Virginia Woolf, born in 1882, was the major novelist at the heart of the inter-war Bloomsbury Group. Her early novels include The Voyage Out, Night and Day and Jacob's Room. Between 1925 and 1931 she produced her finest masterpieces, including Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, Orlando and the experimental The Waves. Her later novels include The Years and Between the Acts, and she also maintained an astonishing output of literary criticism, journalism and biography, including the passionate feminist essay A Room of One's Own. Suffering from depression, she drowned herself in the River Ouse in 1941.

Virginia Woolf

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John Healy

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John Healy, the son of poor Irish immigrants in London, grows up hardened by violence and soon finds himself overwhelmed by alcoholism. He ends up in the grass arena: the parks and streets of the inner city, where beggars, thieves, prostitutes and killers fight for survival and each day brings the question of where to find the next drink. In his searing autobiography Healy describes with unflinching honesty his experiences of addiction, his escape through learning to play chess in prison, and his ongoing search for peace of mind.

The Grass Arena

An Autobiography

John Sutherland

How much heavier was Thackeray's brain than Walt Whitman's? Which novels do American soldiers read? When did cigarettes start making an appearance in English literature? And, while we're about it, who wrote the first Western, is there any link between asthma and literary genius, and what really happened on Dorothea's wedding night in Middlemarch? 
 
In Curiosities of Literature, John Sutherland contemplates the full import of questions such as these, and attempts a few answers in a series of essays that are both witty and eclectic. His approach is also unashamedly discursive. An account of the fast-working Mickey Spillane, for example, leads to a consideration of the substances, both legal and illegal, that authors have employed to boost their creative energies. An essay on good and bad handwriting points out in passing that Thackeray could write the Lord's Prayer on the back of a stamp. As for Mary Shelley, a brief recital of the circumstances in which she wrote Frankenstein stops off to consider what impact the miserable summer weather of 1816 had on the future path of English literature. 
 
Of course, it is debatable whether knowledge of these arcane topics adds to the wisdom of nations, but it does highlight the random pleasures to be found in reading literature and reading about it. As John Sutherland rightly asks, 'Why else read?'

Curiosities of Literature

A Book-lover's Anthology of Literary Erudition

Keri Smith

Dear Reader, 
One dark and stormy night, I found some strange scattered pages abandoned in a park... 
I collected and assembled them, trying to solve the mystery of this unexpected discovery, and I am now passing the task on to you. 
Your mission is to become the new author of this work. You will continue the research and provide the content. In order to complete the task, you will have to undergo some secret intelligence training, which I have included in this volume. Since no one knows what lies ahead, please proceed with caution, but know... 
This book does not exist without you. 
Yours truly, 
Keri Smith

Finish This Book

Particular Books are very excited to welcome the creative talents of best-selling author Keri Smith. Her books are huge word-of-mouth hits in the US: where four years after publication, Keri's first book Wreck This Journal continues to sell a thousand copies a week... 
 
This is Not a Book takes a uniquely skewed look at the purpose and function of 'a book', Keri Smith asks readers to creatively examine all the different ways This Is Not a Book can be used. With intriguing prompts, readers will discover that this book can be: 
 
A secret message - tear out a page, write a note on it for a stranger, and leave it in a public place. 
 
A recording device - have everyone you contact today write their name in the book. 
 
An instrument - create as many sounds as you can using the book, like flipping the pages fast or slapping the cover. 
 
This Is Not a Book will engage readers by having them define everything a book can be by asking, 'If it's not a book, what is it then?' - with a kaleidoscope of possible answers.

This Is Not A Book

John Pearson

Britain's foremost writer on crime turns to the disappearance of Lord Lucan. The basis of the upcoming ITV drama, Lucan, starring Rory Kinnear and Christopher Eccleston 
 
For over thirty years, John Pearson has provided us with literary exposures of some of the most enigmatic people and underground organisations of our modern world. The Gamblers follows the fortunes of five men at the centre of the ultra-fashionable Clermont Set: the Clermont Club's eccentric founder John Aspinall; Dominic Elwes, who was to betray the Set's code of silence; the socialite owner of Annabel's, Mark Birley; the womanising, multi millionaire James Goldsmith; and the infamous Lord 'Lucky' Lucan. 
 
