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She Speaks!: What Shakespeare's Women Might Have Said
by Harriet WalterNew parts for thirty of Shakespeare's women, letting them speak their minds, written by famed stage and screen actress, Dame Harriet Walter DBE'Bold and original... a book that anyone who cares about Shakespeare will want to own, and share' JAMES SHAPIRO'With her gravitas, empathy, intellect and absolute belly laugh wit, the unheard voices soar. A real celebration of her life and art' PHYLLIDA LLOYD'Harriet Walter's years of inhabiting and imbibing so many of those great roles gives her a special licence to speak for them. But the wit of these delightful poems also belies frustration, exasperation, and like a true "Lover's Complaint", real affection' GREG DORANDame Harriet Walter, renowned for her wonderful portrayals in Succession and Killing Eve, among others, is one of Britain's most esteemed Shakespearean actors. Now, having played most of Shakespeare's female characters, audaciously, she lets them speak their minds.With new parts for thirty Shakespearean women, written in 'Shakespearean' verse and prose, Harriet Walter goes between the lines of the plays to let us hear what she imagines - sometimes playfully and sometimes searchingly - these women were really thinking.Here's what Gertrude longed to say; why Lady MacBeth felt she should be King; how Juliet's nurse bemoaned her loss; why Ariel is anxious about freedom and what Cleopatra's handmaidens really thought of her. Ophelia surprises us, Olivia surprises herself and Miranda glimpses the future; these pieces are alongside other brilliant insights, from the servants to the sovereigns.Harriet Walter says 'Shakespeare's mind and words have been the backbone of our culture and they have seeped into my bloodstream over the decades that I have been privileged to speak them. As Ben Jonson said, he is a man for all times, but he is also a man of his time and there's the rub. Though his empathy for his female creations is miraculous, his plays mirror the hierarchy and patriarchy of his day with the result that women are seldom centre stage, have far fewer lines, and their function in the plot is always and solely in relation to a man. But not in these pages...'
A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women's Culture - 'An inspiring celebration of lesbian camaraderie, activism and fun' (Sarah Waters)
by June ThomasLesbians are a people without a home. Perhaps that's why the ones we make for ourselves are so important.A highly readable cultural history of queer women's lives in the second half of the twentieth century, told through six iconic spaces'An inspiring celebration of lesbian camaraderie, activism and fun' SARAH WATERS'A cracking read, and a reminder of what shaped where we are now' VAL MCDERMID 'Riveting; indispensable; and suffused with a humane warmth' ALISON BECHDEL'A must-have for any queer bookshelf' TEGAN QUINFor as long as queer women have existed, they've created gathering grounds where they can be themselves. From the intimate darkness of the lesbian bar to the sweaty camaraderie of the softball field, these spaces aren't a luxury - they're a necessity for queer women defining their identities. Blending memoir, archival research and interviews, journalist June Thomas invites readers into six iconic lesbian spaces over the course of the last sixty years, including the rural commune, the sex toy boutique, the holiday destination and the feminist bookstore. She also illuminates what is gained and lost in the shift from the exclusive, tight-knit women's spaces of the '70s toward today's more inclusive yet more diffuse LGBTQ+ communities.'Pulses with delicious dykes and the spaces we have made for ourselves over the years. I welcome this story' STELLA DUFFY'A wonderfully rangy, conversational, and thoughtful exploration of lesbian geographies' DANIEL LAVERY'Immensely readable . . . A celebration of what was - and can be - built, with all the hurdles and ecstasies' ROSIE GARLAND
Friends of Dorothy: The funny and brilliant new novel from the star of QI
by Sandi ToksvigContemporary, funny, wise and witty on LGBT+ fun, games - and prejudice - this is an uplit novel by one of the nation's most famous and beloved.
Friends of Dorothy: The funny and brilliant new novel from the star of QI
by Sandi ToksvigContemporary, funny, wise and witty on LGBT+ fun, games - and prejudice - this is an uplit novel by one of the nation's most famous and beloved.
