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Becoming a Matriarch

Ebook: July 25, 2024
Hardback:
Paperback: July 25, 2024

Becoming a Matriarch

Helen Knott

Category: Memoir & Biography,

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER IN CANADA
A GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A CBC BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
CO-WINNER OF THE 2024 GEORGE RYGA AWARD FOR SOCIAL AWARENESS IN LITERATURE
WINNER OF THE 2024 JIM DEVA PRIZE FOR WRITING THAT PROVOKES
FINALIST FOR THE 2024 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S LITERARY AWARD FOR NONFICTION

All her life, Helen Knott has been surrounded by strong women. She has looked to the women in her family and the larger Indigenous community for guidance, absorbed their stories and admired their independence. But Helen’s path hasn’t been easy and when her mother and grandmother died within six months of each other, she drew upon lessons from her ancestors and the land to discover her inner power and refashion her future.

Exploring their struggles and her own with young motherhood, daughterhood, grief and sobriety, Knott offers an inspiring meditation on how we repair ourselves in the face of tragedy, trauma and injustice; on what it is to be a woman – and become a matriarch.

Reviews

  • 'A masterpiece of grief and joy, loss and rediscovery, flight and return, and, above all, a paean to the beautiful, eternal and all-encompassing power of matriarchy' Dr Gabor Maté, author of The Myth of Normal

  • 'Helen Knott tells the story of the women in her family pushing up against the boundaries of gender, race, and class, and shows us that another way of living is possible. Her sentences are poetic and dazzling – readers will surely return to them again and again' Billy-Ray Belcourt, author of A Minor Chorus

  • 'Vivid and lyrical, Helen Knott explores grief, love, addiction and recovery, as she navigates the story of a self. She weaves the inheritance of trauma with the inheritance of indigenous medicine to create a compelling narrative of healing and deep joy' Carmel Mc Mahon, author of In Ordinary Time

  • 'In this moving memoir, Helen Knott anchors the dream world of her indigenous ancestors to the harsh reality of being a matriarch in the modern world. Her writing weaves humour in between raw, visceral honesty – I couldn’t tear myself away from it' Priya Joi, author of Motherland

The Prisoner of Measham Hall

Ebook: October 10, 2024
Hardback:
Paperback: October 10, 2024

The Prisoner of Measham Hall

Anna Abney

Category: Historical Fiction,

1690. England is in crisis – the new protestant King William III has embarked on wars in France and Ireland, inflation is rampant and the price of corn is causing riots.

At Measham Hall, Sir William Hawthorne faces a predicament of his own: his loyal steward has died, and he must find another. His problems appear to have been solved when the charming Mr Goodwyn arrives with a mysterious letter of recommendation and takes up the post. But soon, to the rest of the household’s dismay, Goodwyn appears to have both Sir William and the estate dancing to his tune.

Meanwhile, Sir William’s heir, Nicholas, is in Ireland fighting against the Williamite troops. But Nicholas is playing a dangerous game as double agent, risking both his love and his life. When one battle is over, he must return to Measham Hall to fight another and defeat an old foe in a new guise or lose Measham Hall forever… 

Reviews

  • PRAISE FOR THE SERIES:

    'A great yarn [...] Recommended!’ Leonora Nattrass, author of Black Drop and Blue Water

  • 'A beautifully crafted work of historical fiction' AJ West, author of The Spirit Engineer

  • 'Immersive, with a cracking plot full of intrigue and tension’ Lianne Dillsworth, author of Theatre of Marvels

  • 'A gripping mystery full of intrigue with wonderful well researched historical detail. A real page turner with a brilliant twist!’ Clare Marchant, author of The Mapmaker's Daughter

  • 'A thrilling adventure exploring complex themes of loyalty, faith and gender… Both a tender coming of age story and a tense spy thriller’ Miranda Malins, author of The Rebel Daughter

  • 'Meticulously researched and alive with intricate period details to savour. I raced through it' Lucy Ribchester, author of The Amber Shadows

It’s Too Late Now

it's too late now a a milne cover
it's too late now a a milne cover

Ebook: July 27, 2023
Hardback:
Paperback: July 27, 2023

It’s Too Late Now

A. A. Milne

Category: Memoir & Biography,

In his classic autobiography A. A. Milne, with his characteristic self-deprecating humour, recalls a blissfully happy childhood in the company of his brothers, and writes with touching affection about the father he adored.

