Scott Pack - Editor

I teach on the Editorial Management module of their MA in Publishing, voted the #1 such university course in the UK. Essentially, I teach people how to become editors.

I joined The Friday Project as Commercial Director but was promoted to Publisher when the business was bought by HarperCollins in 2008. During my time there, books that I published were longlisted or shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize, The Folio Prize, the DSA South East Asian Literary Prize, the Gordon Burn Prize and the Green Carnation Prize. I also published books that won the Bisto Children's Book of the Year, the Thurber Prize in the US, and twice won the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize. 'Blood, Sweat and Tea' by Tom Reynolds was turned into the Channel 4 television series, 'Sirens', which was then adapted into a US series by Denis Leary.

Authors I published include Brian Aldiss, Andrew Kaufman, Kristin Hersh, Stewart Copeland, Julie Schumacher, Niven Govinden, Nikesh Shukla, Dr Benjamin Daniels, Dr Nick Edwards, Tom Reynolds and John Lenahan.

As Head of Buying for the Waterstones book chain I was in charge of the team that purchased new books for the 100+ bookshops across the UK and Europe and was responsible for delivering over £100m of sales every year.

Tips from a Publisher

Scott Pack

From a handy introduction to how the publishing world works, and how authors fit into it, to practical tips on writing your book, strategies for editing and re-writing, Tips from a Publisher is an indispensable guide for authors.Helping you create the perfect submission and telling you the truth about what happens once you get published, it is crammed full of common-sense advice, and some trad... read more

From a handy introduction to how the publishing world works, and how authors fit into it, to practical tips on writing your book, strategies for editing and re-writing, Tips from a Publisher is an indispensable guide for authors.Helping you create the perfect submission and telling you the truth about what happens once you get published, it is crammed full of common-sense advice, and some trad... read more

The Shadowmagic Trilogy

John Lenahan

A Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different. The complete Shadowmagic trilogy. Including Shadowmagic, Prince of Hazel and Oak and Sons of Macha. Shadowmagic is a fantasy adventure for young adults (although grown ups will like it too). Written by one of the most popular magicians in the country it brings a fresh approach to the genre and ... read more

A Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different. The complete Shadowmagic trilogy. Including Shadowmagic, Prince of Hazel and Oak and Sons of Macha. Shadowmagic is a fantasy adventure for young adults (although grown ups will like it too). Written by one of the most popular magicians in the country it brings a fresh approach to the genre and ... read more

The Aladdin Trial

Abi Silver

An elderly local artist plunges 100 feet to her death at an overstretched London hospital and the police immediately sense foul play. The hospital cleaner, a Syrian refugee and loner, is arrested for her murder. He protests his innocence, but why has he given her the story of Aladdin to read, and why does he shake uncontrollably in times of stress? Judith Burton and Constance Lamb reunite to d... read more

An elderly local artist plunges 100 feet to her death at an overstretched London hospital and the police immediately sense foul play. The hospital cleaner, a Syrian refugee and loner, is arrested for her murder. He protests his innocence, but why has he given her the story of Aladdin to read, and why does he shake uncontrollably in times of stress? Judith Burton and Constance Lamb reunite to d... read more

The Iron Chariot

Stein Riverton

‘The founder of the modern Norwegian crime novel’ – Jo NesboOn a blazing hot summer’s day, holidaymakers at a guesthouse on a Norwegian island are shocked to discover a fellow guest has been found murdered out on a desolate plain. The nameless narrator, an author, was the last person to see the victim alive; shortly afterwards, he was disturbed by a noise like ‘a rattling of chains’. A local t... read more

‘The founder of the modern Norwegian crime novel’ – Jo NesboOn a blazing hot summer’s day, holidaymakers at a guesthouse on a Norwegian island are shocked to discover a fellow guest has been found murdered out on a desolate plain. The nameless narrator, an author, was the last person to see the victim alive; shortly afterwards, he was disturbed by a noise like ‘a rattling of chains’. A local t... read more

The Exphoria Code

Antony Johnston

NEW SPIES. NEW RULES.Brigitte Sharp is a brilliant but haunted young MI6 hacker. When she decodes encrypted online messages, which she believes are connected to her best friend's murder, Bridge uncovers evidence of a mole inside a top secret Anglo-French military drone project. Forced back into the field by MI6, after three years deskbound and in therapy, she discovers that the truth behind th... read more

