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A A Gill

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

A D Swanston

A E Langsford

A G Hopkins

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

A J Baime

A J Jacobs

A J P Taylor

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

A J Pollard

A J Rochester

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

A K Benjamin

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

A L Berridge

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

A L Gaylin

A Maxwell-Hyslop

A McArthur

A P Wavell

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

A S Webb

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

A. A. Dhand

A. A. Gill

A. A. Milne

A. Anatoli

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

A. B. Poranek

A. Bradley

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

A. C. Grayling

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

A. D. Miller

A. E. Ellis

A. E. W. Mason

A. Humphreys

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

A. Igoni Barrett

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

A. J. A. Symons

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Homer

With his Odyssey, best-selling author and classicist Daniel Mendelsohn has created a momentous new work, hailed by classicists and poets alike – a translation to stand with those of E. V. Rieu and Robert Fagles.Setting aside the streamlining, modernizing approach of many recent translations, Mendelsohn artfully reproduces the epic’s formal qualities – meter, enjambment, alliteration, assonance – and in so doing restores to Homer’s master work its archaic grandeur. His expansive six-beat line, far closer to the original than that of other recent translations, allows him to capture each of Homer’s verses line for line, without sacrificing the amplitude and shadings of the original. 
 
The result is the richest, most precise, and most musical Odyssey in English, one that fully conveys its oral poetics while bringing to vivid life the gripping adventure, profound human insight and powerful themes that make Homer’s work resonate some twenty-eight centuries after its composition. Supported by an extensive introduction and the fullest notes and commentary currently available, Mendelsohn’s Odyssey is poised to become the authoritative English-language version of this magnificent, endlessly enjoyable masterpiece.

The Odyssey

A New Translation by Daniel Mendelsohn

Jean Menzies

Lady Viviane leaves the lakes of the far North for the splendour of Camelot to capture the heart and hand of the young prince, Arthur. 
 
But it is Arthur’s sister Morgan who captures Viviane’s eye. Fierce and headstrong, Morgan sees another path – one she and Viviane can carve for themselves in this world built for knights and kings. 
 
But in this kingdom no one is as they seem. And when Arthur pulls the legendary sword from the stone, his closest allies will do all they can to tear Viviane and Morgan apart. 
 
 
CAN THEIR LOVE SURVIVE THE DARK FORCES AT WORK IN CAMELOT?

The Lady of the Lake

An enthralling sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, for fans of Allison Saft and V.E Schwab by the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Dark Stands Still. 
 
Magic has long been outlawed in Auréal. Odile has always known she’d be the one to restore it. 
 
Raised by a sorcerer, Odile has spent years preparing for the heist of a lifetime. It’s relatively simple. Impersonate a princess, infiltrate the palace, steal the great sceptre and restore magic to the kingdom. 
 
But when the King is unexpectedly murdered, she’s forced to recruit the help of Marie, the real princess, and the two begin to unravel a web of lies and deceit that leaves Odile uncertain of who to trust. 
 
Soon though Odile must decide – her mission or the girl she’s falling for? 
 
The fate of the Kingdom depends on her making the right choice. . . 
 
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Reviews for Where the Dark Stands Still: 
 
'A deeply romantic debut'. Sarah Underwood, NYT Bestselling Author of Lies We Sing to the Sea 
 
'The dark, gothic fairy tale of my dreams' Kika Hatzopoulou, author of the Sunday Times Bestseller Threads that Bind 
 
'Folkloric and beautiful' Lyndall Clipstone, author of Unholy Terrors and the World at the Lake's Edge duology.

A Treachery of Swans

Danai Christopoulou

PRE-ORDER THE WORLD-BURNING HORROMANTASY, BRINGING TOGETHER LITERATURE'S MOST FAMOUS LADY VILLAINS, LADY MACBETH AND KLYTEMNESTRA . . . 
 