From Westminster School he won a scholarship to Cambridge University where he edited the university magazine, before going out into the world, determined to be a writer. He was assistant editor at Punch and went on to enjoy great success with his novels, plays and stories. And of course he is best remembered for his children’s novels and verses featuring Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin.

This is both an account of how a writer was formed and a charming period piece on literary life – Milne met countless famous authors including H. G. Wells, J.M Barrie and Rudyard Kipling.

Vet at the End of the Earth

vet at the end of the earth
vet at the end of the earth

Ebook: October 5, 2023
Hardback: October 5, 2023
Paperback: September 5, 2024

Vet at the End of the Earth

Jonathan Hollins

Category: Memoir & Biography,

The role of resident vet in the British Overseas Territories of the Falklands, St Helena, Tristan da Cunha and Ascension encompasses the complexities of caring for the world’s oldest land animal – a 200-year-old giant tortoise – and MoD mascots at the Falklands airbase; pursuing mystery creatures and invasive microorganisms; and rescuing animals in extraordinarily rugged landscapes.

Hugely entertaining and affectionate, Jonathan Hollins’s tales of island vetting are not only full of ingenuity and astounding fauna – they are also steeped in the unique local cultures, history and peoples of the islands, far removed from the hustle of continental life. 

Reviews

  • 'Delightful. This warm-hearted book makes you full of admiration for Hollins's spirit of adventure, and for his commitment to the animals he cares for' Daily Mail

  • 'There is much to love, with each chapter a vignette of island life… all against a backdrop of spectacular remoteness' Daily Telegraph

  • 'An amusing account of being a vet in the most remote settlements in the world... The author's bonhomie makes [for] an engaging read' Financial Times

  • 'A delightful, fascinating and entertaining book, ideal for anyone with a passion for the wild and natural world, and who dreams of escapism, adventure and challenge' Dr Hilary Jones, MBE

  • 'Entertaining… [Hollins] writes with wit' Daily Express

  • ‘A Great Veterinary Adventure set in the wilds of the South Atlantic – highly recommended!’ Gareth Steel, author of Never Work with Animals

  • 'Charming descriptions of a life well led on the fringes; vividly told with compassion and humour' Jonathan C Slaght, author of Owls of the Eastern Ice

Played in Germany

Played in Germany
Played in Germany

Ebook: June 6, 2024
Hardback:
Paperback: August 14, 2025

Played in Germany

Kit Holden

Category: History,

Beyond the booze and the bratwurst: what football really tells us about Germany

Germany is one of the world’s great footballing powers. Four-time World Cup winners, Euro 2024 hosts and home to clubs like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the country’s notorious winning mentality and vibrant fan culture are as famous as its beer and its cars. But if you look closer, what does the beautiful game really tell us about German history, culture and society?

Played in Germany takes us on a journey through modern Germany’s football heartlands in search of the issues that define it. Through the songs, stadiums and simmering resentments of football, Kit Holden sheds light on a nation so diverse and divided that the only thing that really unites it is the game itself.

From the author of Sports Book Awards-shortlisted Scheisse! We’re Going Up!

Reviews

  • 'Always passionate, sometimes rough and ready, football in Germany has avoided the bling that has so disfigured the sport elsewhere. Kit Holden has travelled across this enchanting, diverse and often misunderstood country to explain in vivid detail the unbreakable bond it has with the Beautiful Game' John Kampfner, bestselling author of Why the Germans Do it Better

  • 'An intimate portrait of Germany told through its football' Archie Rhind-Tutt, ESPN

  • 'Absolutely wunderbar! Kit Holden's book is remarkably enlightening about both German football and society. My favourite footy read of the year so far. It's indispensable for anyone who wants to discover more about one of the continent's great football cultures' Adrian Goldberg

