Narrative theme: social issues / social problems
Alma Books Ltd Tess of the d'Ubervilles
Book SynopsisAfter an accident, Tess Durbeyfield, the daughter of impoverished peasants, decides to call on the aristocratic d'Urbervilles, as she believes that she is also descended from their ancient Norman lineage and that they can rescue her family from indigence. Unfortunately she is taken under the wing of the immoral libertine scion Alec d'Urberville, who seduces and scorns her. While she attempts to rebuild her life, she falls in love with the virtuous farmer Angel Clare and must find a way to defeat the demons of her past. Controversial when it was first published for challenging Victorian morals, Tess of the d'Urbervilles has become Thomas Hardy's most popular novel, catching the imaginations of generations of readers with its high drama, endearing heroine and powerful evocations of the southern English countryside.Trade ReviewThe greatest poet and novelist of our age. -- John Cowper Powys
£8.20
Alma Books Ltd A Clergyman's Daughter: Annotated Edition
Book SynopsisTwenty-eight-year-old Dorothy Hare leads a life of drudgery and self-abnegation in the house of her father, the rector of Knype Hill, helping him stave off his creditors and making costumes for fund-raising events. When, after being invited to dinner by Mr Warburton, a local atheist and libertine, she is glimpsed in his arms by the village gossip, Mrs Semprill, Dorothy suffers a breakdown and, struck by amnesia, embarks on journey that will see her join a group of vagrants, pick hops in the fields of Kent, stay in a hotel for “working girls” and sleep rough on the streets of London. Perhaps the most experimental among his writings, A Clergyman’s Daughter, first published in 1935, is Orwell’s second work of fiction – and one that, in its depiction of a protagonist who rebels against and is ultimately vanquished by the society that oppresses her, is a clear prefiguration of later novels such as Keep the Aspidistra Flying and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
£7.59
New Island Books Lenny
In the Ubari Sand Sea in 2011, during the First Libyan Civil War, a mysterious pilot falls from the sky – a sky devil – and is forever changed by the little boy who rescues him. One year later, in the town of Roseville, Louisiana, in the aftermath of economic crisis and corporate environmental damage, 10-year-old Lenny Lockhart is losing the people and things dearest to him. His only friends now are his plucky, elderly neighbour, Miss Julie, and the town’s lonely librarian, Lucy Albert. Homeless and neglected, Lenny heads deep into the dark and unpredictable bayou, determined to conquer the sinkhole that is threatening to swallow his town. As time seems to be simultaneously slowing down and running out, is it really Lenny who needs saving, or the broken adults in his life? As these two timelines converge, Lenny tells a deeply affecting story of family and love, the ways we can be kind, and the power of one boy’s imagination to heal and survive.
£12.59
New Island Books A Second Life
Book SynopsisFollowing a car crash, for several seconds Dublin photographer Sean Blake is clinically dead but finds his progress towards the afterworld blocked by a haunting face he only partially recognises. Restored to a miraculous second chance at life – he feels profoundly changed. He is haunted by not knowing who he truly is because this is not the first time he has been given a second life. At six weeks old he was taken from his birth mother, a young girl forced to give him up for adoption. Now he knows that until he unlocks the truth about his origins, he will be a stranger to his wife, to his children and to himself. Struggling against a wall of official silence and a complex sense of guilt, Sean determines to find his birth mother, embarking on an absorbing journey into archives, memories, dreams and startling confessions. The first modern novel to address the scandal of Irish Magdalene laundries when it was published in 1994, A Second Life continued to haunt Bolger’s imagination. He has never allowed its republication until he felt ready to retell the story in a new and even more compelling way. This reimagined text is therefore neither an old novel nor a new one, but a completely ‘renewed’ novel, that grows towards a spelling-binding, profoundly moving conclusion. Trade ReviewFor me it is Bolger's finest work ... remarkable in its sensitivity and tragic in its accuracy. -- Madeleine Keane * Sunday Independent *A marvellous, multi-faceted, fascinating read…Ireland itself (its landscape, its tensions and generational conflicts) is brilliantly realized. -- Tom Adair * Scotland on Sunday *Audacious and moving. Bolger’s brilliant conflation of detective story, ghost hunt and history lesson is compulsive. -- Alison Foster * The Times (London) *'...a devastating, brilliantly wrought novel from one of our finest.' -- Anne Cunningham * The Meath Chronicle *This beautiful novel shows Bolger at his best. The twisty, often surprising plot is driven by the characters, and as they are all empathic, and ring true, the reader is constantly rooting for them. There is a mysterious element to the novel too, which adds drama and colour. In all, this is a great achievement and a valuable addition to the canon. -- Sue Leonard * Irish Examiner *
£11.39
Everyman The Warden
Book SynopsisThe Warden is a novel by English author Anthony Trollope published by Longman in 1855. It is the first book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, followed by Barchester Towers.Church of England, The Warden is also a subtle exploration of the rights and wrongs of moral crusades and, in its account of Harding's intensely felt personal drama, a moving depiction of the private impact of public affairs.Trade ReviewAn affecting and delicate short novel * Guardian *
£13.22
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. The Complete Nemesis the Warlock, Volume Three:
Book SynopsisTomas de Torquemada has escaped back in time and finds himself in 1980s Britain. Here, amidst the rising unemployment and Thatcher-era angst Nemesis' sworn enemy spreads his own special breed of hatred. But the warlock is not far behind him and the scene is set for the last, definitive battle! Written by Pat Mills (Slaine) with art by David Roach (Star Wars: Tales of The Jedi), John Hicklenton (Zombie World) and Henry Flint (Judge Dredd) amongst others this third volume in the Nemesis series brings the saga to an explosive conclusion!
£17.99
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth 01
Book SynopsisNu-Earth, a planet ravaged by war, its atmosphere poisoned by chemical weapons. In this battle-scarred landscape, the Norts and the Southers fight where only the Genetic Infantrymen can survive unaided. Rogue is one such soldier and these are his tales...Created by Gerry Finley-Day and fan-favourite Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), this volume features the earliest stories surrounding one of 2000 AD's best-loved characters and includes two tales from the legendary Alan Moore (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).
£17.99
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. Nikolai Dante: Hero of the Revolution
Book SynopsisYear of the Tsar 2676 AD. The bastard son of the Romanovs, Nikolai Dante, leads a rebellion against Vladimir the Conqueror. Supported by the tyrant's daughter, Jena Makarov, his mother the pirate queen Katarina Dante, and some of his weapons-crest-enabled siblings, can Dante defeat his nemesis and bring peace to the empire, or is there another fiendish figure preparing to take control? With gripping writing from Robbie Morrison (Shakara, The Authority) and jaw-dropping art from Simon Fraser (Lilly MacKenzie and the Mines of Charbydis) and John Burns (Bendatti Vendetta), prepare for a wild ride of action and intrigue as Nikolai Dante's epic adventure gets closer to a mind-blowing conclusion!
