Category: News

The Five Best UK Spa Towns for a Weekend Getaway

 

We’re well and truly into May! With another long weekend just around the corner and warmer weather hitting the UK, it’s the ideal time to take a self care weekend in a gorgeous spa town. Read on for five UK spa towns perfect for a getaway. Our picks are taken from The Last Enchanted Places: Spa Towns of Europe by Ian Bradley which was published on the 2nd of April 2026 by Icon Books.

In this stunning guide, the author describes the experience of taking the waters and relishing the atmosphere at twenty spas in Britain and on the Continent, seven of which have recently been given UNESCO World Heritage status as ‘The Great Spa Towns of Europe’. The book blends personal reminiscences with a historical overview, amusing anecdotes, factual information and useful tips for visitors. The result is a fascinating, entertaining and informative survey of these last enchanted places which are being increasingly visited by tourists for their cultural and historic connections as much as their therapeutic benefits.

 

Serving water in the Pump Room, Bath.

 

1. Bath, Somerset

 

Bath is Britain’s best-known spa town and probably its most-loved. It’s home to the hottest natural thermal mineral waters in the UK, emerging at a temperature of 46°C. Its springs have been venerated and thought to hold magical, therapeutic powers since prehistoric times. The Romans built the city’s iconic baths which fed directly from the hot springs as a place of worship and recreation. Bath remained England’s most fashionable spa, attracting visitors for centuries as a place of culture and society and remains popular with tourists today. If you’re enjoying a weekend in Bath, try taking brunch or afternoon tea in the Pump Room after visiting the Roman Baths where the resident trio plays spa music from 2pm to 4pm daily. They iconic Bath bun is served in the morning, or you can take a trip to Sally Lunn’s for them all day. You should also make sure to visit the Abbey, and tale a walking trail around the city, such as those available at the Bath World Heritage Centre in York Street and finish off your day with a twilight package at the Thermae Bath Spa.

 

© Paul Collins / The Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells / CC BY-SA 2.0

2. Tunbridge Wells, Kent

 

While Bath is the spot that springs to mind, for much of the seventeenth century, Tunbridge Wells was the most popular pick for a UK spa town. The curative properties of the water were supposedly first discovered in 1606 by Lord North to ease a weekend of heavy drinking. His enthusiasm for the spot led to a flood of high-society visitors looking to reap the benefits of the iron-rich waters. While its annual visitors were a fraction of Bath, Tunbridge Wells became home to a number of facilities. Assembly Rooms were built in 1738, a Bath House with cold baths in 1780 and heated baths in 1802. Alongside this, it claimed to boast more intellectual amusements such as its Circulating Library, Bookshop and Coffee House. If you’re taking a trip to Tunbridge Wells, stop in at the town’s museum and art gallery and Hall’s second-hand bookshop. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants to enjoy including several stunning afternoon tea spots along mount Ephraim. But above all, don’t miss the the walk to Dunorlan Park and the chalybeate spring (don’t drink from it though!).

 

Original Kursaal name on top of the Royal Hall, Harrogate.

 

3. Harrogate, Yorkshire

 

One of the longest-established spa towns in England, it is known for its pungent odour that comes from the highest concentration of sulphur in Britain. Many of Harrogate’s natural mineral springs can be found in the Valley Gardens, a park in the Western side of the town centre. The nineteenth century saw the height of Harrogate’s popularity as thousands came to drink and bath every year. This peak is still reflected in the town’s architecture and you can learn of its vibrant and fashionable history from one of the many plaques across town. While the spa remained popular up to and through the 1930s, the Second World War saw its decline. While many of the original buildings are used for different purposes, you can book a two-hour session in The Turkish baths which are found in a small section of the old baths building. Apart from booking one of these sessions, if you find yourself in Harrogate, make sure you visit the Pump Room Museum, take a stroll through the Valley Gardens to the Royal Horticultural Society gardens and finish your day by sampling the Yorkshire rarebit or a cream tea (or both) at Betty’s.

 

Opera House, Buxton.

4. Buxton, Derbyshire

 

Found on the edge of the Derbyshire Peak District, 1,000-feet above sea level, Buxton has been dubbed the “mountain spa” of England. Apart from Bath, it’s the only place in the British Isles where you can find natural thermal mineral water. At a temperature of 27.5°C the slightly radioactive water are cooler than Bath and have large quantities of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas. While the use of the water dates back as far as the Iron Age, it was the Romans who popularised the spot. Buxton home to a increasingly wide array of attractions by the early 1800s, becoming one of Britain’s first holiday resorts but the reducing popularity of spa medicine meant visitor numbers decreased in the later half of the 20th century. It has recently been revived with the re-opening of the Edwardian Opera House and the annual International Buxton Festival, becoming one of Britain’s leading music festivals and the venue hosting a range of talent through the rest of the year. Since then, several other exciting buildings have been resurrected including the Buxton Crescent Hotel which houses the most extensive thermal mineral water treatments and facilities in Britain. Apart from a swim or treatment in the Buxton Crescent Hotel, when visiting, make sure to have a drink of the water in the Pump Room or St Ann’s Well, wander through the Winter Gardens from the Opera House and check out the Crescent Experience.

 

© “Aerial 2 – Malverns” by David Martyn Hunt, CC BY 2.0

5. Malvern, Worcestershire

 

Leafy and well-worth arriving at by train, Malvern is home to incredibly pure water from one of the most ancient rock formations in England. The town became popular as a health resort in the mid-nineteenth century which included several unorthodox treatments, attracting high society Victorians including Alfred Tennyson. Over the years, the town grew with the Assembly Rooms and Pleasure Gardens (now known as Priory Park) opening and the number of hotels and guest houses increasing dramatically. While spa medicine reduced in popularity, Malvern remained a holiday destination and it retains much of its Victorian architecture to this day. If you find yourself in Malvern, make sure to browse Rossiter Books who have hosted Ian Bradley himself for an event, take the Malvern Heritage Trail, and fill up a few bottles at the Malvhina Spout.

 

 

Taken from The Last Enchanted Places: Spa Towns of Europe by Ian Bradley. Out now, £18.99.

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Face to Face by Nick Dawson: Sneak Peek

Face to Face: Finding Justice for My Murdered Twin Brother by Nick Dawson Sneak Peek

 

‘Face to Face is a brave endeavour to answer our culture of dehumanization with a story that ultimately rehumanizes at every level. Essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand the power and impact of restorative justice.’

Marina Cantacuzino, author of Forgiveness: An Exploration and founder of The Forgiveness Project

 

When his identical twin brother Simon was kicked to death, all Nick Dawson felt for the killers was hatred.

Struggling in a world where his mirror image had vanished, he came to realise there was only one way to stop the torture – acceptance. Travelling to the absolute limits of personal darkness, Nick came face to face with one of his brother’s killers.

Now a champion of restorative justice, Nick heads behind bars, asking hardened criminals to change, to think of their victims, to make amends.

In Face to Face he takes us with him on a journey into this hidden and unpredictable world.

Better understand the devastating impact of sibling loss and the reality of restorative justice with the extract below from the prologue of Nick and Simon’s story.

 

For a long time, I thought this story had only one end. My twin brother gone, and me left wandering a desert of sorrow, anger and despair.

Simon was my identical twin. We looked the same, sounded the same, moved the same. When we looked in a mirror, I looked at him and he looked at me. And then one day the mirror shattered. Simon was murdered. He was beaten, robbed and thrown in a pond to drown. The reflection in the mirror was gone. Instead all I saw was brutality and ugliness.

When the world turns grey, colour becomes impossible to imagine, as if it never existed. Over time, as you rebuild, a few faint pastel shades start to appear, and then something a little more vivid. The palette slowly returns. Eventually, you can paint a picture. Actually, two pictures. One of what you lost, and one of what you have now. And that is what I am doing here, honestly, accurately and with Simon at their centre. In both these paintings Simon is alive. That’s how he feels to me, and, by telling you about him here, that’s how I want him to feel to you. I refuse to portray my beautiful twin brother in charcoal shades when to everyone he met he was, and is, a rainbow.

I’ll be honest. There have been times when my view of that rainbow has been obscured. That’s what happens when you look at life through a cloud of hatred and rage. It took me a while to understand that to find something resembling inner peace I might need to open my mind to a different way of thinking. That realisation came in the most unlikely of settings. I wasn’t on a psychiatrist’s sofa, or meditating in a mountain hideaway; I was in a prison sitting opposite Craig, one of Simon’s murderers.

From the exact moment of Simon’s death, Craig and I had both been travelling our own very different paths. Initially, they had diverged wildly. I was a lone twin. He was a killer. But we did have one thing in common. We were both serving life sentences. And it was that which would eventually create a desire in us both for our paths to cross.

Restorative justice, the idea that both the perpetrator of a crime and a victim can benefit from meeting one another, was the medium that would bring us together. It was a remarkable transformation. For many years, the only reason I wanted to be near to Craig was to kill him. Now we were sitting a matter of a few feet from one another, talking. Together, we unpacked the horrific events that led to Simon’s death. I revealed the long-lasting and catastrophic effects of the murder. He talked about his own life and how, on release, he hoped, in some small way, to

try to make amends. If you think this was a moment of great personal liberation for me, celebration even, you’d be wrong. It could never have been that. The meeting was incredibly hard. There were times when I believed myself to be incredibly disloyal. I felt Simon looking down from above, wondering how I could possibly talk to his murderer. But at the same time, I knew Craig was no longer the evil monster I remembered from court sixteen years previously. A second chance wasn’t undeserved.