At the heart of the Set lay a belief that risk-takers are the people who make civilisation tick.Cruel, heartless and snobbish, they gambled with their fortunes and kept a stiff upper lip when they lost.This and a loyalty to each other that transcended everything else enabled them to rise above crises such as the long affair between Birley's wife and James Goldsmith, and the facial mutilation of the Birley's son by one of Aspinall's tigers.Pearson revels in the charisma, charm and wit of these dastardly but debonair millionaires, and reveals how their code led to one of the great unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.

The Gamblers

James Walton

Which Haruki Murakami novel shares its title with a Beatles song? In Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, what is Charlie's surname? What is heavy-drinking Rachel Watson known as in the title of a 21st-century bestseller? And what do you get if you add the number of Bennet sisters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to the number of Karamazov brothers in Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov? 
 
With four hundred questions covering books from literary classics to modern bestsellers, through iconic children's books and books you say that you've read but really you haven't, The Penguin Book Quiz is as appropriate for making you look well-read at a party as it is for a book-loving family to tuck into after Christmas dinner: it's as enjoyable to read as it is to play. 
 
Featuring the work of everyone from Antony Beevor to Zadie Smith, books from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Ulysses, and with movie, music, television, theatre and literary references abounding, this entertaining quiz tickles the fancy (and the brains) of light and heavy readers alike. 
 
Answers: 
- Norwegian Wood 
- Bucket 
- The Girl on the Train 
- Eight (five sisters, three brothers)

The Penguin Book Quiz

From The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Ulysses

Paul Sinha

'That night, I'd survived my life flashing before me, with my dignity intact. 
Yes, this chaotic life has always been a gamble. 
... But what a gamble.' 
 
Paul Sinha is an award-winning comedian, a quizzing mastermind and a happily-married husband. But for much of his life none of these seemed remotely imaginable. 
 
As a boy, Paul struggled to find his place in a world where he didn't quite fit. Who was he? An over-achieving schoolkid with the world's knowledge at his fingertips? A traditional Bengali son, destined for a career in medicine that he never once craved? A young gay man yearning to breathe freely? Or was he yet another flawed human being on a self-destruct mission? 
 
Amid life's mayhem, it was frequently Paul's love of facts in which he found solace, whether funding his lifestyle through quiz machines or simply trying to show off to his mates. Stumbling serendipitously into both a career in stand-up and a clandestine network of competitive quizzers introduced him to a new sense of purpose, a new identity, and, eventually, new love... 
 
A hilarious and moving coming-of-age memoir of one man's search for fulfilment, One Sinha Lifetime is an unconventional odyssey through love, family, and the joy of general knowledge.

One Sinha Lifetime

Comedy, disaster and one man’s quest for happiness

Christopher Winn

Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a captivating journey out of London along the banks of the River Thames to discover the secrets and stories of England's most famous waterway. Discover the Thames's literary heritage at Pangbourne, near Reading, famous as the home of The Wind in the Willows's Kenneth Grahame, then explore Mapledurham House, the inspiration for its famous Toad Hall. Explore Henley-on-Thames, where the first Oxford and Cambridge boat races were held, then marvel at Southend Pier, the longest pleasure pier in the world. 
 
As he follows the river from source to sea, visiting its towns, villages and places of interest, Winn unearths a fascinating array of facts, folklore, landmarks and legends that are guaranteed to have you exclaiming 'I Never Knew That!'. Illustrated with line drawings this charming gem of a book is guaranteed to inform and delight in equal measure.

I Never Knew That About the River Thames

Declan Lynch

Travel a road rich in possibilities and fraught with danger ... 
 
