Search results for ""author v"

From global literary superstar Karl Ove Knausgaard, an achingly beautiful collection of daily meditations and love letters addressed directly to Knausgaard’s unborn daughterIn Winter, we rejoin the great Karl Ove Knausgaard as the birth of his daughter draws near. In preparation for her arrival, he takes stock of the world, seeing it anew. While new life is on the horizon, the earth is also in hibernation, waiting for the warmer weather to return. In his inimitably sensitive style, he writes about everything from the moon, winter boots and messiness, to owls and birthdays. Taking nothing for granted, he fills these everyday familiar objects and ideas with new meaning. Startling, compassionate, and exquisitely beautiful, Knausgaard's writing is like nothing else. Somehow, he shows the world as it really is, at once mundane and sublime.

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Robert Swindell's Henry V is a gripping retelling of Shakespeare's famous historical play. Battles and scenes of warfare are never far from the young King Henry. This retelling brings to life the tumultuous struggle of the heroic young monarch as he fights to protect his kingdom and his life. The Shakespeare Today series captures the magic of Shakespeare's text and sets it in an accessible and contemporary style.

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A brand-new life of England's greatest king from our bestselling medieval historian''A historian who writes as addictively as any page-turning novelist.'' ObserverHENRY V reigned over England for only nine years and four months, and died at the age of just thirty-five, but he looms over the landscape of the late Middle Ages and beyond. The victor of Agincourt was remembered as the acme of kingship, a model to be closely imitated by his successors. Shakespeare deployed Henry V as a study in youthful folly redirected to sober statesmanship. In the dark days of World War II, Henry's victories in France were presented by British filmmakers as exemplars for a people existentially threatened by Nazism.For Dan Jones, Henry is one of the most intriguing characters in all medieval history, but one of the hardest to pin down. He was a hardened warrior, but also bookish and artistic; a leader who made many mistakes, yet always seemed

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A unique look at the craft of writing from a bestselling master of storytelling. In this engaging book, the internationally best-selling author shares with readers what he thinks about being a novelist; his thoughts on the role of the novel in our society; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists, and musicians.Readers who have long wondered where the mysterious novelist gets his ideas and what inspires his strangely surreal worlds will be fascinated by this highly personal look at the craft of writing.'An insightful collection of essays on his work and methods... You end this collection of beautiful essays vowing to never let life, or writing, get so complicated again' Guardian'Murakami is like a magician who explains what he's doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers' New York Times Book Review'A fascinating glimpse of the peculiar writerly life' Sunday Times** A TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES and NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR**

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James V suffered the fate of many a son of a famous father in being somewhat overshadowed not only by his father James IV but also by his internationally renowned daughter Mary Queen of Scots. But no-one would deny the importance of his reign, embracing as it did the establishment of the Court of Session, the birthpangs of religious dissent, and the growth of royal power to such a remarkable extent that this king could leave his kingdom for nine months in 1536-7 without fear of rebellion. Jamie Cameron concentrates on James V's style of government and relations with his nobility, and challenges the widely held view of a vindictive and irrational king, motivated largely by greed, who antagonised most of his leading magnates and met his just deserts when they refused to support him in 1542. This book offers a different view, and presents us with a rounded picture of a king whose approach to government, in spite of some personal defects, closely resembles that of his supposedly more popular father; and, like James IV himself, retained impressive magnate support to the end of his reign.

