82ASK

A A Gill

Andrew Swanston read law at Cambridge, but was inspired to write by his lifelong interest in early modern history. His Thomas Hill novels – The King’s Spy, The King’s Exile and The King’s Return – are set against the backdrops of the English Civil War, Cromwell’s Commonwealth and the early Restoration respectively. He is also the author of Waterloo: The Bravest Man and Beautiful Star and Other Stories. His first historical thriller set during the reign of Elizabeth I – Incendium (published in paperback as The Incendium Plot) – introduced readers to the academic, lawyer and intelligencer Dr Christopher Radcliff, whose adventures continue in Chaos. Andrew Swanston lives in Surrey.

A D Swanston

A E Langsford

A G Hopkins

A. J. BAIME is the New York Times best-selling author of The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War and Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. Both books are in development for major motion pictures. Baime is a longtime regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Popular Science, and Men’s Journal. He lives in Granite Bay, California. Visit him at facebook.com/ajbaime and trumanbook.com.

A J Baime

A J Jacobs

A J P Taylor

Anthony James Pollard is a British medieval historian, specialising in the fifteenth century and in particular the Wars of the Roses. A leading authority in the field, he is profesor emeritus of Teesside University. His books include North-Eastern England during the Wars of the Roses, Richard III and the Princes in theTower, Imagining Robin Hood: the Late Medieval Stories in Historical Context and Warwick the kingmaker: Politics, Power and Fame.

A J Pollard

A J Rochester

A K Benjamin is a clinical neuropsychologist and the author of Let Me Not Be Mad: A Story of Unravelling Minds.

A K Benjamin

A. L. Berridge read English at Oxford, and taught for ten years before moving into television, where her production credits range from period drama and thrillers to long-running soaps. She has written two previous novels, Top Ten besteller Honour and the Sword and In the Name of the King. Into the Valley of Death is her third novel.

A L Berridge

Alison Gaylin's first job was as a reporter for a celebrity tabloid, which sparked a lifelong interest in writing about people committing despicable acts. More than a decade later, she wrote and published her Edgar-nominated first novel, HIDE YOUR EYES. 
 
She's since published nine more books, including the USA Today and international bestselling Brenna Spector suspense series, which has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony and Thriller awards and won the Shamus award. 
 
She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter, cat and dog.

A L Gaylin

A Maxwell-Hyslop

A McArthur

A P Wavell

A.S. Webb is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of Chaos, the first instalment of The Dark Pantheon Trilogy. She is inspired by stories rooted in history and mythology, that push the boundaries of imagination and urge us to reflect on what it means to be human.

A S Webb

A. A. Dhand is the author of six previous novels, and has been shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger Award. His DI Harry Virdee novels are currently being adapted for TV by the BBC. He was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired all his novels. For more information about A. A. Dhand and his books, follow him on X @aadhand, and on Instagram @aa_dhand.

A. A. Dhand

A. A. Gill

A. A. Milne

A. Anatoli

A. B. Poranek grew up sharing her time between Ontario, Canada and rural Poland, and eventually completed a veterinary degree at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. A lover of mythology and history, she enjoys exploring both in her writing. Her debut novel, Where the Dark Stands Still, an instant New York Times bestseller, is an ode to Poland's folktales, while A Treachery of Swans transports readers to a world inspired by 17th century France.

A. B. Poranek

A. Bradley

Professor A. C. Grayling is Principal of the New College of the Humanities at Northeastern University, London, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He has written and edited over thirty books on philosophy, history, science and current affairs. For several years he wrote columns for the Guardian newspaper and The Times and was the chairman of the 2014 Man Booker Prize.

A. C. Grayling

A.D. Miller is the author of Snowdrops, The Earl of Petticoat Lane and The Faithful Couple. Snowdrops was a bestseller and was shortlisted for many prizes including the Man Booker and the CWA Gold Dagger. It was translated into 25 languages. As Moscow Correspondent of The Economist A.D. Miller has travelled across the former Soviet Union and covered the Orange Revolution in Ukraine; he is now the magazine’s Culture Editor based in London. 
 
admillerbooks.com

A. D. Miller

A. E. Ellis

A. Humphreys

A. Igoni Barrett was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 1979 and lives in Lagos. He is a winner of the 2005 BBC World Service short story competition, the recipient of a Chinua Achebe Center Fellowship, a Norman Mailer Center Fellowship, and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Residency. His short story collection, Love is Power, or Something Like That, was published in 2013. In 2014 he was named on the Africa39 list of sub-Saharan African writers under 40. Blackass is his first novel.

