Evelyn Waugh was born in Hampstead in 1903 and educated at Hertford College, Oxford. In 1928 he published his first novel, Decline and Fall, which was soon followed by Vile Bodies (1930), Black Mischief (1932), A Handful of Dust (1934) and Scoop (1938). During these years he also travelled extensively and converted to Catholicism. In 1939 Waugh was commissioned in the Royal Marines and later transferred to the Royal Horse Guards, experiences which informed his Sword of Honour trilogy (1952-61). His most famous novel, Brideshead Revisited (1945), was written while on leave from the army. Waugh died in 1966.

Evelyn Waugh

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Sally Coulthard

From druids’ oaks to deadly yews, tempting apples to erotic peaches, humanity has, for thousands of years, imbued trees with spiritual and superstitious meaning. 
 
Trees have deep roots in our folklore and mythology. Almost everything about them – leaves, branches, roots and fruits – has provided a metaphor for our human needs and desires. From strength to resilience, shelter to sustenance, we have taken each species’ unique qualities and turned them into fables, sayings and symbolism. 
 
In her new book, Sally Coulthard branches out into the world of tree folklore and finds an enchanted place where nature and legend intertwine. Whether it’s lovers’ trysting trees, festive firs, boughs of peace or hangman’s favourites, Sally explores 50 of the world’s most iconic species and their intriguing myths and magical associations. Discover the knightly allure of medieval holly, how willow became a symbol of mourning or when the blackthorn became the witch’s tree. Find out why the Greeks adored the fig, the Vikings worshipped the mighty ash, or why the Banyan abounds with protection and fertility. 
 
This beautifully illustrated book is more than just a guide to some of the world’s best-known trees; it reveals the richly layered and often curious way we relate to the natural world around us. Blending storytelling and ancient customs, botanical knowledge and cultural history, Tree Lore: The Myths, Folklore and Meaning of Trees plants them firmly in the centre of the human story.

Tree Lore

The Myths, Folklore and Meaning of Trees

Danie Couchman

Danie Couchman grew up on the move, her family never staying still long enough for her to say where she&rsquo;s from. At twenty-five, and living in her seventeenth home, she finds herself drowning in the rush of London life, and makes an impulsive decision: to buy a narrowboat and make it her home.Surrounded by an eclectic and itinerant community in the uncharted territory of the capital&rsquo;s urban wilderness, Danie becomes fully immersed in this hidden world. Each day onboard her boat Genesis is an adventure full of disaster and magic. Over five years of living off-grid, nomadic Danie learns to survive the many highs and lows of boat life alone, keeping herself, and her steel home, afloat.A captivating debut, Afloat is the story of a young woman&rsquo;s desire to escape an ever more isolated city existence and reconnect with nature, discovering what is important in life.

Afloat

A Memoir

Katie McCabe

How many times have you seen a woman artist solely referred to as the wife, girlfriend, muse, or &lsquo;mistress&rsquo; of a man in the public eye?Throughout history, the achievements of women working across artistic disciplines &ndash; from visual artists to writers to filmmakers &ndash; have been largely undervalued, with the title of &lsquo;genius&rsquo; reserved mainly for men. More than a Muse unpacks the complex romantic relationships that left women overshadowed, anonymous or underestimated in their work. Katie McCabe shines a light on the stories of talents like photographer Dora Maar, pioneering film editor and Hitchcock-collaborator Alma Reville, jazz pianist Lil Hardin Armstrong and many more.Exploring a broad scope of art movements and moments from Surrealism to early British silent film, Katie reexamines the contributions of women that have too often been ignored. More than a Muse views our history through the lens of artistic partnership, and positions women solidly in the foreground.

More than a Muse

Creative Partnerships That Sold Talented Women Short

Quadrille

"Get a cool paralegal alter ego." 
 
 "Get divorced. Sorry Wallis Simpson..." 
 
 "Perfect the art of gazing adoringly (into the camera/your prince&#39;s eyes)." 
 
 Meghan Markle has changed the rules. What was once an unattainable 7-year-old&rsquo;s dream has now become an achievable reality. With this book, step into Meghan&rsquo;s glass slippers, and find out all the little ways in which you can channel your inner modern princess. Simple yet profound, this humorous little book could change your life forever. 
 