  • 'A fascinating perspective not just on German football but on Germany itself, and a snapshot of a country in a state of deep flux. Immaculately researched and entertainingly written, Holden combines an evident affection for his subject with the clear judgement to critique it fairly' Jonathan Liew, Guardian

  • 'A great guide to Germany's football heartlands, Kit Holden wisely places the culture of the game in the contexts of the society around it: local and international, traditional and modern, political and personal. Played in Germany is a cracking read – fascinating and informative' Michael Wagg, author of The Turning Season: DDR-Oberliga Revisited

  • 'This is among the very finest books written about German football. In fact, to call it a sports book is to do it a disservice, such is the breadth of its coverage and the scope of its analysis of the country’s history and culture. A tremendous accomplishment and a terrific read' Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic

  • 'To fully enjoy German football, it helps to get an idea of what a varied and fascinating country Germany is. This engaging and insightful book is a perfect illustration of how events on and off the pitch have given each club a special character and identity' Kevin Hatchard, Bundesliga World Feed TV Commentator

  • 'Entertaining, engaging and full of fascinating insight. A captivating tour of a nation besotted with football. The perfect accompaniment to Europe's German summer' Daniel Gray, author of The Silence of the Stands

The Singularity Is Near

Ebook: February 11, 2010
Hardback:
Paperback: July 4, 2024

The Singularity Is Near

Ray Kurzweil

Category: Popular Science,

In his now-classic and hugely influential exploration of the evolving union of human and machine, world-renowned inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil foresees the dawning of a new civilisation where humans will transcend our biological limitations and amplify our creativity by combining our aptitudes with the vastly greater capacity, speed and knowledge-sharing abilities of Artificial Intelligence. This melding of human and machine is what he terms ‘the singularity’.

On the eve of publication of his latest book, The Singularity is Nearer, this new edition of the first instalment of his groundbreaking vision offers a fascinating and thought-provoking perspective on decades of innovation – and what still lies ahead.

Reviews

  • 'Ray Kurzweil is the best person I know at predicting the future of artificial intelligence' Bill Gates

  • 'Startling in scope and bravado' New York Times

  • 'Artfully envisions a breathtakingly better world' Los Angeles Times

  • 'Elaborate, smart and persuasive' Boston Globe

  • 'A pleasure to read' Wall Street Journal

  • 'Kurzweil is dazzling in his enthusiasm for things to come' Financial Times

How to Create a Mind

Ebook: February 28, 2013
Hardback: February 28, 2013
Paperback: July 4, 2024

How to Create a Mind

Ray Kurzweil

Category: Popular Science,

From the world’s preeminent AI futurist: a fascinating account of how mapping the human mind leads to ever more intelligent machines

Ray Kurzweil, described by Bill Gates as ‘the best person I know at predicting the future of artificial intelligence’, offers a provocative exploration of the most important project in human-machine civilisation: reverse-engineering the brain to understand precisely how it works and using that knowledge to create even more intelligent machines.

Kurzweil sets out how the brain functions, how the mind emerges from the brain, and the implications of vastly increased and evolving intelligence in addressing the world’s problems. He thoughtfully examines emotional and moral intelligence and the origins of consciousness and envisions the radical – arguably inevitable – future of our merging with the intelligent technology we are creating, aka ‘the singularity’.

Reviews

  • 'Kurzweil's vision of our super-enhanced future is completely sane and calmly reasoned, and his book should nicely smooth the path for the earth's robot overlords, who, it turns out, will be us' New York Times

  • 'Kurzweil foresees a disease-free world where no one ages and artificial brains make machines human-like - and he is not one to get things wrong' Daily Telegraph

  • 'Ray Kurzweil is the best person I know at predicting the future of artificial intelligence' Bill Gates

  • 'Kurzweil knows a lot about new technology and he knows how to make it sound fun. He is dazzling in his enthusiasm for things to come, and has a grasp of the exciting developments pulsing through the intersection of science and technology' Financial Times

Britain At Play

Ebook:
Hardback: November 9, 2023
Paperback: May 27, 2010

Britain At Play

Heath Robinson

Category: History,

In Britain at Play we collect the finest of William Heath Robinson’s studies of the unique British character. Here we find Britain in the garden, at the beach and on the golf course – the 9th hole played with the grim reaper, rotating sunbathing machines, a double cross tennis match ‘For economising space in local tournaments and generally gingering up the game’. Heath Robinson perfectly captures the peculiar character of the great British nation at leisure.