NEW SPIES. NEW RULES.Brigitte Sharp is a brilliant but haunted young MI6 hacker. When she decodes encrypted online messages, which she believes are connected to her best friend's murder, Bridge uncovers evidence of a mole inside a top secret Anglo-French military drone project. Forced back into the field by MI6, after three years deskbound and in therapy, she discovers that the truth behind th... read more

Mission: Possible

Ash Dykes

At the age of 23, Ash Dykes became the first person to walk, solo and unsupported, across Mongolia. His journey took 78 days and saw him trek over the Altai Mountains, the Gobi Desert and the Mongolian Steppe. It was an expedition filled with danger and extreme conditions. He almost didn't make it.A year later, Ash spent more than five months traversing the length of Madagascar via its eight h... read more

At the age of 23, Ash Dykes became the first person to walk, solo and unsupported, across Mongolia. His journey took 78 days and saw him trek over the Altai Mountains, the Gobi Desert and the Mongolian Steppe. It was an expedition filled with danger and extreme conditions. He almost didn't make it.A year later, Ash spent more than five months traversing the length of Madagascar via its eight h... read more

Jocasta: Wife and Mother

Brian Aldiss

A Theban adventure from the master of Science-Fiction, here proving himself adept at imagining historical worlds. Part of the Brian Aldiss Collection. In Jocasta, Aldiss brings vividly to life the ancient world of dreaming Thebes: a world of sun-drenched landscapes, golden dust, sphynxes, Furies, hermaphroditic philosophers, ghostly apparitions and ambivalent gods. Jocasta is also a strikingly... read more

A Theban adventure from the master of Science-Fiction, here proving himself adept at imagining historical worlds. Part of the Brian Aldiss Collection. In Jocasta, Aldiss brings vividly to life the ancient world of dreaming Thebes: a world of sun-drenched landscapes, golden dust, sphynxes, Furies, hermaphroditic philosophers, ghostly apparitions and ambivalent gods. Jocasta is also a strikingly... read more

You Took the Last Bus Home

Brian Bilston

You Took the Last Bus Home is the first and long-awaited collection of ingeniously hilarious and surprisingly touching poems from Brian Bilston, the mysterious ‘Poet Laureate of Twitter’.With endless wit, imaginative wordplay and underlying heartache, he offers profound insights into modern life, exploring themes as diverse as love, death, the inestimable value of a mobile phone charger, the u... read more

You Took the Last Bus Home is the first and long-awaited collection of ingeniously hilarious and surprisingly touching poems from Brian Bilston, the mysterious ‘Poet Laureate of Twitter’.With endless wit, imaginative wordplay and underlying heartache, he offers profound insights into modern life, exploring themes as diverse as love, death, the inestimable value of a mobile phone charger, the u... read more

The Pocket Cheerleader

Bangs Carey-Campbell

We’re living in the #InstaFit and #Fitspo era where fitness is more visible than ever. You can open up Instagram and watch minute-long videos of your fave fitness star’s workout or marvel at how perfectly they can execute a yoga pose on white, sandy beaches. But how does that translate to you getting off your ass and working out right now, today?The goal of this book is to take the focus away ... read more

We’re living in the #InstaFit and #Fitspo era where fitness is more visible than ever. You can open up Instagram and watch minute-long videos of your fave fitness star’s workout or marvel at how perfectly they can execute a yoga pose on white, sandy beaches. But how does that translate to you getting off your ass and working out right now, today?The goal of this book is to take the focus away ... read more

Dead Writers in Rehab

Paul Bassett Davies

When literary reprobate Foster James wakes up in a strange country house, he assumes he's been consigned to rehab (yet again) by his dwindling band of friends and growing collection of ex-wives. But he soon realises there's something a bit different about this place after he gets punched in the face by Ernest Hemingway.Is Foster dead? Has his less-than-saintly existence finally caught up with ... read more

When literary reprobate Foster James wakes up in a strange country house, he assumes he's been consigned to rehab (yet again) by his dwindling band of friends and growing collection of ex-wives. But he soon realises there's something a bit different about this place after he gets punched in the face by Ernest Hemingway.Is Foster dead? Has his less-than-saintly existence finally caught up with ... read more

Meatspace

Nikesh Shukla

The second novel from Costa First Novel Award shortlisted author Nikesh Shukla. 'The first and last thing I do every day is see what strangers are saying about me.' Kitab Balasubramanyam has had a rough few months. His girlfriend left him. He got fired from the job he hated for writing a novel on company time, but the novel didn’t sell and now he’s burning through his mum’s life insurance mone... read more