 Read it, enjoy it, learn from it&hellip; and it&rsquo;s just possible that your fairy tale dreams could come true. 
 &#160;

How to be a Modern Princess

Melanie Brown

Louise Gannon

&#39;Utterly absorbing and deeply affecting&#39;&#160;&ndash; The Guardian 
 
As a Spice Girl, TV talent show judge and Broadway star, Mel B a.k.a Scary Spice, has been a global icon since her twenties. But behind the glittering fa&ccedil;ade of fame, the struggles and pain of this working-class, mixed-race girl from Leeds are laid bare in her critically acclaimed best-selling memoir, Brutally Honest. With deep personal insight, remarkable frankness and trademark Yorkshire humour, the book tells how she went from Girl Power to girl powerless during her ten-year emotionally abusive marriage. Tracing a path through the key moments in her life, she reflects on her childhood, rise to fame and her chilling downward spiral before she finally broke free. In this expanded edition, written with Louise Gannon, Mel brings her story up to date. With her trademark honesty, she tells the unfiltered story of piecing herself back together, dealing with trauma and new heartbreak whilst becoming a champion for survivors of abuse, performing once more with the Spice Girls and receiving her MBE from Prince William.

Brutally Honest

Ever wondered why we touch wood, salute magpies, skip over cracks and throw salt over our&#160;shoulders? Then Sally Coulthard has the answer as she gets under the skin of these peculiar pastimes&#160;in her new book Superstition.&#160;Exploring&#160;the history and background of fifty of these fascinating cultural behaviours, discover&#160;how they affected our everyday life and why many of these beliefs are still pertinent today. 
 
 Superstitions reveal the hopes, fears and preoccupations of our ancestors and give&#160;a fascinating glimpse into how they lived. Seemingly bizarre folk beliefs and practices &ndash; in&#160;farming,&#160;marriage, craft, love, feasting, birth and death &ndash;&#160;often have their roots in real-life worries and desires.&#160;By looking at the material circumstances and challenging environments of our forefathers we start to understand how strange rituals and rules give comfort and reassurance, whether it&rsquo;s hoping for a good harvest, wishing our loved ones a safe journey or trying for a baby. 
 &#160; 
 Pick a side. This is a book with two covers, giving you the chance to decide if you want to enter the light or dark side.&#160;With its gorgeous folk illustrations and light-hearted tone, Superstition aims not only to give readers a fascinating insight into recent history but also bring a smile of recognition that, perhaps, we&rsquo;ve got more in common with our superstitious ancestors than we&rsquo;d care to admit.

Superstition

White Rabbits and Black Cats – The History of Common Folk Beliefs

Su Scott

"Su has written a beautiful account of how food can help rebuild culture from treasured memories, how it conveys love and connection, and how it can ground us when we feel untethered. The recipes are totally tantalising &ndash; and thanks to Su&rsquo;s guidance, entirely achievable even for novices." &ndash; Tim Anderson"A book of belonging. Food as a love letter to family. Writing as delicious as the recipes." &ndash; Allan Jenkins, Observer Food MonthlyRice Table | bap sang is a collection of 80 recipes showcasing modern, Korean home cooking. A Korean living in the UK, Su Scott was thrown into a crisis of identity when motherhood dawned, one which she only found her way out of by cooking the dishes of her Korean childhood, seeking out the flavours and textures of memories that she hopes to pass on to her daughter. Within this intimate cookbook, Su guides you through her modern Korean larder, explores the ferments, pickles and sauces that lift Korean dishes to delicious heights and shares a comforting array of recipes, from Korean Fried Chicken and Kimchi Fried Rice, to Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup. Littered between enticing plates are tender stories of what it means to be a woman, mother and immigrant all at once and how food connects all the pieces of our lives to make us whole. This is a love letter from mother to daughter woven together by food. It&rsquo;s a book about identity and immigration. It&rsquo;s about how the food you feed your children builds a story about their heritage. But it&rsquo;s mainly a book about wonderful food &ndash; the kind of food we all want to eat right now.

Rice Table

Korean Recipes and Stories to Feed the Soul

Nina Cosford

Venture forth &ndash; if you dare &ndash; into the hazardous territory that is the girl brain!&#160; 
 
 From the dreaded doom of bra-shopping to the countless hours spent trying to select the right emoji or why we analyse (absolutely) everything, this book offers a humorous, revealing and hugely-relatable exploration of what it means to be a girl in the twenty-first century.&#160; 
 
 Enter at your peril...&#160;

My Name is Girl

An Illustrated Guide to the Female Mind

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