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From Sunday Times bestselling novelist Rose Tremain comes a gripping novel of murder and revenge set in Victorian England Nobody knows yet that she is a murderer... London, 1850. On a freezing winter's night, a baby is abandoned at the gates of a park only to be saved by a young policeman and taken to the Foundling Hospital.After suffering years of brutal hardship at the Hospital, Lily is released into the world of Victorian London. But she is hiding a dreadful secret...When Lily and the policeman meet again, Lily is convinced that he holds the key to her happiness. But might he also be the one to uncover her crime and so condemn her to death?'Enthralling... Tremain evokes Victorian London with visceral intensity in a gripping and deeply humane novel exploring themes of rejection, poverty, guilt and redemption' Observer

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'THRILLING...a terrific book, accomplished in its poised, imaginative storytelling and its vivid, sensual rendering of landscape and character, emotion and memory' The TimesIn a silent valley in southern France stands an isolated stone farmhouse, the Mas Lunel. Its owner is Aramon Lunel, an alcoholic haunted by his violent past. His sister, Audrun, alone in her bungalow within sight of the Mas Lunel, dreams of exacting retribution for the unspoken betrayals that have blighted her life. Into this closed world comes Anthony Verey, a wealthy but disillusioned antiques dealer from London seeking to remake his life in France. From the moment he arrives at the Mas Lunel, a frightening and unstoppable series of consequences is set in motion...

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'The undisputed King of the Icelandic Thriller' Guardian'One of the greats of modern crime fiction' Sunday Times________________________A frozen body is discovered in the icy depths of Langjökull glacier.The victim: a businessman missing for thirty years.The case: impossible to solve. Until now. Konrád, the retired policeman who originally investigated the disappearance, is called back to reopen the case that has weighed on his mind for decades.Then a woman approaches him with new information that she obtained from her deceased brother.Will this be enough to solve the mystery at last?Can Konrád uncover the poisonous secrets and cruel truths that have built up over the decades? In The Darkness Knows, the master of Icelandic crime writing returns with a powerful and haunting story about the poisonous secrets and cruel truths that time eventually uncovers.

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'Engrossing' The Times'Beautifully atmospheric. . . a panoramic, classic quality' Financial TimesThe seductive, vibrant new novel from international bestselling author Leïla Slimani.Morocco, 1968. As she stands at the window, Mathilde reflects on the opportunities before her, and all she has achieved. Looking out at her elegant - not to say expensive - garden, the roses, brought in from Marrakech, have bloomed and their sweet, fresh scent pervades the air. Anything feels possible, and she is determined to celebrate it. Don't they have the right to enjoy life, after dedicating their best years to the war and then to this farm?Mathilde is blissfully unaware of what a new chapter of Moroccan history means for her family, the country and its future. Her babies are now grown up, and they are all about to learn that life can take wild and unexpected turns.Acclaim for The Country of Others:'A panoramic, ambitious tale.' The Times'Exceptional.' SALMAN RUSHDIE 'Captivating.' Elle' I loved it and didn't want it to end.' CLAIRE MESSUD'As wild and lush as a wildflower meadow.' Observer'A powerful and compelling family saga.' CHRISTINE MANGAN

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'At one and the same time the greatest of all works of English patriotism and a searing critique of warfare' Jonathan BateYoung King Henry wages war on France. Tainted by his family's past crimes and with enemies among his own men, he must face the difficult responsibilities of kingship, unite his country and rouse his 'band of brothers' to battle at Agincourt. An heroic coming-of-age story and a work of stirring patriotic oratory, Henry V also has darker undercurrents that ultimately question the price of military victory.Used and Recommended by the National TheatreGeneral Editor Stanley WellsEdited by A. R. Humphreys with an Introduction by Ann Kaegi

