FXB Archives - Duckworth Books

River East, River West

9780715655627

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024
SHORTLISTED FOR THE STANFORDS FICTION WITH A SENSE OF PLACE AWARD 2024
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION 2025
FINALIST FOR THE MAYA ANGELOU BOOK AWARD 2024
LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2025

Shanghai, 2007: feeling betrayed by her American mother’s engagement to their rich landlord Lu Fang, fourteen-year-old Alva begins plotting her escape. But the exclusive American School – a potential ticket out – is not what she imagined.

Qingdao, 1985: newlywed Lu Fang works as a lowly shipping clerk. Though he aspires to a bright future, he is one of many casualties of harsh political reforms. Then China opens up to foreigners and capital, and Lu Fang meets a woman who makes him question what he should settle for…

A mesmerising reversal of the east–west immigrant narrative set against China’s economic boom, River East, River West is a deeply moving exploration of race, identity and family, of capitalism’s false promise and private dreams.

Beta Male

Sam Hunt is a confused modern male in his very late twenties. A work-shy, commitment-phobic would-be actor, he is beginning to worry that turning thirty might just be the last straw. Flatmate Alan, the sensible one, has just been proposed to by his girlfriend Jess, with his femme fatale boss looking on with a saucy gleam in her eye. Newly-dumped Ed spends his time tearfully watching ‘Sex and the City’ in a pile of his ex-girlfriend’s pyjamas and plotting his revenge.

Meanwhile unemployed doctor Matt embarks on a dubious bet with Sam to see who can be the first to ensnare a rich wife and enjoy a life of leisure… Are your carefree twenties a retreating memory? Are your friends discussing children and fixed-rate mortgages while you clutch your Xbox, sobbing? You’re not the only one. Beta Male is a riotously funny and painfully honest chronicle about friendship, masculinity, marriage and the beginning of adulthood.

Twenty Something

‘Twenty Something’ introduces us to Jack Lancaster, who, at only 25 is far too young to be having a mid-life crisis, but who’s going to have a pretty good shot at it anyway.

‘A tasty dollop of British wit’ Boston Globe

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We were over the moon to hear that The Escape from Kabul by Karen Bartlett has been shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing 2026! @theorwellprize

A gripping story of rescue, survival and female solidarity, 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.

Many congratulations to all of the other finalists too - what an incredible line up of urgent and powerful titles!

#orwellprize #politicalfiction

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We were over the moon to hear that The Escape from Kabul by Karen Bartlett has been shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing 2026! @theorwellprize

A gripping story of rescue, survival and female solidarity, 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.

Many congratulations to all of the other finalists too - what an incredible line up of urgent and powerful titles!

#orwellprize #politicalfiction

We have an amazing line-up of events with Charlie Walker for his new book On Thin Ice: An Explorer`s Memoir of Siberia, Surveillance and Survival.

Tickets are available now. See the link below or follow the linktree in Charlie`s Insta bio. https://www.cwexplore.com/events.html

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We have an amazing line-up of events with Charlie Walker for his new book On Thin Ice: An Explorer's Memoir of Siberia, Surveillance and Survival.

Tickets are available now. See the link below or follow the linktree in Charlie's Insta bio. https://www.cwexplore.com/events.html

Ahead of the release of his new book, On Thin Ice, Charlie reveals his Queen`s Park Quartet.

Books include:
- Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson
- Salt by Mark Kurlansky
- What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
- NW by Zadie Smith

Exclusive, dedicated signed copies of On Thin Ice are available to pre-order now with Queen`s Park Bookshop now.

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Ahead of the release of his new book, On Thin Ice, Charlie reveals his Queen's Park Quartet.

Books include:
- Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson
- Salt by Mark Kurlansky
- What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
- NW by Zadie Smith

Exclusive, dedicated signed copies of On Thin Ice are available to pre-order now with Queen's Park Bookshop now.

There`s so much love for In Green by @louis.d.hall

Out now in paperback in shops and online.

