The People Spotter`s Guide, Vol 1 is a tongue-in-cheek catalogue, presenting over 100 types of humans. Every type is illustrated with a photo &
- of course satirical
- text, to help you spot these people in the wild. So you might run into an example of the Homo Securitatis Inferioris (security agents who don`t look like they`re strong) or the Homo Amantus Vestimentatis Identicus (an identically dressed couple). The guide encourages you to go out & explore your own biotope & to take a closer look at the people living in it. Every spotting is awarded with a number of points
- the more rare the behaviour you`ve witnessed, the more points you`ll get.


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The Thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in his tailored suit, he weaves in & out of Tokyo crowds, stealing wallets from strangers so smoothly sometimes he doesn`t even remember the snatch. Most people are just a blur to him, nameless faces from whom he chooses his victims. He has no family, no friends, no connections... But he does have a past, which finally catches up with him when Ishikawa, his first partner, reappears in his life, & offers him a job he can`t refuse. It`s an easy job: tie up an old rich man, steal the contents of the safe. No one gets hurt. Only the day after the job does he learn that the old man was a prominent politician, & that he was brutally killed after the robbery. & now the Thief is caught in a tangle even he might not be able to escape. ...

In 1876 a man named Henry Wickham smuggled 70, 000 rubber tree seeds out of the rainforests of Brazil & delivered them to Victorian England`s most prestigious scientists at Kew Gardens. Those seeds, planted around the world in England`s colonial outposts, gave rise to the great rubber boom of the early 20th century
- an explosion of entrepreneurial & scientific industry that would change the world. The story of how Wickham got his hands on those seeds
- a sought-after prize for which many suffered & died, & for which he faced deadly insects, poisonous snakes, horrific illnesses, &, ultimately, the neglect & contempt of the very government he wished to serve
- is the stuff of legend. His idealism & determination, as well as his outright thievery, perfectly encapsulate the essential nature of Great Britain`s colonial adventure in South America. In this utterly engaging account of obsession, greed, bravery, & betrayal, Joe Jackson brings to life a classic Victorian fortune hunter & the empire that fuelled, then abandoned, him. In his single-minded persuit of glory, Wickham faced deadly insects, poisonous snakes, horrific illnesses, &, ultimately, the neglect & contempt of the very government he wished to serve. His idealism & determination, as well as his outright thievery, perfectly encapsulate the essential nature of the Great Britain`s colonial adventure in South America. ” The Thief at the End of the World” is a thrilling true story of reckless courage & ambition.


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In 1876, a man named Henry Wickham smuggled seventy thousand rubber tree seeds out of the rain forests of Brazil & delivered them to Victorian England`s most prestigious scientists at Kew Gardens. Those seeds, planted around the world in England`s colonial outposts, gave rise to the great rubber boom of the early twentieth century
- an explosion of entrepreneurial & scientific industry that would change the world. The story of how Wickham got his hands on those seeds
- a sought-after prize for many suffered & died
- is the stuff of legend. In this lively account of obsession, greed, bravery & betrayal, author & journalist Joe Jackson brings to life a classic Victorian fortune-hunter & the empire that fueled, then abandoned, him. ” The Thief at the End of the World” is a thrilling true story of reckless courage & ambition.


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The first in Caroline Lawrence`s internationally bestselling Roman Mysteries series, re-issued with a fantastic new cover look. Flavia Gemina is a natural at solving mysteries. The daughter of a ship`s captain living in Ostia, the port of Rome, in AD79, she & her three friends, Jonathan, a Jewish boy (and secretly a Christian); Nubia, an African slave girl; & Lupus, a mute beggar boy, must work together to discover who is beheading the watchdogs that guard people`s homes, & why. A talented storyteller, Caroline Lawrence has created a delightfully readable & accessible series that children will want to read time & time again. ...