A. Igoni Barrett

The short life of A.J.A. Symons (1900-41) was described by his biographer as an intricate and largely harmless confidence trick. His many interests included the collection of musical boxes and rare books as well as the study and practice of forgery; they left him time to edit an anthology of Edwardian verse and compose studies of H.M. Stanley and other notable figures. He is remembered for The Quest for Corvo, one of the most remarkable biographies ever written, and for co-founding the Wine and Food Society.

A. J. A. Symons

A. J. Liebling, born in Manhattan in 1904, joined the staff of the New Yorker in 1935 and contributed innumerable articles to the magazine throughout his lifetime, on subjects ranging from food to boxing and France to horse racing. As a war correspondent during the Second World War, he reported from France, England and Algeria, and participated in the Normandy landings. In later life he married the writer Jean Stafford, his third wife. He died in 1963.

A. J. Liebling

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John le Carré

Brought to you by Penguin. 
 
Penguin Audio presents a captivating collection of six John le Carré novels, each featuring the iconic character George Smiley. 
 
This collection includes the finest examples of le Carré's work, written between 1961 and 1979, and contains over 15 hours of unmissable drama. It includes captivating readings of his classic novels Call for the Dead, A Murder of Quality, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The Looking Glass War, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Smiley's People, performed by the author himself.Call for the Dead introduces George Smiley, a British intelligence officer, who investigates the suspicious suicide of a Foreign Office official, uncovering a web of espionage and deceit. In A Murder of Quality, Smiley is drawn into a murder investigation at a prestigious school, where he must navigate complex social dynamics to uncover the truth behind the crime. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold follows Alec Leamas, a disillusioned British spy, as he embarks on a dangerous mission to bring down an East German intelligence officer, with Smiley orchestrating the operation from behind the scenes. The Looking Glass War is a gripping tale of espionage and betrayal, where Smiley oversees a mission involving a former pilot sent to East Germany, highlighting the bureaucratic infighting within British intelligence. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy sees Smiley called out of retirement to root out a Soviet mole within the highest ranks of the British Secret Service, leading to a tense and intricate investigation. Finally, Smiley's People concludes the collection with Smiley returning to track down his nemesis, Karla, the Soviet spymaster, in a final showdown that tests his skills and resolve. 
 
This definitive collection is a must-have for fans of John le Carré and lovers of espionage fiction, offering an immersive experience into the world of George Smiley. 
 
© Call For The Dead - 1962 David Cornwell 
A Murder Of Quality - 1962 Le Carré Productions 
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - 1965 le Carré Productions 
The Looking Glass War - 1965 Le Carré Productions 
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - 1974 Le Carré Productions 
Smiley's People - 1979 David Cornwell 
 
(P)2025 Penguin Audio

John le Carré reads George Smiley

Six Stories including Call for the Dead, A Murder of Quality, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The Looking Glass War, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People

Brought to you by Penguin. 
 
Penguin Audio presents a captivating collection of four John le Carré novels from the 90s, showcasing his mastery of suspense. 
 
 
Renowned for his espionage novels, John le Carré captured the essence of Cold War tension, moral dilemmas, and the personal sacrifices of intelligence operatives. This collection includes the very best examples of his 90s masterpieces, written between 1993 and 1999, and features more than 15 hours of captivating drama. It includes adaptations of his classic novels The Night Manager, Our Game, The Tailor of Panama, and Single & Single. 
 
 
The Night Manager is a suspenseful tale where former British soldier Jonathan Pine is recruited by intelligence operatives to infiltrate the inner circle of a dangerous international arms dealer, leading to a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. Our Game follows the story of retired British intelligence officer Tim Cranmer, who is drawn back into the world of espionage when his former colleague and friend disappears, leading to a complex web of intrigue and betrayal. The Tailor of Panama is a darkly comedic espionage novel where British spy Andrew Osnard recruits a tailor in Panama to gather intelligence, resulting in a tangled mess of lies, deceit, and political manoeuvring. Single & Single is a gripping narrative that follows British lawyer Oliver Single as he uncovers the dark secrets of his father's business dealings, leading to a dangerous confrontation with international criminals. 
 