Journalist Declan Lynch's journey begins with a deposit of €100 in an online betting account, kicking off an honest attempt to explore the mysterious allure of gambling. Braving Paddy Power, the Premiership and Belgian women's tennis tournaments on Eurosport, Lynch's darkly humorous diary entries reveal the strange logic behind the punt - and of course there's always the chance of winning a little free money along the way. 
 
Drawing on the wise words of sages from Dostoevsky to Corleone to explain, justify and occasionally even excuse his predilection for a punt, Lynch offers a rare glimpse inside the mind of that ever-sanguine individual - the gambler.

Free Money

Lizzie Mary Cullen

The Magical City is a brand new colouring book by talented young illustrator Lizzie Mary Cullen. Lizzie has gained a cult following for her distinctive swirling pen-and-ink drawings of beautiful cities. Colouring and doodling on these re-imaginings of famous landmarks will help you to see the familiar in a fantastical new way and open your mind to the hidden wonder of urban landscapes across the world. Follow cobbled pavements through winding streets, look up to the skyscrapers soaring into the skies, and gaze over rooftops and dreaming spires. Inspiring as well as therapeutic, this is the book that fans of mindfulness and colouring have been waiting for. 
 
Suitable for children.

The Magical City

Adrian Sykes

From the end of the last Ice Age (10,000 years ago) to the death of Winston Churchill in 1965,Adrian Sykes narrates the history and achievements of these islands,their inhabitants and their origins,through the stories of some 3000+ men &amp; women who have shaped not just our history but the modern world. The story is interspersed with countless inventions,deeds of daring do and wickednesses,as well as the origins of innumerable words and phrases,often surprisingly early, 
from Nosey Parker - Elizabeth I of her Archbishop of Canterbury,to mayonnaise - the battle of Mahon,which the victorious French admiral celebrated by inventing mayonnaise and after which we hanged Admiral Byng who lost it "to encourage the others",as Voltaire put it. Sykes astonishes on every page, whether with the origin of everyday phrases or nursery rhymes or the countless inventions of the British, from the lead pencil (1568), the tin can, the bicycle, screw propeller and jet engine to DNA, LCD crystals, cement, the electric kettle, the vacuum cleaner and Marmite. 
Beautifully illustrated and with maps of exceptional clarity,this is a book hard to put down in which you learn something very surprising on every page.

Made in Britain

The Men and Women Who Shaped the Modern World

Jeremy Paxman

Jeremy Paxman has created the perfect literary catch for fellow angling enthusiasts in this rich and varied anthology. Ten thoroughly entertaining themed chapters include 'Ones That Got Away', 'Ones That Didn't Get Away' and 'Fish That Bit Back'. Each is introduced by Paxman's own sharp, humorous observations and features both contemporary and historical writing about fishing in prose and verse, covering everything from tench tickling to piranha attacks. Some pieces are well known favourites, others are obscure, every one is a delight. 
 
'A superb compilation because it roams from carp to cod, trout to tarpon and does not regurgitate the same old clippings. Paxman has clearly read widely and wisely in putting this together ... probably the definitive anthology of angling writing.' Keith Elliott, Independent on Sunday.

Fish, Fishing and the Meaning of Life

Josh Axelrad

'I was thrown out of my first casino in spring of 2000. In the years since then I've kept playing and kept winning, in wigs, under aliases, from behind fake glasses. I've been chased across casino floors; followed outdoors by crazed goons with drawn weapons; pursued in a car at high speeds; and placed wrongfully under arrest. Casinos continue to provide my entire income, along with free rooms, Champagne, and, most important, a mission in life. The heat, this business of getting thrown out, hasn't kept me away from the action at all; it's the very force that keeps me coming back.' 
 
Repeat Until Rich is the hotly awaited true adventure of how an average Joe in a dead-end spreadsheet job took to the road as a member of a blackjack card-counting gang taking millions of dollars from casinos across the US. 
 