£13.59
Saraband The Last Treasure Hunt
Book Synopsis"A chilling and hard-hitting first novel" - The Herald. At the age of thirty, Campbell Johnstone is a failure. He’s stuck behind the bar of a shabby pub, watching from the sidelines while everyone else makes a success of their lives. The most visible is Eve Sadler, a childhood friend and rising Hollywood star. When Campbell tries to rekindle their relationship, he longs for the glitter of her success to rub off on him – but a single shocking night changes everything, in ways he could never have predicted. When the dust settles, Cam’s life is transformed. The recognition he’d given up on is within reach – but at what cost? The Last Treasure Hunt explores our obsession with fame and celebrity with great intelligence and sly wit – it’s a modern media morality tale with bite.Trade Review“A chilling and hard-hitting first novel.” – The Herald;“The Last Treasure Hunt quickly asserts itself as something unique…a masterclass on what happens when empathy is absent. [Jane Alexander’s] debut novel marks the arrival of an important new voice.” – Gutter Magazine;“The book’s strength comes in conveying how our stories morph and change in the retelling; how kernels of truth can become the hook for stories created whole-cloth. Alexander has an ear for Scottish dialogue and pleasingly descriptive prose. There’s an underlying humanity being honed here as she leads Cam on his journey towards the final hunt.” -- Nicola Balkind * The List *“A fascinating character, as complex and exasperating as a real person. As he mires himself ever further into controversy, it’s as gripping as a real treasure hunt. He’ll stay with you long after the last clue is solved.” -- Mandy Haggith
£8.54
Peirene Press Ltd The Pear Field
Book SynopsisIn post-soviet Georgia, on the outskirts of Tbilisi, on the corner of Kerch St., is an orphanage. Its teachers offer pupils lessons in violence, abuse and neglect. Lela is old enough to leave but has nowhere else to go. She stays and plans for the children's escape, for the future she hopes to give to Irakli, a young boy in the home. When an American couple visits, offering the prospect of a new life, Lela decides she must do everything she can to give Irakli this chance.Trade Review'Nana Ekvtimishvili has written a merciless book that gives voice to those left behind whilst crying out against apathy and brutality.' HOLGER HEIMANN, WDR 5 'This novel becomes more complicated, more poetic, more nuanced from page to page (...) with characters that could be in any Dickens novel.' STEFAN MESCH, SPIEGEL ONLINE 'This is more than just a cleverly designed novel. The book is the sharp-sighted portrait of a society that loses its humanity on its way to a new era. A moving debut.' MIRKO SCWANITZ, NDR
£10.80
Saraband The Hormone Factory
Book Synopsis"A dark, fascinating exploration of man's nature." - The Lancet. A riveting thriller about greed, power, hormones, illicit sex, and women … and the monstrous megalomaniac who believes he can have it all. Vainglorious Mordechai de Paauw is ruthless: in the years before World War II, the Dutch pharmaceutical entrepreneur is on the cutting edge of science and determined to develop the contraceptive pill… no matter what the cost. Testing hormonal treatments on his female workers, and sexually exploiting them, Mordechai’s secret immoral life and his successful company are threatened by the rise of Hitler and, years later, a shocking scandal involving his brash son. Will Mordechai ever find redemption, and will the women he manipulates regain control over their own bodies?Trade Review“The Hormone Factory is a dark, fascinating exploration of man's nature set during an era of exciting scientific discovery and geopolitical turmoil.”“A story written with colour and momentum.”“A beautiful novel about the proud tyrant De Paauw that is based on imagination, but probably contains a lot more truth than we would like.” -- Brabants Dagblad.“A gripping story in which the birth of modern medical science, the post-war explosion of wealth and the bargaining that goes on between science and commerce are brought together.”“Goldschmidt’s narrative style is arresting, picturesque and humorous. A gripping story, which seduces the reader with wonderful sentences.”
£8.54
Saraband 2020
Book SynopsisIN 2020, BRITAIN IS AT BREAKING POINT...In a country sorely divided, what happens to empathy and tolerance, to generosity of spirit? And can hope survive? In 2020, years of economic turmoil, bitter debates over immigration, and anger at the political elites have created a maelstrom, a dis-United Kingdom. The country is a bomb waiting to explode. Then it does. As the nightmare unfolds, a myriad of voices - from across the political and social spectrum - offer wildly differing perspectives on the chaotic events...and unexpectedly reveal modern Britain's soul with 20/20 acuity. Thoughtful, compassionate and sometimes provocative, Kenneth Steven's 2020 is a parable for our times.Trade Review“Impressive... This novel is so realistic that it is reminiscent of Orson Welles’ classic The War of the Worlds (1938) fictional radio broadcast, which many listeners believed.”—Booklist; “This complex picture of a fraught political future will leave readers unsettled by its terrifying plausibility."—Publishers Weekly, starred review; "As tightly compressed and explosive as a block of Semtex." —Robert Schenkkan, Pulitzer and Tony Award winning writer of Building the Wall; "2020 is a compelling and difficult study of the darkness and pain of societies in conflict. Disconnection and misunderstanding feed the narrative, and leave the reader with no choice but to keep reading more.”—Eric Barnes, author of The City Where We Once Lived; “This book shook me… It caused me to reflect, to look into myself, to look at the world, to look at the UK, to look at the United States, to look at those around me and reflect.” NJ Thompson book blog; “An important book that should be read by everyone… A gripping and compelling narrative.” Undiscovered Scotland; “Clever and challenging… An honest and at times horrific view of the state of the nation, but run through with humanity and ultimately hope, Kenneth Steven has written a parable for our times, and one which we would do well to take note of.” Scots Whay Hae; “Artfully constructed… the tension is perfectly pitched.” The List; “Exerts the unsettling fascination of events that could easily come to pass.” The Herald; “Chillingly plausible, not to say prescient.” Scotsman
£8.54
Influx Press Nettles
Book SynopsisIt is the first day of term at a secondary school on Merseyside, 2001. The Towers are soon to fall. A boy cowers in an alleyway, surrounded by a group clad in black. They whip his bare legs with nettles. This is only the start. As term unfolds, their bullying campaign intensifies. Soon the boy finds solace hiding in marshland under the nearby motorway. Voices there urge council with Grannies Rock, a strange stone that sits on derelict land known as The Breck. There, the whispers in the breeze promise a terrible revenge. Twenty years later, the boy has grown. He is back home from London to pack away his childhood. Armed with a Polaroid camera, he aims to exorcise those painful memories through a series of photographs. But is his memory of what happened reliable? Nettles is a powerful exploration of memory and violence, excavating the stories we tell ourselves to escape our past.
