Newsletter Archive

2024

April – Contemplate the rise and fall of history’s greatest empires

March – How can we be good in a world gone bad?

February – ‘The blade must woo the wood’: Jenny Uglow reflects on the work of David Esterly

January – On pain, strength and mother-daughter relationships with Monica Macias

2023

December – An avid reader in the family? We’ve got you

November – Which Irish writers should you be reading?

October – The cow that got stuck in a tree

September – ‘Soon all of Europe will know our songs’

August – Forward, backward and forward again for women’s rights

July – The World’s Fair, Feminism and… the French?

June – ‘I have lived a pilgrim life’

May – Are we alone in the cosmos?

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Happy publication day to @ianmooreauthor! A Very French Corpse, the latest of his dark and gripping Loire Valley Mysteries, is out now in paperback, ebook and audio.

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The death of a 16-year-old, dressed as an ‘Immortal Knight’ and having taken a fatal overdose, proves a perplexing case in the ancient city of Tours. Juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard is brought in to lead the investigation.

When the adolescent’s death is followed a few weeks later by the gruesome murder of a firebrand author, Lombard senses a malign coercive force behind the two fatalities, one that succeeds in challenging his own loyalties and assumptions.

What is it that is nagging at Lombard, locked away in the past? What soon becomes clear is that this game is beyond roleplay. It is deadly.

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Happy publication day to @ianmooreauthor! A Very French Corpse, the latest of his dark and gripping Loire Valley Mysteries, is out now in paperback, ebook and audio.

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The death of a 16-year-old, dressed as an ‘Immortal Knight’ and having taken a fatal overdose, proves a perplexing case in the ancient city of Tours. Juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard is brought in to lead the investigation.

When the adolescent’s death is followed a few weeks later by the gruesome murder of a firebrand author, Lombard senses a malign coercive force behind the two fatalities, one that succeeds in challenging his own loyalties and assumptions.

What is it that is nagging at Lombard, locked away in the past? What soon becomes clear is that this game is beyond roleplay. It is deadly.

Coming this Monday (6th July) On Thin Ice written and read by @cwexplore will be the @bbcradio4 Book of the Week!

15 minute episodes, five days in a row. Don`t miss out!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002ykml

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Coming this Monday (6th July) On Thin Ice written and read by @cwexplore will be the @bbcradio4 Book of the Week!

15 minute episodes, five days in a row. Don't miss out!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002ykml

`The emotional heart of On Thin Ice lies in people’s reaction to the unfolding catastrophe of war... The book reads like a thriller. What a gripping film it would make.` @spectator1828

Wonderful review for On Thin Ice by @cwexplore!

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'The emotional heart of On Thin Ice lies in people’s reaction to the unfolding catastrophe of war... The book reads like a thriller. What a gripping film it would make.' @spectator1828

Wonderful review for On Thin Ice by @cwexplore!

We are over the moon with the news that The Escape from Kabul by Karen Bartlett @karenbartlett2014 has been awarded the 2026 Orwell Prize for Political Writing @theorwellprize

The Escape from Kabul is a gripping story of rescue, survival and female solidarity.

In the twenty years since 2001, Afghan women obtained legal degrees, became judges and set out to transform their country – tackling corruption, and reducing horrifying levels of violence against women and children. These educated and powerful women led the mission to build a modern democracy.

However, when Western forces withdrew in August 2021, the women judges of Afghanistan and their families faced mortal danger.

The Escape from Kabul is the never-before-told story of the escape of nearly 200 women and their families, thanks to a network of professional friends, female judges and lawyers from around the world, who refused to abandon them to the Taliban.

Here’s what the prize judges had to say:

‘It’s taut and crisp, and shines a light on a story that deserves attention. The plight of Afghanistan’s immensely brave female judges in the face of Islamic fundamentalism is a gripping tale - and Karen Bartlett tells it with deep reserves of empathy and compassion. The book is truly Orwellian in the most positive sense, and a richly merited winner.’

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We are over the moon with the news that The Escape from Kabul by Karen Bartlett @karenbartlett2014 has been awarded the 2026 Orwell Prize for Political Writing @theorwellprize

The Escape from Kabul is a gripping story of rescue, survival and female solidarity.

In the twenty years since 2001, Afghan women obtained legal degrees, became judges and set out to transform their country – tackling corruption, and reducing horrifying levels of violence against women and children. These educated and powerful women led the mission to build a modern democracy.

However, when Western forces withdrew in August 2021, the women judges of Afghanistan and their families faced mortal danger.

The Escape from Kabul is the never-before-told story of the escape of nearly 200 women and their families, thanks to a network of professional friends, female judges and lawyers from around the world, who refused to abandon them to the Taliban.

Here’s what the prize judges had to say:

‘It’s taut and crisp, and shines a light on a story that deserves attention. The plight of Afghanistan’s immensely brave female judges in the face of Islamic fundamentalism is a gripping tale - and Karen Bartlett tells it with deep reserves of empathy and compassion. The book is truly Orwellian in the most positive sense, and a richly merited winner.’

