ORDER THE BENEFACTORS HERE: https://lnk.to/TheBenefactors

In The Benefactors we meet Frankie, Miriam and Bronagh – very different women but all mothers to 18-year-old boys. Glamorous Frankie, now married to a wealthy, older man, grew up in care. Miriam has recently lost her beloved husband Kahlil in ambiguous circumstances. Bronagh, the CEO of a children’s services charity, loves the celebrity and prestige this brings her. They do not know each other yet, but when their sons are accused of sexually assaulting Misty Johnston, whose family lacks the wealth and social-standing of their own, they’ll leverage all the power of their position to protect their children.

Brutal, tender and rigorously intelligent, The Benefactors is a daring, polyphonic presentation of modern-day Northern Ireland. It is also very funny. Wendy was chosen as one of the Observer’s best debut novelists for 2025.

‘I couldn’t put this book down. As a reader, you are totally transported into these characters lives. They are living people and I missed them when I finished.’

SHEENA PATEL

‘So fresh, so sharp, so wry, so alive. Brims with humanity . . . I adored it.’

LUCY CALDWELL

‘A funny and dark novel about family life.’

THE INDEPENDENT

Ahead of hardback publication of the shocking new thriller from the No.1. Sunday Times bestselling author, we have three proofs to give away.

‘Billingham only gets better’ MICHAEL CONNELLY

‘Sensational, masterful, sharp and shocking’ CHRIS WHITAKER

‘The best Tom Thorne novel yet’ MICK HERRON

‘One of crime fiction’s finest’ KARIN SLAUGHTER

The targeted murder of four officers is only the first in a series of attacks that leaves police scared, angry and, most disturbingly of all, vengeful.

As Tom Thorne and Nicola Tanner dig into the reasons for the violence, a deeper darkness begins to emerge: the possibility that these murders are payback. The price paid for an unspeakable betrayal.

To uncover the truth, Thorne will be forced to question everything he stands for. He can trust nobody, and the shocking secrets revealed by one terrible night will fracture his entire world.

Complete the form below to submit your entry. Good luck!

Open to UK residents only.

Closing 6th June 2025.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. This is a giveaway for three readers to each win one advanced proof copy of WHAT THE NIGHT BRINGS by Mark Billingham. To enter, please enter your details into the form above.

2. The winners will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of Little, Brown Book Group, whose decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

3. The prize draw opens at 12:01 am BST on 30.05.2025 and closes at 11:59 pm BST on 06.06.2025. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the prize draw.

4. The winner’s name will be published in a direct email to them by 09.06.2025. The winner may see their name posted on the Company’s (see below) website and on other websites and social media accounts.

5. The prize draw is open to residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 or over except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the prize draw either themselves or through their families.

6. Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.

7. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.

8. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize draw without notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided. If a winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be contacted, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.

9. The Company will make available the name and county of the winner to anyone who requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below.

10. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of running the prize draw and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the Company’s Privacy Notice https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/imprint/little-brown/page/privacy-notice-general-little-brown/ It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the prize draw and delivering any prize and will delete it after a reasonable period from the end of the prize draw. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the prize draw. The Company will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of delivering the prize.

11. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from the Company, the email addresses of entrants will be used by the Company in accordance with its Privacy Notice https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/imprint/little-brown/page/privacy-notice-general-little-brown/ to send news about books, products and promotions and to invite entrants to participate in surveys. Entrants will be given the option of opting out in those emails if they don’t want to receive any further communications.

12. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from companies within the Hachette UK group of companies (“Hachette Companies”), the email addresses of entrants may be shared with the Hachette Companies [but will not be shared with other companies outside the Hachette group] . It will be used by the Hachette companies in accordance with their Privacy Notice(s) to send news about their books, products and promotions and to invite entrants to participate in surveys. Entrants will be given the option of opting out in those emails if they don’t want to receive any further communications. A list of the Hachette UK companies is at https://www.hachette.co.uk/landing-page/company-information-all/.

13. By entering the prize draw entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

14. This competition is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group Limited of Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).

15. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

To celebrate the publication of The Meaning of Life by James Bailey, we are giving away a special bundle of titles! One lucky reader will be in for a chance of winning a copy of The Meaning of Life by James Bailey, Good To See You by Francesca Hornak, and See the Stars by Eleanor Ray. Simply fill in the form below!

Opening date: 13th May 2025

Closing date: 27th May 2025

Terms and Conditions

1. This is a competition for one reader to win a copy of The Meaning of Life by James Bailey, Good To See You by Francesca Hornak, and See the Stars by Eleanor Ray. The entrant must simply fill in the form on the competition page.

2. The winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of Little, Brown Book Group whose decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

3. The competition opens at 9am on 13.05.25 and closes at 11:59 pm on 27.05.25. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the competition.

4. The winner/s will be notified via social media handle or email by the 25.07.25. The winner/s may see their name posted on the Company’s (see below) website and on other websites and social media accounts.

5. The competition is open to residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 or over except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families.

6. Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.

7. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.

8. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize without notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided.  If the winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be contacted within two weeks, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.

9. The Company will make available the name of the winner to anyone who requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below.

10. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of running the prize draw and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the Company’s Privacy Notice https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/Information/Privacy.page It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the prize draw and delivering any prizes and will delete it after a reasonable period from the end of the prize draw. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the prize draw. The Company will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of delivering the prizes.  The company will need to provide the Winner’s relevant information to third parties to enable the prize to be fulfilled.

11. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from the Company, the email addresses of entrants will be used by the Company in accordance with its Privacy Notice. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from companies within the Hachette UK group of companies (“Hachette Companies”), the email addresses of entrants may be shared with the Hachette Companies. It will be used by the Hachette companies in accordance with their Privacy Notices A list of the Hachette UK companies is at https://www.hachette.co.uk/assets/HachetteGroup/GDPR/HachetteUKGroupCompanies.pdf

12. By entering the prize draw entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

13. This competition is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group Limited of Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).

14. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

To celebrate the publication of The Expanded Earth by Mikey Please, we are giving you the chance to win one of five signed and numbered art prints of a selection of the book’s illustrations. 

Dark, witty, and wildly ambitious, BAFTA award-winning filmmaker Mikey Please guides us into The Expanded Earth, a high-stakes adventure packed with jeopardy and life-affirming beauty - a story that ultimately celebrates the capacity of small things to effect great change. The first in a spellbinding trilogy, this beautifully illustrated debut novel marks the arrival of a new talent and perhaps a new genre - the world of the micropocalypse.

To enter the prize draw, fill out your details below by midnight 23rd May 2025.

Terms and Conditions apply. Open to residents of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, aged 18 years or older only. Good Luck!

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

To celebrate the publication of Nine Hidden Lives (out April 10^th), we’re delighted to offer readers the chance to win a bundle of books from the Ben Harper series including Twelve Secrets, Eleven Liars and Nine Hidden Lives.

To enter simply like, share and comment on the Facebook post on The Crime Vault.

Opening date: 17^th March 2025

Closing date: 9^th April 2025

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

1. This is a competition for one winner to win a bundle of books from the Ben Harper series including Twelve Secrets, Eleven Liars and Nine Hidden Lives. The entrant must like, share and comment on the relevant Facebook post.

2. The winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of Little, Brown Book Group whose decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

3. The competition opens at 9am on 17.03.25 and closes at 11:59 pm on 09.04.25. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the competition.

4. The winner/s will be notified via social media handle or email by the 25.06.25. The winner/s may see their name posted on the Company’s (see below) website and on other websites and social media accounts.

5. The competition is open to residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 or over except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families.

6. Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.

7. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.

8. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize without notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided.  If the winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be contacted within two weeks, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.

9. The Company will make available the name of the winner to anyone who requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below.

10. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of running the prize draw and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the Company’s Privacy Notice https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/Information/Privacy.page It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the prize draw and delivering any prizes and will delete it after a reasonable period from the end of the prize draw. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the prize draw. The Company will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of delivering the prizes.  The company will need to provide the Winner’s relevant information to third parties to enable the prize to be fulfilled.

11. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from the Company, the email addresses of entrants will be used by the Company in accordance with its Privacy Notice. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from companies within the Hachette UK group of companies (“Hachette Companies”), the email addresses of entrants may be shared with the Hachette Companies. It will be used by the Hachette companies in accordance with their Privacy Notices A list of the Hachette UK companies is at https://www.hachette.co.uk/assets/HachetteGroup/GDPR/HachetteUKGroupCompanies.pdf

12. By entering the prize draw entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

13. This competition is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group Limited of Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).

14. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Click to access BEHIND-THE-BOOK-THE-RETIREMENT-PLAN-1.pdf

You can pre-order a copy of The Retirement Plan here.

The Retirement Plan

by Sue Hincenbergs

Amazon

Blackwell's

Bookshop.org

Foyles

Hive

Waterstones

TGJones

Wordery

1. This is a prize draw to win a £100 supermarket voucher
2. To enter, please upload your proof of purchase of Glenda Young’s Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls,
   publishing 22nd August, 2025, together with your name and contact details.
3. The winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with
   these terms and conditions by a member of the Headline Publishing Group Limited
   marketing team, whose decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered
   into.
4. A purchase is necessary to enter: please purchase a copy of Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls by
   Glenda Young and upload your proof of purchase to enter.
5. The prize draw opens at 12:01 am BST on 22/05/2025 and closes at 11:59 pm BST on
   22/08/2025. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be
   eligible for entry into the prize draw. The winner will be informed by 22nd September and
   they must confirm their acceptance of the prize by 10th October.
6. The prize draw is open to residents of the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 or
   over, except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally
   connected to the prize draw, either themselves or through their families.
7. Only one entry per person is permitted. Second or subsequent entries will be
   disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.
8. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who
   provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or
   destroyed.
9. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize draw without
   notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to
   prizes will be provided. If a winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be
   contacted, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.
10. The Company will make available the name and county of the winner to anyone who
    requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below.
11. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of
    running the prize draw and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the
    Company’s Privacy Notice hbps://www.headline.co.uk/landing-page/privacy-noticegeneralheadline/.
    It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the prize
    draw and delivering any prize(s) and will delete it after a reasonable period from the end
    of the prize draw. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided
    by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the prize draw. The Company
    will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of
    delivering the prize(s). The company will need to provide the winner’s address and other
    relevant information to its distributor to enable the prize to be sent.
12. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from the Company, the
    email addresses of entrants will be used by the Company in accordance with its Privacy
    Notice hbps://www.headline.co.uk/landing-page/privacy-notice-general-headline/ to
    send news about books, products and promotions and to invite entrants to par9cipate
    in surveys. Entrants will be given the option of opting out in those emails if they don’t
    want to receive any further communications.
13. By entering the prize draw entrants agree to be bound by these terms and
    conditions.
14. This competition is being organised by Headline Publishing Group Limited of
    Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).
15. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual
    disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and conditions shall be governed and
    construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive
    jurisdiction.
16. Exclusions apply.

We’re offering you the chance to win a Neom Wellness Gift Set when you pre-order a copy of Adaptability by Denise Lewis.

If you haven’t yet pre-ordered, click on the link to do so!

https://geni.us/adaptabilitydenise

To enter, simply upload your receipt and fill in the short form below.

Opening date: 20th February 2025

Closing date: 13th March 2025

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

1. This is a competition for one person to be in for the chance of winning a Neom Wellness Gift Set after pre-ordering a copy of Adaptability by Denise Lewis. The entrant must simply pre-order the book and fill in the form on the competition page.

2. The winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of Little, Brown Book Group whose decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

3. The competition opens at 9am on 20.02.25 and closes at 11:59 pm on 13.03.25. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the competition.

4. The winner/s will be notified via social media handle or email by the 25.05.25. The winner/s may see their name posted on the Company’s (see below) website and on other websites and social media accounts.

5. The competition is open to residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 or over except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families.

6. Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.

7. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.

8. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize without notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided.  If the winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be contacted within two weeks, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.

9. The Company will make available the name of the winner to anyone who requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below.

10. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of running the prize draw and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the Company’s Privacy Notice https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/Information/Privacy.page It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the prize draw and delivering any prizes and will delete it after a reasonable period from the end of the prize draw. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the prize draw. The Company will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of delivering the prizes.  The company will need to provide the Winner’s relevant information to third parties to enable the prize to be fulfilled.

11. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from the Company, the email addresses of entrants will be used by the Company in accordance with its Privacy Notice. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from companies within the Hachette UK group of companies (“Hachette Companies”), the email addresses of entrants may be shared with the Hachette Companies. It will be used by the Hachette companies in accordance with their Privacy Notices A list of the Hachette UK companies is at https://www.hachette.co.uk/assets/HachetteGroup/GDPR/HachetteUKGroupCompanies.pdf

12. By entering the prize draw entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

13. This competition is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group Limited of Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).

14. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

This is a prize draw for one lucky reader to win a set of beautiful bound copies of Elle Kennedy’s books: The Graham Effect, The Dixon Rule, and The Charlie Method.

Everyone who enters will get a set of The Charlie Method character cards, and be entered into the prize draw.

Entries open to UK residents only, aged 18+ with a valid receipt for proof of pre-order of The Charlie Method uploaded.

Opening: 12th February 2025

Closing: 24th February 2025

Terms and Conditions

1. This competition is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group (the ‘Publisher’), Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ.
2. This competition is for one entrant to win copies of The Graham Effect, The Dixon Rule, and The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy, and for all entrees to win a set of The Charlie Method character cards. (the ‘Prize’).
3. To enter the competition, please fill in your details in the form above. Please do not include any sensitive personal data with your entry.
4. People who enter the competition in accordance with these Terms and Conditions (each a ‘Winner’) will each receive the Prize. The Prize will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone who pre-orders.
5. Entrants must be aged 18 or over and resident of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The competition is not open to employees of the Publisher, their families, or to anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families.
6. Entries may only be submitted between 12:01am BST on 12.02.2025 and 11.59pm BST on 24.02.2025. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates and any entries that do not meet the requirements of these Terms and Conditions will not be eligible for entry to the competition.
7. An entrant may only submit one entry. Further entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.
8. The Publisher is not responsible for contacting or responding to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries that are lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.
9. The Publisher reserves the right to (i) cancel the competition; (ii) alter the details of the Prize and/or (iii) alter any other details of the competition without notice but the Publisher will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternative or other alternatives to the Prize will be provided.
10. If a Winner is unable to accept their Prize or cannot be contacted, the Publisher reserves the right to select another entrant to receive the Prize.
11. Any personal data submitted by entrants, including their names and email addresses, (the ‘Information’) will be used by the Publisher (who is the Data Controller) for the purposes of this competition, including without limitation for the purpose of running the competition and arranging and/or delivering the Prize, in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and in accordance with Publisher’s Privacy Notice which can be found here https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/imprint/little-brown/page/privacy-notice-general-little-brown/. Subject to clause 13 below, the Information will be deleted within six months of the arrangement or delivery of the Prize.
12. Where an entrant has opted-in to receive marketing communications from the Publisher, the email address of the entrant will be used by the Publisher in accordance with the Publisher’s Privacy Notice to send the entrant the information they agreed to receive at the time of opting in. Entrants will be given the option of opting out in those emails if they don’t want to continue receiving them.
13. Entrants acknowledge that the Publisher may need to share the Information with third parties for the purpose of arranging and/or delivering the Prize.
14. By entering the competition, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
15. These Terms and Conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these Terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

         To celebrate the upcoming publication of Other People’s Houses by bestselling author           Clare Mackintosh, we’re offering you the chance to win a £100 voucher from Dunelm.

Simply pre-order a copy of Other People’s Houses and you could be in with the chance to win this cool homeware prize.