 
Please note: This content is abridged. 
 
 
©The Night Manager - 1993 David Cornwell 
Our Game -1995 David Cornwell 
The Tailor Of Panama - 1996 David Cornwell 
Single & Single - 2010 David Cornwell 
 
(P)2025 Penguin Audio

John le Carré reads his 90s Masterpieces

Four Novel Collection including The Night Manager, Our Game, The Tailor of Panama and Single & Single

Brought to you by Penguin. 
 
Penguin Audio presents a compelling collection of four John le Carré novels, highlighting his modern classics that redefined the espionage genre. 
This collection includes the finest examples of his contemporary classics, written between 2001 and 2010, and contains over 15 hours of unmissable drama. It includes captivating adaptations of his classic novels The Constant Gardener, Absolute Friends, A Most Wanted Man, and Our Kind of Traitor. 
 
The Constant Gardener is a powerful tale of love and conspiracy, where British diplomat Justin Quayle investigates the murder of his wife, uncovering a web of corruption and pharmaceutical intrigue in Kenya. Absolute Friends follows the story of Ted Mundy, a British spy, and his German friend Sasha, as they navigate the treacherous waters of post-Cold War espionage, leading to a dramatic and tragic conclusion. A Most Wanted Man is a tense thriller set in Hamburg, where a half-Chechen, half-Russian immigrant becomes the centre of a complex web of international intelligence operations, highlighting the moral ambiguities of the war on terror. Our Kind of Traitor follows British couple Perry and Gail find themselves entangled in a dangerous game of espionage when they befriend a Russian oligarch seeking asylum, leading to a thrilling tale of betrayal and political manoeuvring. 
 
 
Please note: This content is abridged. 
 
 ©The Constant Gardener - 2001 David Cornwell 
Absolute Friends - John le Carré 2018 
A Most Wanted Man - 2008 David Cornwell 
Our Kind Of Traitor - 2010 David Cornwell 
 
(P)2025 Penguin Audio

John le Carré reads his Contemporary Classics

Four Novel Collection including The Constant Gardener, Absolute Friends, A Most Wanted Man and Our Kind of Traitor

Brought to you by Penguin. 
 
 
Penguin Audio presents four gripping tales of espionage, written and read by John le Carre. 
 
 
This collection includes the finest picks of his espionage classics, written between 1968 and 1989, and presents more than 15 hours of thrilling storytelling. It includes captivating adaptations of his classic novels The Little Drummer Girl, A Perfect Spy, A Small Town in Germany, and The Russia House. The Little Drummer Girl is a thrilling tale of espionage and deception, where actress Charlie is recruited by Israeli intelligence to infiltrate a Palestinian terrorist cell, leading to a dangerous game of cat and mouse. A Perfect Spy follows the complex life of Magnus Pym, a British intelligence officer whose troubled childhood and intricate web of lies unravel as he goes missing, prompting a search that reveals deep secrets and betrayals. In A Small Town in Germany, set against the backdrop of Cold War tensions, British embassy staffer Leo Harting disappears in Bonn, Germany, with sensitive documents, leading to a frantic search that uncovers political intrigue and espionage. In The Russia House, British publisher Barley Blair becomes an unlikely spy when he receives a manuscript containing Soviet military secrets, thrusting him into a world of danger and deception as he navigates the treacherous waters of international espionage. 
 
 
Please note: This content is abridged. 
 
 ©The Little Drummer Girl - 1983 David Cornwell 
A Perfect Spy - 1986 David Cornwell 
A Small Town In Germany - 1968 le Carré Productions 
The Russia House - 1989 David Cornwell 
 
(P)2025 Penguin Audio

John le Carré reads his Espionage Classics

Four Novel Collection including The Little Drummer Girl, A Perfect Spy, A Small Town in Germany and The Russia House

Cast of Critical Role

Jess Barber

Martin Cahill

Rebecca Coffindaffer

Aabria Iyengar

Sam Maggs

Sarah Glenn Marsh

Rory Power

Nibedita Sen

Izzy Wasserstein

Kendra Wells

Liam O'Brien

In these ten stories, see the legendary adventuring party anew through the eyes of some of the most memorable characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina. 
 