Since that time, as an advocate of restorative justice, I have spent many hours in UK prisons. I have met hundreds of criminals, many of them violent, despicably so. I have looked them in the eye and told them my story – Simon’s story – in the hope that they, too, will understand the impact of their crimes. Hopefully, they will go on to live a different kind of life. Perhaps even consider restorative justice themselves. More recently I have even become a prison visitor, a voluntary role ensuring that the conditions inmates live in are decent and that they receive the help they need. I totally understand how this appears to run completely counter to my experience. As someone who lost his twin to the most awful of crimes, why would I ever want to help those who so disrespect civilised society? But if we don’t step onto the other side of the tracks, how can we ever hope to understand those who dwell there? How can we help them not to make the same mistakes again and again? How can we stop other people hurting like I am? Prisoners are, like it or not, human beings like the rest of us.

There is, though, one thing I’d like to make clear. Forgiveness is a line I have yet fully to cross. Where Simon was once my companion, now I have emptiness. And I am far from alone. My family have all suffered intensely down the years, not only through the pain of loss, but through breakdown and mental illness. For all of us, demons lurk around every corner.

It doesn’t stop there. In the course of writing this book, I vowed to explore just how far the ripples of Simon’s murder extend. To hear the stories of Simon’s friends, their lives turned upside down, their guilt, their disintegration, has been as upsetting as it’s been illuminating. Those ripples will, sadly, continue for many decades, potentially on through the generations –something I have seen with my own children. More positively, meeting so many incredible people who knew and loved Simon has also filled me up, in a way that for so long seemed unimaginable. While sometimes difficult to hear, their words have allowed me to better understand the person he was when he died. Lack of information is a torture for those who lose loved ones in tragic situations. Death is a jigsaw thrown on the floor. I thank them sincerely for helping me rebuild my brother’s life. I needed to touch him, feel him, capture the memories before it’s too late.

Whatever the circumstances of someone’s passing, it’s incumbent on those left behind to ensure they’re remembered. In the weeks following Simon’s death, I found a letter I wrote to Mum and Dad. Looking at it now reminds me why I have written this book. ‘Maintaining Simon’s memory is the most important thing,’ I tell them. And it’s true.

There was something else I wanted my parents to know – ‘Simon’s heart and soul lives on in me.’ As Simon’s identical twin, I’ve always felt I speak for him. His voice was taken away in such a cruel and heartless way. This book is a way not just for me, but for Simon to tell his story. For Simon to be heard. For Simon to be at peace.

 Simon is dead. He was murdered by two attackers in the early hours of 29 August 1998. But he lives on in me. And now he lives on in this book.

Face to face again. At last.

Bookshop.org – Order your copy

Face to Face: Finding Justice For my Murdered Twin Brother by Nick Dawson is out now.

WHAT’S PUBLISHING THIS SUMMER AT ICON BOOKS

 

The long-awaited summer is here at last with that tell-tale June weather. Whether you’re a jet-setter or a home bird, make this summer the one where you lose yourself in a different world or learn about a fascinating topic with your latest gripping non-fiction read. This summer, we’re bringing the perfect companions to hectic holidays and lazy lie-ins with our new titles and upcoming paperbacks.

With everything from quirky travelogues to unknown histories, make sure you follow the links of the titles that spark your curiosity and follow us on X and Instagram @iconbooks to share what you’re reading this summer!

 

WHAT’S NEW THIS JUNE

 

The Restless Coast: A Journey around the Edge of Britain by Roger Morgan-Grenville (5th June 2025)

 

The island of Britain has over 10,000 miles of coastline, steeped in history and constantly shifting, changing, adapting and providing. The Restless Coast is a moving and beautiful account of a journey around it, during which the author sets out to discover its challenges and opportunities, and to talk to its people.

At once delightful travelogue and passionate defence, The Restless Coast shines a powerful spotlight on the thin line that surrounds us, and defines our status as islanders. Overarching the journey is the extraordinary natural history of the coastline, together with the story of how man has imprinted himself on its very geology and shape for countless centuries. Roger Morgan-Grenville addresses the modern challenges that the shoreline faces, and highlights the people who are trying to protect it.

Informative, angry and funny, The Restless Coast is a very personal love letter to our island edge.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-restless-coast-a-journey-around-the-edge-of-britain-roger-morgan-grenville/7891588?ean=9781837731442

 

Data Culture: How to Succeed with Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence by Alex Vail (5th June 2025)

 

Capturing the views of over 300 business leaders on the common causes of digital transformation failure, this book sets out an actionable framework to help organisations of all sizes build successful data-driven cultures.

After working as a senior executive in one of the country’s leading manufacturers, Alex Vail took a sabbatical to conduct several research projects, including the largest ever study into the UK’s corporate AI capabilities. In total, he surveyed 234 senior leaders and interviewed 92 executives from FTSE350 companies to identify why digital transformations succeed or fail; the data dependency of organisations; and their levels of data literacy at senior levels. What emerged from the research was a clear set of success factors, grounded in mindset and behaviour elements, which have been used to create a framework that any company can follow, regardless of their size or complexity, that will guarantee successful data transformations.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/data-culture-how-to-succeed-with-digital-transformation-and-artificial-intelligence-alex-vail/7891589?ean=9781837732319

 

Remembering Women: Lessons from the Ancient World by Christine Lehnen (19th June 2025)

 

Women do have a history of their own.
All we need to do is remember it.

In this illuminating new investigation, Christine Lehnen looks back at our collective memory to explore the myriad ways that women in the past have enjoyed a more egalitarian life.

Due to advances in bioarchaeological methods, scientists have discovered that one out of three women in Ancient Scythia was an active warrior buried with her weapons. Far from being confined to their homes, these women rode out to hunt, travelled to distance places, or used weapons to fend off their enemies. These warriors were no exceptions to the rule, with women enjoying a significantly higher degree of equality than their Greek contemporaries.

Remembering Women argues that there is a historical precedent for a fairer society. From reappraisals of well-known objects such as the earliest human bone calendars from the Stone Age to revelatory findings of innovative bioarcheological methods used on human remains from Ancient Scythia, evidence is accumulating that there were places in the past where all women were allowed to thrive.

Interweaving new findings from archaeology with the stories of her mother and grandmothers, as well as her everyday experiences as a woman living today, Lehnen explores our collective memory of women and argues that it needs to change if we are to create an egalitarian society. Remembering Women follows the traces left in the material, literary, and archaeological record by our foremothers, and their heirlooms, artwork and stories, to take a fresh look at our life in the present.

 

COMING IN PAPERBACK IN JUNE 2025

 

The Army That Never Was: D-Day and the Great Deception by Taylor Downing (5th June 2025)

 

The Army That Never Was: D-Day and the Great Deception tells the remarkable story of the deceptions, hoaxes and misdirections carried out by the Allies ahead of the most pivotal moment of the Second World War – the D-Day invasion.

The most audacious of these schemes aimed to convince German forces that plans to storm Normandy were a mere sideshow, and featured a fictitious army led by General Patton and furnished with hundreds of real-world dummy landing craft, tanks and aircraft. New research reveals a hidden link with Britain’s film industry, as the fascinating behind-the-scenes story of this dramatic gambit is explored in detail.

Full of fascinating characters from the US, Britain and Germany, this compelling and propulsive narrative explores one of the most remarkable secret campaigns of the Second World War.

 

Sunderland AFC: The Definitive History by Rob Mason (19th June 2025)

 

The definitive history of Sunderland AFC.

Formed by a group of teachers nearly 150 years ago in 1879, Sunderland AFC have a long and storied history in English football. The club has won six top-flight titles, only six other teams have won more, and they have lifted the FA Cup twice – in 1937 and in 1973.

The Black Cats are renowned for having one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in the country, and records have regularly been broken for attendance figures at the Stadium of Light. After hitting a nadir with back-to-back relegations from the Premier League down to the third division in 2018, the club are now back on the ascendancy and plotting a return to the top flight.

Drawing on interviews with key players, managers and staff members, esteemed club historian Rob Mason delves into Sunderland’s 150-year history, charting the glorious highs and the ignominious lows to trace how the Black Cats have come to dominate football in the North-East.

 

 

WHAT’S NEW THIS JULY

 

Face to Face: Finding Justice for My Murdered Twin Brother by Nick Dawson (3rd July 2025)

 

When his identical twin brother Simon was kicked to death, all Nick Dawson felt for the killers was hatred.

Struggling in a world where his mirror image had vanished, he came to realise there was only one way to stop the torture – acceptance. Travelling to the absolute limits of personal darkness, Nick came face to face with one of his brother’s killers.

Now a champion of restorative justice, Nick heads behind bars, asking hardened criminals to change, to think of their victims, to make amends.

In Face to Face he takes us with him on a journey into this hidden and unpredictable world.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/face-to-face-finding-justice-for-my-murdered-twin-brother-nick-dawson/7831503?ean=9781837732425

 

There Will Be Headwinds: Kayaking the Northwest Passage by Mark Agnew (3rd July 2025)

 

Mark Agnew was part of the first team ever to kayak the northwest passage – spending 103 days in the Arctic.

The infamous route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans had defeated countless explorers for centuries, and Mark himself had failed on two previous expeditions to row across the Atlantic. Pushed to the brink, on the verge of turning his back on the adventures that had made him feel alive, he experienced a mental health crisis and almost abandoned the water forever.