The Fate of Mary Rose: The rediscovered dark masterpiece for fans of Shirley Jackson (Virago Modern Classics #821)
by Caroline BlackwoodTHE PITCH-BLACK REDISCOVERED CLASSIC OF 2024 From the Booker-shortlisted author of Great Granny Webster, this twisted modern classic is perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Celia Dale. 'One of the greatest, darkest writers who ever lived' Virginia Feito'This chillingly profound story drips with classy darkness. . . a one-way descent into the abyss' Janice Hallett'A dark masterpiece' Camilla Grudova'Vibrates with a frenzied, manic menace' Lucy Scholes'A devastating investigation of neurosis, hysteria and cruelty' Observer'I read it with wide eyes and unsavoury glee' Sunday Times'Caroline Blackwood sits firmly alongside the greats like Shirley Jackson and Patricia Highsmith' Araminta Hall***She was dead even before I became aware of her existence . . .A child has been abducted from a sleepy Kent village, her face plastered across the media.As the crime unleashes a wave of hysteria, the claustrophobic world of Rowan Anderson and his inscrutable wife begins to disintegrate. Consumed by her macabre fixation, Cressida is determined to save their sickly daughter, Mary Rose, from the same fate - and perhaps even from Rowan himself.With caustic wit and pitch-black brilliance, Caroline Blackwood creates a skin-crawling - and utterly compulsive - story of repressed violence, female rage, and maternal obsession. INTRODUCED BY CAMILLA GRUDOVA
The Mind Electric: Stories of the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains
by Pria Anand'Superb, compelling, delightfully labyrinthine' Telegraph'The book fans of Oliver Sacks have been craving' The i'A rich and humane work' Gwen Adshead, author of The Devil You Know'A fascinating journey through the curious capacities of our brains' Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell WomenA young woman channelling the voice of the Holy Spirit. A mother whose children have been replaced by changelings. A family cursed by a mysterious inability to sleep. Pria Anand's patients come to her with myriad peculiar symptoms, but they all have something in common: their diagnosis always hinges on a story. Her task as a neurologist is akin to a detective's, piecing together the clues in a patient's account with the tells of their body in order to settle on a diagnosis.In her gorgeously lyrical, passionate and humane first book, Pria Anand shares stories of her own patients alongside her own experiences as a doctor, a mother and a patient, in order to explore all the bizarre ways in which our brains go awry. Moving from the Boston hospital where she treats her patients, to her childhood years in India, to Isla Providencia in the Caribbean and to Guinea in West Africa, she demonstrates again and again the compelling paradox at the heart of neurology: that the strangest symptoms experienced by any single individual can show us something universal about being human.
Edith's Story: The true story of how one young girl escaped the Holocaust (Virago Modern Classics #822)
by Edith VelmansTHE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF HOW ONE YOUNG GIRL ESCAPED THE HOLOCAUST'It holds you with the same intensity as The Diary of Anne Frank and leaves you heart-broken, illuminated, and amazed at the capacity for courage' GUARDIAN***'I never realised that there could be such suffering in the world, and that anyone could live through it' - from Edith's diary, 1st July 1945After Germany occupied the Netherlands in 1940, fourteen-year-old Edith was still filling her diary with carefree stories of school, parties and boys. But her entries soon record a darkening world. By 1942, as the Nazis escalated their persecution of the Jewish population, Edith began a bitter struggle to survive.Hidden in plain sight but a courageous Christian family, with a German officer billeted in the next room, Edith faced the horrors of war under constant threat of discovery and betrayal. Weaving together Edith's diaries with letters smuggled between family members and her own memories, this extraordinary memoir of 'the Anne Frank who lived' is a profoundly moving account of grief, loss, courage - and one girl's remarkable belief in humanity in the face of despair.WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY ESTHER FREUD 'One of the best and most moving memoirs I have ever read' RUTH RENDELL'It's impossible to get through this inspiring and great-hearted volume dry-eyed' WASHINGTON POST'Both memoir and meditation, it is moving and wise . . . neither sanguine nor sentimental about the Holocaust and man's capacity for evil' LINDA HOLT, INDEPENDENT'Truly moving . . . leaving one with great hope in humanity' THE TIMESA VIRAGO MODERN CLASSIC
The Dilemmas of Working Women: The Japanese Bestseller
by Fumio YamamotoThe classic Japanese bestseller published in English for the very first time - a darkly funny and relatable book portraying the lives of five women'Witty, wise and thought-provoking' Cecelia Ahern'Crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence' Lisa Owens, author of Not Working'So brilliantly written that I kept trying to memorise sentences in order to repeat them to people later' Roxy Dunn, author of As Young as ThisIzumi needs to get a job. Haruka needs to stop talking about how she once had cancer. Katō needs to get through a shift at the convenience store without being harassed. Mito needs to break up with her boyfriend - or marry him. Sumie just needs somewhere to live. In this classic Japanese bestseller, published in English twenty-five years after it took Japan by storm, the lives of five ordinary women are depicted with irresistible humour and searing emotional insight.