Josh was an Ivy League graduate who grudgingly started a regular life before a chance meeting at a party changed his life forever. This is a brilliantly written memoir first and gambling book second - a universal tale of an everyday guy's unexpected exit into a mysterious and dangerous underworld from which there's no going back. It is a story about finding meaning in a crazed ongoing battle far from the dull and comfortable confines of the 9 to 5 world.

Repeat Until Rich

Henry Eliot

Quibe

As a rule, we take care not to get lost, so why should we willingly enter a maze? Illustrated with a single red line, Follow This Thread traces dozens of real and historical mazes, and their uses in literature, art and film, from Pac-Man and Picasso to Kubrick and Kafka. 
 
Henry Eliot reveals our abiding, ancient relationship with mazes and labyrinths, and unpicks the paradoxical psychology involved in walking them, combining the myth of the Minotaur with a quest for the legendary Maze King, who disappeared in 1979. The text coils around the pages, recreating the experience of walking a labyrinth, with its twists and turns, frights and fantasies.

Follow This Thread

A Maze Book to Get Lost In

Carol Bolt

In this seductive, insightful, and highly entertaining follow up to her bestselling The Book of Answers as seen on TikTok, Carol Bolt provides the answers to any and all questions about the amatory future in The Book of Love Answers. Drawing on the ancient wisdom of bibliomancy - the art of foretelling the future using books - this divination tool between covers provides answers to any yes-or-no question about your romantic life... 
 
With a solution on every page, The Book of Love Answers is intriguing, inspiring and enormous fun to use - its also the perfect gift book!

The Book Of Love Answers

Sid Waddell

Bellies and Bullseyes is simply the greatest account there will ever be about the sport of darts - as told by one of its most legendary characters - Sid Waddell. It mixes Sid's own personal journey from the coalfields of the North East with the entire history of the sport. What is revealed is a hilarious yet epic Darts Babylon, covering every significant event and every character to walk the oche from Eric 'The Crafty Cockney' Bristow to Phil 'The Power' Taylor. 
 
In words as ripe as his commentaries, Sid brings an authentic whiff of fags, hard drink, hot tungsten and moist polyester to the whole cabaret. Sid has been friend and confidante to most of darts' stars over the years as well as being instrumental in the game's progress himself. Nobody is equipped to tell the story quite like he is. 
 
From the early days of hustling in bars and the 1960s money-race pub competitions that spawned the likes of John Lowe and Leighton Rees, to ITV's brilliantly daft The Indoor League and the glory days of BBC's coverage; from the bling of Bobby George and the belly of Jocky Wilson to the awesome professionalism of Phil Taylor; from smoky Northern working men's clubs to the Houses of Parliament; this is the complete, incredible story of darts.

Bellies and Bullseyes

The Outrageous True Story of Darts

Beth Raymer

The Lucky Charm. The Sure Thing. The Long Shot. The Jinx. 
 
Beth Raymer came to Vegas to live the dream. Instead she winds up waiting tables in a low-rent diner and living in a fleapit motel. 
 
Then she meets Dink, the King of Last Vegas sports betting. Dink introduces her to the testorsterone fuelled underworld of high stakes gambling a dog-eat-dog realm of grifters, and strippers, wise-guys and hardened cons. 
 
New to the game but with big ambitions, Beth must get smart to get ahead. The real money is off-shore, where gambling regulations don't count. But nor do other rules. In the free-wheeling caribbean Beth discovers that the difference between winning big and losing everything comes down to how sharp you play.

Lay the Favourite

A True Story about Playing to Win in the Gambling Underworld

Alan Connor

In the century since its birth, the crossword has evolved into the world's most popular intellectual pastime: a unique form of wordplay, the codes and conventions of which are open to anyone masochistic enough to get addicted. In Two Girls, One on Each Knee, Alan Connor celebrates the wit, ingenuity and frustration of setting and solving puzzles. From the beaches of D-Day to the imaginary worlds of three-dimensional crosswords, to the British school teachers and journalists who turned the form into the fiendish sport it is today, encompassing the most challenging clues, particular tricks, the world's greatest setters and famous solvers, PG Wodehouse and the torturers of the Spanish Inquisition, this is an ingenious book for lovers of this very particular form of wordplay.