£9.49
Gallic Books Lean on Me
Book SynopsisWhen a flock of crows invades their shared apartment block, farmer-turned-debt collector Ludovic and fashion designer Aurore speak for the first time. With nothing but the birds in common, the two are destined for separate lives, yet are drawn inexplicably together. Though their story is set in Paris, the tale of Ludovic and Aurore is far from an idyllic romance. With one trapped in an unhappy marriage and the other lost in grief, the city of love has brought each of them only isolation and pain. As Aurore faces losing her business and Ludovic questions the ethics of his job, they begin a passionate affair. Love between such different people seems doomed to failure, but for these two unhappy souls trapped in ruthless worlds, perhaps loving one another is the greatest form of resistance.From the award winning author of Wild Dog, Lean on Me is explores the realities of unlikely love, and how connection and intimacy offer us an escape from all that is harsh and cold in our modern day lives. Winner of the prestigious Prix Interallié, Lean on Me is both a touching love story, an insightful look at the alienating effect of contemporary urban life.Trade ReviewPraise for Wild Dog A Strong Words Magazine Book of the Year 2020 A smart, scathing and bleakly funny cross of folk horror, satire and historical fiction’ Toronto Star ‘Reads like a modern fairy tale’ New York Journal of Books ‘So original, so beautifully done, and sinister and savage. I didn’t want it to end’ Chris Whitaker, author of Tall Oaks ‘Wild Dog details a disturbing continuum of savagery, both animal and human. At once eerie and sensual, it’s a timely reminder that, no matter how sophisticated we believe ourselves to be, we are no match for nature’ The Guardian ‘The suspense seeps from each exquisitely crafted sentence, taking the reader into a world replete with complex emotional and moral dilemmas... a raw, brutal and magnificent literary experience’ European Literature Network ‘Wild Dog is a magnificent philosophical thriller… a novel pregnant with suspense and unpredictability, wickedly tense and portentous, doom laden’ NB Magazine ‘Packed tightly with suspenseful moments and a consistently ominous atmosphere’ Crime Fiction Lover ‘Serge Joncour has perfected his work down to the very last detail.’ Le Parisien ‘Some books have an unexpectedly powerful effect on you. Lean on Me, despite its deceptively calm title, is one of these, [with] lyrical lines that stay with you long after the book is closed’ Elle ‘A terrific love story.’ Livres Hebdo ‘A love story that also paints an image of society and is interspersed with humour, tenderness and intelligence. Joncour ... is in his element. Clearly, we can lean on him.’ L’Express
£8.99
Orenda Books Six Stories
Book SynopsisElusive online journalist Scott King investigates the murder of a teenager at an outward bound centre, in the first episode of the critically acclaimed, international bestselling Six Stories series…For fans of Serial‘Bold, clever and genuinely chilling’ Sunday Mirror‘Haunting, horrifying, and heartrending. Fans of Arthur Machen, whose unsettling tale The White People provides an epigraph, will want to check this one out’ Publishers Weekly’Wonderfully horrifying … the suspense crackles’ James Oswald‘A complex and subtle mystery, unfolding like dark origami to reveal the black heart inside’ Michael Marshall Smith________________One bodySix storiesWhich one is true?1997. Scarclaw Fell. The body of teenager Tom Jeffries is found at an outward bound centre. Verdict? Misadventure. But not everyone is convinced. And the truth of what happened in the beautiful but eerie fell is locked in the memories of the tight-knit group of friends who embarked on that fateful trip, and the flimsy testimony of those living nearby.2017. Enter elusive investigative journalist Scott King, whose podcast examinations of complicated cases have rivalled the success of Serial, with his concealed identity making him a cult internet figure. In a series of six interviews, King attempts to work out how the dynamics of a group of idle teenagers conspired with the sinister legends surrounding the fell to result in Jeffries’ mysterious death. And who’s to blame…As every interview unveils a new revelation, you’ll be forced to work out for yourself how Tom Jeffries died, and who is telling the truth.A chilling, unpredictable and startling thriller, Six Stories is also a classic murder mystery with a modern twist, and a devastating ending.________________Praise for the Six Stories series ‘A genuine genre-bending debut’ Carla McKay, Daily Mail'Impeccably crafted and gripping from start to finish’ Doug Johnstone, The Big IssueMatt Wesolowski brilliantly depicts a desperate and disturbed corner of north-east England in which paranoia reigns and goodness is thwarted … an exceptional storyteller' Andrew Michael Hurley‘Beautifully written, smart, compassionate – and scary as hell. Matt Wesolowski is one of the most exciting and original voices in crime fiction’ Alex North‘Original, inventive and dazzlingly clever’ Fiona Cummins‘It’s a relentless & original work of modern rural noir which beguiles & unnerves in equal measure. Matt Wesolowski is a major talent’ Eva Dolan‘Endlessly inventive and with literary thrills a-plenty, Matt Wesolowski is boldly carving his own uniquely dark niche in fiction’ Benjamin Myers‘Disturbing, compelling and atmospheric, it will terrify and enthral you in equal measure’ M W Craven‘Readers of Kathleen Barber’s Are You Sleeping and fans of Ruth Ware will enjoy this slim but compelling novel’ Booklist‘A relentless and original work of modern rural noir which beguiles and unnerves in equal measure. Matt Wesolowski is a major talent’ Eva Dolan‘With a unique structure, an ingenious plot and so much suspense you can’t put it down, this is the very epitome of a must-read’ Heat ‘Wonderfully atmospheric. Matt Wesolowski is a skilled storyteller with a unique voice. Definitely one to watch’ Mari HannahTrade Review'Impeccably crafted and gripping from start to finish’ * The Big Issue *
£8.54
Luath Press Ltd Zero Hours
Book SynopsisCeci n'est pas Stonehenge’, this is the cosmos, distilled to elemental rock and stone, depicting that interstellar collision, four billion years away, a chaos of realignment unimaginable, when all the worlds we knew or didn’t know osmotically pass through each other like ghosts, to form new galaxies intangible.Written mostly in Scots, Rab Wilson’s new collection is a timely comment on our climate of zero hours contracts and benefits sanctions. From social issues to politics, from the sublime to the absurd, Wilson homes in on the unique aspects of life in Scotland and sets out his poetic manifesto for our country’s future.Rab Wilson is a widely published Scots poet, and has performed his work to all kinds of audiences throughout Scotland.Trade ReviewMany of Wilson's poems here, in both Scots and in English, are essentially stories in miniature, which is perhaps why he so often seems inspired by storytellers like Walter Scott, as well as artists like Joan Eardley. He has a highly effective skewering style, cutting through pretence and pomposity with ease. SUNDAY HERALDTable of ContentsGeneral Poems I Zero Hours 11In Memory of Tom Carrick 13Richter Scale 14First Bike 15With Andy and Amanda in the Charity Shop 16Salmon Nets and the Sea 18Glasgow Close 19The Spey Wife 21There it is… 22 James Hogg Poems Auld Lass 25Boy Racers 26The Teapot 27Thir ir the Steps o Glendearg 29Cornua Reparabit Phoebe! 32The Mairriage Stane 35Souch… 36 General Poems II Cultyir at Killie Odeon 39Double Act 40The Paralytic Games 41Delighted by a Dallop Outside Dereham 42A Spider’s Web Glazed with Frost 44Chairm 45Elegy 46Salmon at Euchan Falls 47 Burnsiana Burns Country 51Portrait of Colin McLuckie 53Negative Sublime ii (or Portrait of Lord Byron) 55Blind Ossian 56Sir Walter Scott 57Blue Burns 58Twa Plack 59 General Poems III Apparatus for Determining the Absolute Om 63Can `Can’? 64On the Marriage of Dear Carr to his Beloved Girl 65Maggie, Maggie, MaggieI The Lanely Daith o Maggie Thatcher 66II Maggie’s Funeral 67III Everything Must Go… 69Bank Robbers 70Royal and Ancient 71War Memorial, Afton Valley 72Roads 73lermontovFareweel Unwasht Russia 77Ma Kintra 78The Dagger 79 General Poems IV Six Swans a Swimming 83What The Alien Speaks of When he Speaksof Love 84Dirty Des 86Gerry Sells the Jerseys 87Gallus! 88Fourteen Coos 89Lown 90If I could Just Go Back there Once Again… 91 Im NHS Martin’s Moral Compass 95Cuid Hae Duin Better 96A Rhyming Epistle tae Dave Prentis 97nhs Ayrshire’s Garland 102Leviathan 105Armistice Day 108 Owersettins Epilogue 111Ah wis Deid, Syne Leevin 112The Tuim Boat 114The Gowden Boat 116 General Poems V Desert Island Discs 121At the Church of the Latter Day Empiricists 122God’s Telephone Number 123Glenafton 2 Camelon 0 124Heich Simmer 125Eftir the Kistin 126The Auld Toon Schuil 127Here We Go… 129Polquhirter 130Wheel 131The Christmas Bulbs 134Equipoise 135Shards 136 General Poems VI Paradise Enow! 139`Seldom Seen’ 140Saint Valentine 141Jockeys Destroyed! 142Lang Ling Legammachie 143Skeely Fowk 144The Question 145 Rant Rant 151The End o the World 152State of the Nation 155Hou the First Tory wis Made 158Promises, Promises… 159Dave’s Hair: The Journey Continues…! 165Ode to Lord Winston! 169 General Poems VII The Waithercock 175Treasuir 176The Stanes Dwam in the Dykes 177Multiverse 178Burnt Sienna and Periwinkle 179Raxin fir the Dawin 180Veesion 181Design 182The Horseman’s Word 183The Greater Sea 185 Notes to Zero Hours