The Stepdaughter (Virago Modern Classics #823)
by Caroline BlackwoodDiscover Caroline Blackwood's darkly brilliant debut - a perfect rediscovered classic for fans of Shirley Jackson and Ottessa Moshfegh'A bracingly nasty book . . . Splendid, dark, often very funny' MEGAN NOLAN, TelegraphA lavish Upper West Side apartment is the site of a familial cold war about to enter a phase of dangerous escalation.J is a lonely woman without the luxury of being alone. Her husband has fled to Paris with his latest flame, leaving J with not only their own four-year-old daughter, Sally Ann, but the sulky, cake-mix addicted, thirteen-year-old Renata, a leftover from his previous marriage. Writing letters in her head to imaginary friends, J delights in dwelling on the hapless Renata, who 'invites a kind of cruelty'. This is an invitation J fully intends to take up - and like so many stepmothers before her, she will find that wickedness, once indulged, is a difficult habit to kick. A mordant black splinter of a book, Caroline Blackwood's first novel is a testament to her razor-sharp mastery - and mockery - of the darkest depths of human feeling.'Contained and ferocious' TLS'One of the greatest, darkest writers who ever lived' VIRGINIA FEITO'Witty, observant, clever' Guardian 'The perfect book for people who find Joan Didion too even-keeled, Renata Adler too fair-minded . . . In its own way, it's a perfect novel . . . It deserves to be a cheeky summer hit' LA REVIEW OF BOOKS'Blackwood was in fact a writer of rare distinction, the author of wit-drenched books about the wages of class, women's inhumanity to women, bitchiness, greed, abjection, family, monsters' NEW YORKER'Caroline Blackwood sits firmly alongside the greats like Shirley Jackson and Patricia Highsmith. Her writing is smart, economical and as dark as night' ARAMINTA HALL
The Little Book of Positive Birth Stories: 'A glorious collection of uplifting and empowering accounts' Giovanna Fletcher
by Claire FultonA collection of thirty positive birth stories brought together in a beautiful book to offer positivity and confidence to anyone about to give birth'Glorious, uplifting and empowering' Giovanna FletcherThe idea of giving birth can be daunting - if not outright terrifying. So many of the stories we hear about birth are negative or frightening, but in fact many women and birthing people feel positive and satisfied after their birth, however their births have unfolded. What's more, reading positive birth stories during pregnancy can help women to feel calm, confident and prepared, and so increase the chances that they'll have an experience they'll look back on positively.Collected here by doula and hypnobirthing coach Claire Fulton are thirty true stories from a diverse group of ordinary people, representing a wide array of experiences. There are hospital births and home births; inductions, caesareans and vaginal deliveries. Things don't always go quite to plan, and there are moments of surprise, frustration and unexpected comedy along the way, but all of the stories deliver comfort, reassurance and a happy ending.