For fans of A Dowry of Blood, Clytemnestra, and Piranesi, Vile Lady Villains is an unforgettable ride into the realm of stories 
 
-- 
 
With the consequences of her murderous actions closing in, Lady Macbeth turns to the three witches for help. 
She’s given a brew that transports her to an unknown realm. 
Desperately lost, she opens a door and comes face to face with a beautiful woman drenched in blood. 
 
Klytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae, is exacting bloody vengeance on her husband. 
Yet as she revels in her triumph, an otherworldly door appears and a strange woman steps in. 
Thinking this stranger a spirit, she chases Lady Macbeth into the realm of stories. 
 
Hunted by screaming wraiths into worlds that are hell bent on their demise, this murderous pair are forced to form an alliance or perish. 
Yet the realm’s goddess, The Mistress of the House of Books, claims to hold the key to saving them. But can they trust this ancient goddess? 
 
As every threat brings our vile lady villains closer, turning ill intentions into fiery attraction that no author dare write, they have a choice: remain within the confines of their original tales … 
Or burn down the world to pen a new story together . . . 
 
-- 
 
Praise for Vile Lady Villains:- 
 
Cathartic and deeply romantic, Vile Lady Villains is the iconic queen crossover of my dreams! Claret and Anassa’s empowering journey through harrowing trials, innovative dreamscapes, and murky choices builds like a fever breaking into a celebration of vicious women, second chances, and taking control of your story. - Leanne Schwartz, author of A Prayer for Vengeance and To a Darker Shore 
 
Vile Lady Villains is a stunningly original novel, dense and dark and overwhelmingly magical. It's a daring blend of borrowed stories, recreating characters we thought we knew, and giving them the full, unfettered life they deserve. Lovers of Shakespeare and Greek myth will be enchanted - Louisa Morgan, The Faerie Morgana 
 
In confident, luscious prose, Christopoulou creates an enthralling liminal quest, where two of literature's most infamous female villains reclaim their stories—and fall irrevocably in love. I was spellbound from the very first page and could hardly breathe as the ending neared. Heart-rending, atmospheric and unmissable. - Kika Hatzopoulou, Sunday Times bestselling author of Threads That Bind 
 
Danai Christopoulou’s Vile Lady Villains is part classical theatre compressed into a jewel-box of metafiction, part living painting: its palette supersaturated with passion, poetry, and portent. Her familiar protagonists, Claret and Anassa, like two firebirds of blood and spirit, arise entwined from the wreckage of their own tragic narratives, pursued by fates, furies, and the chance at something better. - C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Saint Death’s Daughter 
 
A rollicking ride through time and space, drawing together two women from very different worlds. With prose as sharp as a blade and as rich as blood, Christopoulou has created a deeply satisfying story. - Luna McNamara, author of Psyche &amp; Eros 
 
A richly intertextual narrative about writing your own story rather than the one that is written for you, Vile Lady Villains reimagines the powerful women of literature and myth. Christopoulou brings two iconic characters together for an adventure that will delight, inspire, and surprise. Teeming with queer tension and sparking with anger and joy in equal measure, this is a rare and exciting work of feminist literature. - Elyse John, author of Orphia and Eurydicius

Vile Lady Villains

LJ Andrews

Lyra Bien never expected to escape Stonegate alive after her rare melder magic was exposed. Learning the truth behind her power, and her Kingdom's brutality, she vowed to end the crown’s corruption. But to survive, she must trust the man who once stole her heart. . . then deceived her. 
 
Roark Ashwood rose to Sentry of Stonegate despite being born of the enemy clan, the Dravens. But in one reckless moment, he destroyed his ruthless reputation to save Lyra. With his true identity unveiled, Roark revealed years of plotting and betrayal to everyone he loves. 
 
As Roark’s double life unravels, enemies close in from every kingdom and he must fight to protect the woman he loves. Lyra must navigate long-kept secrets, rising battles, and vicious court intrigue—all while keeping her feelings for Roark at bay.