Charting an inspirational journey from failure to world record breaker, in There Will Be Headwinds Mark reflects on his struggles and reveals the lessons from sports psychology that allowed him to conquer his demons and achieve something truly remarkable. An astonishing story of ice, suffering and camaraderie, There Will Be Headwinds is a testament to the power of teamwork, determination and ambition – and a celebration of the human spirit of adventure.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/there-will-be-headwinds-kayaking-the-northwest-passage-mark-agnew/7831502?ean=9781837732142

 

Human History on Drugs: An Utterly Scandalous but Entirely Truthful Look at History Under the Influence by Sam Kelly (17th July 2025)

 

A lively, hilarious, and entirely truthful look at the druggie side of history’s most famous figures, including Shakespeare, Queen Victoria, and the Beatles, from debut author (and viral historical TikToker with over 100K followers) Sam Kelly.

Did you know that Alexander the Great was a sloppy drunk, William Shakespeare was a stoner, and George Washington drank a spoonful of opium every night to staunch the pain from his fake teeth? Or how about the fact that China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, ingested liquid mercury in an (ironic) attempt to live forever, or that Alexander Shulgin, inventor of no fewer than 230 new psychedelic drugs, was an employee of the DEA?

In Human History on Drugs, historian Sam Kelly introduces us to the history we weren’t taught in school, offering up irreverent and hysterical commentary as he sheds light on some truly shocking aspects of the historical characters we only thought we knew. With chapters spanning from Ancient Greece (‘The Oracle of Delphi Was Huffing Fumes’) and the Victorian Era (‘Vincent van Gogh Ate Yellow Paint’) to Hollywood’s Golden Age (‘Judy Garland Was Drugged by Grown-Ups’) and modern times (‘Carl Sagan Got Astronomically High’), Kelly’s research spans all manner of eras, places, and, of course, drugs.

History is rife with drug use and drug users, and Human History on Drugs takes us through those highs (pun intended) and lows on a wittily entertaining ride that uncovers their seriously unexpected impact on our past.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/human-history-on-drugs-an-utterly-scandalous-but-entirely-truthful-look-at-history-under-the-influence-sam-kelly/7831505?ean=9781837733095

 

COMING IN PAPERBACK IN JULY 2025

The Drummond Affair: Murder and Mystery in Provence by Stephanie Matthews and Daniel Smith (3rd July 2025)

 

1950s France. A British establishment figure. A shocking crime. A miscarriage of justice. The search for truth.

In 1952, in a peaceful corner of Provence, a farmer’s son stumbled upon a terrible scene. Three bodies: a husband and wife shot dead, their ten-year-old daughter savagely beaten to death. They were all British. So begins one of the most notorious murder cases in French history.

Sir Jack Drummond was a senior advisor to the British government, a household name who was respected and admired. His fame made the case a cause célèbre in France and resulted in the swift conviction of a local farmer, but questions about Drummond’s life and death remain unanswered.

In this bold new investigation, Stephanie Matthews and Daniel Smith strip away the prejudice and propaganda to reveal a grave miscarriage of justice. A light is shone on Drummond’s secret life in the shadows of the Cold War, painting a portrait of an enigmatic man who may not have been the innocent holidaymaker he appeared to be, and recasting one of the twentieth century’s most notorious murders in a fascinating and important new light.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-drummond-affair-murder-and-mystery-in-provence-stephanie-matthews/7639342?ean=9781837730599

 

Chain Reactions: A Hopeful History of Uranium by Lucy Jane Santos (31st July 2025)

 

Tracing uranium’s past, and how it intersects with our understanding of other radioactive elements, this book aims to disentangle our attitudes and to unpick the atomic mindset.


Chain Reactions looks at the fascinating, often-forgotten, stories that can be found throughout the history of the element. Ranging from glassworks to penny stocks; medicines to weapons; something to be feared to a powerful source of energy, this global history not only explores the development of our scientific understanding of uranium, but also shines a light on its cultural and social impact.

By understanding our nuclear past, we can move beyond the ideological opposition to atomic technology and encourage a more nuanced dialogue about whether it is feasible – and desirable –  to have a genuinely nuclear-powered future.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/chain-reactions-a-hopeful-history-of-uranium-lucy-jane-santos/7650570?ean=9781837731992

 

The Kremlin’s Noose: Vladimir Putin’s Bitter Feud with the Oligarch Who Made Him Ruler of Russia by Amy Knight (31st July 2025)

 

A Guardian Book of the Day

In The Kremlin’s Noose Amy Knight tells the riveting story of Vladimir Putin and the oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who forged a relationship in the early years of the Yeltsin era.

Berezovsky later played a crucial role in Putin’s rise to the Russian presidency in March 2000. When Putin began dismantling Boris Yeltsin’s democratic reforms, Berezovsky came into conflict with the new Russian leader by reproaching him publicly. Their relationship quickly disintegrated into a bitter feud played out against the backdrop of billion-dollar financial deals, Kremlin in-fighting and international politics.

Dubbed the ‘Godfather of the Kremlin’ by the slain Russian-American journalist Paul Klebnikov, Berezovsky was a successful businessman and media mogul who had an outsized role in Russia after 1991. Worth a reported $3 billion by 1997, Berezovsky engineered the re-election of Yeltsin as president in 1996 and negotiated an end to the 1995-96 Chechen war. Despite his own wealth, power and influence, once he became Putin’s enemy, Berezovsky was forced into exile in Britain, where he waged a determined campaign to topple Putin. Kremlin authorities responded with bogus criminal charges and demanded Berezovsky’s extradition. Death threats soon followed. In March 2013, after losing a British court battle with another Russian oligarch, Berezovsky was found dead at his ex-wife’s mansion outside London. Whether he died from suicide or murder remains a mystery.

The Kremlin’s Noose sheds crucial new light on the Kremlin’s volatile politics under Yeltsin and Putin, helping us understand why democracy in Russia failed so badly. Knight provides a fascinating narrative of Putin’s rise to power and his authoritarian rule, told through the prism of his relationship with Russia’s once most powerful oligarch, Boris Berezovsky.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-kremlin-s-noose-vladimir-putin-s-bitter-feud-with-the-oligarch-who-made-him-ruler-of-russia-amy-knight/7831504?ean=9781837732210

 

WHAT’S NEW THIS AUGUST

Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibres Became the Backbone of Civilization by Tim Queeney (14th August 2025)

 

A unique and compelling adventure through the history of rope and its impact on civilization, in the vein of single-subject bestsellers like Salt and Cod.

Tim Queeney is a sailor who knows more about rope and its importance to humankind than most. In Rope, Queeney takes readers on a ride through the history of rope and the way it weaves itself through the story of civilization. From Magellan’s world-circling ships, to the 15th-century fleet of Admiral Zheng He, to Polynesian multihulls with crab claw sails, he shows how without rope, none of their adventurous voyages and discoveries would have been possible. Time travelling, he describes the building of the pyramids, the Roman Colosseum, Hagia Sophia, Notre-Dame, the Sultan Hasan Mosque, the Brooklyn Bridge, and countless other constructions that would not have been possible without rope.

Not content to just look at rope’s past, Queeney examines its present and possible future and how the re-invention of rope with synthetic fibers will likely provide the strength for cables to support elevators into space. Drawing upon personal experience, Queeney tells remarkable nautical stories of his own reliance on rope at sea. Rope is history, adventure, and the story of one of the world’s most common tools that has made it possible for humans to advance throughout the centuries.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/rope-how-a-bundle-of-twisted-fibres-became-the-backbone-of-civilization-tim-queeney/7843984?ean=9781837733316

Fiesta: A Journey Through Festivity by Daniel Stables (14th August 2025)

 

A journey through human festivity, told through colourful travel narratives set at some of the world’s most eye-catching festivals and interweaved with insights from the fields of anthropology, history, psychology, and folklore, examining why we celebrate festivals in the ways we do.


Fiesta explores the vibrant tapestry of human festivity, delving into the extraordinary lengths to which we go to express our cultures and commemorate life’s milestones. From drunken pilgrimages to sacrificial funerals, national days to neo-pagan necromancy, festivals represent human culture at its most vivid and varied, and the resulting account is both a rich collection of travel writing and an anthropological exploration of the roles that festivals play in society. Through colourful characters, vibrant sights, and varied locales, Daniel Stables takes a curious, humanistic look at festivals across the world, unravelling the universal threads that run through our diverse global celebrations.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/fiesta-a-journey-through-festivity-daniel-stables/7843983?ean=9781837732517

 

The Future of Agriculture by Sarah Bearchell (28th August 2025)

 

Record rain fall and extreme climates have become a common occurrence around the world. The television news shows farmers standing in front of their flooded fields; the ground too wet to harvest one season’s crop, or to plant the next. Our climate is changing, but agriculture is not just the victim of climate change – it is one of the major drivers too. Our food systems are responsible for around a third of all greenhouse gases.

In this book, Sarah Bearchell explores how agriculture is using targeted breeding, automation and precision inputs to produce more with less. She considers how we can reduce our impact by addressing problems in our food system, from packaging and transport to the incredible quantities of waste. As consumers, we can make small changes straight away and push for long-term change in the wider system. Agriculture can become a force for good, but it needs our help.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-future-of-agriculture-sarah-bearchell/7843981?ean=9781837731756

 

COMING IN PAPERBACK IN AUGUST 2025

Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World by Casey Michel (28th August 2025)

 

Foreign Policy, Most Anticipated Books of 2024

A stunning investigation and indictment of the elements in United States’ foreign lobbying industry and the threat they pose to democracy.