Two Girls, One on Each Knee

The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword

Huw Davies

In time-honoured fashion, Another Weird Year 4 brings you the stories that no lover of bizarre, inexplicable and downright hilarious news items can afford to miss, all handily grouped by theme (Love and Marriage, Law and Order, Animals etc). Read about: the blind man banned from saying 'phlegm'; the woman who bored a burglar to sleep with her family snaps; the woman who seduces men in her sleep; the man who thought he was a cat and got stuck up a tree; another man who got out of his car and took a shower... in a car wash... with his car left outside; the shepherd that had to drive his drunk sheep home; and not forgetting the pigs given a sauna and massage before being taken for slaughter - proof again from Another Weird Year that there is humanity in even the weirdest human behaviour. All the stories are true - you couldn't make them up!

Another Weird Year 4

Julian Stockwin

Lt Cdr Julian Stockwin shares his love and knowledge of the sea in this entertaining collection of maritime stories and little-known trivia. Featuring nautical facts and feats, including superstitions at sea, the history of animals on the waves - until 1975 when all animals were banned from Royal Navy ships - and how the inventor of the umbrella helped man the British Navy, it is packed with informative tales. Focusing on the glory days of tall ships he explores marine myths and unearths the truth behind commonly held beliefs about the sea, such as whether Lord Nelson's body was really pickled in rum to transport it back to England after his death at Trafalgar. Interspersed throughout are salty sayings showing the modern words and phrases that originate from the mariners of old - 'cut of his jib', 'high and dry', 'the coast is clear', 'first rate' and 'slush fund'. Accompanied by nostalgic black and white line drawings Stockwin's Maritime Miscellany is a charming giftbook guaranteed to appeal to the sailing enthusiast, but also amuse and inform even the staunchest landlubber.

Stockwin's Maritime Miscellany

A Ditty Bag of Wonders from the Golden Age of Sail

Elizabeth Foley

Beth Coates

Which literary giant also held the post of Controller of the Custom of Hides, Skins and Wools in the port of London? 
 
Which former concubine went on to become the first, and only, empress of China? 
 
Which French diplomat gave his name to the notoriously addictive nicotine? 
 
How old was George Harrison whent the Beatles split up? 
 
Test your wits, compete with your loved ones and check if it's all still there upstairs with these devilishly diverting questions on all the old-school subjects.

Homework for Grown-Ups Quiz Book

Fiendishly fun questions to test your old-school knowledge

Eleni Roussos

For fans of Dungeons & Dragons and the upcoming fantasy adventure film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, this gorgeous tome showcases the storytelling, worldbuilding, and creativity behind the movie. 
 
Join in the adventures across Faerûn with stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith, Regé-Jean Page, Sophia Lillis, and the rest of the dedicated cast and crew on their journey to bring the world of Dungeons & Dragons to life. With sections that highlight fan-favourite characters, monsters, and settings, plus explorations of key scenes from the film, this book is packed with production photos, concept art, storyboards, interviews, and more. 
 
Experience the film like never before in this visual feast that takes you behind the scenes of bringing Dungeons & Dragons to the big screen.

The Art and Making of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Mark Mason

The only way to truly discover a city, they say, is on foot. Taking this to extremes, Mark Mason sets out to walk the entire length of the London Underground - overground - passing every station on the way. 
 
In a story packed with historical trivia, personal musings and eavesdropped conversations, Mark learns how to get the best gossip in the City, where to find a pint at 7am, and why the Bank of England won't let you join the M11 northbound at Junction 5. He has an East End cup of tea with the Krays' official biographer, discovers what cabbies mean by 'on the cotton', and meets the Archers star who was the voice of 'Mind the Gap'. 
 