Heir of Twisted Lies

Emma Noyes

Charlie Hudson now knows the truth: her twin sister is a Valkyrie, and they're both daughters of Loki, the trickster god. After saving her best friend from Elias and Loki's clutches, Charlie is summoned to appear before the god of gods, Odin, who tasks her with a mission. The Seal that protects humanity from Asgard's magic is starting to break down, and only a human can stop it. To do so, Charlie must convince her old enemy , Elias, to bring her to the underworld. As she and Elias journey to the land of the undead, undeniable attraction burns between them once again. And when they arrive, Charlie finds that Loki is not who she thought he was-and that she may be on the wrong side of this war.

Heart of Mischief

Shadow of Souls Book 2

Rosie Hewlett

One fateful night in Sparta, a young slave girl encounters a mysterious, grey-eyed princess. Melantho and Penelope, though from different worlds, are instantly connected. But betrayal soon tears them apart. 
 
Years later, on Ithaca's rocky shores, Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Hardened by slavery, Melantho vows to stay distant from Penelope. Yet, the undeniable pull between them proves stronger than ever. 
 
As war ignites Greece, Odysseus and Ithaca's men are called away and, in their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her – one where women rule, where family can be found, and where love is finally given the space to bloom. 
 
But all wars eventually end and as Troy falls, Penelope and Melantho must face the King’s return and decide how far they will go to protect what matters most to them.

Sweetbitter Song

Searching for her sister’s soul, Danae journeys to the Underworld. In the dark caverns below the earth, she must brave her worst fears and face Hades, the terrifying God of the Dead. Hermes, Messenger of the Gods, is sent on a secret mission by his father, Zeus. Seizing the chance to finally win his family’s respect and the heart of the woman he loves, Hermes must risk everything to succeed. Meanwhile, on Mount Olympus, Hera, the Queen of Heaven, watches from the shadows, her once bright faith in her husband extinguished. And decides to take matters into her own hands…

Daughter of Fate

Rachel Louise Driscoll

‘Brilliant… I loved it.’ Santa Montefiore 
 
A FORGOTTEN EGYPTIAN GODDESS. A FAMILY IN DANGER. 
 
Victorian Egyptologist Clemmie’s dark talents have torn her family apart. Now she has one chance to atone for the past. 
 
Clemmie’s gift for reading hieroglyphs shines at the Egyptian relic parties which have made her father the toast of Victorian society. But at one party, the words she interprets from an unusual amulet strike fear into her heart. The childhood game she used to play about the immortal sisters, Isis and Nephthys, takes on a devastating resonance and it is only by following Nephthys' story back to Egypt that she can undo the mistakes of the past. 
 
‘An irresistible page-turner’ Susan Stokes-Chapman, author Pandora 
‘An intoxicating tale of adventure and obsession’ Emilia Hart, author of Weyward 
‘A joy of a book’ Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel 
 
Readers ADORE Nephthys: 
 
‘A total page-turner! ... Wow! What darkness this book holds!’ 
‘Unique and gripping.... this tale of Egypt and England was full of twists and turns.’ 
‘A captivating blend of Victorian society, ancient Egypt, and dark secrets.’

Nephthys

Anna Kovatcheva

Yana hunts monsters. Anka might be one. They'll need each other to survive. 
 
'This exciting, gorgeous novel reminded me why I love vampire stories... I still have chills' Kate Heartfield, author of The Embroidered Book 
 
Yana, a vampire hunter, rides into Koprivci promising salvation. The village’s curse has endured for many years and rumour has it that Anka – whose parents died on the night of her birth – is to blame. But enduring the villagers’ suspicion is the least of Anka’s worries; now she has reached womanhood, she can no longer avoid the odious marriage that seems to be her only option. 
 
When animal corpses start to appear in the village square and eggs filled with blood are found in the chicken coops, panic rises. The villagers look to Yana for hope. She knows all about the monsters that stalk the night, monsters that only she can vanquish. But Yana is a liar. And monsters come in all different forms. 
 
Yana and Anka become unlikely allies in hatching a plot to save both Koprivci and Anka from their fates. But then their plan takes on a horrifying life of its own... 
 