£9.49
Aurora Metro Publications Shambala Junction
Book SynopsisWinner of the 4th Virginia Prize for Fiction • A thought-provoking new novel from Dipika Mukherjee, Virginia Prize for Fiction winner, Aurora Metro Books' biennial prize to encourage and promote new writing by women. • Mukherjee's debut novel was long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize (2011) and republished as Ode to Broken Things (Repeater, 2016).Trade Review“This vividly written, courageous book… a refreshingly original viewpoint on the traditional ‘coming of age’ story, brimming with powerful women, a complex society and fundamental human truths laid out in all its gritty beauty.” SkyLightRain “An enlightening and enjoyable read. As much a cultural exploration as it is a love story, the book is a remarkable webbing of different viewpoints. Mukherjee is able to translate captivating realities to a wide audience through pulsing characters, with a natural story-telling ability that is inviting and enlightening.” Windy City Review “My hat is off to you for making Shambala Junction a compelling, suspenseful novel that illuminates the personal and social consequences of corrupt adoptions.” Umberto Tosi author of Ophelia Rising and contributing editor of Chicago Quarterly Review “... fluid prose that takes firm hold of the plot to produce an invigorating, engaging, and dynamic story.” World Literature Today “A truly engaging and lovely read, Shambala Junction is a book that tugs at the reader’s morality while at the same time telling a truly inspiring coming-of-age story.” 9/10 - Star2.com
£9.49
Quercus Publishing On Hampstead Heath: A delightfully sharp and
Book Synopsis"A mystery and an elegy for the death of old-fashioned journalism, it's a book that will warm your heart" The Observer "Splendid . . . Funny, poignant, perceptive and plenty of sharp elbows along the way" Val McDermid Thorn Marsh was raised in a house of whispers, of meaningful glances and half- finished sentences. Now she's a journalist with a passion for truth, more devoted to her work at the London Journal than she ever was to her ex-husband. When the newspaper is bought by media giant The Goring Group, who value sales figures over fact-checking, Thorn openly questions their methods, and promptly finds herself moved from the news desk to the midweek supplement, reporting heart-warming stories for their new segment, The Bright Side, a job to which she is spectacularly unsuited. On a final warning and with no heart-warming news in sight, a desperate Thorn fabricates a good-news story of her own. The story, centred on an angelic apparition on Hampstead Heath, goes viral. Caught between her principles and her ambitions, Thorn goes in search of the truth behind her creation, only to find the answers locked away in the unconscious mind of a stranger.Marika Cobbold returns with her eighth novel, On Hampstead Heath. Sharp, poignant, and infused with dark humour, On Hampstead Heath is an homage to storytelling and to truth; to the tales we tell ourselves, and the stories that save us.Trade ReviewOn Hampstead Heath is a deliciously romantic comedy of misunderstandings and misbehaviour - I loved it -- Clare Chambers * author of SMALL PLEASURES *With On Hampstead Heath, Marika Cobbold has rebooted the Hampstead Novel for the 21st century. A delightful novel -- Amanda CraigA heart-warming and at times hilarious tale about truth and honesty in this treacherous age of social media -- Josie LloydA brilliant and brave take on fake news and its fallout -- Elizabeth BuchanClever and funny with a splinter of melancholy running through it. It's a superb read -- Frances Quinn * author of THE SMALLEST MAN *Few writers balance darkness and light as well as Cobbold -- Sarah Hughes * i paper *On Hampstead Heath was so refreshing and unexpectedly needed, like feeling the sun on your face in winter. Funny, astute, and aching in all the right ways, I was utterly charmed. -- Tor Udall * author of A THOUSAND PAPER BIRDS *Marika Cobbold's look on life is unique -- Katie FfordeOn Hampstead Heath is exactly what is needed at this time. A romantic story tempered with a sharp wit and written with knowledge and love of place in which it's set -- Adèle GerasAn absolute little gem of a book, On Hampstead Heath is entertaining, thought-provoking and extremely witty -- Michelle Ryles * The Book Magnet *A fabulous read. It's wise and perceptive, honest and witty * Short Book and Scribes *Brilliant and funny and darkly surprising -- Emma Stonex
£14.99
Pushkin Press Service
Book Synopsis'Absolutely compelling. Every page fizzes with energy and observation' Rebecca Wait, author of I'm Sorry You Feel That Way 'A powerful and compelling novel from a very gifted writer' Joseph O'Connor, author of My Father's House 'Consummately done. The prose is clean, crisp, perfectly-filleted; the pace and tension perfectly controlled, to the very last page' Lucy Caldwell, author of Intimacies ________________ The scorching, engrossing novel about the fallout from a scandal-struck high-end restaurant When Hannah learns that famed chef Daniel Costello is facing accusations of sexual assault, she's thrown back to the summer she spent waitressing at his high-end Dublin restaurant - the plush splendour of the dining rooms, the wild parties after service, the sizzling tension of the kitchens. But Hannah also remembers how the attention from Daniel soon morphed from kindness into something darker. Now the restaurant is shuttered and Daniel is faced with the reality of a courtroom. His wife Julie is hiding from paparazzi lenses behind the bedroom curtains. Surrounded by the wreckage of the past, Daniel, Julie and Hannah are all forced to reconsider what happened at the restaurant. Their three different voices reveal a story of power and complicity, of the lies that we tell and the courage that it takes to face the truth. ________________ READERS LOVE SERVICE 'A proper novel, each thread felt true... It's been an excellent read' ***** 'Acerbic, incisive' ***** 'This book is superb' ***** 'The characterisation is perceptive and incisive' **** MORE PRAISE FOR SERVICE 'Ferocious, minutely accurate, damning' Ross Raisin, author of God's Own Country 'A hugely gripping literary page-turner. Sharp, visceral and shocking' Claire Powell, author of At the Table 'A brilliantly observed, immersive novel which tells the "me too" story from every angle' Amber Medland, author of Wild Pets 'Service is gripping, fearless and raw' Una Mannion, author of A Crooked Tree 'I raced through Service. Sarah Gilmartin is a smart, stylish and darkly funny writer' Aingeala Flannery, author of The Amusements 'I gorged every page... compelling and brilliant' Victoria KennefickTrade Review'Absolutely compelling. Every page fizzes with energy and observation. Gilmartin combines effortless, elegant writing with a momentum that propels you onwards, barely pausing until you've reached the end. A masterful novel' - Rebecca Wait, author of I'm Sorry You Feel That Way'A powerful and compelling novel from a very gifted writer' - Joseph O'Connor, author of My Father's House and The Star of the Sea'A hugely gripping literary page-turner. Sharp, visceral and shocking' - Claire Powell, author of At the Table'Sarah Gilmartin's second novel is consummately done. The prose is clean, crisp, perfectly-filleted; the pace and tension perfectly controlled, to the very last page. Superb.' - Lucy Caldwell'A brilliantly observed immersive novel which tells the 'me too' story from every angle' - Amber Medland, author of Wild Pets'The exhausting and exhilarating life of a high-end restaurant is beautifully recreated in this masterful novel . . . deeply satisfying . . . A writer correctly confident in her recipe' -Emma Healey (author of Elizabeth is Missing) Irish Independent'Fantastic... a layered and thoughtful story about misbehaviour and who bears the impact of it' - Fiction of 2023, The Journal
£15.29