Open date: 11^th February 2025

Closing date: 27^th February 2025

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

1. This is a competition for one person to win a £100 voucher from Dunelm. The entrant must simply pre-order a copy of Other People’s Houses by Clare Mackintosh and fill in the form on the competition page.

2. The winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of Little, Brown Book Group whose decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

3. The competition opens at 9am on 11.02.25 and closes at 11:59 pm on 27.02.25. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the competition.

4. The winner/s will be notified via social media handle or email by the 25.04.25. The winner/s may see their name posted on the Company’s (see below) website and on other websites and social media accounts.

5. The competition is open to residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 or over except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families.

6. Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.

7. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.

8. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize without notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided.  If the winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be contacted within two weeks, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.

9. The Company will make available the name of the winner to anyone who requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below.

10. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of running the prize draw and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the Company’s Privacy Notice https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/Information/Privacy.page It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the prize draw and delivering any prizes and will delete it after a reasonable period from the end of the prize draw. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the prize draw. The Company will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of delivering the prizes.  The company will need to provide the Winner’s relevant information to third parties to enable the prize to be fulfilled.

11. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from the Company, the email addresses of entrants will be used by the Company in accordance with its Privacy Notice. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from companies within the Hachette UK group of companies (“Hachette Companies”), the email addresses of entrants may be shared with the Hachette Companies. It will be used by the Hachette companies in accordance with their Privacy Notices A list of the Hachette UK companies is at https://www.hachette.co.uk/assets/HachetteGroup/GDPR/HachetteUKGroupCompanies.pdf

12. By entering the prize draw entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

13. This competition is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group Limited of Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).

14. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

We’re giving away 10 proofs of The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs. We’ve teamed up with Goldsboro Books to offer you the chance to win one of our gorgeous proofs.

The Retirement Plan is one of our biggest debut launches for 2025. Expect to howl with laughter and fall in love with a whole cast of characters while solving a mystery or two. Prepare to be entertained!

Plus, you can pre-order a signed copy of The Retirement Plan with Goldsboro Books here.

To enter, simply fill in the short form below.

Open date: 5^th February 2025

Closing date: 12^th March 2025

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

1. This is a competition for ten people to win a copy of The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs. The entrant must simply fill in the form on the competition page.

2. The winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of Little, Brown Book Group whose decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

3. The competition opens at 9am on 05.02.25 and closes at 11:59 pm on 12.03.25. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the competition.

4. The winner/s will be notified via social media handle or email by the 25.04.25. The winner/s may see their name posted on the Company’s (see below) website and on other websites and social media accounts.

5. The competition is open to residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 or over except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families.

6. Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.

7. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.

8. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize without notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided.  If the winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be contacted within two weeks, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.

9. The Company will make available the name of the winner to anyone who requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below.

10. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of running the prize draw and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the Company’s Privacy Notice https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/Information/Privacy.page It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the prize draw and delivering any prizes and will delete it after a reasonable period from the end of the prize draw. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the prize draw. The Company will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of delivering the prizes.  The company will need to provide the Winner’s relevant information to third parties to enable the prize to be fulfilled.

11. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from the Company, the email addresses of entrants will be used by the Company in accordance with its Privacy Notice. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from companies within the Hachette UK group of companies (“Hachette Companies”), the email addresses of entrants may be shared with the Hachette Companies. It will be used by the Hachette companies in accordance with their Privacy Notices A list of the Hachette UK companies is at https://www.hachette.co.uk/assets/HachetteGroup/GDPR/HachetteUKGroupCompanies.pdf

12. By entering the prize draw entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

13. This competition is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group Limited of Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).

14. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Simply fill in the form below.

Opening date: 21st January 2025

Closing date: 22nd January 2025

UK and 18+ only

Terms and Conditions

1. This Giveaway is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group (the ‘Publisher’), Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ.
2. This Giveaway is for the first 18 entrees to receive a standee and bookmarks from Ana Huang’s Kings of Sin merchandise. (the ‘Prize’).
3. To enter the Giveaway, please fill in your details in the giveaway form above. Please do not include any sensitive personal data with your entry.
4. People who enter the Giveaway in accordance with these Terms and Conditions (each a ‘Winner’) will each receive the Prize. The Prize will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone who pre-orders.
5. Entrants must be aged 18 or over and resident of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Giveaway is not open to employees of the Publisher, their families, or to anyone professionally connected to the Giveaway either themselves or through their families.
6. Entries may only be submitted between 12:01am BST on 21.01.2025 and 11.59pm BST on 22.01.2025. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates and any entries that do not meet the requirements of these Terms and Conditions will not be eligible for entry to the Giveaway.
7. An entrant may only submit one entry. Further entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.
8. The Publisher is not responsible for contacting or responding to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries that are lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.
9. The Publisher reserves the right to (i) cancel the Giveaway; (ii) alter the details of the Prize and/or (iii) alter any other details of the Giveaway without notice but the Publisher will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternative or other alternatives to the Prize will be provided.
10. If a Winner is unable to accept their Prize or cannot be contacted, the Publisher reserves the right to select another entrant to receive the Prize.
11. Any personal data submitted by entrants, including their names and email addresses, (the ‘Information’) will be used by the Publisher (who is the Data Controller) for the purposes of this Giveaway, including without limitation for the purpose of running the Giveaway and arranging and/or delivering the Prize, in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and in accordance with Publisher’s Privacy Notice which can be found here https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/imprint/little-brown/page/privacy-notice-general-little-brown/. Subject to clause 13 below, the Information will be deleted within six months of the arrangement or delivery of the Prize.
12. Where an entrant has opted-in to receive marketing communications from the Publisher, the email address of the entrant will be used by the Publisher in accordance with the Publisher’s Privacy Notice to send the entrant the information they agreed to receive at the time of opting in. Entrants will be given the option of opting out in those emails if they don’t want to continue receiving them.
13. Entrants acknowledge that the Publisher may need to share the Information with third parties for the purpose of arranging and/or delivering the Prize.
14. By entering the Giveaway, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
15. These Terms and Conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these Terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Want to be in for a chance of winning exclusive Ana Huang Kings of Sin merch? The first 50 entrees will receive a standee and bookmarks!

Simply fill in the form below.

Opening date: 17th December 2024

Closing date: 19th December 2024

UK and 18+ only

Terms and Conditions

1. This Giveaway is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group (the ‘Publisher’), Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ.
2. This Giveaway is for the first 50 entrees to receive a standee and bookmarks from Ana Huang’s Kings of Sin merchandise. (the ‘Prize’).
3. To enter the Giveaway, please fill in your details in the giveaway form above. Please do not include any sensitive personal data with your entry.
4. People who enter the Giveaway in accordance with these Terms and Conditions (each a ‘Winner’) will each receive the Prize. The Prize will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone who pre-orders.
5. Entrants must be aged 18 or over and resident of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Giveaway is not open to employees of the Publisher, their families, or to anyone professionally connected to the Giveaway either themselves or through their families.
6. Entries may only be submitted between 12:01am BST on 17.12.2024 and 11.59pm BST on 19.12.2024. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates and any entries that do not meet the requirements of these Terms and Conditions will not be eligible for entry to the Giveaway.
7. An entrant may only submit one entry. Further entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.
8. The Publisher is not responsible for contacting or responding to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries that are lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.
9. The Publisher reserves the right to (i) cancel the Giveaway; (ii) alter the details of the Prize and/or (iii) alter any other details of the Giveaway without notice but the Publisher will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternative or other alternatives to the Prize will be provided.
10. If a Winner is unable to accept their Prize or cannot be contacted, the Publisher reserves the right to select another entrant to receive the Prize.
11. Any personal data submitted by entrants, including their names and email addresses, (the ‘Information’) will be used by the Publisher (who is the Data Controller) for the purposes of this Giveaway, including without limitation for the purpose of running the Giveaway and arranging and/or delivering the Prize, in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and in accordance with Publisher’s Privacy Notice which can be found here https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/imprint/little-brown/page/privacy-notice-general-little-brown/. Subject to clause 13 below, the Information will be deleted within six months of the arrangement or delivery of the Prize.
12. Where an entrant has opted-in to receive marketing communications from the Publisher, the email address of the entrant will be used by the Publisher in accordance with the Publisher’s Privacy Notice to send the entrant the information they agreed to receive at the time of opting in. Entrants will be given the option of opting out in those emails if they don’t want to continue receiving them.
13. Entrants acknowledge that the Publisher may need to share the Information with third parties for the purpose of arranging and/or delivering the Prize.
14. By entering the Giveaway, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
15. These Terms and Conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these Terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

#TemptationTuesday Draw Terms & Conditions:

1          This is a prize draw run via Wildfire Books Instagram page (@wildfiredoesbooks). To enter, please follow the specified terms on the Instagram post.