Fish Tales (Virago Modern Classics #824)
by Nettie JonesTHE DAZZLING LOST CLASSIC*A Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2025**A Cosmopolitan Best Book for April 2025*Acquired by Toni Morrison, championed by Gayl Jones, and almost forgotten for forty years, FISH TALES is a fierce, fearless modern classic for our own fragmented times.***'Candid, fast and alive' RAVEN LEILANI'Fast, fearless, so full of life it practically vibrates in your hands' JUSTIN TORRES'Wondrous and outrageous, real and incandescent and alive' BRYAN WASHINGTON'Fish Tales will certainly dazzle you, and it might even scandalize you, but it never tells a lie' ANGELA FLOURNOY'A novel of desire, pleasure, drugs and sex . . . We'll all be better for it having been rediscovered' LITERARY HUBLewis Jones is a party girl on the edge. Bankrolled by her husband Woody and accompanied by her fellow hedonist Kitty Kat, a hustler who knows all the best spots, Lewis bounces between the demimonde of 70s New York and affluent Black Detroit in a fractured haze of lovers, cocaine parties and champagne baths. But her wild pursuit of freedom is upended when she meets the handsome, erudite, cruel Brook - the only man who won't allow her to take control.A kaleidoscopic swirl of sex and exploitation, selfhood and self-destruction, this lost classic is an unnervingly contemporary depiction of the collision between identity, freedom and female desire - perfect for fans of In the Cut, Oreo, Luster and I'm a Fan.
One Fine Day (Virago Modern Classics #304)
by Mollie Panter-DownesThe lark rose in the brilliant air, higher, higher on its spun-glass spiral of song, knowing nothing of peace or war, accepting joyously the bounty of another day. A hot summer's day in 1946. The village of Wealding is no longer troubled by distant sirens, yet the rusting coils of barbed wire are a reminder that something, some quality of life, has evaporated. Together again after years of separation, Laura and Stephen Marshall must find their way in an altered, shabbier world. Their rambling garden refuses to be tamed, the house seems perceptibly to crumble. Hour by hour, as the glorious weather holds, the Marshalls and their daughter Victoria are preoccupied by the small pleasures and irritations of everyday life. But alone on a hillside, as evening falls, Laura comes to see how much could have been lost - and how much the future might still hold. Exquisitely written and achingly poignant, One Fine Day is an unforgettable portrait of a world, and a marriage, changed forever by war - perfect for fans of Small Pleasures and A Month in the Country.'As profound as Katherine Mansfield, restrained as Jane Austen, sharp as Dorothy Parker' Independent
One Fine Day (Virago Modern Classics #304)
by Mollie Panter-DownesThe lark rose in the brilliant air, higher, higher on its spun-glass spiral of song, knowing nothing of peace or war, accepting joyously the bounty of another day. A hot summer's day in 1946. The village of Wealding is no longer troubled by distant sirens, yet the rusting coils of barbed wire are a reminder that something, some quality of life, has evaporated. Together again after years of separation, Laura and Stephen Marshall must find their way in an altered, shabbier world. Their rambling garden refuses to be tamed, the house seems perceptibly to crumble. Hour by hour, as the glorious weather holds, the Marshalls and their daughter Victoria are preoccupied by the small pleasures and irritations of everyday life. But alone on a hillside, as evening falls, Laura comes to see how much could have been lost - and how much the future might still hold. Exquisitely written and achingly poignant, One Fine Day is an unforgettable portrait of a world, and a marriage, changed forever by war - perfect for fans of Small Pleasures and A Month in the Country.'As profound as Katherine Mansfield, restrained as Jane Austen, sharp as Dorothy Parker' Independent
Surreal: The Extraordinary Life of Gala Dali
by Michèle Gerber KleinUsing previously undiscovered material, Surreal tells the riveting story of Gala Dalí,(1894-1982) who broke away from her cultured but penurious background in pre-Revolutionary Russia to live in Paris with both France's most famous poet, Paul Éluard, and artist Max Ernst. By the time she met the budding artist Salvador Dali in 1929, Gala was known as the Mother of Surrealism. She rapidly became his mentor and protector, marrying him in 1934 and subsequently engineering their vast fortune. At a time when artists were celebrities, Gala acted as the ambassador of the Surrealist movement, spreading its popularity across the globe. She was the survivor of two world wars, the Russian revolution and the Spanish Civil War, and lived between France, Spain and the U.S. Gala was a heroine whose originality captivated people wherever she went, and her life story has everything : glamour; drama; true love, twisted love; ambition; money; art; defiance and daring. In this vivid, detailed rendering, Michèle Gerber Klein has brought Gala out of the shadows to reveal a charismatic figure who played a pivotal role in the art world, yet has never received the full recognition she deserves.