One day, the Thing falls from the sky & four strangers stumble across it. Together they decide to work together to take care of the Thing. But before long a media circus builds up around the creature they are protecting & the debate about the Thing spreads far around the world. What is the Thing? Who does it belong to? What does it do? & is it any use for anything at all? This captivating picture book will be many things to many people: a story about thoughtfulness, an adventure in friendship & an intriguing & gentle social commentary on the search for meaning in modern life. Daniel Egneus` unique & engaging artwork beautifully illustrates this enigmatic story & brings the strange Thing to life. With a similar feel to Alexis Deacon`s Beegu & Shaun Tan`s The Lost Thing, this is the perfect bedtime story for children & adults to enjoy together. Praise for The Thing: ” Touching on themes of compassion, kindness & belonging, this quirky tale will undoubtedly instigate crucial questions & topics for further discussion across all age groups”
- Picture Books Blogger Simon Puttock was born in New Zealand &, as a child, wanted to be a vet or an archaeologist. Instead, & after some considerable time & doing other stuff, he became a full-time writer. He has written over 40 books for children & has won several awards, including the 2016 Scottish Children`s Book Award for Mouse`s First Night at Moonlight School. Daniel Egneus was born in Sweden & has had successful collaborations with clients such as Haagen-Dasz, O2 UK, Marie Claire, Time Magazine, Penguin Books & Random House. He was voted best illustrator by the Association of Illustrators in the UK (2005). He has published many books including Little Red Riding Hood (Harper Collins) & Hot Dog cookbook (winner of the Prix Gourmand for Best Illustrated Cookbook in France).
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” When Rachael Weiss left a good job, Thelma the cat & a normal life in Sydney for the romantic dream of being a writer in Prague she intended to stay forever. She lasted just three years, exasperated by the eccentricities of her ancestral city & its mind-boggling bureaucracy & customs. In this surprising & generous memoir full of warmth & unstoppable sociability, Rachael attempts to write her great novel, buy an apartment (any apartment!), dodge unscrupulous employers, & perhaps find love. She gets lost in the woods with a Kyrgyzstani software engineer who wants to eat humans, finds herself leading services at the Spanish synagogue with no real idea of what she is doing & spends long nights drinking beer with a colourful cast of crazy, warm & slightly mad locals & expats. Rich in absurdities & gentle humour, The Thing About Prague...is rife with insight, culture clashes, friendships & above all charm.” ...

From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the Orange Prize-winning author of “ Half of a Yellow Sun” & “violet Hibiscus”, comes twelve stories in which she turns her eye on the ties that bind men & women, parents & children, Nigeria & the West. In “A Private Experience, ” a medical student hides from a violent riot with a poor Muslim woman whose dignity & faith force her to confront the realities & fears she’s been pushing away. In “ Tomorrow Is Too Far, ” a woman unlocks the devastating secret that surrounds her brother’s death. The young mother at the center of “ Imitation” finds her comfortable life threatened when she learns that her husband back in Lagos has moved his mistress into their home. & the title story depicts the choking loneliness of a Nigerian girl who moves to an America that turns out to be nothing like the country she expected; though falling in love brings her desires nearly within reach, a death in her homeland forces her to re-examine them. Immediate & profound, full of beauty, sorrow & longing, this collection is a superb addition to the already impress canon of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. ...

From the Orange Prize-winning author of ` Half of a Yellow Sun` come twelve dazzling stories that turn a penetrating eye on the ties that bind men & women, parents & children, Nigeria & the West. In `A Private Experience`, a medical student hides from a violent riot with a poor Muslim woman whose dignity & faith force her to confront the realities & fears she`s been pushing away. In ` Tomorrow Is Too Far`, a woman unlocks the devastating secret that surrounds her brother`s death. The young mother at the centre of ` Imitation` finds her comfortable life threatened when she learns that her husband back in Lagos has moved his mistress into their home. & the title story depicts the choking loneliness of a Nigerian girl who moves to an America that turns out to be nothing like the country she expected; though falling in love brings her desires nearly within reach, a death in her homeland forces her to re-examine them. Searing & profound, suffused with beauty, sorrow & longing, this collection is a resounding confirmation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie`s prodigious storytelling powers. ...

From established literary heavyweights to emerging spoken word artists, the writers in this ground-breaking collection blow away the narrow image of the ` Muslim Woman`. Hear from users of Islamic Tinder, a disenchanted Maulana working as a TV chat show host & a plastic surgeon blackmailed by MI6. Follow the career of an actress with Middle-Eastern heritage whose dreams of playing a ghostbuster spiral into repeat castings as a jihadi bride. Among stories of honour killings & ill-fated love in besieged locations, we also find heart-warming connections & powerful challenges to the status quo. From Algiers to Brighton, these stories transcend time & place revealing just how varied the search for belonging can be. ...