‘A classic adventure narrative in the vein of Patrick Leigh Fermor and Robert Louis Stevenson… life-changing’ Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment

`An awe-inspiring tale of adventure, grit, and the deep bond between man, horse and nature` Alastair Humphreys, author of Microadventures

`Vivid imagery... A terrific adventure story well told` Country Life

`Remarkable... this curiously timeless adventure, with its soaring highs and crushing lows, is never less than compelling` Scotsman

`An utterly enchanting debut – a new favourite book. I was riding side by side with the author, every step of the way` Antonia Fraser

`Surprising, gripping and unforgettable. What a fabulous debut!` Mel Giedroyc

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There's so much love for In Green by @louis.d.hall

Out now in paperback in shops and online.

‘A classic adventure narrative in the vein of Patrick Leigh Fermor and Robert Louis Stevenson… life-changing’ Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment

'An awe-inspiring tale of adventure, grit, and the deep bond between man, horse and nature' Alastair Humphreys, author of Microadventures

'Vivid imagery... A terrific adventure story well told' Country Life

'Remarkable... this curiously timeless adventure, with its soaring highs and crushing lows, is never less than compelling' Scotsman

'An utterly enchanting debut – a new favourite book. I was riding side by side with the author, every step of the way' Antonia Fraser

'Surprising, gripping and unforgettable. What a fabulous debut!' Mel Giedroyc

We are delighted to announce that Louis D. Hall will be appearing at Daunts Bookshop in Marylebone in conversation with fellow travel writer Charlie Walker.

Time: 19.00, Wednesday 27th May
Place: Daunts Bookshop, 84 Marylebone High Street
Price: £12.00 (including a glass of wine or soft drink)

The event will dig into Louis D. Hall’s brilliant debut In Green: a terrific travelling adventure in the style of Patrick Leigh Fermor, telling of Louis’s decision to fulfil a childhood dream inspired by Don Quixote – to make an uncharted journey on horseback. This really is a glorious piece of rich, romantic travel writing that takes the reader along old paths, into ancient villages, sharing rural homes and stables of farmers and shepherds in the Ligurian Alps, Pyrenees, Basque country and Galician coast, which also digs deep into the relationship between animal and human.

Charlie Walker will be interviewing. Charlie`s amazing new travelogue On Thin Ice: An Explorer’s Memoir of Siberia, Surveillance and Survival, will be released early, specially for this talk.

Get your tickets now: https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/events/louis-d-hall-in-conversation-with-charlie-walker/

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We are delighted to announce that Louis D. Hall will be appearing at Daunts Bookshop in Marylebone in conversation with fellow travel writer Charlie Walker.

Time: 19.00, Wednesday 27th May
Place: Daunts Bookshop, 84 Marylebone High Street
Price: £12.00 (including a glass of wine or soft drink)

The event will dig into Louis D. Hall’s brilliant debut In Green: a terrific travelling adventure in the style of Patrick Leigh Fermor, telling of Louis’s decision to fulfil a childhood dream inspired by Don Quixote – to make an uncharted journey on horseback. This really is a glorious piece of rich, romantic travel writing that takes the reader along old paths, into ancient villages, sharing rural homes and stables of farmers and shepherds in the Ligurian Alps, Pyrenees, Basque country and Galician coast, which also digs deep into the relationship between animal and human.

Charlie Walker will be interviewing. Charlie's amazing new travelogue On Thin Ice: An Explorer’s Memoir of Siberia, Surveillance and Survival, will be released early, specially for this talk.

Get your tickets now: https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/events/louis-d-hall-in-conversation-with-charlie-walker/

OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK

In Green - A Journey to the End of the Land by @louis.d.hall

`An awe-inspiring tale of adventure, grit, and the deep bond between man, horse and nature – a story that will stir the soul of every reader
who dreams of pushing beyond the horizon` Alastair Humphreys, author of Microadventures

In his mid-twenties, city-bound and restless, Louis D. Hall found himself uncertain. How to create a life he wanted to lead? Inspired by Don Quixote, he decided to fulfil a childhood dream – to make an uncharted journey on horseback.