The second novel from Costa First Novel Award shortlisted author Nikesh Shukla. 'The first and last thing I do every day is see what strangers are saying about me.' Kitab Balasubramanyam has had a rough few months. His girlfriend left him. He got fired from the job he hated for writing a novel on company time, but the novel didn’t sell and now he’s burning through his mum’s life insurance mone... read more

All the Days And Nights

Niven Govinden

From the author of ‘Black Bread White Beer’. The East Coast of America, 1980. Anna Brown, a dying artist, works on her final portrait. Obsessive and secretive, it is a righting of her past failures; her final statement. John Brown, her husband and life-long muse, has left; walked out of their home one morning to travel cross-country in search of the paintings he has sat for. As their stories u... read more

From the author of ‘Black Bread White Beer’. The East Coast of America, 1980. Anna Brown, a dying artist, works on her final portrait. Obsessive and secretive, it is a righting of her past failures; her final statement. John Brown, her husband and life-long muse, has left; walked out of their home one morning to travel cross-country in search of the paintings he has sat for. As their stories u... read more

Joker Face

Steve Best

Stewart Lee has seen a ghost but doesn’t believe in the afterlife. Rob Beckett can peel a banana with his feet. Viv Groskop gave birth to a baby next to a dishwasher. What do you get when you combine unknown facts about some of Britain’s best-lovedcomedians with their favourite one-liners and candid, black-and-white portraits? The result is Joker Face , a hilarious record of the British comedy... read more

Stewart Lee has seen a ghost but doesn’t believe in the afterlife. Rob Beckett can peel a banana with his feet. Viv Groskop gave birth to a baby next to a dishwasher. What do you get when you combine unknown facts about some of Britain’s best-lovedcomedians with their favourite one-liners and candid, black-and-white portraits? The result is Joker Face , a hilarious record of the British comedy... read more

The Miner

Natsume Soseki

The Miner is the most daringly experimental and least well-known novel of the great Meiji writer Natsume Soseki. An absurdist tale about the indeterminate nature of human personality, written in 1908, it was in many ways a precursor to the work of Joyce and Beckett. The result is a novel that is both absurd and comical, and a true modernist classic.

The Miner is the most daringly experimental and least well-known novel of the great Meiji writer Natsume Soseki. An absurdist tale about the indeterminate nature of human personality, written in 1908, it was in many ways a precursor to the work of Joyce and Beckett. The result is a novel that is both absurd and comical, and a true modernist classic.

The Sewing Machine

Natalie Fergie

Over 100,000 copies sold'A tapestry of strong characters and accomplished writing' Herald ScotlandIt is 1911, and Jean is about to join the mass strike at the Singer factory. For her, nothing will be the same again. Decades later, in Edinburgh, Connie sews coded moments of her life into a notebook, as her mother did before her.More than a hundred years after his grandmother’s sewing machine wa... read more

Over 100,000 copies sold'A tapestry of strong characters and accomplished writing' Herald ScotlandIt is 1911, and Jean is about to join the mass strike at the Singer factory. For her, nothing will be the same again. Decades later, in Edinburgh, Connie sews coded moments of her life into a notebook, as her mother did before her.More than a hundred years after his grandmother’s sewing machine wa... read more

Nerve Endings: Selected Lyrics

Kristin Hersh

Since forming the seminal art rock band Throwing Muses while still in her teens, Kristin Hersh has been at the forefront of alternative music, acclaimed for her raw, visceral and poetic songwriting.Here, collected for the first time, are the lyrics to one hundred songs, curated by the woman who wrote them. From Throwing Muses classics like 'Bright Yellow Gun' to solo material such as 'Your Gho... read more

Since forming the seminal art rock band Throwing Muses while still in her teens, Kristin Hersh has been at the forefront of alternative music, acclaimed for her raw, visceral and poetic songwriting.Here, collected for the first time, are the lyrics to one hundred songs, curated by the woman who wrote them. From Throwing Muses classics like 'Bright Yellow Gun' to solo material such as 'Your Gho... read more

My Mother, The Bearded Lady

Miles Kington

A journalist, columnist, humorist and musician, Miles Kington began his writing career at Punch, where he created Franglais, a hugely popular fictional language, before going on to write a daily column for The Times, followed by the Independent. He wrote over thirty thousand newspaper columns in his lifetime, as well as contributing to countless magazines and other publications. When he died i... read more

A journalist, columnist, humorist and musician, Miles Kington began his writing career at Punch, where he created Franglais, a hugely popular fictional language, before going on to write a daily column for The Times, followed by the Independent. He wrote over thirty thousand newspaper columns in his lifetime, as well as contributing to countless magazines and other publications. When he died i... read more