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At 04.08 hours on the morning of 13 June 1944, two members of the Royal Observer Corps were on duty at their post on the top of a Martello tower on the seafront at Dymchurch in Kent. At that moment they spotted the approach of an object spurting red flames from its rear and making a noise like a Model-T-Ford going up a hill'. It was a development that they, and many others throughout the UK, had been anticipating for months. The first V1 flying bomb, an example of what Hitler had called his Vergeltungswaffen or Vengeance Weapons, to be released against Britain was rattling towards them. The two spotters on top of the tower may well have been aware that a new Battle of Britain had just begun. For years, key individuals in the UK had been aware of experiments by Germany to build long-range weapons. From leaked documents, reports from the French Resistance and the result of aerial photography a picture was gradually put together of an extensive programme by the Nazis to build pilotless aircraft, the Fi 103 V1 flying bomb, and the V2, the A4 rocket, which could be directed at the United Kingdom. By 1943, enough information had been gathered for Britain and its American allies to act, and the first bombing raids were undertaken against the long-range weapons installations. From August 1943, every effort was undertaken by the RAF and the USAAF Eighth Air Force to destroy every site lined to the V-weapons. This book, written by the Air Ministry's Air Historical Branch is the official account of the measures undertaken by the Air Defence of Great Britain, Fighter Command, Anti-Aircraft Command, Bomber Command and even the Balloon Command to defend the UK from what was potentially the greatest threat it had ever encountered. It was only through this multi-disciplinary approach that the actual effect of the V-weapons was contained to the level it was. Even so, the extent of the damage and deaths the flying bombs and rockets caused and the fear they generated, was considerable and had this coordinated approach not been undertaken the UK's resolve in the crucial months of the war might have been seriously challenged. This highly detailed, accurate and unbiased account is a valuable addition to the history of the Second World War. It demonstrates the difficulties the UK faced in identifying the nature of the highly secret German weapons and how, through an enormous combined effort, this threat was overcome.

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The acclaimed Pelican Shakespeare series edited by A. R. Braunmuller and Stephen Orgel The legendary Pelican Shakespeare series features authoritative and meticulously researched texts paired with scholarship by renowned Shakespeareans. Each book includes an essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare’s time, an introduction to the individual play, and a detailed note on the text used. Updated by general editors Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller, these easy-to-read editions incorporate over thirty years of Shakespeare scholarship undertaken since the original series, edited by Alfred Harbage, appeared between 1956 and 1967. With definitive texts and illuminating essays, the Pelican Shakespeare will remain a valued resource for students, teachers, and theater professionals for many years to come. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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A breath-taking psychological suspense about obsession and dangerous love. If you loved Verity, this is the No.1 bestselling book you need to read next . . . Sloan will go through hell and back for those she loves. And she does so, every single day. Caught up with the alluring Asa Jackson, a notorious drug trafficker, Sloan has finally found a lifeline to cling to, even if it's meant compromising her morals. She was in dire straits trying to pay for her brother's care until she met Asa. But as Sloan became emotionally and economically reliant on him, he in turn developed a disturbing obsession with her - one that becomes increasingly dangerous every day. When undercover DEA agent Carter enters the picture, Sloan's surprised to feel an immediate attraction between them, despite knowing that if Asa finds out, he will kill him. And Asa has always been a step ahead of everyone in his life, including Sloan. No one has ever gotten in his way. No one except Carter. Together, Sloan and Carter must find a way out before it's too late . . .This is the new edition of Too Late from the TikTok phenomenon. SEE WHAT READERS ARE SAYING . . .'Had me absolutely hooked. I literally did not have a clue what would happen next!' ***** Reader Review'Colleen Hoover is my go-to author and she honestly never fails to deliver' ***** Reader Review'She doesn't sugarcoat the bad parts and glitter the good ones, the heroes are flawed and the villains are human' ***** Reader Review'There is seriously no other author who writes books that take you right to the brink and then bring you back' ***** Reader Review'A dark and twisty romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat' ***** Reader Review'Another incredible book by Colleen Hoover. Her writing gets to me every time. I was so invested in this' ***** Reader ReviewToo Late was a No.1 Kindle bestseller on 26.08.23

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Words have power. Yet that power must be rooted in truth and justice. Words must never stand apart from those principles.'You end this collection…vowing to never let life, or writing, get so complicated again' GuardianReaders who have long wondered where the mysterious novelist gets his ideas and what inspires his beautifully surreal worlds will be fascinated by this highly personal look at the craft of writing.In this engaging book, the internationally best-selling author shares with readers what he thinks about being a novelist; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists, and musicians.'Murakami is like a magician who explains what he's doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers' New York Times Book Review'A fascinating glimpse of the peculiar writerly life' Sunday Times** A TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES and NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR**

