Dear Mr Bigelow is an enchanting collection of weekly letters written between 1949 & 1961 from an unmarried woman working at the Public Baths in Bournemouth, to a wealthy American widower in New York. Frances Woodsford & Paul Bigelow never met, yet their epistolary friendship was her lifeline. We follow Frances`s trials with her ghastly boss Mr Bond; the hilarious weekly Civil Defence Classes as the Cold War advances; her attempts to shake off an unwanted suitor, & life at home with her mother & her charming ne`er-do-well brother. Sparked with comic genius, the letters provide a unique insight into post-war England & the growth of an extraordinary friendship. ...

Dear Mr. M, I`d like to start by telling you that I`m doing better now. I do so because you probably have no idea that I was ever doing worse. Much worse, in fact, but I`ll get to that later on. Mr. M is being watched. As a famous writer, he is no stranger to the limelight, although interest in his work has been dwindling of late. His print runs are smaller than they used to be, as are the crowds at his bookshop signings.. . Our narrator clearly takes a keen interest in M.`s work, & indeed in every aspect of his life. But what exactly are his intentions? & to what does Mr. M owe the honour of his undivided attention? Our narrator seems to be no stranger to murder, while his own story appears to bear more than a passing resemblance to the plot of Mr. M`s most famous novel: a teacher has an affair with a student, only to be brutally murdered by the girl & her teenage boyfriend. The body is never found. That`s the problem with fiction: in real life, bodies have an awkward habit of turning up. Mr. M has used some artistic licence, & our narrator is not pleased, not pleased at all. & just before he fades into obscurity, he`s prepared to give Mr. M one last review. And it`s unlikely to be a rave. Dear Mr. M is an unsettling & irresistibly readable literary thriller, set in the world of writing & bookselling, by Herman Koch, the author of the international bestseller, The Dinner. ...

The publishing house of John Murray was founded in Fleet Street in 1768 & remained a family firm over seven generations. Published to coincide with this `remarkable achievement` & in the anniversary year, Dear Mr Murray is a collection of some of the best letters from the hundreds of thousands held in the John Murray Archive. They reveal not only the story of some of the most interesting & influential books in history but also the remarkable friendships
- as well as occasional animosities
- between author & publisher, as well as readers, editors, printers & illustrators. Despite the incredible number of letters that were retained by the Murray family, some failed to arrive, others were delayed & some barely survived, but longevity added to the reputation & fame of John Murray & a correspondent in Canada who addressed his letter merely to ` John Murray, The World-wide famous Book & Publishing House, London, England` as early as 1932 could be confident that his letter would arrive. Intended to entertain & inspire, & spanning more than two hundred years, Dear Mr Murray is full of literary history & curiosities: from Charles Darwin`s response to the negative reviews of On the Origin of Species to Adrian Conan Doyle challenging Harold Nicolson to a duel for insulting his father in the press; from David Livingstone`s displeasure at the proposed drawing of a lion to represent his near-death encounter in Missionary Travels to William Makepeace Thackeray apologising for his drunken behaviour; from Byron berating John Murray for being fooled by his girlfriend`s forgery of his signature to the poet James Hogg so desperate for money that he claims he won`t be able to afford a Christmas goose; & from Jane Austen expressing concern about printing delays to Patrick Leigh Fermor beseeching Jock Murray not to visit him until he`d completed A Time of Gifts. Complemented by illustrations & reproductions of letters & envelopes, this is the perfect gift for book lovers everywhere.

...

For years, Singapore with its many opportunities has attracted a large expat population. Some test it out for a few years & then move on, others sink in their roots & immerse themselves in the vibrant mix of local culture.” Dear Ms Expat” is a collection of 10 real-life stories from women who have made tropical Singapore their home. They each left their comfort zone in search of adventure, following a partner or in pursuit of a bright new career for themselves. The tales are as diverse as the women`s backgrounds, with childhood spent either on rolling Australian farms, amidst Swiss mountains, or in small-town America. These women have reinvented themselves to become entrepreneurs, photographers, advocates, writers & leaders. Transplanted to a new environment, they worked hard to better themselves-whether it is for personal fulfilment, for their families, for the expat community, or for womankind at large. This book seeks to inspire & motivate by highlighting the sheer grit, spirit & determination of all the women featured. ...

In this fascinating follow-up to the highly successful ” Dear Francesca”, Mary Contini writes to her other daughter, Olivia, to tell the story of her great-grandparents, the humble Italian shepherds who emigrated to Edinburgh & then helped to transform Britain`s food culture. Sharing some of the recipes that they brought over
- the tomatoes, the garlic, the sausage, the wine
- this is a mouthwatering memoir of family & food. It is also a brilliant evocation of life between the wars, a triumphant story of survival against all the odds, that captures the sights & smells of Italian life & culture, at home & abroad.

...

When Toby Little was five years old, he decided to write to someone in every country in the world. With the help of his mum, Toby started handwriting & posting letters to everyone from research scientists in Antarctica to game-keepers in Chad & even the Pope. Not only did Toby achieve his goal but the world wrote back. Dear World, How Are You? is a collection of the most fascinating & heart-warming letters he sent & received. It shows that the world is only as big as your imagination & is full of potential friends, waiting to be discovered, no matter where you live. ...

`I`m very afraid I will die tonight`
- Bana Alabed, Twitter, 2 October 2016` Stop killing us.`
- Bana Alabed, Twitter, 6

...

Irenie, a young girl coming of age in upstate New York, has a secret at the core of her life. Her mother
- the striking, charismatic
...

Moving, enlightening, heart-breaking
- Dear Zari gives voice to the secret lives of women across Afghanistan & allows them to
...

” Dear Zari” gives voice to the secret lives of women across Afghanistan & allows them to tell their stories in their own words: from the child bride given as payment to end a family feud; to a life spent in a dark, dusty room weaving carpets; to a young girl brought up as a boy; to life as a widow shunned by society. Compelling & enlightening, ” Dear Zari” uncovers the reality of life in Afghanistan in stories that are by turn heart-breaking & uplifting. ...