For years, one group of Americans has worked as foot-soldiers for the most authoritarian regimes around the planet. In the process, they’ve not only entrenched dictatorships and spread kleptocratic networks, but they’ve secretly guided U.S. policy without the rest of America even being aware. And now, journalist Casey Michel contends some of them have begun turning their sights on American democracy itself.

These Americans are known as foreign lobbyists, and many of them spent years ushering dictatorships directly into the halls of Washington, all while laundering the reputations of the most heinous, repressive regimes in the process. These lobbyists include figures like Ivy Lee, the inventor of the public relations industry – a man who whitewashed Mussolini, opened doors to the Soviets, and advised the Nazis on how to sway American audiences. They include people like Paul Manafort, who invented lobbying as we know it – and who then took his talents to autocrats from Ukraine to the Philippines, and then back to the White House. And they now include an increasing number of Americans elsewhere: in law firms and consultancies, among PR specialists and former lawmakers, and even within think tanks and universities.

Many of these lobbyists have transformed into proxies for dictators and strongmen wherever they can be found. And for years, they’ve escaped scrutiny.

In Foreign Agents, Casey Michel shines a light on these foreign lobbyists, and all the damage and devastation they have caused in Washington and elsewhere. From Moscow to Beijing, from far-right nationalists to far-left communists, from anti-American autocrats to pro-Western authoritarians, these foreign lobbyists have helped any illiberal, anti-democratic government they can find. And after decades of success in installing dictator after dictator, and in tilting American policy in the process, some of these lobbyists have now begun trying to end America’s democratic experiment, once and for all.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/foreign-agents-how-american-lobbyists-and-lawmakers-threaten-democracy-around-the-world-casey-michel/7669420?ean=9781837731886

 

God’s Own Gentlewoman: The Life of Margaret Paston by Diane Watt (28th August 2025)

 

The remarkable story of Margaret Paston, whose letters form the most extensive collection of personal writings by a medieval English woman.

Drawing on the largest archive of medieval correspondence relating to a single family in the UK, God’s Own Gentlewoman explores what everyday life was like during the turbulent decades at the height of the Wars of the Roses. Covering topics including political conflicts and familial in-fighting, forbidden love affairs and clandestine marriages, bloody battles and sieges, fear of plague and sudden death, friendships and animosity, and childbirth and child mortality, Margaret’s letters provide us with unparalleled insight into all aspects of life in late medieval England.

Diane Watt, a world expert on medieval women’s writing, offers insight into Margaret’s activities, experiences, emotions and relationships, presenting the life of a medieval woman who was at times absorbed by the mundane and domestic, but who found herself caught up in the most extraordinary situations and events.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/god-s-own-gentlewoman-the-life-of-margaret-paston-diane-watt/7669421?ean=9781837731657

Remembering Women by Christine Lehnen: Sneak Peek

 Remembering Women: Lessons From the Ancient World by Christine Lehnen

Sneak Peek

 

 

Women do have a history of their own.
All we need to do is remember it.

 

‘A fascinating, thought-provoking exploration of powerful women’s lives in the past and today, showing how important it is that we remember their successes, leadership, independence and equality.’

Marion Gibson, author of Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials

 

Due to advances in bioarchaeological methods, scientists have discovered that one out of three women in Ancient Scythia was an active warrior buried with her weapons. Far from being confined to their homes, these women rode out to hunt, travelled to distance places, or used weapons to fend off their enemies. These warriors were no exceptions to the rule, with women enjoying a significantly higher degree of equality than their Greek contemporaries.

Remembering Women argues that there is a historical precedent for a fairer society. From reappraisals of well-known objects, such as the earliest human bone calendars from the Stone Age, to revelatory findings of innovative bioarcheological methods used on human remains from Ancient Scythia, evidence is accumulating that there were places in the past where all women were allowed to thrive.

Interweaving new findings from archaeology with the stories of her mother and grandmother, as well as her everyday experiences as a woman living today, Lehnen explores our collective memory of women and argues that it needs to change if we are to create an egalitarian society. Remembering Women follows the traces left in the material, literary, and archaeological record by our foremothers, and their heirlooms, artwork and stories, to take a fresh look at our life in the present.

Take the first steps towards changing our cultural memory for the better with the extract below!

 

 

Helen of Troy leaves her husband in the dead of night.

 

I imagine her hastily packing her things, casting about her room, wondering what she can part with and what she cannot live without. Will she bring her precious bronze mirror? The warrior Amazon puppet her mother gave her when she was a child? Her brush? (Of course she will bring her brush, and hair pins or bands, anything to hold it in place. It is windy out there on the Aegean Sea.) It must have been daunting to pack her things, to even entertain the idea of running off with Paris, Prince of Troy. This palace in Sparta is all she has ever known. Famously, her husband came to live with her after he won her hand, not the other way around, as would have been more common. She has grown up in this palace, she has barely ever left this city. This is where her family is, where she gave birth to her daughter, where she has made a life for herself. It must have been a hard thing to leave that night. Anyone who is an immigrant, who has had to leave the place they know to go to a strange place, will know how difficult it is. Anyone who has had to leave a lifelong partner, no matter how abusive, will testify to the courage it requires. 

Helen is a legendary figure, but women like her existed, and they have existed throughout time: women who left their houses, the men they were with and who owned them, the families they had raised, to go and discover an unknown future, no matter the risks. There is the woman in Ancient Assyria who left her male ‘owner’ and sought refuge with another woman, a female lover or friend. We do not retain her name, but let us imagine we do. Let us say her name was Atalia, this woman who left her husband knowing it would almost certainly end in her death. Think how courageous she must have been still to leave in the middle of the night, to choose hope over despair, to make a life for herself, no matter how brief. Then there is Neaera, the Corinthian woman sold into prostitution, who left her owners and ran from the pimp Phrynion to live a free life in Athens. She raised her daughter Phanos in the same spirit, a girl who would refuse to become a demure wife once wedded, resulting in legal challenges to the family. More recently, there is my friend R, who had to get a job as a cleaner, hide her wages away from her partner, save up, learn how to drive, pack her suitcases and hide them at the back of the wardrobe, all so that she would be able to up and go one night, vanish within seconds. Atalia, Neaera, R: women who have had the courage to say no to the lives they were living, and yes to the uncertain futures ahead of them.  

[…] 

Women today still feel that consequence, every day. Six women are murdered every hour of every day worldwide. In the UK, a woman is killed by a man every three days. In six out of seven cases, the killer is a man she knows, and seventy-four per cent of women are killed in their own homes. As women, we are aware how dangerous our homes may be, whether the knowledge is conscious or not. My friend R left in secret, stole away in the dead of night because she too feared violent retribution. This was sensible, as data from the Femicide Census shows that ‘separation is a risk factor for intimate-partner femicides’, as violent men may choose to kill women rather than lose control over them. The fate of another friend of mine bears testimony to this fact. My dear friend S, one of the most intelligent, capable, and confident people I know, had to leave the country she was born and raised in to escape an abusive and violent male partner. As Margaret Atwood once wrote, men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men are going to kill them. 

Atalia was indeed killed by the Assyrian state, as far as we know. We cannot be sure of the fate of Neaera and Phanos, but Phanos’s husband brought charges against them with the aim of stripping them of their Athenian citizenship, forcing them once more into sexual slavery. No record of the end of the court case survives, but historian Eric Berkowitz does not see much hope for them in the misogynist, xenophobic slave society of Classical Athens. We all know how Helen’s mythical story ends, and it is not a happy ending: Menelaus uses her escape as a pretext to raise an army and destroy the beautiful city of Troy, murder and enslave the entire population, and bring her back to Sparta, where she secretly prepares and feeds him a narcotic potion in the evening so that she may escape his dominance for a few hours. 

It may seem difficult at times to find hope in Greek myth, but it can be found in Scythia, in the Stone Age, even in the earliest periods of human history. In the graves of our foremothers and forefathers, the women who were warriors with and without children, the men who wore jewellery, made warm cloaks, and cared for their children. Think of all the children who grew up with their fathers. In fact, I will raise you one: think of all the children who grew up with happy mothers and happy fathers, who had the chance to grow into happy people themselves, because they did not have to choose between hunting and motherhood, or masculinity and a pair of earrings. 

Waterstones

Amazon

Remembering Women: Lessons From the Ancient World by Christine Lehnen publishes on the 19th of June 2025

Breaking Waves by Emma Simpson: Sneak Peek

26th March 2025

Breaking Waves by Emma Simpson: Sneak Peek

 

 

A warm, reflective and uplifting memoir about healing wounds, reclaiming a voice and discovering freedom through the open water.

‘If you enjoyed Freya Bromley’s The Tidal Year, you’ll love this. Perfect for those of us who need cold water to heal.’

Emma Gannon, author of Olive

After a period of immense pain and lost in grief, Emma felt the instinctive pull of the water. This expanse of mystery represents the unknown to so many, but it’s also a space to heal and soothe the soul for those that brave the wild waters.

This unexpected source of strength also offered a glorious sisterhood of women with their own remarkable stories to share. Interweaving these inspirational tales with her own experiences of birth, chronic illness, body confidence and so much more, Breaking Waves is a love letter to womanhood and the open water.

Take the first daunting dip of your toe into this community with the below extract!