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Fans of S. J. Parris, Donna Leon, Steven Saylor and C. J. Sansom will love this captivating, colourful and unputdownable historical mystery from multi-million copy bestselling author Lindsey Davis. Guaranteed to have you turning the pages, this will easily transport you back in time to Ancient Rome...'Several cheers for Lindsey Davis... Great fun' -- The Times'Fast-moving, funny and full of atmosphere' -- Mail on Sunday'Highly readable, funny and colourful' - TLS'An intriguing Roman mystery, with quite a few twists and turns' -- ***** Reader review'Another excellent Falco book that is difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review'Well written, humorous, interesting and a good read' -- ***** Reader review'Brilliant. Very funny too' -- ***** Reader review***************************************************************************************A MURDERED LEGIONARY - AND THERE'S ONE PRIME SUSPECTAD 72: Marcus Didius Falco returns home from a six-month mission to the German legions. But trouble is in store for him: his apartment has been wrecked by squatters and an ex-legionary friend of his colourfully heroic brother Festus is demanding money, allegedly owed him as the result of one of Festus's wild schemes. Worse still, the only client Falco can get is his mother - who wants him to clear the family name.Then just as Falco thinks things can only get better, fate takes a turn for the worse... The legionary is found viciously stabbed to death with Falco the prime suspect.Now he has only three days to prove he is not a murderer, to trace the real suspect, amass evidence and win a fortune...

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A follow-up to Claiming Anishinaabe, Gehl v Canada is the story of Lynn Gehl's lifelong journey of survival against the nation-state's constant genocidal assault against her existence. While Canada set up its colonial powersincluding the Supreme Court, House of Commons, Senate Chamber, and the Residences of the Prime Minister and Governor Generalon her traditional Algonquin territory, usurping the riches and resources of the land, she was pushed to the margins, exiled to a life of poverty in Toronto's inner-city. With only beads in her pocket, Gehl spent her entire life fighting back, and now offers an insider analysis of Indian Act litigation, the narrow remedies the court imposes, and of obfuscating parliamentary discourse, as well as an important critique of the methodology of legal positivism. Drawing on social identity and Indigenous theories, the author presents Disenfranchised Spirit Theory, revealing insights into the identity struggles facing Indigenous Peoples to this day.

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The graphic novel that inspired the hit Warner Bros. motion picture and DVD from the Wachowski Bros., the directors of THE MATRIX films and SPEED RACER. In the near future, England has become a corrupt, totalitarian state, opposed only by V, the mystery man wearing a white porcelain mask who intends to free the masses through absurd acts of terrorism.

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A follow-up to Claiming Anishinaabe, Gehl v Canada is the story of Lynn Gehl's lifelong journey of survival against the nation-state's constant genocidal assault against her existence. While Canada set up its colonial powers—including the Supreme Court, House of Commons, Senate Chamber, and the Residences of the Prime Minister and Governor General—on her traditional Algonquin territory, usurping the riches and resources of the land, she was pushed to the margins, exiled to a life of poverty in Toronto's inner-city. With only beads in her pocket, Gehl spent her entire life fighting back, and now offers an insider analysis of Indian Act litigation, the narrow remedies the court imposes, and of obfuscating parliamentary discourse, as well as an important critique of the methodology of legal positivism. Drawing on social identity and Indigenous theories, the author presents Disenfranchised Spirit Theory, revealing insights into the identity struggles facing Indigenous Peoples t