A Long Shadow

Caroline Kington

‘Brilliantly weaves the past with the present...I couldn’t put it down’ – Joanna LumleyWhen farmer Dan Maddicott is found shot dead in one of his fields, he leaves behind a young family and a farm deep in debt. Although the coroner records accidental death, village rumours suggest he has taken his own life so that the insurance payout can save his family from ruin.Dan’s wife, Kate, refuses to ... read more

‘Brilliantly weaves the past with the present...I couldn’t put it down’ – Joanna LumleyWhen farmer Dan Maddicott is found shot dead in one of his fields, he leaves behind a young family and a farm deep in debt. Although the coroner records accidental death, village rumours suggest he has taken his own life so that the insurance payout can save his family from ruin.Dan’s wife, Kate, refuses to ... read more

Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? 200 birds, 12 months, 1 lapsed birdwatcher

Lev Parikian

At twelve years old, Lev Parikian was an avid birdwatcher. He was also a fraud, a liar and a cheat. Those lists of birds seen and ticked off? Lies. One hundred and thirty species? More like sixty.Then, when he turned fifty, he decided to right his childhood wrongs. He would go birdwatching again. He would not lie. He would aim to see two hundred species of British bird in a year.Why Do Birds S... read more

At twelve years old, Lev Parikian was an avid birdwatcher. He was also a fraud, a liar and a cheat. Those lists of birds seen and ticked off? Lies. One hundred and thirty species? More like sixty.Then, when he turned fifty, he decided to right his childhood wrongs. He would go birdwatching again. He would not lie. He would aim to see two hundred species of British bird in a year.Why Do Birds S... read more

Oh, I Do Like To Be...

Marie Phillips

Shakespeare clone and would-be playwright Billy has just arrived in an English seaside town with his sister Sally, who was cloned from a hair found on the back of a bus seat. All Billy wants is a cheap B&B, an ice cream and a huge hit in the West End. Little does he know that their fellow clones Bill and Sal are also residents of this town. Things are about to get confusing – cue professional ... read more

Shakespeare clone and would-be playwright Billy has just arrived in an English seaside town with his sister Sally, who was cloned from a hair found on the back of a bus seat. All Billy wants is a cheap B&B, an ice cream and a huge hit in the West End. Little does he know that their fellow clones Bill and Sal are also residents of this town. Things are about to get confusing – cue professional ... read more

The Long, Long Road to Wembley

Dave Roberts

“Every football fan will enjoy this” – John Cross, Daily Mirror“Beautifully written. A book to lift the spirits.” – Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail “A heart-rending, life-affirming joy” – Charlie Connelly, bestselling author of Attention All Shipping“Reminds us what the game is really all about” – Miguel Delaney, Independent"A life-affirming tale of never losing faith in your team." – Adam Hurrey, Dai... read more

“Every football fan will enjoy this” – John Cross, Daily Mirror“Beautifully written. A book to lift the spirits.” – Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail “A heart-rending, life-affirming joy” – Charlie Connelly, bestselling author of Attention All Shipping“Reminds us what the game is really all about” – Miguel Delaney, Independent"A life-affirming tale of never losing faith in your team." – Adam Hurrey, Dai... read more

Agrippina

Emma Southon

They said she was a tyrant, a murderer, and "the most wicked woman in history." She kicked her way into the male spaces of politics and demanded to be recognised as an equal and an leader. For her audacity, she was murdered by her son and reviled by history. She was the sister, niece, wife and mother of emperors. She was an empress in her own right. And she was a nuanced, fearless trail-blazer... read more

They said she was a tyrant, a murderer, and "the most wicked woman in history." She kicked her way into the male spaces of politics and demanded to be recognised as an equal and an leader. For her audacity, she was murdered by her son and reviled by history. She was the sister, niece, wife and mother of emperors. She was an empress in her own right. And she was a nuanced, fearless trail-blazer... read more

When the Professor Got Stuck in the Snow

Dan Rhodes

Everybody at the Women’s Institute in the village of Upper Bottom is eagerly awaiting the arrival of a very special guest speaker: the world famous evolutionary biologist Professor Richard Dawkins. But with a blizzard setting in, their visitor finds himself trapped in the nearby town of Market Horten, with no choice but to take lodgings with the local Anglican vicar. Will the professor be able... read more

Everybody at the Women’s Institute in the village of Upper Bottom is eagerly awaiting the arrival of a very special guest speaker: the world famous evolutionary biologist Professor Richard Dawkins. But with a blizzard setting in, their visitor finds himself trapped in the nearby town of Market Horten, with no choice but to take lodgings with the local Anglican vicar. Will the professor be able... read more