 

‘I signed up to do a 500-metre swim. Not the kilometre, mind, that would have been silly. This was terrifying enough.

 

On the day of the event I was nervous yet excited. I knew this would challenge me both mentally and physically, and it brought back inklings of my previous sense of fun and adventure. They were feelings that had deserted me while I was unwell, although I hadn’t realised their absence until just at that moment. Having donned my tummy-control Marks & Spencer swimming costume and sparkly flip-flops, I affected my best Dickensian jaunt and made my way to the departure point on the rocks, before realising that, clearly, I must have turned up to the wrong event, because everyone else was dressed head to toe in rubber and they were all wearing swim hats. What. The. Actual. Fuck. Swim hats?? I hadn’t possessed one of those instruments of torture since the excruciating hair towelling days of school PE. I can’t say it really occurred to me that I might be the one inappropriately dressed until I began to absorb the looks from the other participants, ranging from pity, ‘oh bless her, she’ll get so cold’, to indignation, ‘oh my God, the integrity of this event has just gone through the floor’, to almost famous, ‘they’ll interview me and I’ll say I saw her just before she drowned, I’ll pretend I spoke to her!’ Awkward doesn’t even come close. 

One thing that grief does do, however, is stop you giving a damn what other people think, because it really doesn’t matter, so I pretended that I had turned up like that intentionally because I was so hardcore. In reality, without a wetsuit I only had my blubber to protect me, but I figured that would suffice, so I shed my flip-flops and joined the shuffling penguins towards the entry point.

Within seconds, I experienced an exquisite pain in my feet – why were we entering the sea here? Walking through the jagged, craggy rocks, slime-covered stones and deceptively evil shingle? Why weren’t we going in at a sandy point? Why was no one else swearing?! Aah – because they all had bootees on. Of course they did. With their smugsuits and swim hats there was a whole wardrobe no one had told me about (and dryrobes weren’t even a lucrative twinkle in their inventor’s eye at this point). There was nothing to do but get on with it, so enter the sea I did, carried by my excitement and terror, the Jaws soundtrack looping in my ears as I hit the water. Once in I allowed myself to surrender – to the feeling, to the sensation, to the experience. In the deep water, unprepared, untrained, with seaweed bouncing in and around my legs and breaststroke my only way to stay afloat, I felt exhilarated. I took in my surroundings and marvelled at my own courage. I felt alive and connected to something for the first time in such a long time. The grey blanket of numbness that had encased me since Brian’s death threatened to shift, ever so slightly. I looked around and just grinned – until that let a bit too much water into my mouth – at which point I got a bit more serious and swam to the exit point.

At the exit steps I was aided by some volunteers, handed my beach towel by my sister who shared the emotion of that moment, and my two daughters ran up to me just so proud and excited by my adventure. My endeavour had lit something up in them too. Their faces filled with awe and admiration are something I will never forget. I looked back at the water and felt so happy that I had conquered my fear, and while feeling slightly faint and a bit punch-drunk, I also started to feel the first steps of a spiritual healing. Something awoke for me that day. It wasn’t a big distance that I had crossed – just 500 metres – but it began to span an emotional gulf.’

Bookshop.org

Amazon

Breaking Waves: Discovery, Healing and Inspiration in the Open Water by Emma Simpson publishes 27th March 2025.

What’s Publishing This Spring at Icon Books

What’s Publishing This Spring at Icon Books

As the weather starts to brighten and the evenings get longer, there’s no better time than now to delve into a new topic or pick up the latest book from one of your favourite authors.

This spring we are bringing you some brilliant non-fiction, from long-buried histories to heartfelt memoirs, and hilarious travelogues. Plus, some of our greatest hits from last year are making an appearance in paperback!

Follow the links below to find out more about ordering the reads that catch your eye, and make sure to follow us on X and Instagram @iconbooks to share what’s on your to be read list this spring!

What’s New This March

The Next One is For You A True Story of Guns, Country and the IRA’s Secret American Army by Ali Watkins (13th March 2025)

A gripping true story of crime, rebellion and the hazy line that separates the two. From New York Times reporter and Pulitzer finalist Ali Watkins, this is the long-buried story of how a group of Philadelphia gunrunners armed the IRA at the height of the Troubles. A ragtag band of carpenters, family men and fugitives, the Philadelphia Five, banded together, bolstering the fight for a united Ireland but fuelling the conflict at an untold cost.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-next-one-is-for-you-a-true-story-of-guns-country-and-the-ira-s-secret-american-army-ali-marie-watkins/7761028?ean=9781837732135

Everyday Jews: Why The Jewish People Are Not Who You Think They Are by Keith Kahn-Harris (13th March 2025)

With Israel and antisemitism constantly in the news, it seems as though the Jewish people have become synonymous with controversy, drama and anxiety. With passion and wry humour, Keith Kahn-Harris argues that his people’s extraordinary public visibility today is harming their ability to live everyday Jewish lives and celebrates the mundanity and mediocrity of a people before it vanishes completely.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/everyday-jews-why-the-jewish-people-are-not-who-you-think-they-are-keith-kahn-harris/7761027?ean=9781837732111

Breaking Waves Discovery, Healing and Inspiration in the Open Water by Emma Simpson (27th March 2025)

A warm, reflective and uplifting memoir about healing wounds, reclaiming a voice and discovering freedom through the open water. Emma Simpson discovered wild swimming after a period of immense pain. Lost in grief, disillusioned with life, and feeling increasingly untethered from the world, she instinctively felt the pull of the water. There she found an unexpected source of hope and strength, a profound sense of connection, and a glorious sisterhood of women – each with their own remarkable stories to tell.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/breaking-waves-discovery-healing-and-inspiration-in-the-open-water-emma-simpson/7746753?ean=9781837731794

Coming in Paperback in March 2025

Across a Waking Land: A 1,000-Mile Walk Through a British Spring by Roger Morgan-Grenville (13th March 2025)

SHORTLISTED FOR THE RICHARD JEFFERIES AWARD 2023

A veteran nature writer walks the length of Britain in pursuit of spring, and of hope. Fed up with bleak headlines of biodiversity loss, Roger Morgan-Grenville sets out on a 1,000-mile walk through a British spring to see whether there are reasons to be hopeful about the natural world.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/across-a-waking-land-a-1-000-mile-walk-through-a-british-spring-roger-morgan-grenville/7412275?ean=9781837731039

Well Beings: How the Seventies Lost Its Mind and Taught Us to Find Ourselves by James Riley (27th March 2025)

Concepts such as wellness and self-care may feel like distinctly twenty-first century ideas, but they first gained traction as part of the New Age health movements that began to flourish in the wake of the 1960s. James Riley dives into this strange and hypnotic world of panoramic coastal retreats and darkened floatation tanks,

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/well-beings-how-the-seventies-lost-its-mind-and-taught-us-to-find-ourselves-james-riley/7606744?ean=9781785787898

What’s New This April

The Elephant in the Room: How to Stop Making Ourselves and Other Animals Sick by Liz Kalaugher (10th April 2025)

Taking the reader on a globe-trotting journey through time, Liz Kalaugher presents a series of fascinating case histories of human-related wildlife diseases. Examining these tales and drawing on first-hand accounts from experts around the world, The Elephant in the Room is both a tragic history and an inspirational call to arms. It doesn’t have to be this way. By learning from the past, it’s possible to create a better, healthier environment for ourselves, our wildlife and our planet.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-elephant-in-the-room-how-to-stop-making-ourselves-and-other-animals-sick-liz-kalaugher/7748917?ean=9781837731381

Processed: How the Processed Meat Industry is Killing Us with the Food we Love by Lucie Morris-Marr (10th April 2025)

The chilling exposé the food industry doesn’t want YOU to see. We love crispy bacon with our eggs for breakfast, and ham sandwiches for lunch. Lucie Morris-Marr’s family was no different, ordering pepperoni pizzas on Friday nights and putting salami on their summer picnic platters. But when the Walkley Award-winning investigative journalist was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer, she learned the chilling truth about our love affair with processed meats.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/processed-how-the-processed-meat-industry-is-killing-us-with-the-food-we-love-allen-unwin-pty-limited/7815442?ean=9781837733071

Delusions of Paradise: Escaping the Life of a Taliban Fighter by Maiwand Banayee (24th April 2025)

When Maiwand Banayee was 16, he wanted to become a suicide bomber for the Taliban. Growing up in Kabul amid the Afghan wars, he witnessed atrocities that no child should ever see.  He escaped to a refugee camp in Pakistan, where religious militants began the gradual grooming of Maiwand and other Afghan boys. But Maiwand escaped this life. Fleeing Afghanistan, he had a life-altering crisis of faith, confidence and meaning, finding new purpose and rebuilding himself.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/delusions-of-paradise-escaping-the-life-of-a-taliban-fighter-maiwand-banayee/7783215?ean=9781837731909

Coming in Paperback in April 2025

The Beacon Bike: Around England and Wales in 327 Lighthouses by Ed Peppitt (10th April 2025)

The incredible story of a 3,500-mile cycle ride to explore the onshore and offshore lighthouses around the coastline of England and Wales, proving that a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis doesn’t mean giving up on a lifelong dream.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-beacon-bike-around-england-and-wales-in-327-lighthouses-edward-peppitt/7616615?ean=9781837732005

Ten Men: A Year of Casual Sex by Kitty Ruskin (24th April 2025)

A Stylist pick of the best non-fiction for 2024

A Cosmopolitan and Glamour best new book for April 2024

At the beginning of 2019, Kitty Ruskin decided it was time to embrace her sexuality, by having fun, easy, no-strings sex with whomever she desired. What followed was sometimes sexy, frequently funny, occasionally shocking and, sadly, all too often fraught with pain and danger. It was not the carefree adventure she had envisaged; it was something altogether darker.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/ten-men-a-year-of-casual-sex-kitty-ruskin/7616617?ean=9781837730698

What’s New This May

Sh*tty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities by Ben Aitken (8th May 2025)

Not everything that glitters is gold – which is why Ben Aitken gave London the cold shoulder and went to Preston instead. Hailing from Portsmouth, Ben knew from experience that unfashionable places could be quietly brilliant. So, over the course of a year he visited twelve of the least popular spots in the UK and Ireland for a city break. The upshot is a celebration of the underdog; a hymn to the wrong direction; and evidence that there’s no such thing as a shitty break.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/shitty-breaks-a-celebration-of-unsung-cities-ben-aitken/7811929?ean=9781837730469

Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder by Rachel McCarthy James  (22nd May 2025)

A brilliant and bloody examination of the axe’s foundational role in human history, from prehistoric violence, to war and executions, to newspaper headlines and popular culture. Whack Job is the story of the axe, first as a convenient danger and then an anachronism, as told through the murders it has been employed in throughout history.