2.         The Winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of the Wildfire team, whose decision will be final

3.         There is no purchase necessary to enter.

4.         The prize draw is open to anyone aged 18 or over except employees of COMPANY, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families.  

5.       Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.  Entrants found using multiple accounts will be ineligible.

6.         COMPANY is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.

7.         COMPANY reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize draw without notice.  No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided.

8.       By entering the prize draw each entrant agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions.

9.       This competition is being organised by Headline Eternal, Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0DZ.

10. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Pre-order a copy of Bad Drunk by Millie Mackintosh and Dr Ellie Cannon from any retailer and you’ll receive a free ticket to an exclusive webinar with Millie Mackintosh and Dr Ellie Cannon on 13^th January from 7-8pm.

Simply upload your proof of purchase and fill in the short form below. We’ll then send you an invitation to the event via email, one week before the event.

Opening date: 11th December 2024

Closing date: 13th January 2025

Terms and Conditions

1. This Giveaway is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group (the ‘Publisher’), Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ.
2. This Giveaway is for the chance to receive a free ticket to an online webinar with Millie Mackintosh and Dr Ellie Cannon on the 13^th January from 7-8pm. (the ‘Prize’).
3. To enter the Giveaway, please fill in your details in the giveaway form above, pre-order a copy of Bad Drunk by Millie Mackintosh in any format (hardback, audio or ebook) and upload proof of that purchase to the giveaway form. Please do not include any sensitive personal data with your entry
4. People who enter the Giveaway in accordance with these Terms and Conditions (each a ‘Winner’) will each receive the Prize. The Prize will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone who pre-orders.
5. Entrants must be aged 18 or over and resident of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Giveaway is not open to employees of the Publisher, their families, or to anyone professionally connected to the Giveaway either themselves or through their families.
6. Entries may only be submitted between 12:01am BST on 11.12.2024 and 11.59pm BST on 13.01.2025. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates and any entries that do not meet the requirements of these Terms and Conditions will not be eligible for entry to the Giveaway.
7. An entrant may only submit one entry. Further entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.
8. The Publisher is not responsible for contacting or responding to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries that are lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.
9. The Publisher reserves the right to (i) cancel the Giveaway; (ii) alter the details of the Prize and/or (iii) alter any other details of the Giveaway without notice but the Publisher will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternative or other alternatives to the Prize will be provided.
10. If a Winner is unable to accept their Prize or cannot be contacted, the Publisher reserves the right to select another entrant to receive the Prize.
11. Any personal data submitted by entrants, including their names and email addresses, (the ‘Information’) will be used by the Publisher (who is the Data Controller) for the purposes of this Giveaway, including without limitation for the purpose of running the Giveaway and arranging and/or delivering the Prize, in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and in accordance with Publisher’s Privacy Notice which can be found here https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/imprint/little-brown/page/privacy-notice-general-little-brown/. Subject to clause 13 below, the Information will be deleted within six months of the arrangement or delivery of the Prize.
12. Where an entrant has opted-in to receive marketing communications from the Publisher, the email address of the entrant will be used by the Publisher in accordance with the Publisher’s Privacy Notice to send the entrant the information they agreed to receive at the time of opting in. Entrants will be given the option of opting out in those emails if they don’t want to continue receiving them.
13. Entrants acknowledge that the Publisher may need to share the Information with third parties for the purpose of arranging and/or delivering the Prize.
14. By entering the Giveaway, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
15. These Terms and Conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these Terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

To celebrate the upcoming paperback publication of The Wrong Hands by Mark Billingham, we’re giving away two signed copies from the Detective Miller series. To enter simply like, share and comment on the Crime Vault Facebook page for a chance to win.

Start date: 1^st January 2025

End date: 16^th January

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

To celebrate the upcoming publication of Ten Seconds by bestselling author Robert Gold, we’re giving you the chance to win all three of his books in the Ben Haddley series; Twelve Secrets, Eleven Liars, and Ten Seconds.

To enter, simply like, comment and share the post on the Crime Vault Facebook page.

Start date: 25^th November 2024

End date: 5^th December 2024

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

[THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.]

To celebrate the publication of Captain de Havilland’s Moth by Alexander Norman, we’re offering one lucky reader the chance to win a pair of Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses. Simply fill in the form below and you’ll be in with a chance to win.

Opening date: 1st Dec 2024

Closing date: 5th February 2025

UK and 18+ only.

Captain de Havilland’s Moth

by Alexander Norman

Amazon

Blackwell's

Bookshop.org

Foyles

Hive

Waterstones

TGJones

Wordery

Terms and Conditions

1. This giveaway offers one winner the chance to win a pair of Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses after they have pre-ordered a copy of Alexander Norman’s Captain de Havilland’s Moth. The entrant must fill in the form on the page for a chance to win.

2. The winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of Little, Brown Book Group whose decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

3. The competition opens at 9am on 01.12.24 and closes at 11:59 pm on 05.02.25. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the competition.

4. The winner will be notified via email by the 25.03.25. The winner may see their name posted on the Company’s (see below) website and on other websites and social media accounts.

5. The giveaway is open to residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 or over except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families.

6. Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.

7. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.

8. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize without notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided.  If the winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be contacted within two weeks, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.

9. The Company will make available the name of the winner to anyone who requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below.

10. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of running the prize draw and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the Company’s Privacy Notice https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/Information/Privacy.page It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the prize draw and delivering any prizes and will delete it after a reasonable period from the end of the prize draw. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the prize draw. The Company will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of delivering the prizes.  The company will need to provide the Winner’s relevant information to third parties to enable the prize to be fulfilled.

11. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from the Company, the email addresses of entrants will be used by the Company in accordance with its Privacy Notice. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from companies within the Hachette UK group of companies (“Hachette Companies”), the email addresses of entrants may be shared with the Hachette Companies. It will be used by the Hachette companies in accordance with their Privacy Notices A list of the Hachette UK companies is at https://www.hachette.co.uk/assets/HachetteGroup/GDPR/HachetteUKGroupCompanies.pdf

12. By entering the prize draw entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

13. This competition is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group Limited of Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).

14. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Open date: 15^th October 2024

Closing date: 31^st October 2024

TERMS & CONDITIONS 

1. This is a competition for one person to win a bundle of books, including Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House by MC Beaton, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, The Devil’s Playground by Craig Russell, Hear Him Calling by Carly Reagon, A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand, and The Serial Killer Next Door by Emma Kenny. The entrant must simply like, share and comment on the relevant Crime Vault Facebook Page.

2. The winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of Little, Brown Book Group whose decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

3. The competition opens at 9am on 15.10.24 and closes at 11:59 pm on 31.10.24. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the competition.

4. The winner will be notified via social media handle or email by the 25.12.24. The winners may see their name posted on the Company’s (see below) website and on other websites and social media accounts.

5. The competition is open to residents of England, Scotland and Wales aged 18 or over except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families.

6. Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.

7. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.

8. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize without notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided.  If the winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be contacted within two weeks, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.

9. The Company will make available the name of the winner to anyone who requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below.

10. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of running the prize draw and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the Company’s Privacy Notice https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/Information/Privacy.page It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the prize draw and delivering any prizes and will delete it after a reasonable period from the end of the prize draw. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the prize draw. The Company will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of delivering the prizes.  The company will need to provide the Winner’s relevant information to third parties to enable the prize to be fulfilled.

11. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from the Company, the email addresses of entrants will be used by the Company in accordance with its Privacy Notice. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from companies within the Hachette UK group of companies (“Hachette Companies”), the email addresses of entrants may be shared with the Hachette Companies. It will be used by the Hachette companies in accordance with their Privacy Notices A list of the Hachette UK companies is at https://www.hachette.co.uk/assets/HachetteGroup/GDPR/HachetteUKGroupCompanies.pdf

12. By entering the prize draw entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

13. This competition is being organised by Little, Brown Book Group Limited of Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).

14. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

To celebrate the publication of A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber, we’re offering one lucky reader the chance to win a festive candle from Neom. Simply like, share and comment on the Facebook page and you’ll be in with a chance to win.

Opening date: 7th October 2024

Closing date: 31st October 2024

Terms and Conditions

To celebrate the upcoming publication of Lightning Can Strike Twice, we’re offering fans the chance to win a hoodie, cap and t-shirt from Tommy’s official TNT range. To enter, simply pre-order a copy of Lightning Can Strike and fill in the short form below.

Start date: 20th September 2024

Deadline: 9th October 2024

Terms and Conditions

To celebrate the upcoming publication of Jenny Eclair's memoir Jokes, Jokes, Jokes, we’re offering readers the chance to win tickets to Jenny’s brand new live tour in 2025! We’ve got 10 tickets in total to giveaway.

To enter, simply pre-order a copy of Jokes, Jokes, Jokes, and enter the short form here…

Start date: 11th September 2024

Closing date: 3rd October 2024

Terms and Conditions

To celebrate the publication of Beyond the Throne by Kristian Nairn, out 24^th September 2024, we’re offering readers the chance to win a signed copy and Game of Thrones merchandise worth over £100!

The merchandise includes the official ‘Winter is Coming’ baseball cap, tote bag and hoodie.

Simply pre-order a copy of Beyond the Throne in hardback, audio or ebook and fill in the form below for a chance to win!

Opening date: 10th September 2024

Closing date: 24th September 2024

Terms and Conditions

The Day County Championship Cricket Proved Unbeatable

For me, Christmas officially begins at home on Christmas Eve. All preparations such as gift wrapping, delivery drop-offs to friends, food shopping or last-minute bulk buying of big bottles of Baileys liqueur has to be completed by the 23^rd. If it hasn’t crossed our doorstep by that date. . .we can live without it!

Such measures came into play after ‘lockdown’, when I admitted that my love of Christmas was being ruined by the corporate marketing teams and their seasonal guilt-tripping. I refused to buy into their reinvention of my Christmas. I was happy with our tried and trusted family traditions, so I took a stance! I stole back my Christmas from the corporate Grinches – along with one additional tradition especially for Christmas Eve!

Two years ago, I’d learnt about the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod (meaning the Christmas Book Flood) where families present each other with a festive book and spend the evening embracing the ‘togetherness’ of reading whilst cosy and warm, accompanied by lashings of hot chocolate! I have whole heartedly nabbed and extended this tradition to fill the entire day!

Christmas Eve in our house is now a snuggly reading day, of self-care and seasonal pampering, in preparation for the big day. It’s no coincidence that I feast entirely on mince pies, stollen, Turkish delight and the big Baileys gets cracked open!

This year, I’ve purchased two Christmas books ready for my ‘Jolabokaflod’ reading fest. Both books are by authors who I trust to deliver the ingredients I need in a true Christmas story. Let’s be honest, some Christmas books are simply ‘December books’ where the setting coincides with Christmas time, and nothing more.

I like genuine Christmas books where the story starts a day or two before December 25^th and ends at New Year. I need to ‘meet and greet’ a cast of characters who remind me of my own relatives, with their quirky mannerisms, their bizarre yet unfunny jokes and their numerous allergies to turkey, plum pudding or Brussel sprouts.

When I dive into the pages of festive mayhem, I wish for a cosy, idyllic setting, waist-high snow drifts and unfinished arguments from yesteryear simmering beneath the festive smiles and threatening to erupt during the King’s speech. I need secret desires, mountains of chocolate treats and characters who plan to return and exchange their unwanted gifts for store vouchers. I want to read about complicated heartbreak, New Year fears and witness gut-wrenching tears beneath or beside a real Norwegian spruce.

This festive reading confession probably explains the reasoning behind the plot twists and seasonal ingredients crafted within my own Christmas books. My aim is to provide my readers with a traditional family Christmas, as outlined above. Sadly, I always ruin my characters’ festive break by crafting numerous trials and tribulations that ignite conflict and calamities that aren’t welcome anywhere near my own doorstep during my twelve days.

Call me ‘festive-selfish’ but I want the best of both worlds! To indulge in a great Christmas book filled with chaos, mayhem and possible romance whilst experiencing a memorable yet peaceful Christmas of the Dickens variety, whilst counting my blessings, albeit with a festive coffee or three!

Wishing each and every reader the Christmas of your dreams overflowing with festive ingredients and traditions of your choosing!

If you’re looking to discover your own Christmas read, cosy up with Erin’s latest release Christmas Wishes at the Lakeside Cottage, where the chaotic Carmichael family are reuniting for a festive wedding!

Or escape to Scotland with:

'A thick bowl of chowder is spot on in winter. The New England versions, studded with corn or based on tomatoes, seem better for late summer and early autumn eating, but this recipe, from Qu.bec, can be downed when there is two feet of snow on the ground.' - Diana Henry, author of Roast Figs, Sugar Snow

serves 4 as a main course

1kg (2lb 4oz) mussels

500ml (18fl oz) dry cider

30g (1oz) butter

2 leeks, cut in fine rings

400g (14oz) potatoes,

peeled and cut into 4cm chunks

100ml (3.fl oz) double cream

400g (14oz) skinless cod fillet, cut into 4cm chunks

squeeze of lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper

chopped flat leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Clean the mussels really well, scrubbing the outsides, removing the beards and discarding any that are damaged, open or do not close when tapped on the side of the sink. Put them into a large saucepan and add the cider. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mussels open. Discard any that remain closed.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan and add the leeks and potatoes. Season with pepper. Cover and sweat the vegetables in the butter and a splash of water over a low heat for about 15 minutes, until

starting to soften. Add a little more water every so often to ensure that the vegetables do not burn.

When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove them from the cider and take the meat out of most of them, keeping some in the shell as they look nice in the final dish (discard any that don’t open). Add the cider and mussel juices to the leek and potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Gently mash some of the potatoes to slightly thicken the juices.

Add the cream and cod to the pan and, over a gentle heat, poach the cod for 2–3 minutes. Add the mussels to the soup and heat through.

Season with pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice (you shouldn’t need any salt, as mussel liquor is pretty salty). Scatter with the parsley and serve.

This recipe is an extract from Roast Figs, Sugar Snow by Diana Henry.

Margaret Rand, author of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book has created the perfect wine pairings for this delicious dish

It had been another wonderful advert for Test cricket, but England had missed various opportunities to take charge, especially after the loss of Lyon, and left themselves with too much to do in the end – even with Stokes at his defiant best. Only once in Ashes history has a side come back from 2-0 down in the series to win; that was now England’s chall

There was a surprise outcome at The Oval as runaway league leaders Surrey were pegged back by Lancashire, who recorded their second win in succession. The hosts chose to field first and will have been satisfied with their work to dismiss the away side for 274, with Jordan Clark and Sean Abbott both taking four wickets. In reply, Surrey relied on a mammoth tenth-wicket partnership of 130 between Abbott, whose 87 not out was his highest score for the county, and Daniel Worrall, who made a career-best 51, to take them up to 360 all out, a commanding lead of 86. Lancashire would have hoped to do better than the 293 they ground out, but a maiden first-class fifty from Will Williams (61) proved essential. That left the home side requiring a seemingly modest 208 for victory, but the evening session on the third day saw them crumble to 57 for five. On the final morning Surrey fell to 84 all out, as Tom Bailey (five for 48) and Williams (four for 23) did all the damage. It was Surrey’s first home defeat since August 2020.