With a Zero at its Heart

Charles Lambert

24 themed chapters. Each with 10 numbered paragraphs. Each paragraph with precisely 120 words. The sum of a life. In his beautiful and haunting new book, Charles Lambert explores the fragmentary nature of memory, how the piecing together of short recollections can reveal a greater narrative. Through chapters tackling elemental themes such as Sex, Death, and Money, Lambert assembles the narrato... read more

24 themed chapters. Each with 10 numbered paragraphs. Each paragraph with precisely 120 words. The sum of a life. In his beautiful and haunting new book, Charles Lambert explores the fragmentary nature of memory, how the piecing together of short recollections can reveal a greater narrative. Through chapters tackling elemental themes such as Sex, Death, and Money, Lambert assembles the narrato... read more

Shoeless Joe

W. P. Kinsella

The book that inspired the movie Field of Dreams. The voice of a baseball announcer tells the Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella: "If you build it, he will come." "He" is Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ray's hero. "It" is a baseball stadium which Ray carves out of his cornfield. Like the movie FIELD OF DREAMS that was made from this novel, SHOELESS JOE is about baseball. But it's also about love and the power of... read more

The book that inspired the movie Field of Dreams. The voice of a baseball announcer tells the Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella: "If you build it, he will come." "He" is Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ray's hero. "It" is a baseball stadium which Ray carves out of his cornfield. Like the movie FIELD OF DREAMS that was made from this novel, SHOELESS JOE is about baseball. But it's also about love and the power of... read more

Birdy

William Wharton

An extraordinary story of war and friendship from one of America’s most revered authors of the 20th Century Two teenagers form an unlikely friendship in pre-War Philadelphia. Al is obsessed with lifting weights, looking good and chasing girls. Birdy is obsessed with flight. Birdy’s passion becomes all-encompassing. Birdy wants to fly. A few years later these young men find themselves emotional... read more

An extraordinary story of war and friendship from one of America’s most revered authors of the 20th Century Two teenagers form an unlikely friendship in pre-War Philadelphia. Al is obsessed with lifting weights, looking good and chasing girls. Birdy is obsessed with flight. Birdy’s passion becomes all-encompassing. Birdy wants to fly. A few years later these young men find themselves emotional... read more

Strange Things Happen: A life with The Police, polo and pygmies

Stewart Copeland

A remarkable memoir from the legendary drummer with The Police. Stewart Copeland is a genuine rock legend. As the drummer with The Police he was part of the biggest rock band in the world. They sold over 50 million records, won 2 Brits and 6 Grammys and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. When they reformed in 2007 they played to nearly 4 million fans on a record-breaking world to... read more

A remarkable memoir from the legendary drummer with The Police. Stewart Copeland is a genuine rock legend. As the drummer with The Police he was part of the biggest rock band in the world. They sold over 50 million records, won 2 Brits and 6 Grammys and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. When they reformed in 2007 they played to nearly 4 million fans on a record-breaking world to... read more

The Kip Brothers

Jules Verne

One of Jules Verne’s final novels, The Kip Brothers is part naval adventure, part crime thriller. Inspired by real-life events, it tells the story of a merchant ship on an ill-fated voyage around New Zealand in the late nineteenth century.When a gang of roguish sailors are thwarted in their attempt to mutiny, they concoct a murderous scheme to evade justice and take revenge on the castaways wh... read more

One of Jules Verne’s final novels, The Kip Brothers is part naval adventure, part crime thriller. Inspired by real-life events, it tells the story of a merchant ship on an ill-fated voyage around New Zealand in the late nineteenth century.When a gang of roguish sailors are thwarted in their attempt to mutiny, they concoct a murderous scheme to evade justice and take revenge on the castaways wh... read more

Georgie and Elsa: Jorge Luis Borges and His Wife: The Untold Story

Norman Thomas di Giovanni

A biography of Borges, by his translator. Jorge Luis Borges, known as Georgie to his friends, married Elsa Astete Millán in 1967. Borges was sixty-eight years old at the time of the wedding; Elsa, a widow,with a son in his twenties, was eleven years younger. It proved to be a tempestuous and eventful marriage that would leave an indelible mark on the remainder of Borges’ life, but their relati... read more