'[A] tale of dark secrets, unnatural lusts and hidden violence' Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily 
 
'Poetic, visceral, dark... A terrifying read' Isabelle Schuler, author of Lady Macbethad 
 
'An exquisitely-written feminist vampire story. . . Mesmerising' Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl

She Made Herself A Monster

The only thing Lyra has understood about her magic is that she must keep it secret. 
 
But when she’s forced to reveal her abilities to save her family she is found to possess the rarest magic and is claimed by the crown as their Bone Melder. 
 
To be the Bone Melder is a death sentence and Lyra is determined to free herself and take revenge for the persecution of her people. Starting with the silent, brooding guard—Roark Ashwood. 
 
The more she plots, the closer she is drawn to Roark and a forbidden passion grows and exposes a deadly truth that will either being freedom for them both or destroy everything.

Broken Souls and Bones

Kim Curran

In a wild, ancient grove at the edge of winter, a desperate girl prays to the gods for her freedom. 
None have ever listened to Brigid’s prayers. 
But this time, a goddess answers . . . with a vision that will transform Brigid’s path forever. 
The new Christian god is coming, a faith that Brigid can bend to her will, building a sanctuary for other powerless women. 
But power, like a flame, consumes as it grows. As Brigid rises, challenging kings, defying bishops, her enemies draw closer. 
What – or who – will she sacrifice to hold on to her legacy?

Brigid

Brigid Lowe

Three powerful heroines – a queen, a sorceress and woman made of flowers – plot revenge against the villain who wronged them. A gorgeously dark debut novel inspired by Celtic Britain’s original fantasy fiction. 
 
Man is cruel but the flowers will take their revenge. 
 
Three great heroines – slave queen Goewin, the reclusive sorceress Arianrhod, and Blodeuwedd, a woman conjured from flowers – unite to avenge themselves on the most dangerous man in ancient legend. 
 
Gwydion is a powerful sorcerer, whose ambition and cruelty wreak havoc across the kingdom. When at last the earth itself is put at stake, Goewin, Arianrhod and Blodeuwedd each unleash their uncanny powers to challenge him. 
 
In this vital and visceral novel, Brigid Lowe casts ancient light on desire, sex and our relationship with nature to bring these Celtic heroines to explosive, sensuous, blossoming new life.

The Bloody Branch

In Ancient Greece, the Gods demand the ultimate tribute – food, treasure, even human sacrifice. 
There are some mortals who cling to a desperate prophecy –one will come and set them free. But few believe it. 
Until Danae eats a mysterious golden apple and her life unravels with a dangerous path unfolding before her. 
Chased from her home Danae will walk the winding roads of heroes. There, she encounters the mighty demi-god, Heracles and they will seek out monsters to battle. 
But Danae’s destiny is not to fight beasts. 
She will hunt the Gods. 
She will drag them screaming from Olympus . . .

Daughter of Chaos

After Charlie Hudson’s classmate goes missing in the forest she is determined to find out what happened and starts to suspect the mysterious newcomer, Elias Everhart.With his piercing eyes and sharp wit, Charlie knows he has a secret. More than one. What she doesn’t know is that those secrets will lead her to a place she never imagined: a world made of magic, gods, and monsters - and a first love fated to fall apart. 
 
Truths and temptations lurk in the darkness, and for Charlie, the only thing more dangerous than her past, is the boy with the power to change her future.