El Dorado Drive: 'A thrilling, clever and powerful story of family, class, money and morality' (Chris Whitaker)
by Megan Abbott'Sharp, shocking, beautiful and brilliant. El Dorado Drive is a thrilling, clever and powerful story of family, class, money and morality. Megan Abbott is a phenomenal storyteller' CHRIS WHITAKER'Suspenseful, beautifully written and, quite simply, exquisite' GILLIAN FLYNN'A smart, twisty, and riveting family drama' KARIN SLAUGHTER'A dark, satisfying delight' IRISH TIMESThe thrilling new novel from bestselling writer Megan Abbott: a story about three sisters who join an exclusive women's club which promises to empower its members, but will actually put them in mortal danger...Pam, Debra and Harper are three sisters who grew up in Detroit when the city was a boom town thanks to the auto industry. Now in mid-life, their lives have faltered in different ways, mirroring the fortunes of their city. Debra's husband needs expensive medical treatment. Pam is in the middle of a nasty divorce. And Harper has a big debt which is also a big secret. In desperate need of money, support and just some fun, the three sisters join The Wheel, an exclusive women's club that promises financial security. As The Wheel turns, the money flows, the stakes get higher - and then a shocking murder tears everything apart. El Dorado Drive is a nail-biting, brilliantly dark story about class, money, women in mid-life, and the decline of the American dream.'Tense, chilling and beautifully written, El Dorado Drive is an absolute knockout' HARLAN COBEN'Suspenseful as all hell but also beautifully observed' DENNIS LEHANE'An incisive evisceration of the American Dream, served up as a noirish novel about sisters, envy, and innocence. Exhilarating, explosive and hugely entertaining' SARAH HILARY
The Little Book of Positive Birth Stories: 'A glorious collection of uplifting and empowering accounts' Giovanna Fletcher
by Claire FultonThe idea of giving birth can be daunting - if not outright terrifying. So many of the stories we hear about birth are negative or frightening, but in fact many women and birthing people feel positive and satisfied after their birth, however their births have unfolded. What's more, reading positive birth stories during pregnancy can help women to feel calm, confident and prepared, and so increase the chances that they'll have an experience they'll look back on positively.Collected here by doula and hypnobirthing coach Claire Fulton are thirty true stories from a diverse group of ordinary people, representing a wide array of experiences. There are hospital births and home births; inductions, caesareans and vaginal deliveries. Things don't always go quite to plan, and there are moments of surprise, frustration and unexpected comedy along the way, but all of the stories deliver comfort, reassurance and a happy ending.
This Book Will Make You Kinder: An Empathy Handbook
by Henry James GarrettWhy are you kind?This book will make you kinder by introducing you to your empathy, and by pointing out what limits that empathy. Not just the everyday kindness of taking out your neighbour's bins - the strong, courageous, moral kindness of fighting cruelty. It's needed now more than ever. Unkindness has been given new energy in recent years.So get to know your empathy a little better. Where it comes from, and why every human - and some animals - have it. Empathy is what makes us kind, but it must be combined with a conscious effort to learn about different kinds of people. A world in which everyone acted on their empathy would be a very kind world indeed. Let's work toward that world.
The League of Unexceptional Children: Book 1 (The League of Unexceptional Children #1)
by Gitty DaneshvariHilarious action adventure for readers aged 8 and up, featuring the world's most unexceptional spies. You think spies are clever and cool and mysterious? Think again . . .When Jonathan and Shelley are summoned to work for The League of Unexceptional Children they're more than a little bit surprised. Average in every single way, they've never been singled out for anything in their lives . . . scrap that, they've never even been noticed. But that's exactly what the League is after. Because if you're truly forgettable, you're perfect for acts of espionage - as Jonathan and Shelley are about to find out.
The Kids Who Knew Too Little: Book 3 (The League of Unexceptional Children #3)
by Gitty DaneshvariHilarious spy adventure for readers aged 8 and up. You think spies are clever and cool and mysterious? Think again . . .Shelley and Jonathan are members of the League of Unexceptional Children - the world's least impressive spy network.Jonathan's parents have been arrested by the CIA, and the dangerous mission to liberate them is definitely beyond his and Shelley's utterly average skill set. Can they accidentally save the day one last time? This final book in Gitty Daneshvari's funny series gives readers more of the spy tricks and adventure they love, but can also stand alone as a complete mystery.