Orenda Books Fall: A spellbinding novel of race, family and
Book SynopsisEstranged brothers are reunited over plans to develop the tower block where they grew up, but the desolate estate becomes a stage for reliving the events of one life-changing summer, forty years earlier … the exquisitely written, moving new novel from West Camel.‘Unfolds like a spell’ Carol Lovekin, author of Ghostbird‘A deceptively complex and layered story; beautiful, traumatic and ultimately uplifting’ Louise Beech, author of This Is How We Are Human'A mesmerising portrait of toxic family relationships: one that perfectly captures a turbulent era in a changing Britain. I was gripped' Caroline Wyatt_____________________________Twins Aaron and Clive have been estranged for forty years. Aaron still lives in the empty, crumbling tower block on the riverside in Deptford where they grew up. Clive is a successful property developer, determined to turn the tower into luxury flats.But Aaron is blocking the plan and their petty squabble becomes something much greater when two ghosts from the past – twins Annette and Christine – appear in the tower. At once, the desolate estate becomes a stage on which the events of one scorching summer are relived – a summer that shattered their lives, and changed everything forever…Grim, evocative and exquisitely rendered, Fall is a story of friendship and family – of perception, fear and prejudice, the events that punctuate our journeys into adulthood, and the indelible scars they leave – a triumph of a novel that will affect you long after the final page has been turned.Illustrations by David F. Ross–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––**Shortlisted for the POLARI Prize**‘Fall’s characters will haunt me, its story will stay with me and I will return again and again’ Katie Allen‘Beautifully written, perfectly executed, a drama that captures your heart and mind’ Anne Coates'Architecture and morality: the only subjects worth writing about, and West Camel does so exquisitely through the eyes of people profoundly affected by both' David F. Ross‘A book about families, racism and the differences that bind us or push us apart …all bound up in West Camel's elegant prose’ Michael J. Malone‘Suspense and twists keep you turning the pages, while the unfolding of complex characters and relationships draws you in’ Valeria Vescina‘Both charming and conflicting … the author’s enticing storytelling has totally, utterly hooked me’ Sarah Sansom‘A page-turner and a literary delight, a book you devour’ Liz Loves Books‘Immersive, beautiful, and haunting … I adored it’ Live & Deadly‘A novel of mystic style and sensibility. West Camel tackles timeless themes of truth, power, family and justice … an extraordinary read’ Richard Fernandez‘A book to be embraced, a book to be kept in your heart … West Camel writes beautifully’ The Reading ClosetPraise for West Camel’s debut novel Attend‘From its opening gambit to its final line, Attend demands and rewards attention’ Foreword Reviews’With its blend of dark, gritty themes and gorgeous imagery, this is a book to make you believe there’s still magic in the world’ Heat ‘I’ve fallen in love with this absolutely glorious, spell-binding tale’ LoveReading‘It’s a genuinely pleasurable experience to encounter something couched in such alert and transparent language as West Camel’s Attend … In three hundred finely judged pages, West Camel leaves the reader eager for more from his pen’ Barry Forshaw, CrimeTime For fans of Sarah Moss, Bernadine Evaristo, Colm Toibin and Selina Godde
£8.54
Orenda Books Quicksand of Memory: The twisty, chilling
Book SynopsisScarred by their pasts, Jenna and Luke fall in love, brimming with hope for a rosy future. But someone has been watching, with chilling plans for revenge … An emotive, twisty, disturbing new psychological thriller by the critically acclaimed author of A Suitable Lie and In the Absence of Miracles.‘Compelling, disturbing and engaging' Caro Ramsay‘Malone is the master of twists, turns and the unexpected, with the skill to keep things grounded … a master of his craft’ Herald Scotland‘Tense, pacey and lyrical … cements Malone in the firmament of Tartan Noir, marrying McIlvanney and Banks to a modern domestic noir that’ll have you reading into the wee sma’ hours’ Ed James______________________________________________The darker the memory, the deadlier the obsession… Jenna is trying to rebuild her life after a series of disastrous relationships. Luke is struggling to provide a safe, loving home for his deceased partner’s young son, following a devastating tragedy.When Jenna and Luke meet and fall in love, they are certain they can achieve the stability and happiness they both desperately need. And yet, someone is watching.Someone who has been scarred by past events.Someone who will stop at nothing to get revenge…Dark, unsettling and immensely moving, Quicksand of Memory is a chilling reminder that we are not only punished for our sins, but by them, and that memories left to blacken and sharpen over time are the perfect breeding ground for obsession, and murder…________________________________________________________‘Complex, human characters living in a page-turning world’ Douglas Skelton ‘Long-held secrets, complex relationships and an ever increasing sense of menace … fantastic’ Steph Broadribb ‘A fascinating exploration of damage, toxicity, trauma and love’ Sharon Bairden ‘Darkly compelling and provocative … from the outset, whiplike tendrils of disquiet creep their way into the story’ LoveReading‘Masterfully combines the dark, cruel elements of people’s lives and nature with a glimmer of light and hope’ Fiona Sharp ‘An almost perfect storm of circumstances that lead us to a dramatic and potentially deadly conclusion … an emotionally charged story’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews ‘I can genuinely say: Fiction doesn’t get any better than this’ Book Review Café Praise for Michael J. Malone‘A beautifully written tale, original, engrossing and scary … a dark joy’ The Times ‘A complex and multilayered story – perfect for a wintry night’ Sunday Express‘Vivid, visceral and compulsive’ Ian Rankin‘A terrific read … I read it in one sitting’ Martina Cole‘A deeply satisfying read’ Sunday Times‘A fine, page-turning thriller’ Daily Mail‘Malone’s latest is an unsettling, multi-layered and expertly paced domestic noir drama that delves into one family’s dark secrets, shame and lies’ CultureFly‘Engrossing, hard-hitting – even shocking – with a light poetic frosting. Another superb read!’ Douglas Skelton'A dark and unnerving psychological thriller that draws you deep into the lives of the characters and refuses to let go. This is a brilliantly written book; I could not put it down’ Caroline Mitchell‘A chilling tale of the unexpected that journeys right into the dark heart of domesticity’ Marnie Riches For fans of Jodie Picoult, Gillian McAllister, Cara Hunter, Shari Lapena, Liz Nugent and Mark Edward
£8.54
Scribe Publications Utopia
Book Synopsis‘Utopia is a marvel. Vividly beguiling on art, love, and what it means to be alive, every page thrums with magic.’ Sophie Mackintosh, author of The Water Cure ‘Tense, sexy, and uncanny. Utopia shimmers with desert heat and burns with atmosphere. It’s Rebecca meets Zabriskie Point. Luminous.’ Francesca Reece, author of Voyeur It’s okay for men to make bad art. There’s no price on their head for doing it … Nothing for men is pre-determined, except their chance at great success. Los Angeles, 1978. When Romy, a gifted young artist in the male-dominated art scene of 1970s California, dies in suspicious circumstances, it is not long before her art-star husband Billy finds a replacement. Paz, fresh out of art school in New York, returns to California to take her place. But she is haunted by Romy, who is everywhere: in the photos and notebooks and art strewn around the house, and in the eyes of the baby she left behind. As Paz attempts to claim her creative life, strange things begin to happen. Photographs move, noises reverberate through the house, people start to question what really happened the night Romy died, and then a postcard in her handwriting arrives. As Paz becomes increasingly obsessed with the woman she has replaced, a disturbing picture begins to emerge, driving her deep into the desert — the site of Romy’s final artwork — to uncover the truth. At once an exquisite exploration of creativity and an atmospheric page-turner, Utopia is a book that takes hold of you and will leave you altered.Trade Review‘Utopia is a bird’s eye view of the desires of the human heart ... through characters who feel and live deeply at the boundaries of art and life. Sopinka’s luminescent prose tackles the danger and vitality of artistic and bodily desire under the politically charged structures of masculine power ... with rawness, deep awareness, and razor-sharp critique ... This is an urgent book.’ -- Angélique Lalonde, author of Glorious Frazzled Beings‘These brilliant and bold artists explode off the page as they try to transcend the boundaries of the material world in their work. But the most dangerous waters they must navigate are those of the male-dominated world of the 1970s, which erases their art and identities. Sopinka explores the minefield that is loving men in an oppressively patriarchal world. And she captures the volatility and power of female friendships, and the uncharted maps of women’s untameable artistic drives.’ -- Heather O’Neill, author of When We Lost Our Heads‘Utopia is interested in life as performance, in the ways that we attempt to transcend our own bodies, and in what it means to be a woman artist in a world that is run by and for men. Set against the backdrop of the arid California desert, full of scalding cups of diner coffee and burning tarmac highways, this is a book as seething as its parts.’ -- Saba Sams, author of Send Nudes‘Utopia is a marvel. Vividly beguiling on art, love, and what it means to be alive, every page thrums with magic.’ -- Sophie Mackintosh, author of The Water Cure‘With tense and glittering writing, Heidi Sopinka’s Utopia blasts the dry desert sun onto the lives and afterlives of a circle of Californian artists, the women they are and the women they love. This is a thrilling book about artistic inheritance, jealousies, and affinities.’ -- Leanne Shapton, author of Guestbook and Swimming Studies‘Tense, sexy, and uncanny. Utopia shimmers with desert heat and burns with atmosphere. It’s Rebecca meets Zabriskie Point. Luminous.’ -- Francesca Reece, author of Voyeur‘Utopia is a searing novel about art, ownership, and the entanglement of power and performance. Heidi Sopinka’s sentences have a bluish-orange intensity, a captivating energy that conjures a desert at dusk.’ -- Makenna Goodman, author of The Shame‘Utopia is a study in contrasts: tart and poetic; sensitive and wild; bright and spooky like the LA light. It drove me onward; it let me linger. It made me angry; it inspired me. Above all, it clinches what we all suspected from The Dictionary of Animal Languages — Heidi Sopinka is a crazy good writer. I'd follow her anywhere.’ -- Lauren Elkin, author of Flâneuse‘I was transfixed by Heidi Sopinka’s incandescent prose. It blazed through me and touched my heart in the deepest, most tender place. Utopia is about a powerful bond between mother and daughter; the collision of art, performance, and female friendships; and how grief shapes our ability to love and hope. Sexy, devastating, and wise—this novel will make you feel alive.’ -- Sanaë Lemoine, author of The Margot Affair‘Flames of female rage run hot in this shimmering art-world ghost story. Paz, a young artist, marries a major male artist in the wake of the death of his first wife, a brilliant performance artist whose work and life have long obsessed her replacement, and whose fatal fall might or might not have been a work of art. Sensual, mysterious, and provocative, Utopia raises essential questions about women’s marginalisation in the art world, loss of self, and search for artistic grounding, the maternal impulse, and the demands of a life in art. Heidi Sopinka had created a compelling, seductive portrait of a woman’s search for expression and the lure of rage-fueled self-destruction in the face of cultural diminishment.’ -- Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander and Paint It Black‘There are many hints of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca … Part page-turning mystery, part ode to art and women’s resilience, this is a beautifully odd book that needs and deserves time to seep into the reader’s bones.’ -- Estelle Birdy * Sunday Independent *‘Utopia cleverly investigates layers of social issues: feminism and its intersections with race and class; gender roles in life and in art; women’s relationships; the artist’s relationship to commerce and social justice … [Sopinka] excels in characterisation and the evocation of the power of creation.’ * Shelf Awareness *‘Sopinka’s mesmerising latest … stages a story of obsession in the 1970s Los Angeles art world … This page-turner doubles as a love letter to the daring women on the fringes of art history.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Throughout, Sopinka’s matter-of-fact, almost dead-pan, narration is juxtaposed with penetrating, dramatic dialogues. Her great strength is in recording how people strike off each other, then strike out at each other.’ -- Mark Thomas * The Canberra Times *‘Tinged with horror, Utopia creates a terse and tightly wound artistic mystery.’ -- Cameron Woodhead * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘In the male-dominated California art scene of the 1970's, Paz, an emerging young female artist, is haunted. Haunted by her new husband's dead wife, a rising artist who died suspiciously, leaving behind both a baby and a mystery. Haunted by her own impostor syndrome, after essentially inheriting someone else's life. Haunted by the men in control and the women she doesn't feel equal to. Moody, atmospheric, tense, feminist, and moving. I loved immersing myself in this unique world and quietly powerful novel.’ -- Seth Tucker * Carmichael's Bookstore *‘Heidi Sopinka returns with flawless prose and aching atmosphere in this hypnotic exploration of art, power, ownership, and identity. Utopia solidifies Sopinka as an artist at the top of her game — unafraid to be equal parts tender and cutting in her musings on feminine relationships. This book is devastating in the most beautiful way possible.’ -- Laura Graveline * Brazos Bookstore *‘This is what you get if you steep de Maurier’s ,Rebecca in sex, drugs, and turpentine and stick it in the 1970s desert art world. Shimmering with sweat and rippling with obsession and grief (over people, art, obsolescence), the women in this book bristle against the collectivist art world and its misogyny, each of them trying to make their mark in radical performance art, each of them stifled by choices their own and not. In turns unsettling and violent, these characters reckon with their insecurities, both the internal failures of new motherhood and the external pressures to disappear and let the men in their lives thrive. Character-driven, with palpable rage and unbridled self-reflection, the narrative stews in themes and vibes.’ * Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews *Praise for The Dictionary of Animal Languages: ‘The Dictionary of Animal Languages is such a special book, suffused with an almost painterly intelligence. Sopinka’s characters experience the world with an intensity we associate with children and visionaries. Watching them navigate the difficulties of the humdrum and the glamorous both is a distinctive, if unsettling, pleasure.’ -- Rivka Galchen, author of American Innovations and Atmospheric DisturbancesPraise for The Dictionary of Animal Languages: ‘With stunning prose, lavish details, deep wisdom, and emotional precision, reading this book is like falling in love — my interest in everything else was lost.’ -- Claire Cameron, author of The Last NeanderthalPraise for The Dictionary of Animal Languages: ‘Masterfully written in expressive prose, The Dictionary of Animal Languages is a tale of an artist’s life outlining love and loss and the surprises, both good and bad, that were thrown in her path. It is full of keen observations which are almost meditative, perhaps an indication of the artist’s ability to appreciate beauty and small details, especially in nature, which give continued meaning to life even when events turn tragic.’ -- Carina Mcnally * Irish Examiner *
£13.49
Saraband / Contraband The Green Lady
Book Synopsis1567, Scotland: no place for a woman.Mary, Queen of Scots, is forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son. She can rely only on the loyalty of her ladies-in-waiting, chiefly Marie Seton.Meanwhile the political turmoil in the country is mirrored behind the walls of beautiful Fyvie Castle. Lilias's marriage to Marie's nephew, the ruthlessly ambitious Alexander Seton, goes awry after the birth of yet another daughter. He blames her, and contemplates drastic action. To what lengths will a man go to secure a son and heir?The Green Ladyis a shocking tale of intrigue, secrets, treachery and murder, based on true events, but seen from a different perspective than is found in most history books. Casting a fascinating light on the ruthless nature of power, the story highlights the precarious position of sixteenth-century women, even those in the most privileged of circumstances.