Soul of Shadow

Marty Cullen

Marty Cullen’s song and story-filled odyssey around UlsterIreland’s northernmost province has a rich history of music and storytelling. From the towering mountains of the borderlands, to the barren hills of Donegal; tales of things human and mythical are told through poetry, recitation and song, leaping from the landscape into the listener’s imagination. In these two series, presenter Marty Cullen takes a literary and musical journey around his homeland, introducing us to the traditional songs and stories that have been passed down through the ages and talking to the next generation to carry this torch.Songs of Ulster sees him travelling across six counties to meet talented emerging artists who step outside the studio to perform unaccompanied, singing folk songs rooted in their locality. He listens to the traditional come all ye’s, laments and ditties of Armagh; the local favourites from the land of ghosts and giants, Tyrone; the songs of pain and promise that reflect the beauty of Fermanagh; and the familiar chants from West of the Bann. In Down, he hikes from coast to summit to hear ballads of highwaymen and unrequited love, and in Antrim, he discovers a region of emerald glens and lyrical weavers, where the songs of the county fuel the passion of its people.In Stories of Ulster, Marty mingles with traditional storytellers from around the province to hear legends of fairy folk, gods, fighters, bandits and ghosts – alongside more down-to-earth border tales of sly characters, sausage smuggling and homemade veterinary surgeries. Here are stories of a selkie’s return to the sea; Cú Chulainn’s playboy antics; rapparees, resurrections and restless souls; and rural yarns featuring a swinging plough, a wily butcher and a quick-witted, risk-taking Monaghan man...Production creditsPresented by Marty CullenSongs of Ulster featuring: Eileen McKee, Sinead Murphy, Pearse McMahon, Oonagh Mc Ardle, Cathal O'Neill, Niall Hanna, Julie-Ann McCaffery, Damian McKenna, Maria Maguire, Dermot Mulholland, Emma Lusby, Jack Warnock, Sinead Rooney, Ciara McCrickard, Jennifer Orr, Mairead and Ethlinn Walls, and Meabh MeirStories of Ulster featuring: Steve Lally, Bernadette Layden, Joe Brennan, Frances Quinn, Madeline McCully, Niamh Daly, Doreen McBride, Tony McMinn, Terry Conlon and Frank McCarronFirst broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster on the following dates:Songs of UlsterArmagh 14 May 2017Tyrone 21 May 2017Fermanagh 28 May 2017West of the Bann 4 June 2017Down 11 June 2017Antrim 18 June 2017Stories of UlsterOf Fairy Folk and Magical Beings 31 March 2019Of Gods and Fighting Men 7 April 2019Of Rapparees and Resurrections 14 April 2019Of Yarns and Tall Tales 21 April 2019© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Songs and Stories of Ulster

A BBC Radio Series

Imani Erriu

Never make a bargain with a god. 
 
Elara is vengeful. Enzo is trapped between the realms of life and death and her enemy has vanished, taking her love’s only connection to the waking world with him. But there is a darker force at play, one that even Ariete, King of the Stars, is afraid of. 
 
On the run with enemies at every turn, Elara must enlist friends, old and new, and learn to control her almighty powers if she has any hope of saving her soulmate. Whatever happens, there is one thing she is certain of... STARS WILL FALL.

Fallen Stars

Jeanette Winterson

I can change the story because I am the story. 
 
With her execution looming, a woman is fighting for her life. Every night she tells a story. Every morning, she lives one more day. One Aladdin Two Lamps cracks open the legendary story of Shahrazad in One Thousand and One Nights to reveal new questions and answers we are still thinking about today. Who should we trust? Is love the most important thing in the world? Does it matter whether you are honest? What makes us happy? 
 
In her guise as Aladdin – the orphan who changes his world – Jeanette Winterson asks us to reread what we think we know and look again at how fiction works in our lives, giving us the courage to change our own narratives and alter endings we wish to subvert. As a young working-class woman, with no obvious future beyond factory work or marriage, Winterson realised through the power of books that she could read herself as fiction as well as fact. 
 
Weaving together fiction, magic and memoir, this remarkable book is a tribute to the age-old tradition of storytelling and a radical step into the future – an invitation to look more closely at our own stories, and to imagine the world anew.

One Aladdin Two Lamps

Salman Rushdie

The novel that set the stage for his modern classic, The Satanic Verses, Shame is Salman Rushdie’s phantasmagoric epic 
 
Omar Khayyam Shakil had three mothers who shared everything. They shared the symptoms of pregnancy, they shared the son that they all claim to have borne on the same night. Raised at their six breasts, Omar's mothers teach him to live a life without shame. And it is training that proves very useful when he leaves his mothers’ fortress and makes the fateful mistake of falling in love. For he finds himself an unwitting player in an ongoing duel between the families of two men – one a celebrated wager of war, the other a debauched lover of pleasure – living in a world caught between honour and humiliation, where a moment of shame could prove fatal. 
 