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A tender portrait of grief, fatherhood and a life going to pieces from the bestselling author.'Vivid and moving... It would be hard to find a better writer than Petterson' Irish TimesIn 1992 Arvid Jansen is thirty-eight, divorced and paralysed by grief. More than a year has passed since the tragic accident that took his parents and two of his brothers.Existence has become a question of holding on to a few firm things. Loud, smoky bars, whisky, records, company for the night and taxis home. Or driving his Mazda into the stunning, solitary landscape outside of Oslo, sleeping in the car when his bed is an impossible place to be.Adrift and inept, Arvid feels his life unravelling. Is there any redemption for a man in his situation?'Per Petterson writes about masculinity as well as anyone' Torrey Peters'A rare insight into male vulnerability' Evening Standard

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Discover the enthralling Richard & Judy Book Club pick from international bestseller Joseph O'Connor.'The best novel that I've read in the last twenty years... It's fantastic' RICHARD MADELEY'Breathtaking... A hugely entertaining book about the grand scope of friendship and love' Sadie Jones, Guardian__________London, 1878. Three extraordinary people begin their life together - and the idea for Dracula is born.Fresh from life in Dublin, Bram Stoker - now manager of the Lyceum Theatre - is wrestling with dark demons in a new city, in a new marriage, and with his own literary aspirations. As he walks the streets at night, streets haunted by the Ripper and the gossip which swirls around his friend Oscar Wilde, he finds new inspiration. Soon, the eerie tale of Dracula begins to emerge.But Henry Irving, volcanic leading man and impresario, is determined that nothing will get in the way of Bram's dedication to the Lyceum. And both men are growing ever more enchanted by the beauty and boldness of Ellen Terry, the most celebrated actress of her generation.__________Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2019Winner of the Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year'A colourful tale of secret love and public performance...in a romantic, lost London' The Times'Hugely entertaining and atmospheric' DEBORAH MOGGACH'Extraordinary' SEBASTIAN BARRY'A novel I'd recommend to anyone: a rollicking and moving story' James Naughtie, Radio Times'Fabulous... A truly great book you simply cannot put down' JUDY FINNIGAN'Rich, sad, funny, and a beautiful read. You'll LOVE it' RICHARD MADELEY'Ingenious...hugely impressive and utterly haunting' Sunday Mirror*JOSEPH O'CONNOR'S STUNNING NEW NOVEL, MY FATHER'S HOUSE, IS AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW*

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'A wonderful read (or a great present) for anyone who loves stories and art' Nina Stibbe, author of Love, NinaA beautifully illustrated new memoir of a life in art, a father and daughter, and what a shared love of a painting can come to mean.*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WRITERS' PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024*'We see with everything that we are'On the morning of 12 October 1654, a gunpowder explosion devastated the Dutch city of Delft. The thunderclap was heard over seventy miles away. Among the fatalities was the painter Carel Fabritius, dead at thirty-two, leaving only his haunting masterpiece The Goldfinch and barely a dozen known paintings. The explosion that killed him also buried his reputation, along with answers to the mysteries of his life and career.What happened to Fabritius before and after this disaster is just one of the discoveries in a book that explores the relationship between art and life, interweaving the lives of Laura Cumming, her Scottish painter father, who also died too young, and the great artists of the Dutch Golden Age.This is a book about what a picture may come to mean: how it can enter your life and change your thinking in a thunderclap.**A SUNDAY TIMES, DAILY EXPRESS AND GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023**'Brilliant ... rush out and buy it' Edmund de Waal, bestselling author of The Hare with Amber Eyes

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In her nostalgic and heart-warming new saga, Sunday Times bestselling author Lyn Andrews evokes the ups and downs of life in the back streets of 1930s LiverpoolLiverpool, World War II. Monica Eustace and Joan McDonald met as next-door-neighbours living in Mersey View in Liverpool. Their friendship is a close as ever, though they're married now, and sharing Monica's grand house on the other side of the city. But war clouds are gathering, casting a shadow over the happy future they dream of with their young husbands . . . Meanwhile, in London, Joan's half-sister Bella is overwhelmed with the glitz and glamour of the city while she's training as a singer - but will she forget her friends back home? As war descends on Merseyside, can the women make their back street dreams reality, or will the close-knit families be torn apart?PRAISE FOR SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR LYN ANDREWS:'An outstanding storyteller' Woman's Weekly'Gutsy . . . A vivid picture of a hard-up, hard-working community . . . Will keep the pages turning' Daily Express'A compelling read' Woman's Own'She has a realism that is almost palpable' Liverpool Echo'The Catherine Cookson of Liverpool' Northern Echo