Over the course of several hundred miles, Mark contemplates London's contradictions as well as its charms. He gains insights into our fascination with maps and sees how walking changes our view of the world. Above all, in this love letter to a complicated friend, he celebrates the sights, sounds and soul of the greatest city on earth.

Walk the Lines

The London Underground, Overground

Nigel Rees

The last ever episodes of the acclaimed quotations quiz, devised and introduced by Nigel Rees - including the historic 500th show 
 
Ever since 1976, Quote... Unquote chairman Nigel Rees has quizzed a host of well-known personalities on the origins of popular sayings, both familiar and obscure, and encouraged them to contribute their own quotes, anecdotes and catchphrases. But - to paraphrase Chaucer - all good things must come to an end, and with Series 57, the long-running panel game takes its final bow. 
 
Among the household names gracing the stage in these final eighteen episodes are comedians Ken Cheng, Shazia Mirza and Sophie Duker, actors Steve Pemberton and Paterson Joseph, authors Juno Dawson, Luke Jennings and Victoria Hislop, lyricist Tim Rice, presenters Konnie Huq and Dame Esther Rantzen and journalist Jonathan Freedland (aka thriller writer Sam Bourne). 
 
Their quota of quotations to identify ranges from memorable lines from the worlds of literature, film and music, to comic catchphrases, famous last words and evergreen epitaphs. There's also an opportunity for the panellists to share the brilliant bon mots they wish they'd said, and dispense their favourite family sayings and the nuggets of wisdom that they've picked up over the years. 
 
Also included in this release is 'Quote... Unquote: A Celebration', a special episode marking the end of an era for the long-running literary panel game. 
 
So join Nigel and guests for a feast of aphorisms, epigrams, wisecracks and witty rejoinders, and prepare to be inspired, amazed and thoroughly entertained. 
 
 
Production credits 
Devised and introduced by Nigel Rees 
Quotes read by Sally Grace, Charlotte Green and Alison Skilbeck 
Produced by Simon Nicholls, Victoria Lloyd and Ella Watts 
Production Coordinators: Candace Wilson and Gwyn Davies 
Theme tune: 'Duddley Dell', written and performed by Dudley Moore 
Sound design: Hedley Knights 
A BBC Studios Production 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Quote…Unquote

Series 55, 56 & 57 of the classic comedy panel show

Tim Moore

A book that tells the story of London since the thirties through the 28 streets, stations and utililties of the Monopoly board. In the wonderful world of Monopoly it still only cost -50 to buy a house in Islington, you can move around London with the shake of a dice and even park your car for free. 
 
In Do Not Pass Go Tim Moore, belying his reputation as a player who always paid that -10 fine rather than take a Chance, fearlessly tackles the real thing and along the way tells the story of a game and the city that frames it. Sampling the rags and the riches he stays in a hotel in Mayfair and one in the Old Kent Road, enjoys quality time with Dr Crippen in Pentonville Prison and even winds up at the wrong end of the Water Works pipe. And, solving all the mysteries you'll have pondered whilst languishing in jail and many other you certainly wouldn't, Tim Moore reveals how Pall Mall got its name, which three addresses you won't find in your A-Z and why the sorry cul-de-sac that is Vine Street has a special place in the heart of Britain's most successful Monopoly champion. 
 
The stirring travelogue of one man's erratic progress around those 28 streets, stations and utilities, Do Not Pass Go is also an epic and lovingly researched history of London's wayward progress in the 66 years since the launch of the world's most popular board game

Do Not Pass Go

If you're intrigued by the fact that Jack the Ripper was left-handed, or that Heinz ketchup flows at 0.7 miles per day - and, more importantly, intrigued by why you're intrigued - then this book is required reading. Convinced that our love of trivia must reveal something truly important about us, Mark Mason sets out to discover what that something is. And, in the process, he asks the fundamental questions that keep all trivialists awake at night: Why is it so difficult to forget that Keith Richards was a choirboy at the Queen's coronation when it's so hard to remember what we did last Thursday? Are men more obsessed with trivia than women? Can it be proved that house flies hum in the key of F? Can anything ever really be proved? And the biggest question of them all: is there a perfect fact, and if so what is it?