‘Shame is every bit as good as Midnight's Children. It is a pitch-black comedy of public life and historical imperatives’ The Times

Shame

Marvellous Michael Anson

In Oru L'ore is the only one without agbára - the ability to harness power from the sun. And must conceal it from everyone. Including her best friend, Alawani. 
 
But when the gods declare Alawani an Àlùfáà, he must be stripped of his power in a brutal trial likely to kill him. Unwilling to bear his death, Lóre vows to rescue him. 
 
But in a desperate attempt to channel agbára an icy magic pours from her hands; a power she learns originated from a forbidden, secret land beyond the walls of Oru. 
 
One where she and Alawani must now seek sanctuary and discover a secret that could bring the Kingdom to its knees . . .

Firstborn of the Sun

Georgia Leighton

An atmospheric, feminist retelling of a classic fairy tale that asks, What if Beauty never went to sleep? 
 
In a remote castle perched atop a windswept island, a long-awaited royal heir is born. In accordance with ancient custom, a blessing ceremony takes place to bestow the princess with magical gifts – along with a terrible curse. 
 
But this is not the love story you may think you know. 
 
There is no enchanted sleep for the princess, and no handsome prince to save the day. Just three women, who together concoct a desperate plan of misdirect that changes the course of all their lives. 
 
Except dark magic cannot be tricked, and as the end of the curse edges closer, Violanna, Meredyth and Sel each has a choice to make. 
 
They can wait to find out if the worst will happen, or they can turn to face the coming storm . . .

Spellbound

'A masterful collection' MAXINE PEAKE 
'Astonishing and long overdue, you really need to read this’ ALAN MOORE 
'An absolute treat' ADAM S. LESLIE 
 
Unleash the dark and delirious with this electrifying anthology of folk horror from some of Britain's most iconic working-class voices 
 
A phonograph cylinder that plays on a loop for eternity, casting out ghostly spectres of violence; a centuries-old stew made of severed body parts; a bigoted woman working at an ossuary, the bones she watches over her only remaining friends; three siblings who set out to scatter their father's ashes, a man none of them could stand; and a hag stone sitting in the pocket of a witch. 
 
Uncanny and unsettling, wild and wyrd, the ten stories in this collection showcase the best of folk horror. Set in and across England, they celebrate working-class culture and history, and, sharp as a guillotine blade, reveal the real monsters that stalk our green and pleasant land. 
 
Includes writing from: A.K. Blakemore, Daniel Draper, Emma Glass, Mark Colbourne, Mark Stafford, Hollie Starling, Jenn Ashworth, Natasha Carthew, Salena Godden and Tom Benn. 
 
'Deeply unsettling and totally radical' LALLY MACBETH, author of The Lost Folk 
'Everything folk tales and folk horror should be' TABITHA STANMORE, author of Cunning Folk 
'Feral and furious' CHARLIE COOPER, star of THIS COUNTRY

Bog People

A Working-Class Anthology of Folk Horror

Wu Cheng’en

One of China's Four Great Classical Novels, Monkey King was written anonymously during the Ming dynasty and is most commonly attributed to Wu Cheng'en, the son of a silk-shop clerk from east China. It recounts a Tang-dynasty monk's quest for Buddhist scriptures, accompanied by an omni-talented kung-fu Monkey King called Sun Wukong; a rice-loving divine pig; and a depressive man-eating river-sand monster. 
 
Comparable to The Canterbury Tales or Don Quixote, the tale is at once a comic adventure story, a humorous satire of Chinese bureaucracy, a spring of spiritual insight and an extended allegory in which the group of pilgrims journeys towards enlightenment.

Monkey King

Journey to the West

Hiyoko Kurisu

A charming book of linked stories with a sprinkling of cosy fantasy and a fable-like touch . . . 
 