After finding his horse, Sasha, in Italy’s Apennine Mountains, Louis set off and headed west. His destination: Cape Finisterre, ‘the end of the land’. For three weeks Louis and Sasha survived storms, snow, wolves and the untrodden partisan paths of the Ligurian Alps. But then a young woman arrived with her horse, Istia, and their solitary world was broken. Kiki, adrift with the death of her sibling, joined the journey, and the duo continued together.

With every step and every fall, the pair are forced to unfold and trust in their horses and, eventually, each other. Using old and forgotten routes, guided by strangers and nature’s clues, the travellers unravel into a wilder way of life; united by the mysteries of the horse, enticed by the illusions of adventure.

In Green is available in shops and online - get your copy now!

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OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK

In Green - A Journey to the End of the Land by @louis.d.hall

'An awe-inspiring tale of adventure, grit, and the deep bond between man, horse and nature – a story that will stir the soul of every reader
who dreams of pushing beyond the horizon' Alastair Humphreys, author of Microadventures

In his mid-twenties, city-bound and restless, Louis D. Hall found himself uncertain. How to create a life he wanted to lead? Inspired by Don Quixote, he decided to fulfil a childhood dream – to make an uncharted journey on horseback.

After finding his horse, Sasha, in Italy’s Apennine Mountains, Louis set off and headed west. His destination: Cape Finisterre, ‘the end of the land’. For three weeks Louis and Sasha survived storms, snow, wolves and the untrodden partisan paths of the Ligurian Alps. But then a young woman arrived with her horse, Istia, and their solitary world was broken. Kiki, adrift with the death of her sibling, joined the journey, and the duo continued together.

With every step and every fall, the pair are forced to unfold and trust in their horses and, eventually, each other. Using old and forgotten routes, guided by strangers and nature’s clues, the travellers unravel into a wilder way of life; united by the mysteries of the horse, enticed by the illusions of adventure.

In Green is available in shops and online - get your copy now!

On Thin Ice by Charlie Walker is available to pre-order now from @qpbooks.

Get your exclusive, dedicated signed copy now.

`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

https://www.welbooks.co.uk/shop/p/on-thin-ice-by-charlie-walker-signed

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On Thin Ice by Charlie Walker is available to pre-order now from @qpbooks.

Get your exclusive, dedicated signed copy now.

'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

https://www.welbooks.co.uk/shop/p/on-thin-ice-by-charlie-walker-signed

We`re thrilled that @dureamna`s A Splintering is a finalist for the wonderful @notabeneprize.

The public vote is now open, where readers can choose their favourite books from the finalists list. The book that receives the most votes will be the 2026 winner, so please go and vote, using the link here: https://form.typeform.com/to/chjd1sKC

The vote will close on 5th May at 6pm.

The Nota Bene Prize focusses on thought-provoking and relatable reads that have received organic, word-of-mouth recognition, guiding all open-minded readers towards acclaimed works of fiction that have been recommended by trusted, passionate, and notable readers.

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We're thrilled that @dureamna's A Splintering is a finalist for the wonderful @notabeneprize.

The public vote is now open, where readers can choose their favourite books from the finalists list. The book that receives the most votes will be the 2026 winner, so please go and vote, using the link here: https://form.typeform.com/to/chjd1sKC

The vote will close on 5th May at 6pm.

The Nota Bene Prize focusses on thought-provoking and relatable reads that have received organic, word-of-mouth recognition, guiding all open-minded readers towards acclaimed works of fiction that have been recommended by trusted, passionate, and notable readers.

Congratulations to @felicityspector!
Bread and War - her excellent book about the Ukrainian story of food, bravery and hope - has been shortlisted for Best Debut Food Book in the @fortnums Food and Drink Award 2026.

A wonderful achievement for a brilliant book.

The winner of the prize will be announced at 11am on Friday 1st May.

Find out more about the shortlists here: https://www.fortnumandmason.com/food-and-drink-awards-shortlist

Buy a signed copy of the book here: https://www.duckworthbooks.co.uk/product/9780715656242/

#FAndMAwards

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Congratulations to @felicityspector!
Bread and War - her excellent book about the Ukrainian story of food, bravery and hope - has been shortlisted for Best Debut Food Book in the @fortnums Food and Drink Award 2026.