More information Coming Soon

Thinking Small and Large: How Microbes Made and Can Save Our World by Peter Forbes (22nd May 2025)

Thinking Small and Large reveals the ingenuity of microbes at key stages in life’s 4-billion-year history and highlights their developing role in resolving our deepest problem: climate change that is flooding and burning our world more menacingly every year. In this fascinating and illuminating book, Peter Forbes shines a light on this crucial technology and offers a tantalising glimpse of what is possible. To solve the big problems, you have to think small.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/thinking-small-and-large-how-microbes-made-and-can-save-our-world-peter-forbes/7811931?ean=9781837731701

Coming in Paperback in May 2025

Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women by Caroline Magennis (9th May 2025)

In this timely and thoughtful book, Caroline Magennis looks beyond the often-divisive conversation around women who choose to be childfree and offers an alternative message of hope and celebration.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/harpy-a-manifesto-for-childfree-women-caroline-magennis/7811930?ean=9781837730667

The History Lessons by Shalina Patel (22nd May 2025)

Taking the reader on a tour through history, from the Romans to the Second World War via Tudor courts, medieval castles and more, this hugely entertaining debut from an award-winning history teacher explores a variety of historical topics in a thoughtful and engaging way.

More information: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-history-lessons-shalina-patel/7627891?ean=9781837731626

Icon to publish innovation and productivity expert Bec Evans’ How To Have a Happy Hustle

Innovation expert, startup founder and Futurebook judge Bec Evans is to publish her first book, How To Have a Happy Hustle: The Complete Guide to Making Your Ideas Happen. In the book she will lead readers through the process of generating life-changing ideas and the crucial steps to getting them off the ground.

Designed for anyone who is looking for fulfilment beyond the 9-5 career-track – either in a side-hustle alongside a main job or in a startup, How To Have A Happy Hustle will focus on practical skills and mindset. Using examples from successful innovators, Evans will explain how to use feedback to improve ideas, understand the psychology of being productive, find the best problems to solve and gain motivation to follow through on ideas, even in the face of set-backs and failures.

Kiera Jamison at Icon bought world rights (excluding USA and Canada) from Michael Alcock at Johnson and Alcock for an undisclosed sum. Icon will publish in May 2019.

Jamison says:

‘Bec’s approach really resonated with us, as we’re sure it will with readers looking to develop their ideas. We often tend to think of start-ups as created by these exceptional innovators who have a Eureka-moment and then wild success, but the reality entails a lot of graft to find, develop and launch the right idea. In the book, Bec guides us through every step: from coming up with and testing ideas to launching and growing them, and – most importantly – enjoying the process.’

Evans says:

‘Ideas are the easy bit, what people struggle with is making them happen. Working with people taught me that everyone has the ability to be creative – they just need to skills to make it happen. This book helps people get off the starting blocks by sharing the ‘secrets’ of innovation. Whatever your background or experience, whether you’ve got a great idea you don’t know how to develop, or a problem you’d like to solve, these tried-and-tested techniques will help you to innovate and thrive.’

 

Bec Evans is a consultant on innovation and the co-founder of Prolifiko, a digital coach that helps writers to be productive. Formerly Head of Innovation at Emerald Publishing, Bec is a judge for the FutureBook Awards 2018 and writes and speaks on innovation, startups and productivity. She was selected as one of Business Cloud’s Top Female Founders of Tech in 2017 and mentors students on entrepreneurship at Leeds University Business School.

Negotiation expert Natalie Reynolds launches the ‘Make Your Ask’ project

Negotiation expert, and author of We Have a Deal, Natalie Reynolds is on a mission to democratise world-class negotiation training and to challenge the idea that the best negotiators are the loudest and most aggressive in the room.

 

On Monday 10th September, Natalie will be launching the Make Your Ask Project, bringing her corporate negotiation training masterclass direct to users for only £10 from the website, makeyourask.com. The course, Mastering Negotiation: The Art of Making Your Ask, is based on Natalie’s DEALSTM negotiation training method and comprises eight, 30-minute masterclass lessons, downloadable toolkits and worksheets.

 

For every course purchased, the Make Your Ask Project will gift the same course via one of its charity partners to a woman around the world who really needs it. The project’s goal is to gift 1 million courses and empower 1 million women to make their ask.

 

Natalie says:

For too long, negotiation has been seen as a skill requiring aggression, bullying behaviour and tough talk and as a result many people are frightened and intimidated by it. The Make Your Ask Project is all about demystifying negotiation and providing an easy to use framework focused on creativity, problem solving and resilience that anyone master. In addition, I want to harness the power of negotiation as a tool for empowerment and change.

 

To find out more about the Make Your Ask project, visit: Twitter: @makeyourask | Instagram: @makeyourask

 

***

 

Natalie Reynolds is the Founder and CEO of leading negotiation training firm advantageSPRING, and an honorary visiting lecturer at Cass Business School. She advises governments and institutions including the United Nations, the Clinton Foundation, the UK and US governments, European Investment Bank, Wall Street Women’s Alliance and Women’s Foundation of Hong Kong.

Natalie’s book We Have a Deal: How to Negotiate with Intelligence, Flexibility and Power is available as an £8.99 paperback and £6.99 ebook. It was shortlisted for the CMI Management Book of the Year 2017 in the ‘Best Commuter Read’ category, and is an ideal guide for anyone looking to start their negotiation training.

 

Testosterone Rex Longlisted for the Orwell Book Prize 2018

‘What I have most wanted to do is to make political writing into an art’ – George Orwell

Cordelia Fine’s Testosterone Rex is one of 12 books longlisted for the Orwell Book Prize 2018.


Awarded every year by The Orwell Foundation, The Orwell Prize is Britain’s most prestigious prize for political writing awards prizes for the work which comes closest to George Orwell’s ambition ‘to make political writing into an art’.


The prize describes Testosterone Rex as ‘A book explaining why past and present sex roles are only serving suggestions for the future. It reveals a much more dynamic situation through an entertaining and well-documented exploration of the latest research that draws on evolutionary science, psychology, neuroscience, endocrinology, and philosophy.’


Already the winner of the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2017, we wish Cordelia, and all the other longlist-ees, the best of luck!


Click here to see the other books in the longlist and here to read more about the prize, and previous winners here.


The shortlist will be announced in May, with the winner announced in June.

 

Praise for Testosterone Rex:

‘The expression “essential reading for everyone” is usually untrue as well as a cliché, but if there were a book deserving of that description this might just be it.’
Financial Times

‘Fine takes on this king of all biases with admirable vigor, and it’s a pleasure — albeit a strenuous one — to follow the action as she dismembers the beast.’
New York Times

‘Ms Fine’s is a provocative and often fascinating book.’
Economist

‘Testosterone Rex is a debunking rumble that ought to inspire a roar.’
The Guardian

ICON BOOKS ACQUIRES SELF-CARE GIFT BOOK BY BUZZFEED UK EDITOR

Kiera Jamison, senior commissioning editor at Icon Books, has acquired World English language rights from Juliet Pickering at Blake Friedmann Agency to 101 TINY CHANGES TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY by Ailbhe Malone, Lifestyle Editor at BuzzFeed UK.

101 TINY CHANGES TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY is a beautifully packaged gift book filled with practical self-care tips for when you need a simple pick-me-up. It will offer help on how to look after yourself and your mental health, in an age where we too often forget to pause and take a breath.

With small actions, you can make a big improvement to your wellbeing – whether it’s making your phone a source of positivity instead of stress, engaging in habits that make you feel healthier and more positive, or preparing for darker days. Malone’s simple tips combine with witty illustrations from Naoise Dolan to create a resource you’ll dip into whenever you need a helping hand.

Jamison said: ‘The self-care trend is such a positive addition to the self-help and gift market, but what really struck me about Ailbhe’s approach is how practical and forgiving it is. You don’t need to subscribe to a radical new plan; it’s not about making sweeping new year’s resolutions; it’s just about making life better, one tiny act at a time. I love that. We’ll be publishing in October, a time when most people aren’t prioritising looking after themselves and could use a friendly guide to brighten their days.’