That result allowed the chasing pack to close the gap, with Essex beating Warwickshire by nine wickets at Chelmsford to move 23 points behind the leaders. The home side chose to bat first, and a third-wicket partnership of 227 between Tom Westley (114) and Dan Lawrence (152) set them on their way to a hefty total of 457 all out. On-loan spinner Dom Bess took two for 159 for the visitors. Keeper William Buttleman made 43, the highest score of his fledgling career. Warwickshire succumbed to the spin of Simon Harmer, who took five for 65, in their reply of 158, and they were forced to follow on. Harmer again led the way, finishing with match figures of ten for 230 as the away team fought hard. Thirty-year-old Jake Lintott, playing in only his second first-class match, made a feisty 78 to help his team up to 381 all out. It left Essex to chase down 83 for victory, and Alastair Cook saw them home.

Hampshire lie a further three points back after their innings victory over Middlesex inside three days at the Rose Bowl. Having chosen to bat first, they made full use of a fresh pitch to score 419, with Nick Gubbins making 120 and Liam Dawson a fine 141. Prior to this game, Josh De Caires had taken only one first-class wicket (Shan Masood), but he now went on to pick up seven more, conceding 144 runs with his off-breaks – better figures than his father, Mike Atherton, ever managed. (It may surprise some to know that the former England captain ended his career with 108 first-class wickets.) Anything De Caires could do, the experienced Dawson could match as he finished with six for 40 as Middlesex were bowled out for 150. Following on, Middlesex again succumbed to Dawson, who took six for 90 to finish with the best match figures of his career: 12 for 130, in addition to his century. He became the first player since 1948 to take ten wickets and score 100 runs in a match for Hampshire. It was the sort of performance that might have reminded the England selectors that the county game still has some decent spinners who could usefully bat at No 8 in Test cricket. All out for 208, Middlesex were beaten by an innings and 61 runs.

There were some remarkable performances at Northampton, but unfortunately for the struggling hosts they all came from visitors Kent. The home side chose to bat first and would have been in even more trouble were it not for Rob Keogh’s 97 helping them up to 237. Wes Agar finished with five for 63. In reply, after the early loss of Ben Compton, Tawanda Muyeye (a career-best 179) put on 318 for the second wicket with Daniel Bell-Drummond. The latter was far from finished, and he went past his previous career-best in search of a triple century. With partners falling by the wayside, Bell-Drummond was reliant on last man Arshdeep Singh to see him up to 300 not out, the fourth highest score in the county’s history, as Kent were eventually all out for a massive 621. In only his second match, Alex Russell had taken six for 175. Northamptonshire needed something special even to avoid an innings defeat, and while five batters reached 40, none managed to get to 60; bowler Jack White top-scored with 59, his maiden fifty. It wasn’t enough, and they were all out for 369, losing by an innings and 15 runs.

There was a similarly emphatic result at Taunton, where Nottinghamshire fell to defeat inside three days. No one would have expected that when Brett Hutton took five for 34 to help dismiss Somerset for 163. The visitors replied with 186, Matt Henry taking six for 59. A low-scoring game was transformed in Somerset’s second innings as they piled up 514 for eight declared, with George Bartlett making 134 and James Rew adding 123 not out, his highest score and his fifth century in just 16 matches; the 19-year-old keeper now averages 48.63 with the bat. There was no recovery from that for Nottinghamshire, who crumbled to 92 all out, with Josh Davey taking four for 17. The 399-run victory for Somerset was the biggest of the summer to date.

In the Second Division, leaders Durham were held to a draw in a high-scoring game at Grace Road by Leicestershire, who are 36 points adrift in second place. Alex Lees (101) began the runfest, before Ollie Robinson stepped up with a career-best 167 not out, sharing a fifth-wicket partnership of 227 with Graham Clark that ended only when the latter was run out on 92. Having declared on 517 for six, Durham found Colin Ackermann still giving his best before he leaves Leicestershire at the end of the season, as his 146 was the centerpiece of their reply of 422. Lees then completed his second century of the match (145) before David Bedingham smashed seven sixes on the way to his 145 not out. Durham declared on 343 for four off just 61.4 overs. Set a target of 439, Leicestershire just managed to bat out the 75 overs that remained, finishing on 259 for eight, thanks to an unbeaten 136 from Peter Handscomb. Matt Parkinson dismissed twin Callum, LBW – it was the third time one of the Parkinson twins had accounted for the other. Remarkably, in first-class cricket this feat has been achieved only five times. The match aggregate of 1541 runs was the second highest in Durham’s history.

Just one point behind the Foxes, Sussex clung on to secure a draw at Sophia Gardens in a thrilling game. Glamorgan chose to bat first and made 242, but still took a first-innings lead after Sussex could muster only 203 in reply. A century from Sam Northeast (104) helped the hosts up to 319 in their second innings, while Nathan McAndrew completed a four-wicket haul in both innings. Facing a target of 359, no one could supply the big score required, and it was left to Oli Carter and Henry Shipley to bat out the last 74 minutes or 21.2 overs, which they did, finishing on 273 for nine.

There was a less compelling draw at Headingley, where Finlay Bean scored his second century (114), George Hill (101) his third and Matthew Revis his first (104 not out) as three young players, all aged 21 or 22, set Yorkshire on their way to 550 for nine declared. Oliver Price (also aged 22) hit back with his maiden century (113) as Gloucestershire replied with a total of 464, despite on-loan Dan Moriarty taking five for 139. Yorkshire then batted out the rest of the game, scoring 200 for six.

Finally, there was a more one-sided draw at New Road, where visitors and bottom-placed Derbyshire were unable to defeat the hosts despite dominating the game. Rehaan Edavalath made his first-class debut for Worcestershire, but was out for a duck in the first innings as his side was dismissed for 237, Anuj Dal taking five for 45. Dal confirmed a superb all-round effort when he scored 141 not out in the away side’s reply. He wasn’t the only batter to enjoy himself, as Wayne Madsen made 143 and skipper Leus du Plooy hit a career-best 238 not out. Madsen and du Plooy added 267 for the fourth wicket, while du Plooy and Dal made an unbeaten 258 for the sixth wicket (a new county record, beating the one Dal had set in 2021 with Brooke Guest), the partnership ending when the declaration came at 578 for five. With more than a day to bat out, the home side were grateful to Gareth Roderick for his 123, while Ed Pollock’s 56 in almost four hours was uncharacteristically restrained performance. They finished on 243 for six.

When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge.

A black-market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs King’s predecessor, who has been keeping the dark secrets of Park Lane far too long.

Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball – and play out right under the noses of her former employers…

THEY COME FROM NOTHING. BUT THEY’LL LEAVE WITH EVERYTHING.

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Top Tips for Ultimate Barbecuing Success

Here are some simple techniques that will help you take charge of the fire versus the fire taking charge of you.

1. Don’t start with a cold, dirty grate. A barbecue needs at least 15 minutes to get the grate hot enough to sear food properly. Preheat every time and always give the hot grate a thorough once-over with a stiff-bristle brush before adding food. A hot, clean grate will brown food better, with less chance of sticking.

2. Season like you mean it. Salt is more important to great taste than any other ingredient. First, oil the food (not the grate), then sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and/or other seasonings from edge to edge and on all sides. The oil will hold seasonings on the surface and prevent food from sticking to the grate.

3. Don’t have just one zone. More heat zones mean flexibility for times when something is cooking too fast or your food is flaring up or you are barbecuing two very different foods at the same time. At the very least, give yourself the advantages of two zones, one for direct heat and one for indirect heat.