A biography of Borges, by his translator. Jorge Luis Borges, known as Georgie to his friends, married Elsa Astete Millán in 1967. Borges was sixty-eight years old at the time of the wedding; Elsa, a widow,with a son in his twenties, was eleven years younger. It proved to be a tempestuous and eventful marriage that would leave an indelible mark on the remainder of Borges’ life, but their relati... read more

The Scottish Boy

Alex de Campi

1333. Edward III is at war with Scotland. Nineteen-year-old Sir Harry de Lyon yearns to prove himself, and jumps at the chance when a powerful English baron, William Montagu, invites him on a secret mission with a dozen elite knights. They ride north, to a crumbling Scottish keep, capturing the feral, half-starved boy within and putting the other inhabitants to the sword.But nobody knows why t... read more

1333. Edward III is at war with Scotland. Nineteen-year-old Sir Harry de Lyon yearns to prove himself, and jumps at the chance when a powerful English baron, William Montagu, invites him on a secret mission with a dozen elite knights. They ride north, to a crumbling Scottish keep, capturing the feral, half-starved boy within and putting the other inhabitants to the sword.But nobody knows why t... read more

The Tempus Project

Antony Johnston

Forget about Lisbeth Salander... here comes Brigitte SharpIn The Exphoria Code, MI6 officer and elite hacker Brigitte Sharp foiled a terror attack on London that used stolen military drone software to deliver a ‘dirty bomb’.Now Bridge is back, battling a series of hacks and ransom-ware attacks, masterminded by a hacker known only as ‘Tempus’, who is targeting politicians and government officia... read more

Forget about Lisbeth Salander... here comes Brigitte SharpIn The Exphoria Code, MI6 officer and elite hacker Brigitte Sharp foiled a terror attack on London that used stolen military drone software to deliver a ‘dirty bomb’.Now Bridge is back, battling a series of hacks and ransom-ware attacks, masterminded by a hacker known only as ‘Tempus’, who is targeting politicians and government officia... read more

Supertoys Trilogy

Brian Aldiss

For the first time ever all three Suptertoys stories are collected in one essential volume. Featuring one of Brian Aldiss’ most renowned works, ‘Supertoys Last All Summer Long’, which was adapted into the 2001 film ‘A.I.’ directed by Steven Spielberg. David is just a little boy, a little boy who loves his mother and his teddy bear. David wants to make his mother happy, and tell her he loves he... read more

For the first time ever all three Suptertoys stories are collected in one essential volume. Featuring one of Brian Aldiss’ most renowned works, ‘Supertoys Last All Summer Long’, which was adapted into the 2001 film ‘A.I.’ directed by Steven Spielberg. David is just a little boy, a little boy who loves his mother and his teddy bear. David wants to make his mother happy, and tell her he loves he... read more

Please Do Not Ask for Mercy as a Refusal Often Offends

Paul Bassett Davies

A darkly comic dystopian crime novelDetective Kilroy is assigned to investigate a horrible murder. He’s a fine cop, from the brim of his hat to the soles of his brogues, but his inquiries, far from solving the mystery, lead him into a deeper one – and to Cynthia, an enigmatic woman with a secret that could overturn Kilroy’s entire world.But where is this world? It seems both familiar and uncan... read more

A darkly comic dystopian crime novelDetective Kilroy is assigned to investigate a horrible murder. He’s a fine cop, from the brim of his hat to the soles of his brogues, but his inquiries, far from solving the mystery, lead him into a deeper one – and to Cynthia, an enigmatic woman with a secret that could overturn Kilroy’s entire world.But where is this world? It seems both familiar and uncan... read more

The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke

Tina Makereti

James Pōneke is a young Māori orphan, raised by missionaries, with a burning desire to travel and explore the world. When an English artist on a tour of New Zealand invites James to return home with him, the boy eagerly accepts and agrees to become a living exhibit at the artist’s London show.By day, James dresses in full tribal outfit, being stared at, prodded and examined by paying visitors.... read more

James Pōneke is a young Māori orphan, raised by missionaries, with a burning desire to travel and explore the world. When an English artist on a tour of New Zealand invites James to return home with him, the boy eagerly accepts and agrees to become a living exhibit at the artist’s London show.By day, James dresses in full tribal outfit, being stared at, prodded and examined by paying visitors.... read more

Wolf Country

Tunde Farrand

London, 2050. The socio-economic crisis of recent decades is over and consumerism is thriving.Ownership of land outside the city is the preserve of a tiny elite, and the rest of the population must spend to earn a Right to Reside. Ageing has been abolished thanks to a radical new approach, replacing retirement with blissful euthanasia at a Dignitorium.When architect Philip goes missing, his wi... read more