£8.99
Saraband The Bay
Book SynopsisA tender and poignant debut of the redemptive power of unexpected friendship. In an old-fashioned fishing community on Morecambe Bay, change is imperceptibly slow. Treacherous tides sweep the quicksands, claiming everything in their path. As a boy, Arthur had followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footprints, learning to read the currents and shifting sands. Now retired and widowed, though, he feels invisible, redundant. His daughter wants him in a retirement home. No one listens to his rants about the newcomers striking out nightly onto the bay for cockles, seemingly oblivious to the danger. When Arthur’s path crosses Suling’s, both are running out of options. Barely yet an adult, Suling’s hopes for a better life have given way to fear: she’s without papers or money, speaks no English, and chased by ruthless debt collectors. Her only next step is to trust the old man. Combining warmth and suspense and recalling a true incident, The Bay tells a tender story about loneliness, confronting prejudice, and the comfort of friendship, however unlikely—as well as exposing one of the most pressing social ills of our age. Trade Review'Careful and compassionate … subtle, human and meaningful, but also full of humour, and precise and beautiful description.' -- Emma Healey, author of Elizabeth Is Missing
£8.99
The Book Guild Ltd No Man Is An Island
Book SynopsisThe gripping historical sequel to The Boy in a Turban. London, 1751. James Cudlip, born in Jamaica of a plantation owner and a slave woman, is adopted and brought to England by an English sea captain. Infused with a talent for music, he is now a music teacher and friend to the heir to the English throne, the future George 3rd. He is confronted by the animosity of the established Court circles and suffers personal tragedy in his search for love and fulfilment. Royal approval and reward gives James something to live for. But will it be everything he dreamed of?
£7.59
Charco Press Dislocations
Book SynopsisHow do you keep a friendship intact, when Alzheimer's has stolen the common ground of language, memory, and experience, that unites you?In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too—M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it's passed along by a friend. This loss holds Molloy’s sense of herself too—the person she is in relation to M.L. fades as her friend’s memory does. But the writer remains: 'I’m not writing to patch up holes and make people (or myself) think that there’s nothing to see here, but rather to bear witness to unintelligibilities and breaches and silences. That is my continuity, that of the scribe.'Trade Review"Argentine novelist and critic Molloy examines the nature and significance of memory in her gleaming English-language fiction debut. . . . A graceful study of memory, identity, and relationships, this is one to cherish." —Publishers Weekly, starred review"A masterclass in writing, with a brevity and clarity which is both rare and welcome, and firmly situates Molloy as an outstanding talent." —The Skinny
£9.49
Charco Press Desarticulaciones
Book Synopsis¿Cómo mantener una amistad intacta cuando el Alzheimer se va llevando consigo las bases del lenguaje, la memoria y las experiencias compartidas?La narradora visita casi diariamente a ML., con quien compartió una estrecha amistad y ahora padece mal de Alzheimer. A partir de esos encuentros y los fragmentos de memoria de ML. va construyendo un relato poderosamente conmovedor sobre la desarticulación de una mente que progresivamente va borrando todo de una manera peculiar.Un intento, a través de la escritura, de “hacer durar una relación que continúa pese a la ruina, que subsiste aunque apenas queden palabras”. “¿Cómo dice yo el que no recuerda…?”, se pregunta la narradora frente a esa mujer que le muestra la casa como si la visitara por primera vez o que es incapaz de decir que ha sufrido un mareo, pero puede traducir al inglés perfectamente un mensaje donde se dice que ella ha sufrido un mareo.Pasajes de un pasado y un presente compartidos que se transforman en ficción frente a un olvido que no puede contradecirlos. Un libro que opone al derrumbe una prosa precisa y vital y la sensibilidad única de una de las mejores escritoras latinoamericanas.In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too—M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it's passed along by a friend.This loss holds Molloy’s sense of herself too—the person she is in relation to M.L. fades as her friend’s memory does. But the writer remains: 'I’m not writing to patch up holes and make people (or myself) think that there’s nothing to see here, but rather to bear witness to unintelligibilities and breaches and silences. That is my continuity, that of the scribe.'How do you keep a friendship intact, when Alzheimer's has stolen the common ground of language, memory, and experience, that unites you?In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too—M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it's passed along by a friend. This loss holds Molloy’s sense of herself too—the person she is in relation to M.L. fades as her friend’s memory does. But the writer remains: 'I’m not writing to patch up holes and make people (or myself) think that there’s nothing to see here, but rather to bear witness to unintelligibilities and breaches and silences. That is my continuity, that of the scribe.'Trade Review"Gleaming . . . A graceful study of memory, identity, and relationships, this is one to cherish." —Publishers Weekly, starred review"A masterclass in writing, with a brevity and clarity which is both rare and welcome, and firmly situates Molloy as an outstanding talent." —The Skinny
£9.49
Salamander Street Limited Swimming Pools
Book SynopsisBILINGUAL EDITION - EDICIÓN BILINGÜE ENGLISH Across a series of imagined swimming pools, arranged like the ascending levels of a retro video game, a sequence of intimate monologues are gently teased out, all balanced on a knife-edge between revelation and delirium. As our protagonists whisper their confessions through the voices and bodies of the four women onstage, the swimming pool itself is re-conceived as a kind of manmade utopia, a paradise in miniature, a site of ecstatic miracles and otherworldly beauty. Wrestling fearlessly with the particular demons of the early 21st century – rampant capitalism, toxic masculinity, internet boredom – Swimming Pools is a psychedelic new show about desire and melancholia and how we might live together in the blinding brightness of the future. This special bilingual, parallel-text edition of Swimming Pools also includes the full text for the unperformed work Paradise. Sleepwalk Collective is an award-winning live-art and experimental- theatre group creating fragile, nocturnal performances between the UK and Spain. Their shows include As The Flames Rose We Danced To The Sirens, The Sirens, Domestica, Kourtney Kardashian, and Psychodrama (with Christopher Brett Bailey). ‘Few theatre-makers capture the vertiginous thrill and terror of contemporary existence as captivatingly as Sleepwalk Collective’ - The Guardian ESPAÑOL A través de una serie de piscinas imaginadas, dispuestas como los niveles ascendentes de un videojuego retro, se desborda una secuencia de monólogos íntimos, todos ellos equilibrados sobre el fino filo que separa revelación de delirio. A medida que nuestras protagonistas susurran y ejecutan sus confesiones a través de las voces y cuerpos de las cuatro mujeres que habitan la escena, la piscina en sí misma vuelve a concebirse como una especie de utopía artificial, un paraíso en miniatura, un lugar para milagros extáticos y belleza comprometedora. Luchando intrépidamente con los demonios particulares de principios del siglo XXI: capitalismo desenfrenado, masculinidad tóxica, aburrimiento cibernético y fatiga emocional, Swimming Pools es una nueva pieza psicodélica acerca del deseo y la melancolía, y de cómo parece que podríamos vivir juntos bajo el brillo cegador del futuro. Esta edición especial bilingüe de Swimming Pools incluye también el texto completo de la pieza no estrenada Paradise. Sleepwalk Collective es una galardonada compañía de arte en vivo y teatro experimental que crea experiencias escénicas e íntimos entre el Reino Unido y España. Sus piezas para teatros incluyen As The Flames Rose We Danced To The Sirens, The Sirens, Domestica, Kourtney Kardashian, y Psychodrama (con Christopher Brett Bailey). ‘Pocos creadores escénicos capturan la emoción vertiginosa y el terror existencial contemporáneo de forma tan cautivadora como Sleepwalk Collective’ - The Guardian
£11.39
Legend Press Ltd The Same Country: the truth isn't always black
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Boom! Studios Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Unlimited Power Vol.
