Heidi Perks is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Now You See Her, which was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, Come Back for Me, Three Perfect Liars, The Whispers and The Other Guest. The Last Resort is her sixth novel. Heidi is a voracious reader of crime and thrillers and is fascinated by the darker side of our closest relationships. Heidi lives in Bournemouth with her husband and two children.

Heidi Perks

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Ramla Ali

Ramla Ali's life inside and outside the ring represents her ruthless refusal to quit and passion to fight for what she believes in. 
 
In her first book, Ramla details ten key fights - a combination of life's constant challenges and real bouts she's endured both in and outside of the ring - that have shaped her remarkable rise to date. 
 
From her arrival in England as a refugee to being drawn to the energy and spirit of her first boxercise class; from the adrenaline of her first amateur fights to how she often powered on alone, searching for a community of women like her, and her biggest win of all: letting love into her life. 
 
Each relatable lesson is packed full of honesty and urgency, powering the reader on to become their own champion.

Not Without a Fight: Ten Steps to Becoming Your Own Champion

Chelsea Kwakye

Ore Ogunbiyi

'Brilliant' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of QUEENIE 
'Essential' BERNARDINE EVARISTO, author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER 
'Hugely important' PAULA AKPAN 
____________________________ 
As a minority in a predominantly white institution, taking up space is an act of resistance. Recent Cambridge grads Chelsea and Ore experienced this first-hand, and wrote Taking Up Space as a guide and a manifesto for change. 
 
FOR BLACK GIRLS: 
 
Understand that your journey is unique. Use this book as a guide. Our wish for you is that you read this and feel empowered, comforted and validated in every emotion you experience, or decision that you make. 
 
FOR EVERYONE ELSE: 
 
We can only hope that reading this helps you to be a better friend, parent, sibling or teacher to black girls living through what we did. It's time we stepped away from seeing this as a problem that black people are charged with solving on their own. 
 
It's a collective effort. 
And everyone has a role to play. 
 
Featuring honest conversations with students past and present, Taking Up Space goes beyond the buzzwords of diversity and inclusion and explores what those words truly mean for young black girls today. 
____________________________ 
#Merky Books was set up by publishers Penguin Random House and Stormzy in June 2018 to find and publish the best writers of a new generation and to publish the stories that are not being heard. #Merky Books aims to open up the world of publishing, and this year has launched a New Writer's Prize and will soon be launching a #Merky Books traineeship. 
 
'I know too many talented writers that don't always have an outlet or a means to get their work seen, and hopefully #Merky Books can now be a reference point for them to say "I can be an author", and for that to be a realistic and achievable goal... Reading and writing as a kid were integral to where I am today and I, from the bottom of my heart, cannot wait to hear your stories and get them out into the big wide world.' 
STORMZY

Taking Up Space

The Black Girl’s Manifesto for Change

Monika Radojevic

'Tender, humorous and moving’ COSMOPOLITAN 
 
'Visceral, wild, and so beautifully necessary.' SALMA EL-WARDANY, author of THESE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS 
 
'Radojevic’s stories and fragments are so sharp-edged they could draw blood. Fierce, funny and angry.' CATHERINE MAYER, author TIME/LIFE 
 
*** 
 
Across thirty striking tales, Monika Radojevic weaves together the surreal with the everyday, confronting the experiences of contemporary womanhood with a tender ferocity shot through with humour.A woman walks into a bar, and nobody notices. A newly married couple are punished for their childlessness with an unsettling nocturnal invasion. A girl trades her vocal cords for a chance at freedom. A door-to-door salesperson offers the antidote to women’s fear – but it comes at a high price. 
 
Bubbling with an urgent rage that occasionally tips over into vengeance, Radojevic deftly charts the moments that make a life: from the warmth of first love to the recognition of anger, and the possibilities that take shape as we find or lose our ability to speak. A Beautiful Lack of Consequence explores the ways in which the world bends and breaks women with the pressure it puts on them – and what happens when those women snap back. 
 
Moving and irreverent, dark and otherworldly, A Beautiful Lack of Consequence is a blazing debut collection from the winner of the #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize. 
 
*** 
 
'Thoughtful, introspective and darkly funny' READER REVIEW 
 
'So beautiful and raw' READER REVIEW 
 
'Biting . . . a must read!' READER REVIEW

A Beautiful Lack of Consequence

Caster Semenya

Banned from the sport she loved because she was labelled 'different', Olympic and World Champion Caster Semenya is finally ready to share the vivid and blisteringly honest story of how the world came to know her name. Thrust into the spotlight after winning the 2009 World Championships Caster Semenya quickly became the centre of a debate which still continues today about gender in sports, and the right to compete as you are. 
 
