British Birds

Writer Cyril Glendinning is waiting for his big break. He is well reviewed by cultured newspapers, but he makes very little money. Then he is commissioned to write a novel for a big publisher, but before he is able to finish, disaster strikes. His wife, Gertrude, is left penniless and alone, until she is awoken one night by a mysterious clicking metallic sound....

Among the creatures that find the food, water, and shelter they need in our gardens, birds are the ones we notice the most, partly because the majority are active in the daytime. Of course, they can be a welcome distraction for us, as they go about their lives and we briefly escape from ours. From the Robin to the Blackbird, Starling and Chaffinch, this illuminating publication helps you identify common garden birds and reveals fascinating facts about them.

A way of life that once encompassed most of humanity is vanishing in one of the greatest transformations of our time: the eclipse of the rural world by the urban. In this new history of peasantry, Patrick Joyce tells the story of this lost world and its people. In contrast to the usual insulting stereotypes, we discover a rich and complex culture: traditions, songs, celebrations, and revolts, across Europe from the plains of Poland to the farmsteads and villages of Italy and Ireland, through the 19th century to the present day.

When Frieda Hughes moved to the depths of the Welsh countryside, she was expecting to take on a few projects: planting a garden, painting and writing her poetry column for The Times. But instead, she found herself rescuing a baby magpie, the sole survivor of a nest destroyed in a storm - and embarking on an obsession that would change the course of her life. As the magpie, George, grows from a shrieking scrap of feathers and bones into an intelligent, unruly companion, Frieda finds herself captivated.

Book One Ray Spalding's had enough of his wife, Paula. He's left his home in Edinburgh's Southside and headed for Belfast. It's safer there. Unknown to Ray, Paula's also had enough of him. She's not going back home. Not now, not ever. Jesse Spalding wakes up one morning to find both his parents gone. And he can't tell anyone or he'll be taken into care. As time passes and bills need paying, all Jesse can rely on are his wits, his friend Archie and his dad's 1950s record collection. Southsiders is a powerful short novel that follows the spiralling fortunes of Ray and Jesse, pushing father ...

Nigel Bird and his stories have appeared in so many places that it’s about time the best of them were brought together in one collection. His work has also received so much praise that this collection should be a must for the fan of the short story, particularly those fans with a taste for noir, crime or unusual fiction. Praise for his work and, indeed, for some of the stories collected here includes: 'A tremendous writer.' Donald Ray Pollock (The Devil All The Time) 'A rare talent.' Allan Guthrie (Bye Bye Baby) ‘I was surprised by every story. These are short, punchy, thoughtful, hard ...

He saves her, but can she save him? This is no fairy tale... Amidst the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands, mysteries of the past converge with the present, weaving a tale of lost love, haunting legacies, and redemption. Jack Mathers is drawn into a suspenseful journey, seeking answers about his mother's death and his father's bizarre behaviour. As ancient folklore involving enigmatic Highlanders, sinister wolves, and ethereal cranes resurfaces, the Mathers family is plunged deeper into a supernatural enigma. "The Crane Wife" by Max China is a heart-wrenching exploration of love, ...

Debut author Vashti Harrison tells the stories of both iconic and lesser-known female figures of black history - from nurse Mary Seacole to politician Diane Abbott, mathematician Katherine Johnson and singer Shirley Bassey. Among these biographies listeners will find heroes, role models and everyday women who did extraordinary things.