The Importance of Being Trivial

In Search of the Perfect Fact

Join Lizzie Mary Cullen on a magical expedition around the world, with her brand new colouring book. 
 
For the past few months, Lizzie has been travelling the world, exploring some of our planet's most beautiful landscapes and fascinating cities. Inspired by the places she discovered, she has created a stunning new colouring adventure. 
 
This is an epic trip that will transport you from the depths of the Brazilian rainforest to the dizzying heights of the New Zealand mountains. Join Lizzie and faithful friend Paddy the Pug as they trek, fly, sail and swim through the wonders of the world, discovering hidden objects along the way. 
 
Suitable for children.

The Magical Journey

A Colouring Book

Henry Dudeney

"Regular exercise is supposed to be as necessary for the brain as for the body. Many of us are very apt to suffer from mental cobwebs, and there is nothing equal to the solving of puzzles for sweeping them away." - Henry Dudeney (1847-1930) 
 
First published in 1907, Dudeney's The Canterbury Puzzles is a classic of the genre, based on characters from Chaucer's Tales. The book contains 114 puzzles suitable for young enthusiasts, recreational mathematicians and veteran puzzlers alike. As challenging today as it was over a century ago, this ingenious book will provide hours-worth of puzzles to keep your brain alert.

The Canterbury Puzzles

Stefan Fatsis

For many, Scrabble is merely a board game. For others it is an intellectual pilgrimage. In this book, Stefan Fatsis, journalist and self-confessed word freak, goes in search of the people for whom Scrabble is life and affords us a glimpse into the extraordinary world of the brilliant geeks and misfit savants who populate the highest ranks of the game. 
 
Playing competitively in tournaments across the world, Fatsis chronicles the story of how Scrabble has grown from a diversion invented by an unemployed architect during The Great Depression into the hugely successful, challenging and beloved game of today.

Word Freak

A Journey Into the Eccentric World of the Most Obsessive Board Game Ever Invented

Francis Bourgeois

The adventure filled memoir from the world's most beloved trainspotter, TikTok sensation Francis Bourgeois. 
 
'Francis is one of the kindest, most genuine people I've met in a long time. His passion and unadulterated happiness is inspiring. I can't wait for more magical adventures with him.' - Joe Jonas 
 
'A National Treasure Of The TikTok Age.' - Grazia 
 
'Thrashing builds and builds. I look down and pull up my sleeve: I've got goosebumps, making all the hairs on my arm stand on end. I'm absolutely buzzing.' 
 
From sleeping in a car to get a good shot of 73962 Dick Mabbutt to trainspotting with Niall Horan, Francis Bourgeois has been on one hell of a ride over the past year. Bringing joy to millions, his epic journeys have highlighted the importance of connecting with your passions. 
 
In The Trainspotter's Notebook, Francis shares his greatest trainspotting adventures and takes you with him across the fields and footbridges of Britain, passing through historic terminals and backwater stations in pursuit of tones, thrash and locomotive perfection. Told in his inimitable style, these hilarious and heart-warming tales take you behind the scenes of his most popular videos, and celebrate the places and people of the railway. 
 
Are you ready to depart? 
 
'Oh for goodness sake, I'm on the wrong platform!'

The Trainspotter's Notebook

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Virginia Woolf’s (not so) secret lesbian relationship – in her own words

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14 romantic quotes from the love letters of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West

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9 brilliant pieces of gender bending fiction

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In defence of the exclamation mark!

Defending The Well of Loneliness

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The best picnic scenes in literature

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10 literary hot spots to visit in London

Brilliant LGBTQ+ books you may not have discovered yet

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Why Mrs Dalloway is the perfect novel for our times

Books that defined the 1920s

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Queer classics to read during LGBTQ+ History Month

Life according to Jilly Cooper

From Jane Austen's Chawton to Bram Stoker's Whitby, this is the definitive literary tour of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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