4. Match the heat to the meat. Not everything should be barbecued at the same temperature. Generally speaking, thin and tender foods do better over

high temperatures, while thicker and tougher items often do better over less-intense temperatures, sometimes in the form of indirect heat.

5. Don’t crowd the barbecue. Packing too much food onto the cooking grate restricts your ability to be nimble and responsive. You should leave at least a quarter of the grate clear, with plenty of space around each item of food; that way you can get your tongs in there and move the pieces from one area to another.

6. Keep a lid on it. Keeping the barbecue lid down as much as possible is especially important for maintaining even temperatures, controlling flare-ups and capturing the fragrant smokiness that barbecuing generates.

7. Don’t fiddle so much. Never poke and prod food more than you need to, or you’ll lose flavours and colour. You might also tear the surface of the food if you try to turn it too often. Turn most foods just once or twice. When in doubt, wait it out – assuming flare-ups are not an issue.

8. Respond to smoke signals. The quality of smoke from your barbecue could make or break your dinner. If it is black and dense, something is wrong (and maybe sooty). The food might be on fire or the fire itself might not be getting enough air. What you want to see are wispy streams of clean, whitish smoke. Be ready to move your food, open the air vents or add more fuel at the appropriate times.

9. Don’t just guess. Knowing when food is done shouldn’t be a guessing game. Sometimes colour can tell you a lot. Sometimes texture provides clues. But with most meats, poultry and fish, a thermometer is essential. Invest in a reliable one. It will make you right, time after time.

10. Play with new ideas. There was a time when barbecuing meant one thing: meat (and only meat) charred over open flames. Today, barbecuers play with a much wider range of ingredients. The methods vary, too. Barbecuing now also means using outdoor fires to roast, smoke, bake, simmer and stir-fry, among other techniques.

TAME THE FLAME

Flare-ups are flames that shoot above the cooking grate. Most of them are caused by too much fat or oxygen at the heat source and happen within the first few seconds of putting food on the barbecue or immediately after turning food. Flames that don’t rise up through the cooking grate are not a problem. Stand back and let them run their course. These mild flare-ups also often go away after closing the lid, which reduces the oxygen reaching the fla

mes. But if the flames threaten to burn your food, take action, especially if the food is covered in a sugary spice rub or sauce that can quickly turn bitter. If you are cooking on a charcoal barbecue, you might see the flames through the vents and hear the sputtering sounds. That’s when you need to jockey the food to a safety zone where it may continue to drip fat but it won’t ignite. Once the fat is no longer dripping and the flames have died down, you can move

the food back over direct heat.

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BOOK 14 IN THE CHRONICLES OF ST MARY’S SERIES, FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER JODI TAYLOR.

St Mary’s is under investigation. Their director has been shot and Max is Number One Suspect. Can things get any worse? We all know the answer to that one.

Max needs to get away – fast – and a Brilliant Idea soon leads her to a full-scale uprising in twentieth-century China. If she can come by a historical treasure or two in the process, even better. That is, if she makes it out alive.

Then there’s the small matter of Insight – the sinister organisation from the future hell bent on changing History for their own dark ends. Having successfully infiltrated their ranks, Max is perfectly placed to stop them. But she knows her cover will soon be blown – because it’s already happened.

Can Max take down Insight before they come after her? The circle is closing, and only one can survive…

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Download free teaching resources for The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure by Jaqueline Wilson.

These activity sheets for readers aged 5-7 contain:
- Reading questions
- Outdoor learning activities
- Drawing and colouring activities
- And much more!

About the book:

Discover the Magic Faraway Tree and explore the amazing lands it can lead to! An irresistible new story by bestselling author Jacqueline Wilson, set in a much-loved world.

Download your activity sheets here.

Order your copy here.

A book of treasures. A wealth of secrets.

The Keepsake is a thrilling dual-time novel, with a fascinating, complex woman at its heart, wealth of twists, turns and secrets, and an absolute book club treat, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Rachel Rhys and Hannah Richell.

Saturday: Pot-au-feu for luncheon. Father willed away inheritance. Betrayed by Edward.

1832. The morning after her father’s funeral, Prudence Merryfield wakes to the liberating thought that this is the first day of her new life. At thirty-five and unmarried, she is now mistress of her own fate. But a cruel revelation at the reading of her father’s will forces Prudence to realise that taking only the most drastic action will set her free.

Present day. Eliza is gifted a family heirloom by her aunt – a Georgian pocket book, belonging to her ancestor, Prudence Merryfield, whose existence reverberates through the lives of generations of Eliza’s family, the Ambroses. Intrigued by what she reads inside, Eliza is drawn more and more into the infamous ‘Merryfield Mystery’. What happened to Prudence who so bravely dared to defy convention two hundred years ago – then disappeared?

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Surrey moved 25 points clear at the top after a ten-wicket win over neighbours Kent at The Oval inside three days. The away side was asked to bat first and they relied on an unbeaten 77 from Joey Evison and a Kent-best 43 from Michael Hogan to see them up to 278 all out. It was Surrey’s lower order that gave them a first-innings lead, with Sean Abbott making 78, his highest score for Surrey, and Gus Atkinson hitting 55 not out to take them to 362 all out. For Kent, Dhaka-born Arafat Bhuiyan finally made his first-class debut at the age of 26, having played for six teams at second XI level. It was worth the wait, as Ollie Pope was his first victim, followed by two other England internationals in Ben Foakes and Will Jacks, as he ended up with figures of four for 65. In their second innings, Kent’s top scorer was Tawanda Muyeye (42) as they tumbled to 142 all out, with Tom Lawes picking up a career-best five for 22. The target of 58 was knocked off in 11.3 overs.

Hampshire completed their second innings win over Northamptonshire of the season, beating them inside three days at the Ageas Bowl. Having chosen to bat first, they made 367, James Vince top-scoring with 97. Alex Russell made his first-class debut for the away side, but didn’t take a wicket. Keith Barker (four for 13) destroyed the Northants top order, who fell away to 56 all out and had to follow on. It was their second lowest total against this opposition, narrowly beating the 50 they scored in 1926, and the lowest score by any side this summer (indeed, Northamptonshire now have the three worst totals of the season). In the second innings, it was Liam Dawson who did all the damage, taking six for 61, while Saif Zaib showed some fight to make 57. All out for 176, they lost by an innings and 135 runs. Hampshire joined Warwickshire (who have played one game fewer) in joint second place, on 79 points.

Somerset also won by an innings inside three days, at Lord’s. Middlesex asked the away side to bat first, and a knock of 121 by George Bartlett set them on their way to a hefty total of 404. Matt Henry then took five for 45 to help bowl out the hosts for just 175 and they were forced to follow on. Things didn’t go much better second time round, as they made 216, this time falling to Craig Overton, who finished with five for 46.

The game at Trent Bridge was the only one in the division to go the full distance, ending in a draw after the hosts asked Essex to bat first. The away side scored 298, with Brett Hutton taking four for 69. Nottinghamshire replied with a hefty 442, Matthew Montgomery’s 177 was just one run short of his career best. Alastair Cook also fell one short of a landmark in Essex’s second innings, out for 99 to deny him a 74th first-class century. His side were able to declare on 362 for eight, leaving just enough time for the hosts to get to 97 for four.

In the Second Division, Durham recorded their fourth win of the summer to strengthen their grip on the promotion race. Having chosen to bat first at Bristol, they made full use of the opportunity to make 445, with Graham Clark scoring 100. New recruit Zaman Akhter took his maiden Championship wicket when he dismissed Matty Potts for a duck, but Akhter suffered the same fate himself in both his innings for Gloucestershire. The hosts hit back with 292, with Ajaz Patel taking five for 113. An unbeaten 121 from Michael Jones enabled Durham to declare on 272 for four, setting a daunting target of 426. Marcus Harris carried his bat for 122, but there wasn’t sufficient support from the rest of the line-up (though Josh Shaw did make a career-best 44) as they were all out for 300, losing by 125 runs. Patel took five for 96 to complete match figures of ten for 209.