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A brand-new page-turning Victorian saga from the bestselling and RNA shortlisted author.Orphaned Jenny and her chimney sweep brother Noah eke out life in a cellar dwelling in the heart of the slums.Noah is the main breadwinner, but he is treated horribly by his master. Worried for her brother's safety and health, Jenny resolves to put her talent for singing to good use and begins trawling the low inns and taverns at night entertaining the punters.When she catches the attention of a music hall manager and is offered a spot on the stage, it seems like a dream come true. But her newfound success can't include her brother.Will Jenny choose Noah over the bright lights of the theatre? And will he want her to?Readers love Emma Hornby's gritty and gripping thrillers:'Emma Hornby has done it again, with her brilliant storytelling... A big thank you to Emma' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'What an excellent read... Emma Hornby writes some wonderful stories and this one hits the mark' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'A heartbreakingly good read... Very worthy five stars and more from me it's a must read' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'I do love to read Emma Hornby's books they are so atmospheric and draw you into the story from start to finish and make you want more. Excellent' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Wow, what a book. Its such an emotional roller-coaster... I devoured this in one sitting' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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What if 'positive thinking' and relentless optimism aren't the solution to the happiness dilemma, but part of the problem? Oliver Burkeman turns decades of self-help advice on its head and paradoxically forces us to rethink our attitudes towards failure, uncertainty and death. It's our constant efforts to avoid negative thinking that cause us to feel anxious, insecure and unhappy. What if happiness can be found embracing the things we spend our lives trying to escape? Wise, practical and funny, The Antidote is a thought-provoking, counter-intuitive and ultimately uplifting read, celebrating the power of negative thinking.'Burkeman has written some of the most truthful and useful words on happiness to be published in recent years' Guardian

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‘Solstad doesn’t write to please other people. Do exactly what you want, that’s my idea…the drama exists in his voice’ Lydia DavisArmand is a diplomat rising through the ranks of the Norwegian foreign office, but he’s caught between his public duty to support foreign wars in the Middle East and his private disdain of Western intervention. He hides behind his knowing ironic statements about the war, which no one grasps and which change nothing in the real world. Armand’s son joins the Norwegian SAS to fight in the Middle East, despite being specifically warned against such a move by his father, which leads to catastrophic, heartbreaking consequences. Told exclusively in footnotes to an unwritten novel, this is Solstad's radically unconventional novel about how we experience the passing of time: how it fragments, drifts, quickens, and how single moments can define a life.Winner of the Brage Prize

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A is for active participation. B is for building a more equal nation. C is for citizens' rights and our duty. An engaging introduction to social justice and civil rights, V Is for Voting is the perfect gift for parents who want to start teaching their children the importance of voting and activism early. Perfect for fans of A Is for Activist and Woke Baby and just in time for midterm election season, V Is for Voting pairs Kate Farrell's playful rhyming text with Caitlin Kuhwald's bold art to make a gorgeous-and crucial-addition to every young reader's library.