Within its pages: 
• Shaun Gilmore reflects on the life he has chosen, as told by Aabria Iyengar. 
• Raishan, racked by a pestilent curse, plots to release the Cinder King from his fiery prison, as told by Rory Power. 
• Trinket the Wonder Bear accompanies the next generation of Vox Machina on their first adventure, as told by Sarah Glenn Marsh. 
• Plus seven more hilarious, heartbreaking, and heroic tales featuring Kaylie, Doty, Kevdak, and more! 
 
The adventure began in 2015 with a group of friends sitting down in front of a camera to roll some dice, bring their characters to life, and tell a story that would become immortalized in their livestream tabletop roleplaying game: Critical Role. What started as a humble home game eventually grew into a worldwide phenomenon that has touched countless people with its poignant, larger-than-life storytelling – and in that same vein, this collection celebrates the characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina but whose stories are yet to be told. 
 
Contributors: Foreword by Liam O’Brien • Jess Barber Martin Cahill • Rebecca Coffindaffer • Aabria Iyengar • Sam Maggs • Sarah Glenn Marsh • Rory Power • Nibedita Sen • Izzy Wasserstein • Kendra Wells

Critical Role: Vox Machina - Stories Untold

Various Authors

Step into the terrifying world of ghostly apparitions, grotesque monsters and terrible, creeping dread – but be careful, who knows if you'll make it out alive? 
 
This collection brings together ten of the greatest literary horror stories every written, from Mary Shelley’s iconic tale of a ‘body swap’ gone wrong, to Edgar Allen Poe's terrifying account of a great family’s downfall, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s chilling description of female subjugation. A treasure trove of scares and spooks, Classic Horror: An Anthology is a timeless celebration of all that curdles the blood and goes bump in the night …

Classic Horror

An Anthology

Naomi Novik

A thrilling anthology of short stories from the Sunday Times bestselling author of the Scholomance Trilogy and Uprooted, spanning each of her realms and including a sneak peak into the world of her next series. 
 
From the gothic, magical halls of the Scholomance trilogy, through the realms next door to Spinning Silver and Uprooted, and the dragon-filled Temeraire series, this stunning collection takes us from fairy tale to fantasy, myth to history, and mystery to science fiction as we travel through Naomi Novik’s most beloved stories. Here, among many others, we encounter:<ul><li>A mushroom witch who learns that sometimes the worst thing in the Scholomance can be your roommate.</li><li>The start of the Dragon Corps in ancient Rome, after Mark Antony hatches a dragon’s egg and bonds with the hatchling.</li><li>A young bride in the middle ages who finds herself gambling with Death, for the highest of stakes.</li><li>A delightful reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennet captains a Longwing dragon.</li><li>The first glimpse at the world of Abandon, the setting of Novik’s upcoming epic fantasy series—a deserted continent populated only by silent and enigmatic architectural mysteries.</li></ul> 
Though the stories are vastly different, there is a unifying theme: wrestling with destiny, and the lengths some will go to find their own and fulfill its promise.

Buried Deep and Other Stories

William Hope Hodgson

A manuscript is found. Filled with small, precise writing and smelling of pit-water, it tells the story of an old recluse and his strange home – and it’s even stranger, jade-green double, seen by that old man on an otherworldly plain where gigantic gods and monsters roam. Soon his earthly abode is no less terrible than this strange vision, as swine-like creatures boil from a cavern beneath the ground and besiege it. But a still greater horror will face the recluse, one more awful than any creature that can be fought or killed. 
 
The House on the Borderland, William Hope Hodgson’s great masterpiece of cosmic fear, is an extraordinary novel that defied all accepted conventions of horror writing, forging in an instant a new, weird direction for the form.

The House on the Borderland

Various

Sometime around the turn of the twentieth century, something happened, something... weird. In the dark halls of ivy-clad manors, in the ancient woodland escapes of New England, a generation of authors were inspired to radically reinterpret the horror and fantasy writing of the past. From the terrible plagues of Edgar Allan Poe to the religious terror of May Sinclair and on to the awful, tentacle-faced mythos of H.P. Lovecraft, this anthology celebrates the very best of this writing, a collection of brilliant tales that for generations have delighted and horrified.