Get Smart-ish: Book 2 (The League of Unexceptional Children #2)
by Gitty DaneshvariHilarious action adventure for readers aged 8 and up, featuring the world's most unexceptional spies. You think spies are clever and cool and mysterious? Think again . . .When readers met twelve-year-olds Jonathan and Shelley, they had just been recruited to join the League of Unexceptional Children. This covert spy network is comprised solely of kids who are so average and nondescript that they are utterly forgettable, and who makes a better spy than a kid no one remembers?To everyone's surprise, Jonathan and Shelley saved the day in Book 1, and as a result they have been loaned to MI5: the United Kingdom's leading spy organization. The kids' mission is to recapture a missing vial of LIQ-15, a virus that makes people lose IQ points. Relying on only their complete lack of skill, Jonathan and Shelley must once again stop an evil plan in its tracks.In a sequel that gives readers more of the spy tricks and adventure they love but that can stand on its own as a complete mystery, Get Smart-ish is a laugh-out-loud story starring two exceptionally unexceptional characters.
Pudsey the Dog: The Movie
by PudseyPudsey has it all - a successful career and the city of London at his paws. What more could a dog ask for? Maybe a couple of sausages! So when Molly, Tommy and George promise him a snack, Pudsey's tail wags all the way to their house. But when he hides in the family trailer, he gets more than just sausages. He's taken to the family's new home ... in the middle of the countryside!Miles from the city, Pudsey quickly makes friends on the farm, fights off an evil landlord and sets out to foil a plot to demolish his new home. But his adventures (and his love of sausages) land him in the dog pound. Pudsey can't dance his way out of a locked cage. Or can he? He'd better hurry if he's going to save the farm from destruction!
The Monkey King's Prize: Book 3 (Myth Raiders #3)
by A.J. HunterTime is running out for the chosen ones...Sam and Trey are tasked with saving the world from total destruction by gathering the scattered fragments of the Warrior's Shield. Their next stop is ancient China, where they need to track down the third piece - fast!Transported to a misty bamboo forest, they are attached by the shape-shifting Monkey King. They manage to strike a deal to save their lives: if they can recover a stolen treasure from the malicious Lord Liu, then maybe, just maybe, he will help them.But Liu is a Lord of the Dark, part of the evil that Sam and Trey are fighting. Can they trust the mischievous monkey to help them defeat him? There's only one way to find out...
Flames of the Phoenix: Book 4 (Myth Raiders #4)
by A.J. HunterCould YOU take flight from the flames?The cousins thought that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were just a story, but now they're about to discover just how real this place is. Their search for the final piece of the Warrior's Shield transports them to 600BC, where they face Prince Cyrus of Persia. He has captured the legendary phoenix and forces the cousins to do battle with this mighty bird in an arena. Can they escape their enemies and see the phoenix returned to her golden nest? And will they get home in time to rescue planet Earth from certain destruction?
Flames of the Phoenix: Book 4 (Myth Raiders)
by A.J. HunterCould YOU take flight from the flames?The cousins thought that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were just a story, but now they're about to discover just how real this place is. Their search for the final piece of the Warrior's Shield transports them to 600BC, where they face Prince Cyrus of Persia. He has captured the legendary phoenix and forces the cousins to do battle with this mighty bird in an arena. Can they escape their enemies and see the phoenix returned to her golden nest? And will they get home in time to rescue planet Earth from certain destruction?
Myth Raiders: Book 2
by A Hunter James La RueBeware the claws of the sphinx...Geology-mad Sam and her American cousin Trey are the Chosen Ones, destined to save the world from destruction by gathering together the scattered fragments of The Warrior's Shield. They've already rescued one section of the enchanted shield from the terrifying Medusa, and now learn that the second piece is being guarded by a fearsome sphinx - a creature with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the face of a human. So Sam and Trey must travel to Ancient Egypt, and face mummies, beast-headed warriors... and the deadly sphinx itself!