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A gorgeous Beijing-set novel of music, secrets and self-discovery For three years, Song Yan has filled the emptiness of her Beijing apartment with the tentative notes of her young piano students. With her marriage, she gave up on her own career as a concert pianist, but her husband Bowen has long rebuffed her desire to have a child.Instead, she must accommodate her mother-in-law, newly arrived from the province of Yunnan and bringing with her long-buried family secrets. Soon strange parcels start to show up on the doorstep and Song Yan's dreams become troubling and claustrophobic. Striking out alone through the winter city, she finds herself pulled into the ancient hutongs to confront the source of her unease. In a silent room within a timeless house, can she find the notes she needs to make sense of all the pain and beauty in her life?Praise for Braised Pork:'Startlingly original' Guardian'Intensely atmospheric' LA Review of Books'Otherworldly and deeply moving' BuzzFeed 'Real magic' LitHub'Shimmering' Wall Street Journal'Rich and wild' Observer'Enchanting' Shelf Awareness'Electric' TIME

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The Akunin Project is the first book to study the fiction and popular history of Grigorii Chkhartishvili, one of the most successful writers in post-Soviet Russia. In the first two decades of the twenty-first century, Chkhartishvili published over sixty books under the pen names Anatolii Brusnikin, Anna Borisova, Akunin-Chkhartishvili, and, most commonly, Boris Akunin. His series featuring the tsarist secret policeman Erast Fandorin has sold over 15 million books in Russia alone, making Akunin one of the bestselling authors of the post-Soviet era. Combining intertextuality, allusions, pastiche, and other markers of postmodern playfulness, many of Akunin’s works have been translated into English and have also been adapted for film and television. Akunin’s public profile has been further enhanced by his active involvement in mass political protests against Vladimir Putin. Despite Akunin’s international reputation as a celebrated writer, there is very little critical work on his literary output and his mysterious persona. Bringing together scholars of literature, history, and culture, The Akunin Project fills this gap by exploring the author’s bestselling adventure novels and recent histories of the Russian state. The book includes translations of five short works previously unavailable in English as well as an interview with the author.

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'Funny, merciless, brilliant... I loved it' CURTIS SITTENFELD, bestselling author of Romantic ComedySeamus, Fyodor, Ivan, Noah and Fatima are running out of time to decide on their futuresIn a university town in the American Midwest, this circle of lovers and friends ask themselves: what is the right thing to stake a life on? Work, love, money, dance, poetry? Is love possible without harm? And what does true connection look like in an age of precarity?The author of the Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Real Life returns with a deeply involving new novel of young men and women trying to work out what they want, and who they are.***A DAILY TELEGRAPH AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023***'Taylor is a sharp chronicler' RAVEN LEILANI, author of Luster'Assures Taylor's position as one of the most important novelists of his generation' GUARDIAN

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SIMAN is a simulation language used throughout the world, much like GPSS and SLAM. In industrial engineering, SIMAN and SLAM are the dominant simulation languages.

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With all her signature warmth, wonderful characters and unforgettable drama, start this brand new chapter in the storytelling of Rosie Goodwin, Britain's best-loved saga author.1850.When Opal Sharp finds herself and her younger siblings suddenly orphaned and destitute, she thinks things can get no worse.But soon three of them - including Opal - are struck down with the illness that took their father, and her brother Charlie is forced to make an impossible decision. Unable to afford a doctor, he knows the younger children will not survive. So, unbeknownst to Opal, Charlie takes their younger siblings to the workhouse. When she finds out, Opal is heartbroken.Charlie starts taking risks to try to support what's left of the Sharp family and earn Opal's forgiveness, but he takes it too far and finds himself in trouble with the law. Soon, he is sent on a convict ship to Australia.As poor Opal is forced to say goodbye to the final member of her family, she makes a promise to reunite them all one day. Will she ever see her family again?

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In 2004, on the back of the international success of Blankets, Craig Thompson set out on a tour across Europe and Morocco, promoting foreign editions of his book and researching his next project. Carnet de Voyage is the gorgeous sketchbook diary of these travels. From wandering around Paris and Barcelona between events, to navigating markets in Fez and fleeing tourist traps in Marrakesh, we see glimpses of each place, rendered in Thompson's exquisite ink line.While desert landscapes and crowded street scenes flow, the sketchbook is packed first and foremost with people - other travelers passing through, friends and lovers he meets along the way and old friends and other cartoonists that weave in and out of Thompson's life. Carnet de Voyage is a casual yet intimate portrait of a celebrated cartoonist at a moment between his two seminal works - Blankets and Habibi.