Weird Fiction

Gabriel García Márquez

For the first time, the speeches of prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez are translated into English and published together in a collected edition. These writings span Marquez's entire life: from his earliest days, speaking as a teenager graduating high school, to his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize. Taken as a whole, this collection offers a unique and fascinating insight into Marquez's long career, highlighting his concerns and beliefs both as a writer and as a man. 
 
Marquez was beloved throughout his life and celebrated posthumously as a true literary genius. This collection of previously unseen material, written in his distinctively rich and expressive style, will appeal to any Marquez fan.

I'm Not Here to Give a Speech

Binyavanga Wainaina

Binyavanga Wainaina was a seminal author and creative force, remembered as one of the greatest chroniclers of contemporary African life. 
 
This ground-breaking collection brings together, for the first time, Binyavanga&rsquo;s pioneering writing on the African continent including many of his most critically acclaimed pieces, such as the viral satirical sensation How to Write About Africa. 
 
Writing fearlessly across a range of topics - from politics to international aid, cultural heritage and redefining sexuality - this is a remarkable illustration of a writer at the height of his power.

How to Write About Africa

Anne Youngson

'An extraordinary new writer' NINA STIBBE 
 
Six short stories full of colourful suspects and complicated motives by the winner of the Paul Torday Memorial prize for debut authors over sixty - perfect for fans of grisly mysteries set in the English countryside 
 
The village cleaning lady who holds everyone's house-keys opens a boot to find some unexpected baggage; a vengeful dinner party host serves more than just a roast to her six guests; hairdresser chat is not just idle gossip as an old man with a history gets a trim; driven to distraction by his new young wife, a man resorts to two grisly acts, in a gripping re-imagining of a famous Irish ballad. 
 
Ripping away the polite façade of small communities, these stories reveal the roiling emotions and frustration that can lead seemingly ordinary people to do bad things. Rich in compassion, pathos and humour, Anne Youngson offers us her dark take on human foibles, pettiness and rivalry in this sparkling, unputdownable collection.

The Six Who Came to Dinner

Stories by Costa Award Shortlisted author of MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM

Noam Chomsky

C. J. Polychroniou

Noam Chomsky examines the crumbling of the social fabric and the fractures of the Biden era, including the halting steps toward a Green New Deal, the illegitimate authority of the Supreme Court, in particular its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the ongoing fallout from COVID-19. Chomsky also untangles the roots of the War in Ukraine, the diplomatic tensions among the United States, China, and Russia, and considers the need for climate action on an international scale. 
 
Illegitimate Authority exposes those who wield power in their own self-interest and plots framework for how we can stand together and fight against injustice.

Illegitimate Authority: Facing the Challenges of Our Time

Love, literature, friendship, music, carnival, travel, dance, work, nature, food - Black Joy can be found in so many places. And this anthology is an invitation for readers to ruminate on what brings them joy, too. 
 
Edited by award-winning journalist Charlie Brinkhust-Cuff and up-and-coming talent Timi Sotire, join twenty-eight inspirational voices in this uplifting and empowering anthology as they come together to celebrate being Black British, sharing their experiences of joy and what it means to them. 
 
 
With incredible pieces from: 
 
Diane Abbott - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé - Fopé Ajanaku - Athian Akec - Travis Alabanza - Haaniyah Angus - Rukiat Ashawe - Bukky Bakray - Richie Brave - Munya Chawawa - Ruby Fatimilehin - Theophina Gabriel - Lauryn Green - Ife Grillo - Isaac James - Chanté Joseph - Vanessa Kisuule - Henrie Kwushue - Tobi Kyeremateng - Mikai McDermott - Jason Okundaye - Tope Olufemi - Melz Owusu - Leigh-Anne Pinnock - Mayowa Quadri - Lavinya Stennett - Timi Sotire - Sophia Tassew

Black Joy

Nora Ephron

A NEW, REVISED EDITION OF THE ULTIMATE NORA EPHRON COLLECTION, PACKED WITH WIT, WISDOM AND COMFORT, WITH AN INTRODUCTION FROM CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS 
 
'The perfect introduction to the iconic writer' STYLIST 
 
INCLUDING: 
 
