to focus on his game, but that suddenly seem less likely than a hat trick. With his career and the team''s image in jeopardy, Ian is surprised to find a solution through none other than Delilah Baker, his best friend and teammate''s little sister . . . who isn''t so little anymore.Delilah Baker is known as ''the darling of baking'' on her local cable show, and being in the public eye is her bread and butter. But with her numbers dwindling and her producers turning up the heat, Delilah offers up the half-baked idea to collaborate with her brother''s team to entice the hockey fans of Boston to tune in to her show. Delilah thinks it will be a piece of cake - until the team sends Ian Chase, her brother''s best friend and the object of a decade-long crush that she''s never quite gotten over. Delilah''s and Ian''s teams think it''s a true win-win situation - gaining higher numbers for Delilah''s show and casting Ian in a more positive light. And viewers are eating them up like a cupcake, sparking the idea to play up their relationship for the goal of good press. With more than just their careers on thin ice, the line between what''s real and what''s for show begins to blur, but one thing''s for certain: This PR stunt will either be a total game changer - or leave them both totally pucked.Praise for Lana Ferguson''Addictive, epically smutty and the breath of fresh air the romance genre didn''t know it needed'' ELENA ARMAS ''Like if Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey had a smutty baby. I devoured every page'' RUBY DIXON ''Smart, fun, sexy, and sizzling with romantic tension'' SARA DESAI ''Rosie Danan fans should snap this up'' Publishers Weekly, starred review ''Funny, sweet, and very hot'' Shondaland

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Book SynopsisI loved it. Vivid, brutal, moving and tender. This is heartfelt and immersive. Joanne HarrisCurandera is the mesmerising by-product of Okojie''s extraordinary imagination and writing that is mindbogglingly glorious. Yvvette EdwardsIn the mountainous town of Gethsemane, 17th-century Cape Verde, a mysterious woman''s arrival sparks a series of strange events that will leave the town''s inhabitants changed: men sporadically blind in the afternoons, children disappearing and reappearing without warning and infertile women pregnant with the memories of past births.In present-day London, a quartet are brought together by their fascination with ritual, miracles and a life beyond the mundane. Botanist Therese lives with Azacca, a soulful Haitian musician, Peruvian drifter Emilien, who is haunted by the past, and adventurous Finn, who is increasingly drawn to living life on the edge.With the past and present beginning to blur into one,

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE NEBULA AWARD FOR BEST NOVELWINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL ''Clever, wickedly fun . . . with an excellent balance of humour and heart. I loved it'' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of BrassCairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha''arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she''s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, Al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be Al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of CaTrade ReviewClever, wickedly fun . . . with an excellent balance of humour and heart. I loved it -- S. A. Chakraborty, author of CITY OF BRASSA magical voice with a brilliantly unique setting, it will keep you completely enthralled -- Ben Aaronovitch, author of RIVERS OF LONDONA Master of Djinn has all the tricky twists I want in a police procedural and all the djinns, magic and wonder I want from fantasy -- Mary Robinette Kowal, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of THE CALCULATING STARSA Master of Djinn is everything you might expect from Clark: cinematic action, a radical reimagining of real history, and magic on every page. I loved it -- Hugo Award winner Alix E. Harrow, author of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARYWith this fantastic feat of postcolonial imagination, Clark reconfigures history with a keen, critical eye toward gender, class and imperialism. Meanwhile, the colourful prose and thorough worldbuilding allow readers to truly enter this imagined world. An epic tale of magic and mystery, this is sure to wow -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)An engaging mystery with a wonderful mix of the fantastic and the mundane, chain-smoking crocodile gods, stuffy marid librarians, and a brilliant heroine with a dashing bowler -- Django Wexler, author of THE THOUSAND NAMESClark deftly explores colonialism and the history of Cairo with an immersive setting that acts as another character in this delightful combination of mystery, fantasy and romance -- BOOKLIST (starred review)A tremendously fun book. Between the engaging writing and the intriguing plot, it was basically impossible to put down -- FANTASY INNRefreshingly different; a well-plotted mystery filled with engaging characters, presented with a lightly humorous touch -- GUARDIANA tonic of fast moving urban fantasy -- SFX

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Book SynopsisInternationally bestselling fantasy author Anthony Ryan - writing as A. J. Ryan - delivers a nerve-shredding horror novel where humankind is no longer top of the food chain

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Book SynopsisFrom the outbreak of war, through the Blitz, to fighting on land, sea and in the air, the poems mirror each phase of action in every theatre from the front line to the Home Front.