Book Synopsis
£18.04
Uncivilized Books Maple Terrace
Book SynopsisFrom a multiple-award-winning cartoonist, Noah Van Sciver, comes Maple Terrace, a new autobiographical graphic novel. Based on the author''s childhood, Maple Terrace unfolds a tale of big money comic-collecting craze of the early 90s as seen from the ground floor. In a time when superheroes were oversized, adorned with massive guns, and countless pouches, comic books were currency! Young investors struggled to collect every cover gimmick under the sun—embossed-metallic ink-holographic foil—hoping they someday would pay for their college education. Brutally hilarious, Maple Terrace shines a light on the strange intersection between poverty and speculative comic book craze of the 90s.
£17.95
Floating World Comics Black Phoenix Vol. 3
Book Synopsis
£12.71
Clover Press The Marvel Portfolio of David Mack
Book SynopsisFeatures 12 full color amazing reproductions of key pieces of art from David Mack, featuring Daredevil and related characters. Each print measures 11 x 17 and all plates are collected in a durable plastic portfolio.
£32.39
Clover Press The Marvel Portfolio of David Mack
Book SynopsisFeatures 12 full color amazing reproductions of key pieces of art painted by David Mack, featuring characters from throughout the Marvel Universe. Each print measures 11 x 17 and all plates are collected in a durable plastic portfolio.
£32.39
Ahoy Comics My Bad Vol. 3
Book Synopsis
£12.40
Ahoy Comics Deadweights
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Rocketship Entertainment Stan Lees Backchannel Volume 1
Book Synopsis
£19.99
Rocketship Entertainment The Other Badguys Volume 1
Book Synopsis
£16.99
Alien Books Valiant Classic Collection Ninjak The 7th Dragon
Book Synopsis Re-presenting the complete classic adventures of Valiant's slickest superspy from his deadly debut and into the pages of his own smash-hit series! Colin King sophisticated British playboy by day, elite superspy by night! As Ninjak, King will put his brilliant mind and lethal training in the world''s most dangerous fighting techniques to the test facing down covert agents and criminal cartels. Including a globe-spanning mission against his greatest nemesis the Webnet terror network and its villainous mastermind, Dr. Silk! Featuring all-time classic contributions from comics all-stars including Joe Quesada (Daredevil), Mark Moretti (ETERNAL WARRIOR), Don Perlin (Captain America), Kevin VanHook, (BLOODSHOT), Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (Guardians of the Galaxy), and more! Collecting NINJAK (1994) #18, BLOODSHOT (1993) #67, and SECRET WEAPONS (1993) #5.
£22.94
Alien Books XO Manowar Unconquered
Book SynopsisPast, present, and future collide as X-O MANOWAR returns for its 30th anniversary in an unforgettable new series by superstar creators Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and Liam Sharp that promises to put the king back on his throne and chart a new course for Valiant''s flagship series.
£22.94
Alien Books Bloodshot Unleashed
Book SynopsisCOLLECTING BOTH BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED SERIES IN ONE DELUXE HARDCOVER EDITION!Formidable super soldiers and bloodthirsty living weapons have broken free and are unleashing chaos across America's desolate towns! Bloodshot, a powerful and tormented hero that can regenerate from almost any wound, must rise to the challenge and hunt these violent monstrosities while confronting his inner demons! As he battles the relentless New Blood and attempts to prevent them from obliterating his family and all of humanity, his allies discover a chilling truth that will rock Bloodshot to his core!Plus: A Family Affair by Will Pfeifer and Emiliano Urdinola, a short-story from A VERY VALIANTINE'S SPECIAL featuring Bloodshot, Magic and Jessie. Superstar writer Deniz Camp (Marvel's The Ultimates) and Mauro Mantella (The Cyber Saga) along with artist Jon Davis-Hunt (Shadowman) and more collaborate to bring Valiant Entertainment's very first Mature Readers title to your bookshelf!Collects: BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #1-4; BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED: RELOADED #1-4; A VERY VALIANTINE'S SPECIAL (A family affair).
£22.94
Alien Books Valiant Hero Universe Origins Ninjak
Book SynopsisStep into the world of NINJAK, an exhilarating series perfect for new readers and fans of espionage and martial arts. Begin with Colin King's early days as a green MI6 recruit, learning the ropes of spycraft and counterintelligence while navigating a complex relationship with his first handler. Fast forward to the present: Colin has transformed into Ninjak, the world's leading intelligence operative, weapons expert, and master assassin. Embark on a gripping journey with him as he tracks down the Shadow Seven, a secretive group of shinobi masters linked to his enigmatic past and personal tragedies!It contains the first solo series of Ninjak! From New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (BRZRKR) and artists Clay Mann (Poison Ivy), Doug Braithwaite (Justice), Butch Guice (Captain America), and many more comes the seven-time Harvey Award-nominated series!Content: Ninjak #1-13
£19.54
Alien Books Valiant Hero Universe Origins Archer Armstrong
Book SynopsisDive into ARCHER & ARMSTRONG, ideal for new readers seeking action, humor, and unique friendships. Witness Archer, a skilled martial artist, team up with Armstrong, an immortal rogue, for globe-trotting adventures and secret society battles. This series melds history, mythology, and comedy, exploring camaraderie and the clash of contrasting worldviews. ARCHER & ARMSTRONG delivers a uniquely entertaining and thought-provoking experience!Contains the first appearance of Archer, Armstrong, the Eternal Warrior, and many other Valiant Universe characters! From the New York Times best-selling creative team of writer Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies) and artists Clayton Henry (Incredible Herc), Emanuela Lupacchino (X-Factor), and Pere Pérez (Action Comics)!Content: Archer & Armstrong #0-17
£19.54
Alien Books Valiant Hero Universe Origins Eternal Warrior
Book SynopsisExplore ETERNAL WARRIOR, a captivating series that blends ancient lore with modern-day action. Follow the unyielding Gilad Anni-Padda, the Eternal Warrior, sworn to protect the Earth across centuries. Journey through time as he battles foes from forgotten eras to contemporary threats, showcasing his unparalleled combat skills and strategic wisdom. This book combines epic historical settings with thrilling contemporary conflicts, offering a deep dive into a warrior's eternal struggle and his timeless heroism. Contains the first series of the Eternal Warrior, set in the past, present and future of the Valiant Universe! From New York Times best-selling writer Greg Pak (Planet Hulk) and superstar artists Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis) and Clayton Crain (Carnage), among other talents!Content: Eternal Warrior #1-8, Eternal Warrior: Days of Steel #1-3, Eternal Warrior: Awakening #1
£19.54
Taschen GmbH Marvel Comics Library. Avengers. 19631965
Book SynopsisThor, Ant Man, the Wasp, Hulk, and Iron Man broke new ground when they joined forces to form the Avengers in 1963. They not only fought together, they occasionally fought each other! The first 20 Avengers stories are collected in this volumea fine art celebration worthy of Tony Stark's library.
£41.97
Insight Editions Marvels Deadpool and Wolverine The Illustrated
Book Synopsis
£40.00
Insight Editions Batmobile The Complete History Revised and Expanded
£47.85
Insight Editions Batman Coloring Book Set
£13.49