* Nora's much-loved essays on everything from friendship to feminism to journalism 
 
* Extracts from her bestselling novel Heartburn 
 
* Scenes from her hilarious screenplay for When Harry Met Sally 
 
* Unparalleled advice about friends, lovers, divorces, desserts and black turtleneck sweaters 
 
 
'It's got a little bit of everything, from witty essays on feminism, beauty, and ageing to profiles of empowering female figures' ELLE 
 
 
*PRAISE FOR NORA EPHRON* 
 
'So bold and so vulnerable at the same time. I don't know how she did it' PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE 
 
'Nora's exacting, precise, didactic, tried-and-tested, sophisticated-woman-wearing-all-black wisdom is a comfort and a relief' DOLLY ALDERTON 
 
'Nora Ephron is the funniest, cleverest, wisest friend you could have' NIGELLA LAWSON 
 
'I am only the one of millions of women who will miss Nora's voice' LENA DUNHAM

The Most of Nora Ephron

The ultimate anthology of essays, articles and extracts from her greatest work, with a foreword by Candice Carty-Williams

The ultimate anthology

Three decades after her pioneering anthology, Daughters of Africa, Margaret Busby curates an extraordinary collection of contemporary writing by 200 women writers of African descent, including Zadie Smith, Bernardine Evaristo and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. 
 
A glorious portrayal of the richness and range of African women's voices, this major international book brings together their achievements across a wealth of genres. From Antigua to Zimbabwe and Angola to the USA, overlooked artists of the past join key figures, popular contemporaries and emerging writers in paying tribute to the heritage that unites them, the strong links that endure from generation to generation, and their common obstacles around issues of race, gender and class. 
 
Bold and insightful, brilliant in its intimacy and universality, this landmark anthology honours the talents of African daughters and the inspiring legacy that connects them-and all of us.

New Daughters of Africa

An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African descent

Under USSR rule, the subject matter and style of literary expression in Ukraine was strictly controlled and censored. But once Ukraine gained independence in 1991 its literary scene flourished, as the moving and delightful poems, essays and extracts collected here show. 
 
There are fifteen authors included in this book, both established and emerging, and in this anthology we see them grappling with history and the future, with big questions and small moments. 
 
From essays about Chernobyl to poetry about Robbie Williams, from fiction discussing Jimmy Hendrix live in Lviv to underground Ukrainian poetry of the Soviet era, WRITING FROM UKRAINE offers a unique window into a rich culture, a chance to experience a particularly Ukrainian sensibility and to celebrate Ukraine's nationhood, as told by its writers.

Writing from Ukraine

Fiction, Poetry and Essays since 1965

Rosita Boland

'My dictionary's first two definitions of 'comrade' are: 
 
A close companion. 
An intimate associate or friend. 
 
The third one is: 
A fellow soldier. 
 
My friends have been all those things to me.' 
 
In this stunning essay collection, award-winning journalist Rosita Boland explores the many friendships that have shaped her life. Surprising and beautiful, she writes about the imaginary friends of early childhood, books that have provided companionship and joy, kindred spirits met while travelling, the friend she hoped might become something more, and also the friendships that become lost over time. 
 
Life-affirming, affecting and wise, Comrades is a powerful exploration of what it is to live, to connect, and to be human in this world.

Comrades

A Lifetime of Friendships

Susan Sontag

The sixteen essays represent the last pieces written by Susan Sontag in the years before her death in 2004. Reflecting on literature, photography and art, post-9/11 America and political activism, these essays encompass the themes that dominated Sontag’s life and work, revealing why she remains one of the twentieth-century’s preeminent writers and thinkers.

At the Same Time

Why read non-fiction? Is it just to find things out? Or is it for pleasure, challenge, adventure, meaning? Here, in seventy new pieces, some of the most original writers and thinkers of our time give their answers. 
 
From Hilton Als on reading as writing's dearest companion to Nicci Gerrard on reading for her life; from Malcolm Gladwell on entering the minds of others to Michael Lewis on books as secret discoveries; and from Lea Ypi on the search for freedom to Slavoj Žižek on violent readings, each offers their own surprising perspective on the simple act of turning a page. The result is a celebration of seeing the world in new ways - and of having our minds changed.