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Illuminating the evolution of bag designs and uses from the medieval period to today, the author explores early drawstring creations and richly worked ecclesiastical purses, before looking at large work bags of the 18th century, and by contrast the small reticules that were designed to complement high-waisted Empire line dresses. Increased travel in the 19th century brought about the leather handbag as we know it today, while the 20th century saw an explosion of innovations, from 1930s designs reflecting the streamlined American aesthetic and the use of new synthetics such as imitation patent and Vynide, to the rise of the luxury designer handbag by the likes of Hermès, Gucci, Chanel and Prada. After a general introduction, chronological chapters unfold, illustrated throughout; a detailed glossary, bibliography and index conclude the book. An inspiring, impeccably researched and concise history of bags through the ages, Bags: A Brief History is a musthave resource for students, designers and lovers of fashion and costume.

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Maugham's studies of the lives and masterpieces of ten great novelists are outstanding examples of literary criticism at its finest. Afforded here are some of the formulae of greatness in the genre, as well as the flaws and heresies which enfeeble it. Written by a master of fiction, "Ten Novels and Their Authors" is a unique and invaluable guide.

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'A hell of a read' Sunday Times'Triumphant, and beautifully told...one of the best novelists writing today' Sara Collins, GuardianAll must gamble with their fate. But not all can win...In the city of Bath, in the year 1865 Jane Adeane, renowned for her restorative skills, is convinced that some other destiny will one day show itself to her.But when she finds herself torn between a dangerous affair with a female lover and the promise of a conventional marriage to an apparently respectable doctor, her desires begin to lead her towards a future she had never imagined...Discover the ultimate historical read. 'Terrific' The Times'One of our most accomplished novelists' Observer'One of my favourite writers' Nina Stibbe

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Discover the blazing debut novel from the Booker Prize winning author.'A crazy ambidextrous delight' Michael OndaatjeWhere is Pradeep S. Mathew - spin bowler extraordinaire and 'the greatest cricketer to walk the earth'?Retired sportswriter W. G. Karunasena is dying, and he wants to know.W.G. will spend his final months drinking arrack, making his wife unhappy, ignoring his son and tracking down the mysterious Pradeep. On his quest he will also uncover a coach with six fingers, a secret bunker below a famous stadium, a Tamil Tiger warlord, and startling truths about Sri Lanka, cricket and himself.'Bristling with energy and confidence' Sunday TimesWinner of the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature

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Qualifying as a doctor in 1815 at the tender age of nineteen, John Polidori was employed less than a year later by the poet, Lord Byron, as his travelling physician. The precocious medic was seemingly destined for a bright future that would enable him to combine his profession with a love of literature. In His Masters Reflection, the authors follow Polidoris footsteps as he accompanies Byron through Europe to Switzerland where they eventually meet the Shelleys and Claire Clairmont. Fulfilling his fathers prophecy, the fateful summer will prove to have a devastating impact on Polidoris life and legacy. Byrons keen wit and elevated status would leave the sensitive doctor feeling isolated and undervalued. Fuelled by acerbic comments from the poets friends, Byron finally releases Polidori from his contract, leaving the penniless medic to wander over the Alps on foot to Italy, his fathers homeland. Despite attempts at establishing himself as a doctor to the expatriate community, he has to admit defeat and return to England. Still harbouring literary ambitions, his one chance at fame is cruelly denied when The Vampyre, the story he had written in Geneva, is attributed to Byron. Gossip and retelling of events have cast Polidori in the role of a petulant plagiarist. Concussion from a riding accident deeply affected Polidoris temperament and behaviour, leaving questions surrounding his death, which history has recorded as suicide by prussic acid, despite the coroners verdict of visitation by God. The authors delve into his final years in an attempt to redress the balance. The handsome Polidori was more than just his masters reflection.

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