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Book SynopsisAn epic tale of love and loyalty, beauty and brutality by China's greatest living writer.Trade Review"* 'Mo Yan deserves a place in world literature... His voice will find its way into the heart of the reader, just as Kundera and Garcia Marquez have' - Amy Tan * 'If I were to choose a Nobel laureate, it would be Mo Yan' - Kenzaburo Oe, 1994 Nobel Laureate for Literature * 'Raw, brilliant, eventful... A tale full of seething vitality' - New York Times"

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

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPearse's The Sanatorium will keep you checking over your shoulder. This spine-tingling, atmospheric thriller has it all: an eerie Alpine setting, sharp prose, and twists you'll never see coming. A must-read. * Richard Osman, internationally bestselling author of THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB *Dark, suspenseful and downright chilling, The Sanatorium is a triumph. Vividly set against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps, it had me on the edge of my seat from the first page. Pearse's writing is sublime. What a talent! Pearse has a big future ahead of her. * Sally Hepworth, author of THE MOTHER-IN-LAW *The Sanatorium is an absolutely splendid Gothic thriller - gracious in its nods to the classic locked-room mystery, yet bold enough to burst out of that room through the window. Pearse writes prose fresh and crisp as Swiss Alp powder, and her characters fascinate even as their numbers dwindle. * A. J. Finn, bestselling author of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW *The Sanatorium is definitely a debut novel to watch out for. Wow, what a chilling read! One of the creepiest thrillers I've ever read. So atmospheric, clever and compulsive. LOVED it! * Claire Douglas, author of LOCAL GIRL MISSING *Creepy, deeply claustrophobic, mind-numbing, teasing, twists and turns galore, this book is a towering example of a masterful hand at work. If only Hitchcock were still around to film it. * David Baldacci, internationally bestselling author of MERCY *

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Book SynopsisPublished in 1957, Hawk in the Rain was Ted Hughes''s first collection of poems. It won the New York Poetry Centre First Publication Award, for which the judges were W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender and Marianne Moore, and the Somerset Maugham Award, and it was acclaimed by every reviewer from A. Alvarez to Edwin Muir. When Robin Skelton wrote, ''All looking for the emergence of a major poet must buy it'', he was right to see in it the promise of what many now regard as the most important body of work by any poet of the twentieth century.

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Book SynopsisThe poems in Seamus Heaney''s collection The Spirit Level keep discovering the possibilities of ''a new beginning'' in all kinds of subjects and circumstances. What is at stake, in poem after poem, is the chance of buoyancy and balance, physical, spiritual and political. Private memories, classical scenes, humble domestic objects - a whitewash brush, a sofa, a swing - are endowed with talismanic significance, while friends and relatives are invoked for their promise and steadfastness. Throughout the collection, Heaney addresses his concerns, which inevitably include the political situation in his native Northern Ireland, in a poetry that never ceases to be fluid, alert and completely truthful.

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Book SynopsisThis collection of Szymborska's work reveals her to be concerned with the unglamorized actualities of the human condition. She is one of a generation of Polish poets which witnessed the years of Soviet oppression and spoke for the feelings of the Polish people.

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Book SynopsisLake Wobegon Days is the marvellous chronicle of an imaginary place located somewhere in the middle of the state (but not on the map) and named after an Indian word meaning ''Here we are!'' or ''We sat all day in the rain waiting for you.'' From the narrator - a skinny Protestant kid fascinated by the Catholic church - we learn of the town''s beginnings and of the settlers who made their lives there. A contemporary classic filled with warmth and humour, sadness and tenderness, songs and poems, it is also an unforgettable portrait of small-town America.

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Book SynopsisA modern classic by one of Ireland''s greatest contemporary playwrights, reissued in a beautiful typographic jacket.I was born on the Bog of Cats and on the Bog of Cats I'll end me days. I've as much right to this place as any of yees, more, for it holds me to it in ways it has never held yees.As Hester Swane embarks on a terrible journey of vengeance through the mysterious, mythic landscape of the bogs of rural Ireland, the dark secrets of her tangled history are slowly revealed.By the Bog of Cats . . . premiered at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1998.Carr has an extraordinary ability to move between the mythic and the real.' GUARDIANA great play . . . a great work of poetry.' INDEPENDENTSwane's irrepressible personality is the play's driving force, a firestorm of contradictory emotions breaking across the stage in waves of love and fear. Her fierce attachment to her home, to her family and to her way of life comes up hard against the desires and prejudices of her community. As dark as the play is, it is also tender and funny in its attempts to represent a spectrum of human experience much broader than its characters' accents.' IRISH TIMES

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Book SynopsisThe idea for this book grew out of Wendy Cope''s experience of meeting her audience, when reading her poems in schools. This is an edition of the poems which identifies the references, verse-forms, contexts and occasions of her work, and which offers readers a new arrangement of the poetry as a whole. The notes also identify dates of composition, so that it is possible to observe the development of her work. As well as drawing on Wendy Cope''s three published books, the selection also includes a significant number of poems collected or published for the first time.

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