A wonderful achievement for a brilliant book.

The winner of the prize will be announced at 11am on Friday 1st May.

Find out more about the shortlists here: https://www.fortnumandmason.com/food-and-drink-awards-shortlist

Buy a signed copy of the book here: https://www.duckworthbooks.co.uk/product/9780715656242/

#FAndMAwards

Happy Publication Day to @felicityspector and her wonderful book Bread & War, which is now available in paperback.

This is a journey through Ukraine; its mine-ridden, wrecked villages, repeatedly bombed cities, family kitchens and precarious small bakeries and cafes. Along the way Felicity shares meals with soldiers, travels supply lines with volunteers and is fed incredible food by army cooks, fine bakers and home-cooking heroes.

The extraordinary stories of just some of those people - refugees and restaurateurs - trying to rebuild lives and kitchens after years of bombing, shows a very Ukrainian determination to provide good food for a besieged people.

To get your signed copy, visit the Duckworth website, with 10% of each sale going to the @legacyofwarfoundation: https://www.duckworthbooks.co.uk/product/9780715656242/

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Happy Publication Day to @felicityspector and her wonderful book Bread & War, which is now available in paperback.

This is a journey through Ukraine; its mine-ridden, wrecked villages, repeatedly bombed cities, family kitchens and precarious small bakeries and cafes. Along the way Felicity shares meals with soldiers, travels supply lines with volunteers and is fed incredible food by army cooks, fine bakers and home-cooking heroes.

The extraordinary stories of just some of those people - refugees and restaurateurs - trying to rebuild lives and kitchens after years of bombing, shows a very Ukrainian determination to provide good food for a besieged people.

To get your signed copy, visit the Duckworth website, with 10% of each sale going to the @legacyofwarfoundation: https://www.duckworthbooks.co.uk/product/9780715656242/

All aboard! The new, fully revised edition of ‘The London Underground’ by Geoff Marshall is now available in a bookshop near you 🚂 🚂🚂🚂🚂

Absolutely stuffed with fun facts about every station the Tube has to offer - it’s essential reading for train enthusiasts, rail buffs and ferroequinologists! (your word of the day!). Or if you just like riding the Underground and want to impress your mates with transport trivia.

Grab your copy now!

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All aboard! The new, fully revised edition of ‘The London Underground’ by Geoff Marshall is now available in a bookshop near you 🚂 🚂🚂🚂🚂

Absolutely stuffed with fun facts about every station the Tube has to offer - it’s essential reading for train enthusiasts, rail buffs and ferroequinologists! (your word of the day!). Or if you just like riding the Underground and want to impress your mates with transport trivia.

Grab your copy now!

A debut author in her element 📖 ✍️

@libbythescribbler and @indiepublishermatt had a ball swanning around London bookshops signing copies of Spider, Spider and meeting the booksellers championing her new novel.

After getting their 20,000 steps in, they enjoyed a well deserved cocktail or two (or three???) to mark the occasion with editor @clare_bullock and agent @emilyglenisterbooks - dream team!

Special thanks to the bookshops who hosted us (and where you can buy signed copies)

@britishlibraryshop
@waterstonesgowerstreet
@dauntbooks
@hatchardspiccadilly
@hatchstpancras
@goldsborobooks
@wstonesoxfordst
@piccadillywaterstones

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A debut author in her element 📖 ✍️

@libbythescribbler and @indiepublishermatt had a ball swanning around London bookshops signing copies of Spider, Spider and meeting the booksellers championing her new novel.

After getting their 20,000 steps in, they enjoyed a well deserved cocktail or two (or three???) to mark the occasion with editor @clare_bullock and agent @emilyglenisterbooks - dream team!

Special thanks to the bookshops who hosted us (and where you can buy signed copies)

@britishlibraryshop
@waterstonesgowerstreet
@dauntbooks
@hatchardspiccadilly
@hatchstpancras
@goldsborobooks
@wstonesoxfordst
@piccadillywaterstones

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