Steve Roud was Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and served as Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint author of the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, plus other books on traditional drama and folk song, and the Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, which won the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004. His publications include London Lore (2008) and The Lore of the Playground (2010). He also compiles the Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer databases of traditional folk and popular song. He lives in Sussex.

Steve Roud

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Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

The insider account into the sitcom that barely survived its first season - but went on to become a modern classic. 
 
When Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, creators of The Office, came together to write a new comedy, they wanted to create something that would celebrate the power of community. Leslie Knope, Ron Swanson and the rest of the Pawnee gang became the escape we all needed, balancing sharp political commentary with heart, optimism and top-notch comedy. But the road wasn’t smooth, despite one of TV’s most lovable casts. 
 
Featuring exclusive cast and creator interviews and unmatched insider knowledge from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, Parks and Rec gives the untold story of how the iconic show came to be. With a foreword from Offerman himself, Armstrong gains access to new and exclusive interviews with Michael Schur, Greg Daniels, Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, as well as other cast and crew members.

Parks and Rec

Lit'rally the Inside Story of America’s Great Underdog Sitcom

Luke Evans

Growing up in a small village in the Rhymney Valley, Luke's life was shaped by his Jehovah's Witness upbringing, a path he'd eventually navigate to come out to his parents, knowing he risked losing them. In his raw and honest account, he shares his struggles of always feeling different and being bullied as a child, and his brave decision to leave home at just seventeen, searching for a new life and a place where he truly belonged. 
 
Starring first on the West End stages in iconic productions like Miss Saigon, Avenue Q, and Rent, he quickly captivated the hearts of audiences and caught the eye of Hollywood's elite, going on to secure roles in blockbuster films like The Hobbit, Beauty and the Beast, the Fast and Furious franchise, and Nine Perfect Strangers TV series. 
 
In this intimate memoir, Luke takes us behind the scenes of his career on the stage and screen. He writes beautifully of the relationship he now has with his family and the respect they all have for one another on their different paths. Luke's story is a powerful tale of resilience, courage, and the pursuit of finding a sense of belonging and identity.

Boy From the Valleys

My unexpected journey

Jimmy Tarbuck

In October 1963, Jimmy Tarbuck made his TV debut on Sunday Night at the Palladium, The young comedian stepped out on stage and brought the house down. Two years later, he was hosting the show. 
 
As a football-mad youngster, Jimmy's dream had been to play professionally for his beloved Liverpool FC. Meanwhile, his childhood friends John Lennon and Cilla Black shot to fame as chart-topping sensations of the Merseybeat phenomenon. But it was a gift for making people laugh that was to propel him to stardom. 
 
Hosting the biggest show on British TV, he found himself on telly every week introducing superstars like Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Rudolf Nureyev. Then he went to America and there he was on stage with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, chatting to Elvis in Vegas and chinwagging with Sinatra in Miami. This was a golden age for British entertainers, and he takes us back to the camaraderie of those days, remembering his old muckers Eric and Ernie, Tommy Cooper and Kenny Lynch, laughing together as they conquered the world. 
 
As his incredible story shows, Jimmy has gone through life seeing the funny side of everything and, even through tough times, he knows that laughter is always the best medicine. Read his autobiography for a big, joyful dose it.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

My autobiography

Chris Harris

'What defines the car-saddo condition is not being able to recall a time when the toy-car-era of your life actually ended. Because for us sufferers, it never does.' 
 
Nobody knows cars like Chris Harris does. He calls it 'unhinged geekery', but the rest of the world call it infectious enthusiasm, adrenaline fuelled escapism and rigorous journalistic integrity. 
 
And then there are his famous skills at the wheel, from city cars to rally cars, not forgetting the Guinness World Record 3.4km sideways in an electric car. 
 
And now for the first time, Harris takes us down the road of his lifelong obsession with the automobile - along surprising diversions, around hazards and obstructions, down the fast lane collecting Gs and back to the lock-up to prep the stock. 
 
From the six-year-old who could recite the stats from What Car? magazine to the YouTube car guru whose honest reviews got him banned by Ferrari. From the Scalextric track of his childhood, to podiums as a racing driver out in the world. From behind his garage doors to the floodlit Top Gear studio. 
 
Variable Valve Timings brings you an incredibly engaging story of adventure and petrolhead joy, told with wit, warmth and disarming honesty. This book is a true one-off, just like Chris.

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