Told with blistering candour and captivating speed, The Race To Be Myself is a journey through innocence, ambition, defiance, and acceptance. From her rural beginnings running in the dust, to crushing her opponents on the track. To the falsehoods spread about her name, and the many trials she has been forced to endure publicly and privately. This is Caster's time to set the record straight and share her story of how she became a defiant champion. 
 
Throughout it all Caster has found triumph in her strong will, her community and her family. Caster's story is our story, and testimony to anyone forced to stop doing what they love.

The Race To Be Myself

Sophia Thakur

Denzell Dankwah

________________________________ 
What do you want to be when you grow up? 
 
Discover the new daring tales of inspiration from over fifty iconic British icons today, who have each harnessed their curiosity and ambition and turned it into their own superhero power. 
With a special introduction by Stormzy 
 
Every inspirational figure has something that makes them special, just like you. Just look at: 
 
· Princess K, who went from tapping her foot under the desk at school, to dancing centre stage at Glastonbury 
· Dina Asher Smith, who started out crawling at lightning speed and became the fastest British woman in history 
· Reggie Yates, who used his power of empathy to connect instantly both in person and through the TV 
· Riz Ahmed, whose ability to code-switch between cultures and creative outlets let him excel as a scholar, actor, activist, and rapper 
· Liam Charles, who followed his childhood passion in the kitchen to become a Bake Off master 
 
This is a book filled with inspiring journeys, to encourage and empower you to harness your power, and become your own superhero.

Superheroes

Inspiring Stories of Secret Strength

Joy Harden Bradford

Friendships are some of the longest-standing and most important relationships in our lives – they help us feel seen, nourished, and cared for. As a clinical psychologist with over twenty years of experience, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford knows the power of community and the positive impact it has on our health and wellbeing. 
 
Drawing on Dr. Joy's expertise in facilitating group therapy, Sisterhood Heals puts our unique connection with other women at the centre, to help us build and sustain mutually supportive friendships. From how we can better hold space for our friends, to dealing with common arguments, setting firmer boundaries, and navigating the pain of a friend breakup, this book will teach you to create a more fulfilling and connected life for yourself and those around you.

Sisterhood Heals

The Transformative Power of Healing in Community

Grace Victory

Introducing the new 'How To...' series from #Merky Books: unlock your potential with our short, practical pocket-sized guides. 
_________________________________ 
How to Calm It: Relax Your Mind 
 
This is not your typical book about mindfulness. This book is an insight into how we can learn to process what's going on inside our heads, heal our bodies for the better, and learn to love ourselves. Full with tangible tools, creative exercises and tailored tips. This book is yours to read at your leisure and use when you want. The perfect accompaniment on your journey to detangling your mind, and making a commitment to value yourself each and everyday. 
 
Written by Grace Victory 
Foreword by Black Minds Matter UK 
_________________________________ 
Designed to inspire and encourage readers to unlock their potential and provoke change, the How To series offers a new model in publishing, helping to break down knowledge barriers and uplift the next generation. 
 
Creatively presented and packed with clear, step-by-step, practical advice, this series is essential reading for anyone seeking guidance to thrive in the modern world on their own terms. Curate your bookshelf with these collectible titles.

How To Calm It

Relax Your Mind

Stormzy

The incredible, must-read true story of the meteoric rise of the music star and the #Merky brand – and a guide to achieving success in your own life, on your own terms. 
 
‘Extraordinary’ NME Books of the Year 
 
‘An inspirational must-read’ Evening Standard 
 
THE #MERKY STORY SO FAR 
 
‘It’s been a long time coming, I swear...’ 
 
In recent years Stormzy has risen from one of the most promising musicians of his generation to a spokesperson for a generation. Rise Up is the story of how he got there. 
 
It’s a story about faith and the ideas worth fighting for. It’s about knowing where you’re from, and where you’re going. It’s about following your dreams without compromising who you are. 
 
Featuring never-before-seen photographs, annotated lyrics and contributions from those closest to him, Rise Up is the #Merky story, and the record of a journey unlike any other. 
 