London, 2050. The socio-economic crisis of recent decades is over and consumerism is thriving.Ownership of land outside the city is the preserve of a tiny elite, and the rest of the population must spend to earn a Right to Reside. Ageing has been abolished thanks to a radical new approach, replacing retirement with blissful euthanasia at a Dignitorium.When architect Philip goes missing, his wi... read more

Marrow Jam

Susan A. King

'As addictive & glorious as a scrumptious cream tea' NICOLA MAY, author of The Corner Shop in Cockleberry BayMURDER, MYSTERY...AND MARROWSSome people would describe Beattie Bramshaw as a pillar of the community. Many would applaud her numerous successes in the bakery competition at the annual village show. A small number might say, if pushed, that they find her a little on the bossy side. And ... read more

'As addictive & glorious as a scrumptious cream tea' NICOLA MAY, author of The Corner Shop in Cockleberry BayMURDER, MYSTERY...AND MARROWSSome people would describe Beattie Bramshaw as a pillar of the community. Many would applaud her numerous successes in the bakery competition at the annual village show. A small number might say, if pushed, that they find her a little on the bossy side. And ... read more

Whatever You Are is Beautiful

Richard Blandford

>'Terrific... fresh, funny, surprising and – oh yes – heroic' JOHN HIGGS, author of The Future Starts Here'A standout book of the decade' TIM EWINS, author of We Are Animals'Imaginative, entertaining and thought-provoking' CHARLES LAMBERT, author of The Children's HomeA mysterious illness, called HEROS, is sweeping America. It changes those afflicted, stage by stage, into super-powered costume... read more

>'Terrific... fresh, funny, surprising and – oh yes – heroic' JOHN HIGGS, author of The Future Starts Here'A standout book of the decade' TIM EWINS, author of We Are Animals'Imaginative, entertaining and thought-provoking' CHARLES LAMBERT, author of The Children's HomeA mysterious illness, called HEROS, is sweeping America. It changes those afflicted, stage by stage, into super-powered costume... read more

Appius and Virginia

G.E. Trevelyan

A REDISCOVERED WORK BY ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING NOVELISTS OF THE 1930S‘One of the most important novelists of our day’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT (1938)Virginia Hutton embarks upon an experiment. She will take an ape and raise it as a human child.She purchases an infant orangutan and names him Appius. She clothes him, feeds him, and puts him to bed in a cot every night. As Appius grows older, s... read more

A REDISCOVERED WORK BY ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING NOVELISTS OF THE 1930S‘One of the most important novelists of our day’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT (1938)Virginia Hutton embarks upon an experiment. She will take an ape and raise it as a human child.She purchases an infant orangutan and names him Appius. She clothes him, feeds him, and puts him to bed in a cot every night. As Appius grows older, s... read more

The Atomics

Paul Maunder

A GOTHIC STORY OF MADNESS, REVENGE AND URANIUM-235Midsummer, 1968. When Frank Banner and his wife Gail move to the Suffolk coast to work at a newly built nuclear power station, they are hoping to leave violence and pain behind them.Gail wants a baby but Frank is only concerned with spending time in the gleaming reactor core of the Seton One power station. Their new neighbours are also ‘Atomics... read more

A GOTHIC STORY OF MADNESS, REVENGE AND URANIUM-235Midsummer, 1968. When Frank Banner and his wife Gail move to the Suffolk coast to work at a newly built nuclear power station, they are hoping to leave violence and pain behind them.Gail wants a baby but Frank is only concerned with spending time in the gleaming reactor core of the Seton One power station. Their new neighbours are also ‘Atomics... read more

Noise Damage

James Kennedy

‘Harrowing, funny and 100% true’ Ginger WildheartThe tale that follows is not another clichéd collection of rock’n’roll debaucheries (sorry) nor is it another tired fable of triumph over adversity (you’re welcome).It’s the story of a half-deaf kid from a tiny, remote village in South Wales who was hailed as a genius by the UK’s biggest radio station and headhunted by major record labels, only ... read more

‘Harrowing, funny and 100% true’ Ginger WildheartThe tale that follows is not another clichéd collection of rock’n’roll debaucheries (sorry) nor is it another tired fable of triumph over adversity (you’re welcome).It’s the story of a half-deaf kid from a tiny, remote village in South Wales who was hailed as a genius by the UK’s biggest radio station and headhunted by major record labels, only ... read more