We won the @theorwellprize for Political Writing! Congratulations @karenbartlett2014.

The Escape from Kabul is the story of an international network of female judges and lawyers who evacuated women from Afghanistan as the Taliban retook the country.

A gripping story of rescue, survival and female solidarity.

Support your local bookshop and order your copy now.

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We won the @theorwellprize for Political Writing! Congratulations @karenbartlett2014.

The Escape from Kabul is the story of an international network of female judges and lawyers who evacuated women from Afghanistan as the Taliban retook the country.

A gripping story of rescue, survival and female solidarity.

Support your local bookshop and order your copy now.

Horse blood sausage 🩸

Charlie Walker reading from his travelogue On Thin Ice with a passage about adventures in Siberian cuisine.

Thank you to @pushkinhouselondon and the @greatbritainrussiasociety for hosting this event, expertly moderated by intrepid journalist @joelucbarnes

Grab a copy from your nearest independent bookshop today!

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Horse blood sausage 🩸

Charlie Walker reading from his travelogue On Thin Ice with a passage about adventures in Siberian cuisine.

Thank you to @pushkinhouselondon and the @greatbritainrussiasociety for hosting this event, expertly moderated by intrepid journalist @joelucbarnes

Grab a copy from your nearest independent bookshop today!

Tonight at the Frontline Club: Siberia, paranoia, war, propaganda, incarceration and a local take on blood sausage 😱

Huge thanks to Ash Bhardwaj for interviewing Charlie Walker for his new travelogue #OnThinIce, available to order in all good bookshops. If you believe in supporting independent bookshops, consider @primrosehillbooks who were our official booksellers tonight.

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Tonight at the Frontline Club: Siberia, paranoia, war, propaganda, incarceration and a local take on blood sausage 😱

Huge thanks to Ash Bhardwaj for interviewing Charlie Walker for his new travelogue #OnThinIce, available to order in all good bookshops. If you believe in supporting independent bookshops, consider @primrosehillbooks who were our official booksellers tonight.

It`s just over a week before @paradesendbooks welcome @cwexplore to talk about On Thin Ice: An Explorer’s Memoir of Siberia, Surveillance and Survival.

Charlie will talk about his book and his thrilling Siberian experiences, and there will be a Q&A and a chance to get a signed copy.

🗓Friday 19th June 2026
🕡 7:00pm
📍 Parade`s End Books
🎫 £5 - Available via the link in the Parade`s End Books bio or in-store

🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️

‘In early 2022, Charlie Walker set out to hike 600 miles along the frozen rivers of Siberia. He hoped to cut through the myth of the gulag and the permafrost to understand who its people are and how they reckon with their haunted past, as well as what the future might hold for this remote corner of our world. But on 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine, with devastating consequences. What had begun as an adventure swiftly descended into a paranoid nightmare, as Walker began to suspect he was being monitored by the Russian authorities. Shortly afterwards he was arrested and imprisoned.

On Thin Ice juxtaposes the harsh beauty of a Siberian winter with a thriller-like series of events that exposes the dark heart of Putin’s propaganda machine. It is both the extraordinary record of one man’s walk through the most inhospitable place on earth and a powerful insight into a deeply troubled – and troubling – nation.’

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It's just over a week before @paradesendbooks welcome @cwexplore to talk about On Thin Ice: An Explorer’s Memoir of Siberia, Surveillance and Survival.

Charlie will talk about his book and his thrilling Siberian experiences, and there will be a Q&A and a chance to get a signed copy.

🗓Friday 19th June 2026
🕡 7:00pm
📍 Parade's End Books
🎫 £5 - Available via the link in the Parade's End Books bio or in-store

🏔️🏔️🏔️🏔️

‘In early 2022, Charlie Walker set out to hike 600 miles along the frozen rivers of Siberia. He hoped to cut through the myth of the gulag and the permafrost to understand who its people are and how they reckon with their haunted past, as well as what the future might hold for this remote corner of our world. But on 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine, with devastating consequences. What had begun as an adventure swiftly descended into a paranoid nightmare, as Walker began to suspect he was being monitored by the Russian authorities. Shortly afterwards he was arrested and imprisoned.

On Thin Ice juxtaposes the harsh beauty of a Siberian winter with a thriller-like series of events that exposes the dark heart of Putin’s propaganda machine. It is both the extraordinary record of one man’s walk through the most inhospitable place on earth and a powerful insight into a deeply troubled – and troubling – nation.’

Happy publication day to @cwexplore and his new book On Thin Ice: An Explorer`s Memoir of Siberia, Surveillance and Survival.

`This almost insanely intrepid and dangerous trek in remotest Siberia is astonishing in itself. But it also brings invaluable experience of Russian reactions to the war against Ukraine. Altogether extraordinary` Colin Thubron, author of The Amur River

`I was hooked from the very first, chilling words. On Thin Ice reads more like a Soviet-era spy thriller than travelogue, full of derring-do, panache, but also – importantly – insight` Benedict Allen, author of Explorer

`A remarkable book... Walker is the best of guides: curious, honest, humble... It does what the best travel books should do, providing a unique and captivating insight into an utterly unknown world` Adam Weymouth, author of Lone Wolf

On Thin Ice is out now in all good bookshops and online.