Edited and co-written by Jude Yawson 
Contributions by Team #Merky 
Images by Kaylum Dennis 
 
 
Praise for Rise Up: 
 
‘Inspirational’ Guardian Books of the Year 
 
'A very important book. ... It is truly inspiring to read about the accomplishments of Team Stormzy, realised largely without money or expertise, but with bucketloads of intelligence and hard work.' BBC 
 
‘Motivational, inspirational. If Rise Up is just the beginning, I cannot wait for the next stage.’ iNews 
 
‘Provides a real insight into what it takes to become... the country's biggest grime star… Don’t sleep on it’ Metro 
 
‘More than an oral history, Rise Up is a model for those seeking to replicate Stormzy and his team’s accomplishments.’ The Times 
 
‘A book written not to the greater glory of Stormzy, but as a way of inspiring the next generation.’ Q Magazine, 'Best Music Books of the Month'

Rise Up

The #Merky Story So Far

Malorie Blackman

The long-awaited autobiography of one of the world's greatest children's writers, and an empowering and inspiring account of a life in books. 
 
Malorie Blackman OBE is one of Britain's best loved and most widely-read writers. For over thirty years, her books have helped to shape British culture, and inspired generations of younger readers and writers. The Noughts and Crosses series, started in 2000, sparked a new and necessary conversation about race and identity in the UK, and are already undisputed classics of twenty-first-century children's literature. 
 
She is also a writer whose own life has been shaped by books, from her childhood in south London, the daughter of parents who moved to Britain from Barbados as part of the Windrush Generation, and who experienced a childhood that was both wonderful and marred by the everyday racism and bigotry of the era. She was told she could not apply to study her first love, literature, at university, in spite of her academic potential, but found a way to books and to a life in writing against a number of obstacles. 
 
This book is an account of that journey, from a childhood surrounded by words, to the 83 rejection letters she received in response to sending out her first project, to the children's laureateship. It explores the books who have made her who she is, and the background to some the most beloved and powerful children's stories of today. It is an illuminating, inspiring and empowering account of the power of words to change lives, and the extraordinary life story of one of the world's greatest writers.

Just Sayin'

My Life In Words

Joshua Virasami

Introducing the new ‘How To…’ series from #Merky Books: unlock your potential with our short, practical pocket-sized guides. 
_______________________________________________________ 
How to Change It: your indispensable guide to activism 
 
Is it possible to create real change? How can we as individuals help to solve some of the biggest issues of today? How can we overcome injustice and inequality wherever we are? Where does power sit, and how can we get it? 
 
How to Change It provides the answers to these questions, and many more. In three simple steps - educate, organise and agitate - artist and organiser Joshua Virasami sets out several lessons for successful campaigning, drawing on the experience and actions of a number of activist and political movements, including Extinction Rebellion, Occupy and Black Lives Matter. 
 
Written by Joshua Virasami 
Introduced by Patrisse Cullors: artist, organiser and freedom fighter from Los Angeles and co-founder of Black Lives Matter. She is the author of critically acclaimed When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir. 
_______________________________________________________ 
Designed to inspire and encourage readers to unlock their potential and provoke change, the How To series offers a new model in publishing, helping to break down knowledge barriers and uplift the next generation. 
 
Creatively presented and packed with clear, step-by-step, practical advice, this series is essential reading for anyone seeking guidance to thrive in the modern world. Curate your bookshelf with these collectible titles.

How To Change It

Make a Difference

Jeremiah Emmanuel

I wanted to change the world, but the world I was born into changed me first. 
 
My name is Jeremiah Emmanuel. I'm twenty one years old. I'm an activist, an entrepreneur, a former deputy young mayor of Lambeth and member of the UK Youth Parliament. 
 
Raised in south London, I lived in an area where crime and poverty were everywhere and opportunities to escape were rare. Violence was accepted, prison was expected. That was the world I knew; the only one I thought was possible for people like me. 
 
Then I discovered another world, one with opportunities round every corner. As I grew my network, I realised that the system actively works against certain members of society, silently preventing people from succeeding. I made it my mission to change this, and to teach people like me about the secret rules of society that empower some to get ahead and keep others down. This is my story of how I made it, and how others can too. 
 
Memoir meets manifesto, Dreaming in a Nightmare is a powerful account of the challenges faced by a new generation and how readers can rally to create change.

Dreaming in a Nightmare

Inequality and What We Can Do About It

Bola Sol

Introducing the new 'How To...' series from #Merky Books: unlock your potential with our short, practical pocket-sized guides. 
_______________________________________________________ 
 
How To Save It: Fix Your Finances 
 
Fixing your finances starts with facing your finances. 
 