Why We Read

Marcia Willett

'We'll always be together, won't we?' 
 
Childhood friends and cousins Leo and Alice had imagined their whole lives playing out on their beloved Devon beach. But one night when they are teens, sitting on the sand beneath the stars, Alice tells Leo a secret that must never be shared with anybody else . . . then packs her bag and flees. 
 
Leo is left to build his own life - without Alice. He surrounds himself with other family and friends and on the whole is content and fulfilled. But he is left with a sense of what - or who - is missing. So decades later, when he receives a note from Alice asking if she can come home, he doesn't hesitate to agree. 
 
But as the stars align and their reunion draws near, Leo is left to consider their separation and what so many years apart means for a relationship solidified in youth and a secret which could affect the whole family.

Starry, Starry Night

The escapist, feel-good read about family secrets

Ann Ingle

At 20 Londoner Ann Ingle fell madly in love with an Irish fellow she met on holiday in Cornwall. At the church to arrange their shotgun wedding she discovered that he hadn't even told her his real name. 
 
Sixty-odd years later Ann looks back and considers what she has learned from the life that followed - bringing eight children into the world, their father's years of mental illness and tragic death at 40, being a cash-strapped single mother in 1980s Dublin, coming into her own in her middle years - going to college, working and writing, and continuing to evolve and learn into her ninth decade, even as she accepts the realities of being 'old'. 
 
Candid about everything that matters - love, sex, heartbreak, money, class, religion, mental health, rearing children (and letting them go), reading and writing, ageing - Openhearted is a compelling story about living life in a spirit of curiosity and delight and with a willingness to look for good in others.

Openhearted

Eighty Years of Love, Loss, Laughter and Letting Go

Victoria Mas

'A darkly sumptuous tale of wicked spectacle, wild injustice and the insuppressible strength of women' EMMA STONEX, author of THE LAMPLIGHTERS 
 
'An essential story of women resisting the unjust exertion of male power' SUNDAY TIMES 
 
____________________ 
 
 The Salpêtrière asylum, 1885. All of Paris is in thrall to Doctor Charcot and his displays of hypnotism on women who have been deemed mad or hysterical, outcasts from society. But the truth is much more complicated - for these women are often simply inconvenient, unwanted wives or strong-willed daughters. Once a year a grand ball is held at the hospital. For the Parisian elite, the Mad Women's Ball is the highlight of the social season; for the women themselves, it is a rare moment of hope. 
 
 Geneviève is a senior nurse. After the childhood death of her sister, she has shunned religion and placed her faith in Doctor Charcot and his new science. But everything begins to change when she meets Eugénie, the 19-year-old daughter of a bourgeois family. Because Eugénie has a secret, and she needs Geneviève's help. Their fates will collide on the night of the Mad Women's Ball... 
 
____________________ 
 
'In this darkly delightful Gothic treasure, Mas explores grief, trauma and sisterhood behind the walls of Paris' infamous Salpetriere hospital' PAULA HAWKINS, author of A SLOW FIRE BURNING 
 
 'A beautifully written debut...I have absolutely no doubt it will be one of my favourite novels of 2021.' AJ PEARCE, author of DEAR MRS BIRD 
 
'Essential reading' COSMOPOLITAN 
 
 'A deftly woven tale of hope and pain, judgement and redemption, cruelty and kindness. Utterly captivating and profoundly affecting.' Sunday Times bestseller, MIRANDA DICKENSON 
 
 'Enter the dance of this little masterpiece and let yourself be dazzled. Assured of hitting the bestseller lists' THE PARISIAN 
 
____________________ 
 
AN AMAZON PRIME ORIGINAL FILM STARRING MÉLANIE LAURENT

The Mad Women's Ball

The prize-winning, international bestseller and Sunday Times Top Fiction selection

Deborah Levy

Following the international critical and commercial success of The Cost of Living, this final volume of Levy's 'Living Autobiography' is an exhilarating, thought-provoking and boldly intimate meditation on home and the spectres that haunt it. It resumes and expands Levy's pioneering examination of a female life lived in the storm of the present tense, asking essential questions about womanhood, modernity, creative identity and personal freedom. From one of the great thinkers and writers of our time, Real Estate is a memoir and a manifesto for radical emancipation - as an artist, as a woman, and as an inheritor of the real estate of the now.