The Amberglow Candy Store in the Night Alley introduces the reader to half-fox shopkeeper Kogetsu, whose magical wagashi sweets from his shop on Gloaming Lane promise to change his customers' lives for the better. 
 
We follow an array of characters from various walks of life through their encounters with Kogetsu, who himself learns some major life lessons along the way, and reveals his own backstory in the process.

The Amberglow Candy Store

Nikos Kazanthzakis

Nikos Kazantzakis’ two most popular novels, adapted for BBC RadioNikos Kazantzakis is widely regarded as the greatest Greek writer and philosopher of the 20th century. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 14 times, and his works have been translated into over 50 languages. Included here are dramatisations of his two most famous and influential novels, both of which were adapted as hit films and became cultural phenomena.Zorba the Greek – When writer Nikos meets the irrepressible Zorba, his life is transformed. A grizzled, gregarious Greek hero, Zorba embraces every experience and adventure that life has to offer. As he befriends the young, intellectual Nikos, he introduces him to the real meaning of a life well lived… A moving coming-of-age tale and a classic story of heart vs head, this atmospheric adaptation stars Robert Stephens, Michael Maloney and Mary Wimbush.The Last Temptation – Starring John Hurt and Dame Judi Dench, this 1973 archive drama is based on Kazantzakis' controversial 1955 novel, banned by the Vatican but hailed by critics as a masterpiece. A powerful, passionate account of the days preceding Christ’s death, it explores his humanity, his divinity and the roles of Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot in fulfilling his destiny.Zorba the Greek © Nikos Kazantzakis 1952, © Helen Kazantzakis 1958The Last Temptation © 1961 Helen N KazantzakisProduction creditsWritten by Nikos KazantzakisZorba the GreekZorba – Robert StephensNikos – Michael MaloneyHortense – Mary WimbushMavrondoni – Terry MolloyMimiko – Dominic TaylorAnagnosti/Zacharias – Roger HumeAndonis – Peter MeakinMad Woman/Mourner – Hedli NiklausVilla Girl/Girl – Judy BennettZacharias – Roger HumeFather Demetrios – Paul WebsterWidow – Marian KemmerDramatised by Nick McCartyProduced by Phillip MartinFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12-19 December 1993The Last TemptationNarrator – Gabriel WoolfRabbi Simeon – John RuddockJesus – John HurtMary – Diana BishopCenturion – Vernon JoynerJudas – David BuckPeter – Walter HallMary Magdalene – Judi DenchBarabbas – John RoweGuestmaster – Timothy BatesonSaul – Peter WilliamsMelchizadek – Rolf LefebvreSimon of Cyrene/Monk – William SleighAbbot – Clive SwiftAndrew – Peter CrazeZebedee/Man in the crowd – Brian HainesThe Baptist/Man in the crowd – Haydn JonesThe Tempter – Heron CarvicWomen in the crowd – Julie Hallam & Betty Huntley-WrightMan in the crowd – David TimsonTranslated and adapted by Andreas Stavrou and Hallam TennysonMusic specially composed by Elizabeth Poston and conducted by Peter MarchbankAdditional singers: Veronica Lucas, Colin Appleton, Richard Bourne, Sandra Clark, Hilda Schroder, William Eedle, Fraser Kerr, David SinclairProduced by Richard WortleyFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16-23 September 1973© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Zorba the Greek & The Last Temptation

Two BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations

You know her name, you know her story. Just not the right one... 
 
Within the depths of the Underworld the formidable snake-haired Gorgon has finally had enough. Tired of being eternally and unjustly brandished a villain, Medusa has found the courage to face her tragic past and speak out. Determined to expose the centuries of lies surrounding her name, Medusa gives unparalleled insight into her cursed life, from her earliest memories and abandonment at birth, right through to her tragic and untimely death at the hands of the hero Perseus. Through telling her story, Medusa finally reveals the lost truth behind antiquity’s most infamous monster. 
 