This indispensable guide will help you confront the awkwardness of having conversations about your money and what to do with it. 
 
In seven accessible chapters' financial wellness guru Bola Sol, will guide you through all your money essentials - from saving, to budgeting, dealing with your debt, building your credit, and taking your first steps to investing. 
 
Packed with practical tips and straightforward advice, this is the book that will change your relationship with money for the better. 
 
Written by Bola Sol 
Foreword Moneybox 
_______________________________________________________ 
 
Designed to inspire and encourage readers to unlock their potential and provoke change, the How To series offers a new model in publishing, helping to break down knowledge barriers and uplift the next generation. 
 
Creatively presented and packed with clear, step-by-step, practical advice, this series is essential reading for anyone seeking guidance to thrive in the modern world. Curate your bookshelf with these collectable titles.

How To Save It

Fix Your Finances

Niran Vinod

Damola Timeyin

Introducing the new &lsquo;How To&hellip;&rsquo; series from #Merky Books: unlock your potential with our short, practical pocket-sized guides. 
_______________________________________________________ 
How to Build It: Grow Your Brand 
 
In a world where everyone is trying to monetise their side hustle and the 5-to-9 is as valuable as the 9-to-5, building your brand is a necessity. But how can you work out what your brand is? How can you make it relevant, and how can you give it real longevity? 
 
This indispensable step by step guide will help you understand all the key considerations as you build solid foundations for your brand to thrive and grow. Complete with creative tasks, and shared personal insight from two creative strategists who have worked with some of the world's most renowned brands, How to Build It will set you on the road from nowhere to everywhere. 
 
Written by Niran Vinod and Damola Timeyin 
Foreword by Nando's 
_______________________________________________________ 
Designed to inspire and encourage readers to unlock their potential and provoke change, the How To series offers a new model in publishing, helping to break down knowledge barriers and uplift the next generation. 
 
Creatively presented and packed with clear, step-by-step, practical advice, this series is essential reading for anyone seeking guidance to thrive in the modern world. Curate your bookshelf with these collectible titles.

How To Build It

Grow Your Brand

Sasha Bonét

‘A tale of evolution and hope’ – Hilton Als, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of White Girls 
 
‘A bold new entry in the canon of literature about Black motherhood’ – Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of Libertie 
 
----------- 
 
Wherever there is water, there is mystery. And mystery breeds mythology. 
 
When Sasha Bonét’s grandmother, Betty Jean, raised eleven children in a Texas bayou house, she did it alone, creating a home that was the heart of their family. Her daughter, Mama Connie, vowed to live differently but found herself echoing her mother’s struggles. Now, Sasha navigates motherhood, reflecting on the legacies of Black women like Nina Simone, Betty Davis, Michelle Obama, Rosa Parks and Darnella Frazier (the woman who told the world about George Floyd) to build a portrait of Black womanhood through time. 
 
Bonét explores the trials and triumphs of Black matriarchy – escape, promise, burden, assent and rebellion – weaving personal history with cultural narratives. From mundane yet powerful mornings at the kitchen table to moments of courageously taking on the world at large in the fight for dignity, The Waterbearers’ clear-eyed tenderness reveals intimate vignettes mixed with cultural history of Black women who have built legacies and changed the world through the ties of love – and complexity – that bind them. 
 
------------- 
 
‘The Waterbearers is magnificent in its nimble agility. People are elevated to wonders . . . Bonét dances on our hearts in this classic creation of will and wit. Electrifying and incredibly sturdy. Wow.’ – Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy

The Waterbearers

A Memoir of Mothers and Daughters

Ebony Reid

‘The roads don’t forget, and old reputations cling on, drawing trouble even when someone’s trying to start fresh.’ 
 
Take a step into the heart of the British inner city with Trapped Life, a searingly candid narrative that shatters sensationalist headlines to reveal the authentic lives of the mandem on the infamous Northville Estate in London. Dr Ebony Reid, through personal and professional insights, offers a raw and intimate look at a vibrant and complex community, often misunderstood by wider society. In a year spent on her childhood estate, Reid's powerful storytelling blends reality with creative narrative, taking you through The Cotch, The Block, and even to the Bookies – some of the prominent landmarks of Northville. This urgent and dignified account exposes the devastating socio-economic disparity in urban Britain, making Trapped Life not just a book, but a call to understand and change the lives of those trapped by their circumstances.

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