Real Estate

Living Autobiography 3

A celebratory 20th anniversary edition of this landmark collection from black writers across the literary spectrum 
 
This ground-breaking anthology was first published twenty years ago, into a different literary landscape. Showcasing the work of more than 100 black British authors, this 20th anniversary edition celebrates their lasting contributions to literature and to our wider culture. 
 
Including poetry from Roger Robinson, David Dabydeen, Bernardine Evaristo, Jackie Kay and Benjamin Zephaniah, short stories from Ferdinand Dennis, Diana Evans, Catherine Jonson, E.A. Markham and Ray Shell; essays from Floella Benjamin, Linda Bellos, Treva Etienne, Kevin Le Gendre and Labi Siffre; memoirs from Margaret Busby, Henry Bonsu, Buchi Emecheta, Sol B. River and Leone Ross, and many others. 
 
IC3 spans a wealth of genres - from poetry, to short fiction, memoir and essays - to demonstrate the range and astonishing literary achievements of black writers, who remain underrepresented in British culture today. Featuring a new introduction from original editors Kadija Sesay and Courttia Newland, this collection reflects on the legacy of these writers and their extraordinary work.

The Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain

C.L.R. James

It is the 1920s in the Trinidadian capital, and Haynes' world has been upended. His mother has passed away, and his carefully mapped-out future of gleaming opportunity has disappeared with her. 
 
Unable to afford his former life, he finds himself moving into Minty Alley - a bustling barrack yard teeming with life and a spectacular cast of characters. In this sliver of West Indian working-class society, outrageous love affairs and passionate arguments are a daily fixture, and Haynes begins to slip from curious observer to the heart of the action. 
 
Minty Alley is a gloriously observed portrayal of class, community and the ways in which we are all inherently connected. An undisputed modern classic, this is an exceptional story told by one of the twentieth century's greatest Caribbean thinkers.

Minty Alley

A collection of rediscovered works celebrating Black Britain curated by Booker Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo

August Wilson

In Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the great blues diva Ma Rainey is due to arrive at a run-down Chicago recording studio with her entourage to cut new sides of old favourites. Waiting for her are the black musicians in her band, and the white owners of the record company. A tense, searing account of racism in jazz-era America that the New Yorker called 'a genuine work of art'. 
 
Fences centres on Troy Maxson, a garbage collector, an embittered former baseball player and a proud, dominating father. When college athletic recruiters scout his teenage son, Troy struggles against his young son's ambition, his wife, who he understands less and less, and his own frustrated dreams.

Fences & Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

As Consciousness is Harnessed to Flesh

Diaries 1964-1980

We are living in a particularly rich period for British short stories. Despite the relative lack of venues in which they can be published, the challenge the medium represents has attracted many remarkable writers. Philip Hensher, following the great success of his definitive two-volume The Penguin Book of the British Short Story, has been reading a vast trove of material and has chosen thirty great stories, written between the death of Princess Diana and the present day.

The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story

Emilie Pine

'I am afraid of being the disruptive woman. And of not being disruptive enough. I am afraid. But I am doing it anyway.' 
 
In this dazzling debut, Emilie Pine speaks powerfully from her painful personal experience - on the emotional labour of caring for her alcoholic father, on the unspeakable grief of miscarriage and infertility, on the social taboos around menstrual blood and female pain, on the ways young women use their own bodies as a weapon against themselves. Courageous, humane and uncompromising, devastatingly poignant and yet never self-pitying, these pieces investigate and challenge society's assumptions around pain, strength, resilience and identity, ultimately embracing joy and hope in the business of living.

Notes to Self

The year is 1Q84. This is the real world, there is no doubt about that. But in this world, there are two moons in the sky. Discover the 1Q84 Trilogy by Haruki Murakami.

1Q84

365 Days of Art

A BBC Christmas

A Black Book Thriller

A Box Full of Murders

A Cal Leandros Novel

A Christmas Mystery

The intelligent and capable police commissioner Guido Brunetti confronts crime in and around his home town of Venice.

A Commissario Brunetti Mystery

A DC Smith / Kings Lake Investigation Series

A Daisy Story

Chronicling the lives of over three hundred characters, unrivalled for its scope and humour, this is a unique evocation of life in twentieth-century England.

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