Medusa breathes new life into an ancient story and echoes the battle that women throughout millennia have continued to wage – the opportunity to simply be heard.

Medusa

From an ancient, storm-tossed sea, a tribe of gods reach the rocky shores of Ireland. 
Among them, a strange, hungry, red-haired girl. A girl who can change shape, from bird to beast to goddess. A girl who dreams of battle, of blood, of death and power. 
 
She does not know yet that her journey will take a thousand years. That her name will be remembered for a thousand more. 
 
She is The Morrigan: a girl with rage coiled in her chest. Beautiful, powerful, ravenous rage. A rage that will live forever. 
 
An electric retelling of Ireland’s mythic goddess of war, from a bold and powerful new voice.

The Morrigan

Syou Ishida

The highly anticipated new novel - The Kokoro Clinic for the Soul reopens in this delightful follow-up to the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel We'll Prescribe You a Cat for fans of The Travelling Cat Chronicles and The Cat Who Saved Books 
 
It’s time to revisit the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. 
 
Though it is mysteriously located at an uncertain address, the Kokoro clinic can always be found by those who need it. And it has proven time after time that a prescribed cat has the power to heal the emotional wounds of all its patients. 
 
This irresistible sequel introduces a new loveable cast of healing cats, from Kotetsu, a four-month-old Bengal who unleashes his energy by demolishing bed linen, to curious Shasha, who won't let her tiny size stop her, and lazy Ms. Michiko, who is as soft and comforting as mochi. 
 
As characters from one chapter re-appear as side characters in the next, we follow a young woman who cannot help pushing away the man who loves her; a recently widowed grandfather whose grandson refuses to leave his room; and an anxious man working at a cat shelter who seeks to show how difficult cats can be the most rewarding. 
 
This moving, magical novel proves just how eternally unknowable cats are for we humans, even while we continue to cherish their special gift of transforming our lives. 
 
**Contains five exquisite line drawings by artist Alissa Levy @levysfriends

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat

Ava Reid

The aftermath of their first discovery pulls Effy and Preston on a final adventure and brings their haunting love story to its end in this stunning sequel and final book in the duology.RETURN TO THE DREAMLIKE WORLD OF THE INSTANTLY BESTSELLING DARK ACADEMIA FANTASY A STUDY IN DROWNING 
_________All stories come to an end.'An academic treat, gowned in gothic darkness' Daily Mail 
Reid is a singular, extraordinary talent' Sasha Peyton Smith, The Rose Bargian 
'We've been counting down the days until we can find ourselves reunited with Effy and Preston' Cosmopolitan 
 
Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairytale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll. 
 
But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university - and soon the entire nation - is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin's legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories? 
 
With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king - visions that start to follow him even in waking. 
 
As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his. 
 
Are dreams ever truly just dreams?

A Theory of Dreaming

You know the most dangerous kind of villain? A woman with nothing left to lose. 
 
In a world ruled by the Stars, cruel and merciless gods, Elara has been cursed by fate. 
 
A prophecy promises she will fall for a Star, but that it will kill them both. 
 
Yet when the Star of Wrath and War descends to hunt Elara, the neighbouring kingdom sees an opportunity to take her from her home, the Kingdom of Night, to Helios, Kingdom of Light. Where she strides straight into the arms of an enemy prince. 
 
There, Elara is forced to either let Prince Lorenzo train her into a weapon worthy of battling against the tyrannical reign of the Stars, or to accept her fate. 
 
But there are shadows even within the Kingdom of Light – and they threaten to reveal the darkness in Lorenzo’s past and the ancient magic that slumbers in Elara’s veins. 
 
And with it all, the undeniable, star-crossed pull between them...

Heavenly Bodies

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

1Q84

365 Days of Art

A BBC Christmas

A Black Book Thriller

A Box Full of Murders

A Cal Leandros Novel

A Christmas Mystery

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

A Commissario Brunetti Mystery

A DC Smith / Kings Lake Investigation Series

A Daisy Story

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

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