Malone said: ‘I’m passionate about accessible, affordable self-care tips, and about finding out what works for you. So I’m delighted to work with Icon on this project. I’ve been a fan of Naoise’s work for a long time, so it’s a dream collaboration for me all round. I hope this book can find a home on your bookshelf, in your backpack, or on your desk at work – there for you whenever you need it.’

101 TINY CHANGES TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY will be a totem for your bedside table, backpack, or to give to a friend in need. It believes that you are worth looking after, even when you don’t.

Icon will publish as a £9.99/$12.95 160mm x 118mm hardback, and as an ebook, in October 2018 (UK), November 2018 (North America).

John Timpson WINS the Commuter’s Read category at the CMI Management Awards

Keys to Success by John Timpson has won Commuter’s Read at the 2018 Management Book of the Year Awards.

Launched in 2010, the Management Book of the Year signposts managers and leaders to the books that are breathing new life into management and leadership thinking. The Awards are hosted by the Chartered Management Institute in association with The British Library, and are sponsored by Henley Business School. This year, more than 140 titles were entered into the competition, with books judged by a panel of business academics and senior figures from the world of business..

Liz White, Head of Strategy at the British Library, said: “Many congratulations to Keys to Success for being awarded Commuter’s Read. With the British Library’s unparalleled collection of management and business resources, we are delighted to be hosting the award once again this year, and we are pleased to be supporting CMI in their mission to develop management and leadership.”

Ann Francke, CEO of CMI said: “As business and politics continues to struggle with winning back public trust thanks to high-profile examples of poor corporate management and erratic leadership, we need books like this to change how managers and leaders think and act. This an essential read for every professional to deal with today’s uncertain business and political climate.”

Judge Delroy Beverley described the Commuter’s Read category as “good to read for commuters to dip into at odd moments and you could easily leave this on your desk to browse through when you need a boost or quick word of inspiration. Whoever is behind this award may be someone who we all know, or at least, will know one day!””

For more information on CMI’s Management Book of the Year visit  here

Find out more about the book and pick up a copy for yourself here

Congratulations John!

Come Work with Icon – Marketing Assistant Position Available!

Marketing Assistant – Icon Books

Icon Books is an independent non-fiction publisher based near Caledonian Road station in north London.

We publish head-turning, thought-provoking, popular books on science, language, sport, politics, business and much else besides, including the famous Graphic Guide series, bestsellers like The Year of Living Danishly, Queer: A Graphic History and Helena Kelly’s Jane Austen: The Secret Radical.

We’re looking for a passionate new Marketing Assistant who can help us engage readers, through social media, via trade marketing and in collaboration with partners in the book world and beyond. The successful candidate will be supremely organised and able to cope with a busy and varied workload.

A keen eye for design is important, and a knowledge of InDesign and Photoshop will be a great help, as will knowledge of how to fire interest through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and elsewhere online. You’ll coordinate and write copy for our newsletters, help keep our metadata and website up to date, send out books to reps and booksellers and assist with the creation of our bi-annual catalogue and much other marketing material.

While previous full-time experience at another publisher isn’t essential, you will be excited by everything that’s new in our business, and able to help ensure that our marketing is focused, efficient and effective.

Please send a CV and covering letter (including your current salary) to Andrew Furlow, Sales and Marketing Director, by Monday 11th September: andrew@iconbooks.com

 

TESTOSTERONE REX SHORTLISTED FOR ROYAL SOCIETY INSIGHT INVESTMENT SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE

Publicity Announcement

Cordelia Fine’s Testosterone Rex is one of 6 publications shortlisted for this year’s Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize!

‘Testosterone Rex is a debunking rumble that ought to inspire a roar.’
The Guardian

Testosterone Rex is the powerful myth that squashes hopes of sex equality by telling us that men and women have evolved different natures. Fixed in an ancestral past that rewarded competitive men and caring women, these differences are supposedly re-created in each generation by sex hormones and male and female brains.

Testosterone, so we’re told, is the very essence of masculinity, and biological sex is a fundamental force in our development. Not so, says psychologist Cordelia Fine, who shows, with wit and panache, that sex doesn’t create male and female natures. Instead, sex, hormones, culture and evolution work together in ways that make past and present gender dynamics only a serving suggestion for the future – not a recipe. It brings together evolutionary science, psychology, neuroscience and social history to move beyond old ‘nature versus nurture’ debates, and to explain why it’s time to unmake the tyrannical myth of Testosterone Rex.

“I am absolutely delighted to be included on the shortlist of this prestigious prize.” – Cordelia Fine

Praise for Testosterone Rex:

‘The expression “essential reading for everyone” is usually untrue as well as a cliché, but if there were a book deserving of that description this might just be it.’
Financial Times

‘Fine takes on this king of all biases with admirable vigor, and it’s a pleasure — albeit a strenuous one — to follow the action as she dismembers the beast.’
New York Times

‘Ms Fine’s is a provocative and often fascinating book.’
Economist

‘Fine leavens the hard science with personal anecdote, and her entertaining and thoughtful book is a valuable addition to the discussion about gender.’
Ian Critchley, The Sunday Times

‘Testosterone Rex is a debunking rumble that ought to inspire a roar.’
The Guardian

‘A fascinating, greatly contemplative discussion of sex and gender and the embedded societal expectations of both.’
Kirkus Reviews

The winner will be announced 19th September and Cordelia is available for comment and interview.

Press Contact: Ruth Killick 07880703741 / publicity@ruthkillick.co.uk

ICON SIGNS LOST IN A GOOD GAME BY PETE ETCHELLS

Game on! Icon sign a personal investigation into the psychological benefits of videogames

Tom Webber, Commissioning Editor at Icon Books has acquired World English Language rights to LOST IN A GOOD GAME: How digital worlds show us what it means to be human, and why we need to rethink our fear of them by Bath Spa University psychology lecturer and Guardian writer Pete Etchells from Will Francis at Janklow and Nesbit for an undisclosed sum. Icon will publish in spring 2019.

When he was 13, Etchells’ father died from motor neurone disease. To cope, he immersed himself in a virtual world, first as an escape, but later to try to understand what had happened to his dad.
Video games are still fundamentally a new technology. Should we compare them with films, or paintings, or tools? Why are so many of us convinced that they’re harmful, and scared of what too much screen time might do to us or our children? What does the evidence show about the relationship between gaming and violence? Why do we do love to play games at all?

Ranging from Turing’s chess programme to multiplayer online games like EVE and World of Warcraft, and illuminating the intimate relationship between game development and scientific research, LOST IN A GOOD GAME is a journey through the history and development of video games – but also a very unusual memoir of a writer coming to terms with grief through a virtual world.

Tom Webber says ‘Pete Etchells is a completely original thinker and writer and I’m thrilled to be publishing him. Illuminating, funny, humane and occasionally very moving, this is the book about games and technology I’ve always wanted to read but have never been able to find.’

For immediate release
Press contact – Ruth Killick (publicity@ruthkillick.co.uk / 07880 703741)

Attention! Icon Books sign Macron biography – The French Exception

We’re delighted to announce that Icon has signed THE FRENCH EXCEPTION: Emmanuel Macron’s extraordinary rise and risk by Adam Plowright, a journalist based in Paris. Commissioning editor Tom Webber acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Kerry Glencorse at the Susanna Lea Agency.

39-year old Macron is the youngest ever inhabitant of the Elysee Palace. A surprise candidate for the presidential elections, Macron formed his own party and was considered a rank outsider until a series of fortuitous events – including his team’s survival of a massive last-minute data hack – cleared his path to the presidency in France’s most emotional elections since 1948, and allowed him to prevent Marine Le Pen from becoming the first leader of a Western democracy with an openly revisionist view of the Holocaust.

Adam Plowright is based in Paris, and has been a journalist for fifteen years. Until recently he was deputy editor-in-chief at Agence France Presse. He has been reporting on the French election from the start and has had direct access to Macron and many on his team, making him perfectly positioned to get to the bottom of who Macron is, and what he might plausibly achieve as President of France.

Commissioning editor Tom Webber says, ‘Adam’s extremely clear writing and analysis impressed me immediately: his eye for human detail and careful examination of the stages of the Macron surge add a thrilling dimension to this tale of unexpected political victory.’

Icon books will publish The French Exception in September as a paperback original ISBN 9781785783111.

Author of Lobbying For Change, Alberto Alemanno, speaks at RSA

We’re living in troubled times. Many democratic societies are experiencing a crisis of faith. People are making clear their frustration with supposedly representative governments, and yet feel powerless to effect change. Populists are capitalising on this disconnection and discontent. What can we do to fix democracy, get our voices heard and create a better society?

The answer, argues leading academic, civic entrepreneur and public interest lawyer Alberto Alemanno, is to become citizen lobbyists – learning the tools that traditional corporate lobbyists use, but to advance causes we really care about.

We all have skills that we can use to mobilise others and achieve change. Switching off is no longer an option. We all have the power – we just have to learn how to unleash it.

This event will take place on Thursday 11th May 2017 at 13:00 – 13:00 at Durham Street Auditorium, RSA House. To sign up for this event click here.

Find out a little bit more about Alberto Alemanno here.

Icon Books Acquires Memoir From Blogger Meg Fee On Love, Friendship & NYC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 25 APRIL 2017

Icon Books has signed PLACES I STOPPED ON THE WAY HOME by Meg Fee. Commissioning editor Kiera Jamison acquired World rights from Ella Kahn at Diamond Kahn & Woods Literary Agency.