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Happy publication day to @cwexplore and his new book On Thin Ice: An Explorer's Memoir of Siberia, Surveillance and Survival.

'This almost insanely intrepid and dangerous trek in remotest Siberia is astonishing in itself. But it also brings invaluable experience of Russian reactions to the war against Ukraine. Altogether extraordinary' Colin Thubron, author of The Amur River

'I was hooked from the very first, chilling words. On Thin Ice reads more like a Soviet-era spy thriller than travelogue, full of derring-do, panache, but also – importantly – insight' Benedict Allen, author of Explorer

'A remarkable book... Walker is the best of guides: curious, honest, humble... It does what the best travel books should do, providing a unique and captivating insight into an utterly unknown world' Adam Weymouth, author of Lone Wolf

On Thin Ice is out now in all good bookshops and online.

A whistle stop tour of London bookshops ahead of publication day for ON THIN ICE. A few of the very fine bookshops where you can find a coveted signed copy:

@qpbooks
@britishlibraryshop
@foylesforbooks
@piccadillywaterstones
@hatchardspiccadilly

Thank you to the lovely booksellers who hosted us today! 🙏 📚 ☕️

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A whistle stop tour of London bookshops ahead of publication day for ON THIN ICE. A few of the very fine bookshops where you can find a coveted signed copy:

@qpbooks
@britishlibraryshop
@foylesforbooks
@piccadillywaterstones
@hatchardspiccadilly

Thank you to the lovely booksellers who hosted us today! 🙏 📚 ☕️

Calling all explorers! We have an exciting event coming up at Waterstones Canterbury with @cwexplore and @joelucbarnes next week as we explore Russian from different angles with their books `On Thin Ice` and `Farewell to Russia`.

🗓Thursday 11th June 2026
🕡 6:30pm
📍 Waterstones Canterbury
🎫 Available via the link in the Elliott and Thompson bio

📖 Farewell to Russia
‘Brilliantly introduces us to faraway countries about which we should know more.’ — Tim Marshall

📖 On Thin Ice
‘This almost insanely intrepid and dangerous trek in remotest Siberia is astonishing in itself. But it also brings invaluable experience of Russian reactions to the war against Ukraine. Altogether extraordinary.’ — Colin Thubron

#FarewelltoRussia #AuthorEvent #CanterburyEvent #OnThinIce

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Calling all explorers! We have an exciting event coming up at Waterstones Canterbury with @cwexplore and @joelucbarnes next week as we explore Russian from different angles with their books 'On Thin Ice' and 'Farewell to Russia'.

🗓Thursday 11th June 2026
🕡 6:30pm
📍 Waterstones Canterbury
🎫 Available via the link in the Elliott and Thompson bio

📖 Farewell to Russia
‘Brilliantly introduces us to faraway countries about which we should know more.’ — Tim Marshall

📖 On Thin Ice
‘This almost insanely intrepid and dangerous trek in remotest Siberia is astonishing in itself. But it also brings invaluable experience of Russian reactions to the war against Ukraine. Altogether extraordinary.’ — Colin Thubron

#FarewelltoRussia #AuthorEvent #CanterburyEvent #OnThinIce

Happy publication day to Ian Moore! Death and Deja Vu, the sixth in his Times bestselling Follet Valley Mysteries series, is available now in hardback, ebook and audio.

Richard Ainsworth moved to rural France to escape, so being voted mayor of the small town of Saint-Sauver comes as a terrible shock. Fortunately bureaucracy has its benefits and he is shipped off to a health spa to recuperate.

The Esprit de l’Air is a world-famous venue on an island fort off the west coast of France, and was chosen specifically by his business partner and bounty hunter of international repute, Valérie d’Orçay. Richard should have been prepared then.

After a dramatic first night where a bizarre and unfriendly group of guests are pitched against each other, Richard’s film-historian mind wanders. Has he seen this all before? And when the first body turns up, he knows he has…

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Happy publication day to Ian Moore! Death and Deja Vu, the sixth in his Times bestselling Follet Valley Mysteries series, is available now in hardback, ebook and audio.

Richard Ainsworth moved to rural France to escape, so being voted mayor of the small town of Saint-Sauver comes as a terrible shock. Fortunately bureaucracy has its benefits and he is shipped off to a health spa to recuperate.

The Esprit de l’Air is a world-famous venue on an island fort off the west coast of France, and was chosen specifically by his business partner and bounty hunter of international repute, Valérie d’Orçay. Richard should have been prepared then.

After a dramatic first night where a bizarre and unfriendly group of guests are pitched against each other, Richard’s film-historian mind wanders. Has he seen this all before? And when the first body turns up, he knows he has…

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