Rachel to the Rescue

Elinor Lipman

Rachel Klein is sacked from her job at the White House after she sends an email criticising Donald Trump. As she is escorted off the premises she is hit by a speeding car, driven by what the press will discreetly call 'a personal friend of the President'.Does that explain the flowers, the get-well wishes at a press briefing, the hush money offered by a lawyer at her hospital bedside?Rachel’s r... read more

Rachel Klein is sacked from her job at the White House after she sends an email criticising Donald Trump. As she is escorted off the premises she is hit by a speeding car, driven by what the press will discreetly call 'a personal friend of the President'.Does that explain the flowers, the get-well wishes at a press briefing, the hush money offered by a lawyer at her hospital bedside?Rachel’s r... read more

Sour Grapes

Dan Rhodes

‘Dan Rhodes is a true original’ – Hilary MantelWhen the sleepy English village of Green Bottom hosts its first literary festival, the good, the bad and the ugly of the book world descend upon its leafy lanesBut the villagers are not prepared for the peculiar habits, petty rivalries and unspeakable desires of the authors. And they are certainly not equipped to deal with Wilberforce Selfram, the... read more

‘Dan Rhodes is a true original’ – Hilary MantelWhen the sleepy English village of Green Bottom hosts its first literary festival, the good, the bad and the ugly of the book world descend upon its leafy lanesBut the villagers are not prepared for the peculiar habits, petty rivalries and unspeakable desires of the authors. And they are certainly not equipped to deal with Wilberforce Selfram, the... read more

The Outsiders

James Corbett

LOST LOVES AND PAINFUL TRUTHS AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF LIVERPOOL’S FALL AND RISELONGLISTED FOR THE PORTICO PRIZELiverpool 1981.As the city burns during inner city riots, Paul meets two people who will change his life: Nadezhda, an elusive poet who has fallen out of fashion; and her daughter Sarah, with whom he shares an instant connection. As the summer reaches its climax his feelings for both ... read more

LOST LOVES AND PAINFUL TRUTHS AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF LIVERPOOL’S FALL AND RISELONGLISTED FOR THE PORTICO PRIZELiverpool 1981.As the city burns during inner city riots, Paul meets two people who will change his life: Nadezhda, an elusive poet who has fallen out of fashion; and her daughter Sarah, with whom he shares an instant connection. As the summer reaches its climax his feelings for both ... read more

The Darlings

Angela Jackson

THE DARING NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE EMERGENCE OF JUDY TAYLORWhen Mark Darling is fifteen years old, he is the golden boy, captain of the school football team, admired by all who know him. Until he kills his best friend in a freak accident.He spends the next decade drifting between the therapy couch and dead-end pursuits. Then along comes Sadie. A mender by nature, she tries her best to... read more

THE DARING NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE EMERGENCE OF JUDY TAYLORWhen Mark Darling is fifteen years old, he is the golden boy, captain of the school football team, admired by all who know him. Until he kills his best friend in a freak accident.He spends the next decade drifting between the therapy couch and dead-end pursuits. Then along comes Sadie. A mender by nature, she tries her best to... read more

Stone Heart Deep

Paul Bassett Davies

A COMPELLING AND CLAUSTROPHOBIC THRILLER‘Once I’d started reading I could not put it down’ IAIN MAITLANDWhen burned-out investigative journalist Adam Budd’s estranged mother dies, he inherits her estate. This includes Stone Heart House, a huge, ramshackle mansion on a remote Scottish island. He visits the island to sort out her tangled affairs, and at first it seems like a charming haven of tr... read more

A COMPELLING AND CLAUSTROPHOBIC THRILLER‘Once I’d started reading I could not put it down’ IAIN MAITLANDWhen burned-out investigative journalist Adam Budd’s estranged mother dies, he inherits her estate. This includes Stone Heart House, a huge, ramshackle mansion on a remote Scottish island. He visits the island to sort out her tangled affairs, and at first it seems like a charming haven of tr... read more

Above the Law

Adrian Bleese

Adventures in a helicopterAdrian Bleese spent twelve years flying on police helicopters, and attended almost 3,000 incidents, as one of only a handful of civilian air observers working anywhere in the world.In Above The Law he recounts the most intriguing, challenging, amusing and downright baffling episodes in his careerworking for Suffolk Constabulary and the National Police Air Service. Res... read more

Adventures in a helicopterAdrian Bleese spent twelve years flying on police helicopters, and attended almost 3,000 incidents, as one of only a handful of civilian air observers working anywhere in the world.In Above The Law he recounts the most intriguing, challenging, amusing and downright baffling episodes in his careerworking for Suffolk Constabulary and the National Police Air Service. Res... read more