Inspired by her popular journal-style blog, Places I Stopped on the Way Home traces Meg Fee’s life as a twenty-something in New York City, stopping to reflect on the people and places who – for better or worse – have helped her define who she is and what she wants.

Meg describes the book as ‘a love letter to the decade that changed me – to the men who were not right, and the girlfriends who kept me afloat – an ode to the mess and grace that is growing-up. This is a book about home as both a place and an idea. And about the journey towards it.’

‘I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Icon. I am so excited that this collection of essays, which is in so many ways about finding a home, has found exactly that with such an esteemed publisher.’

A series of interlinking essays that take us around New York, through pivotal moments from Meg’s time at college onwards, Places I Stopped on the Way Home will speak to anyone looking for their own sense of self and of home, anyone who has paused to wonder whether they’re on the ‘right’ path, anyone who shares Meg’s aim of accepting a ‘purposefully imperfect life’.

Adds Jamison, ‘We’re delighted to be working with Meg. She weaves together the dramatic and the quotidian to form snapshots of her life that are in turn exhilarating, beautiful and raw. Her writing is generous – bringing you into her intimate and formative relationships, so that you feel both a warm familiarity as a reader, and also hopefully gain some perspective on your own journey.’

For those who love memoirs, stories of real women, and portraits of NYC; fans of Meg; and anyone looking for a book that’s at once comforting and critical, realistic and uplifting.

Icon will publish as a £14.99 / $22.95 Demy hardback, and as an ebook, in spring 2018.


For more information please contact Victoria Reed, Publicity Assistant; victoria@iconbooks.com / 0207 700 9960

Notes for editors:

  • Meg blogs at megfee.com, or you can find her on Instagram @meg_fee
  • ISBN: 9781785783036 / ebook: 9781785783043

 

Lobbying for Change: Press Release

“…I have no hesitation in lobbying you to read this book.” Bill Emmott Former editor, The Economist

Lobbying for Change:
Find Your Voice to Create a Better Society
by Alberto Alemanno

1 May 2017 ISBN 9781785782084  £8.99 paperback original

Alberto Alemanno will in the UK from 9-11 May

Public lecture: RSA on 11 May, 1 pm.

Press contact Ruth Killick 07880703741 / publicity@ruthkillick.co.uk

Don’t get mad – get lobbying! From the Austrian student who took on Facebook to the Mexicans who campaigned successfully for a Soda sugar tax to the British scientist who lobbied for transparency in drug trials, citizen lobbyists are pushing through changes even in the darkest of times. Here’s how you can join them.

Many democratic societies are experiencing a crisis of faith. We cast our votes and a few of us even run for office, but our supposedly representative governments seem driven by the interests of big business, powerful individuals and wealthy lobby groups. All the while the world’s problems – like climate change, Big Data, corporate greed, the rise of nationalist movements – seem more pressing than ever. What hope do any of us have of making a difference?

Yet we can. In fact, we have more power than we think, argues Professor Alberto Alemanno. We can shape and change policies. How? Not via more referenda and direct democracy, as the populists are arguing, but by becoming ‘citizen lobbyists’ – learning the tools that the big corporate lobbyists use, but to advance causes we really care about, from saving a local library to taking action against fracking. The world of government appears daunting, but this book outlines a ten-step process that anyone can use, bringing their own talent and expertise to make positive change. This process works: Alemanno has spent years teaching individuals and non-profit organisations, and the book is full of inspiring examples of citizen lobbying in action. They range from cutting down international roaming charges for cell phones to championing whistleblower protection in Europe. Most recently Alemanno advocated and obtained from the EU full transparency of the BREXIT process.

10 steps to becoming an expert lobbyist:

  1. Pick Your Battle
  2. Do Your Homework
  3. Map Your Lobbying Environment
  4. Lobbying Plan
  5. Pick Your Allies
  6. You Pays?
  7. Communication and Media Plan
  8. Face-to-Face Meeting
  9. Monitoring and Implementation
  10. Stick to the (Lobbying) Rules

If you’re looking to improve – or to join – your community, if you’re searching for a sense of purpose or a way to take control of what’s going on around you, switching off is no longer an option. It’s time to make your voice count. Whoever you are, you’ve got power, and this book will show you how to unleash it.

Alberto Alemanno is a leading academic, civic entrepreneur and public interest lawyer. He is currently Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law at HEC Paris and Global Professor of Law at the New York University School of Law. Due to his commitment to bridge the gap between academic research and policy action, Alberto is a Co-Founder and Director of The Good Lobby, the first advocacy skill-sharing community forging partnerships to lobby for the public interest. In 2015 he was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. www.facebook.com/alberto.alemanno twitter: @alemannoEU; Instagram: aalemanno; www.albertoalemanno.eu and www.thegoodlobby.eu

Advance praise for Lobbying for Change:

‘In these troubling times, we need effective citizen-lobbyists – not just likers, followers or even marchers – more than ever. No one has provided a more readable, persuasive and inspiring guide to how to be such a person than Alberto Alemanno. I have no hesitation in lobbying you to read this book.’ 

Bill Emmott, former editor in chief, Economist

‘Reviving civil society is a crucial task for today and tomorrow, and the strength of citizen lobbying is a vital indicator of civil society’s health. Alberto Alemanno has given us just what we need to guide us in this task – an intelligent, accessible and comprehensive handbook.’

Michael Edwards, editor of OpenDemocracy’s ‘Transformation’

‘Lobbying for Change is the antidote to what ails us: moving would-be change makers beyond “clicktivism” and the occasional march through a step-by-step guide to get active in shaping the future you want to see.’

Gillian Caldwell, CEO, Global Witness

‘This book is an engaged pledge for a renovated, participatory democracy of the 21st century … the revival of the republican agora of the ancient writers.’

Ulrike Guerot, author of Why Europe Must Become a Republic: A Political Utopia

‘The nexus of citizens and technology can form a “fifth estate”, a force for progressive change that will ultimately change politics itself for the better. A must read to understand the future of governance.’

Parag Khanna, author of Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization

‘A guide for citizens to act as an equalising force in today’s polarised society. An inspiring, timely and positive narrative of today’s state of democracy and an antidote to the trap of populism.’

Pascal Lamy, former director of the World Trade Organisation and EU Commissioner for Trade

‘Many people feel powerless and believe the system is rigged against them. While the likes of Trump, Farage and Le Pen want to tear down the system in the name of “the people”, Alberto Alemanno has a much more positive solution. A must-read in these troubled times.’

Philippe Legrain, political economist and writer

‘An easy read packed with powerful insights from both academic research as well as the author’s personal experience, Lobbying for Change will give you all the tools you need to make your voice heard and make a lasting difference.’

Manuel Arriaga, author of Rebooting Democracy

‘This is an essential guidebook for navigating the new political landscape. Alberto sets out the tools that citizens will need to fix broken politics and power a new participation revolution.’

Danny Sriskandarajah, director of CIVICUS Alliance

‘Celebrating the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals, Alberto Alemanno’s book is an unparalleled guide for true citizen engagement with youth at the focal point.’

Trisha Shetty – Founder & CEO, SheSays, UN Young Leader for the SDGs

‘This book provides much needed hope. A generation after Albert Camus advised us to rebel against the absurdities of life, Alberto Alemanno has provided us with a manual on how to do so. Get it, read it, become a citizen advocate – and help to rebuild progressive politics.’

Gerard Hastings, professor of social marketing

‘Alberto Alemanno delivers a true door opener to a new democratic world, where everybody is in charge and has a duty to act. This is essential reading for today’s active citizens across the globe.’

Bruno Kaufmann, co-president of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy

‘At a time when corporate lobbying dominates decision making in government, Alberto Alemanno has produced a vital counter to this unfettered power: citizen lobbying. Here are the means to regain some power and influence over the decisions affecting our lives. This is a toolbox for change.’

Ed Straw, political consultant and writer

‘Alberto Alemanno offers inviting and practical ways for people to connect to politicians and decision makers. Only through this kind of interaction can we build resilient, open, and legitimate governance and cooperation.’

Marietje Schaake, Member of the European Parliament

‘This lively book challenges preconceptions about lobbying and lobbyists. Alberto Alemanno shows with style that there are other ways beyond conventional politics to change the world.’

Andrew Duff, Visiting Fellow, European Policy Centre

 

Lobbying for Change will be published by Icon books on 1 May price £8.99 paperback original. Alberto Alemanno will be available for interview. For press enquiries, please contact Ruth Killick (publicity@ruthkillick.co.uk / 07880 703741)

 

Join Charlotte Rampling at Hay Festival

The actor reminisces in an intimate self-portrait, with stories and photographs from her long career, discussing her newest book, Who I Am. 

Charlotte Rampling will be joining Sarfraz Manzoor on the 27th May.

Buy your tickets here.

Join Charlotte Rampling at Cambridge Literary Festival

This April 23rd join Charlotte Rampling at Cambridge Literary Festival!

A rare opportunity to spend an hour with the actress, model and sixties icon Charlotte Rampling. Most recently on our screens in ITV’s Broadchurch, HBO’s Dexter and 45 Years, Rampling’s career spans popular entertainment and arthouse cinema, starring in English, French and Italian films. Until now, she has shied away from ‘too personal’ autobiography, but with Who I Am, Rampling gives an idiosyncratic and beguiling insight into one of our most consistently adventurous and interesting actors.

In conversation with Alex Clark, literary critic.

Buy your tickets here.