Reviews

  • ‘One of the 20th century's most prolific comic artists’ The Sunday Times

  •  ‘Genius ahead of his time’ Metro

  •  ‘Your absurd, beautiful drawings... give me a peculiar pleasure of the mind like nothing else in the world' H.G. Wells, letter to Heath Robinson (1914)

The Case for Nature

Ebook: May 18, 2023
Hardback: May 18, 2023
Paperback: May 2, 2024

The Case for Nature

Siddarth Shrikanth

Category: Popular Science,

The climate movement has gathered some pace but what about the other, inextricably linked crisis in biodiversity? A radically hopeful manifesto, The Case for Nature sets out with clarity how we can use groundbreaking natural capital frameworks – ways of valuing services that nature provides – to make our economies work with, not against, our living planet. Siddarth Shrikanth, an expert in green investing, introduces a host of nature-positive pioneers and, taking a cue from many indigenous worldviews, argues powerfully that nature must be woven into our societies, not set apart.

Reviews

  • 'Shrikanth provides clear and tangible examples of how to not only safeguard humanity’s future, but fuel economic growth and prosperity’ Al Gore, 45th Vice President of the United States

  • 'Shrikanth argues we cannot afford to succumb to what he calls “a false binary” between the intrinsic and the economic cases for nature… Shrikanth’s… central point that we need to urgently come up with smarter and more effective ways to tackle a surging natural catastrophe is undeniable' Pilita Clark, Financial Times

  • ’Eloquent, informed and inspiring: a must-read for all those who care about the planet’ Isabella Tree, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Wilding

  • ’A triumph and a vital resource as we move towards a world in which the intrinsic value of healthy, vibrant nature is recognised’ Ben Goldsmith, environmentalist and financier

  • ’A deeply engaging and insightful guide to natural capital, and a much-needed reflection on our relationship with the planet we love’ Alice Seiger, MD of the Stanford Sustainable Finance Initiative

  • ‘The natural world is disappearing at an alarming rate. Siddarth Shrikanth has written a thorough and heartfelt guide to the strategies that we might use to change course’ Henry Mance, author of How to Love Animals: In a Human-shaped World

  • ‘A powerful new book that argues that we can, and should, place the regeneration of nature at the heart of our economic thought and practice’ Julian Cribb, Co-founder of the Council for the Human Future

  • 'Fascinating and deeply informed, The Case for Nature offers a radically optimistic yet eminently practical new path towards tackling the twin crises of climate and biodiversity. Essential reading' Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice, Trinity College Dublin

  • 'The case that The Case for Nature actually makes is that there needs to be an economic argument—and economic incentives—for protecting nature, just as there is for climate action. Shrikanth’s prescriptions for actually achieving this are detailed and world-tested'  Prospect's 25 Nominees for Top Thinkers 2024!

Firebrands

Ebook: September 26, 2024
Hardback: September 26, 2024
Paperback:

Firebrands

Joanna Scutts

Category: Memoir & Biography,

In twenty-five witty and vibrant biographical essays, Firebrands introduces us to the brilliant and complex women writers that every discerning reader should know about

From Murasaki Shikibu, the Japanese author of one of the world’s earliest novels, and Christine de Pizan, a poet in the royal court of medieval France, to Harriet Jacobs, who drew the world’s attention to the horrors of slavery through her own experience, Firebrands explores the lives and works of twenty-five extraordinary women writers.

Joanna Scutts guides the reader through the centuries and across the world, hailing the fascinating lives and astonishing literary achievements of these women who dared to write against the odds. Brilliantly researched and fiercely uncompromising, Firebrands is a reminder to all of us to question what – and who – is considered part of the canon.

Reviews

  • 'Scutts' companionable and sprightly volume of literary women deftly questions the gatekeeping terms of the literary canon, delivering profound insights with a lightness of touch' Catherine McCormack, author of Women in the Picture

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