Leicestershire were put in to bat at Worcester and that decision seemed fully justified when they were bowled out for 173, Colin Ackermann top-scoring with 52. But, in reply, the hosts made just 83 as Chris Wright took five for 32. Leading by 90, the visitors reached 180 in their second innings as Joe Leach picked up five for 41 and Matthew Waite took four for 21, his best figures in the Championship. Needing 271 for victory, easily the highest score of the match after 22 wickets were lost on the first day, Worcestershire got off to a poor start, with both openers out by the time the score reached 2. It was soon after that Adam Hose stepped up to make his highest score for the county, 84, to set them on the way to victory, with Brett D’Oliveira taking 187 minutes to compile his unbeaten 41 to see them home by three wickets. Both sides featured bowlers on loan from Somerset, with Jack Brooks on the winning side, while Josh Davey ended up suffering a defeat.

The match at Hove threw up a series of remarkable records, seemingly out of the blue, after Sussex won the toss and put Glamorgan in to bat. Initially, the decision paid off handsomely as the away side was skittled out for 123, Ollie Robinson taking four for 29. Zain-ul-Hassan, making his first-class debut, scored 22 for Glamorgan. Sussex then took complete charge in their reply, as James Coles (138, a maiden century for the 19-year-old) and Fynn Hudson-Prentice (73, his best score for Sussex) both made landmark scores. Steve Smith looked set to make a hundred when he was harshly adjudged LBW on 89.

A total of 481 meant that Glamorgan needed a formidable 358 just to avoid an innings defeat. Remarkably, they got there with just three wickets down as Marnus Labuschagne (138) and skipper Kiran Carlson (a career-best 192) put on 288 for the fourth wicket. Glamorgan weren’t done, either, as Michael Neser hit a maiden century for the county (123) to complete a great match for the Australian contingent ahead of the Ashes. Meanwhile, Robinson was struggling with an injury, leaving England ten days or so from their first Test of the summer with him and James Anderson both struggling for fitness. Glamorgan finished on 737, the second highest score in their history, a total that included 64 extras. Jack Carson ended up with figures of two for 216, the most runs conceded by any bowler this season. Glamorgan’s 737 was the highest total made in the UK by any side in their second innings (beating the 712 by Northamptonshire against Glamorgan in 1998) and it was also the largest difference in a team’s totals (614 runs) in any first-class match in history. A battle-weary Sussex had to bat just one over before the game was called as a draw. There’s now a three-week break in the County Championship as the focus switches to the Vitality Blast, as well as England’s Test against Ireland, starting on 1 June at Lord’s, followed by the Test Championship final at The Oval between Australia and India, starting on 7 June. Then it’s – who could forget – the Ashes from 16 June. At this stage of the season, Rishi Patel of Leicestershire is the leading runscorer with 568, just ahead of James Rew (564) and Tom Westley (549). Among the bowlers, it’s Warwickshire’s Chris Rushworth (30) who is the leading wicket-taker, just ahead of Brett Hutton, Timm van der Gugten and Matthew Potts, all on 29. With all the injuries building up, Potts may just be earning an England

THEY SAY IT’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND . . . HATE AT FIRST SIGHT.

Kate hates feeling out of control. Her incessant need to overprepare has always served her well. Yet nothing could have prepared her for today.

Not only is she being evicted from her flat . . . by her best friend, but now her boss has announced cost-cutting measures that will put her job in jeopardy. She may not love the company she works for, but she’s worked too hard for too long to just give up. So she’s ready to prove herself.

The catch? If she wants to save her job, she’ll have to work with creative, happy-go-luckyHarry. The one man she’s spent the last five years trying to forget.

But what happens when that line you’ve drawn starts to blur?

This witty, dizzying, snort-with-laughter enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy is an instantly unputdownable and unmissable treat that will have you falling head over heels in love with its characters. Perfect for fans of Sally Thorne, Emily Henry, Talia Hibbert, Mhairi McFarlane and Beth O’Leary.

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Read Chapter 1 - 3 Below!

12g  powdered gelatine

5 tablespoons warm water

150ml  elderflower cordial

350ml cold water

a few elderflowers or other edible flowers

Serves 4

Sprinkle the gelatine over the warm water in a small saucepan. Stir well to dissolve. If the gelatine has not completely dissolved after a couple of minutes, then put over a low heat, stirring until the gelatine completely dissolves. Do not allow to boil. Leave to cool until no hotter than lukewarm.

In a jug, mix together the cordial and the cold water. Stir in the gelatine, mix well, then pour into 4 white wine glasses or tumblers, adding a few edible flowers as you pour, if you like, so they are spread throughout the elderflower jellies. Allow to set for 3–4 hours in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 10 minutes before serving and decorate with more flowers.

If I were to make myself lunch for a day of travelling, I can’t think of anything I’d rather make than one of these pies. Crisp flaky pastry is generously filled with sausage, fennel, tomato and grated mozzarella. It’s the love child of a pizza and a sausage roll. - Ed Kimber, author of Small Batch Bakes

1 batch Flaky Pastry

Flour, for dusting

200g grated mozzarella cheese

1 large egg, beaten

FOR THE FILLING

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

4 Italian pork sausages, casings removed

185ml tomato passata (tomato puree)

Sea salt

First make the filling: heat the oil in a frying pan over low–medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and fennel

seeds, season with a little salt, and cook gently until translucent, about 10 minutes. Turn up the heat to

medium and add the sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until lightly browned. Pour in the passata and simmer for about 10 minutes, until slightly reduced. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, then set aside and cool to room temperature.

Divide the pastry in half. Lightly flour a work surface and roll each piece into a rectangle roughly 35 x 25cm. Cut each rectangle into 6 smaller rectangles. Spoon the filling onto half of the pastry pieces, spreading it evenly and leaving a 1cm clear border around the edge. Top with the cheese. Brush the border around the filling with beaten egg, cover with a second piece of pastry and press the edges together with a fork. Place the pies on a parchment-lined baking tray (cookie sheet) a

nd refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200.C (180.C Fan) 400.F, Gas Mark 6. Brush the chilled pies with the remaining beaten egg, then pierce the top with the tip of a sharp knife. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Set aside to cool slightly before serving warm or at room temperature. The baked pies can be

 stored for up to 3 days in a sealed container,  or frozen for up to a month. You can also freeze the unbaked pies and bake them from frozen, adding an extra 5 minutes or so to the baking time.

MAKES 8

100g pistachio nuts, finely chopped

400g soft goats’ cheese

finely grated zest of 2 large unwaxed oranges

2 heaped teaspoons dried oregano

3 sheets of filo pastry

50g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra

for greasing

1 tablespoon nigella seeds

clear honey, for drizzling (optional)

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan), Gas Mark 7. Grease an 8-hole muffin tin with melted butter.

Put the pistachios and goats’ cheese into a large bowl. Add the orange zest, oregano and a generous amount of black pepper and mash together using a fork until the mixture is evenly combined. Divide the mixture equally into 8 portions.

Cut each filo pastry sheet roughly into 8 squares, each about 12cm square. Overlap 1 pastry square with another to make an 8-pointed star. Push the stars into 8 holes of the muffin tin and brush with melted butter. Spoon 1 portion of the filling into each pastry case and press gently on the filling.

Take 1 of the remaining pastry squares and crinkle it up in your hand. Place it on top of one of the pie fillings, brush with butter, then fold over the pastry edges to seal the pie. Brush the edges with more butter and sprinkle over a few nigella seeds. Repeat until all th

e pies are topped and sealed. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.

Drizzle each pie with a little clear honey if desired, then serve.

'Super crispy on the outside and with a soft, sweet and spicy onion filling inside, these samosas are sold in Chennai on carts both large and small, beautifully displayed as a samosa mountain decorated with fresh chillies.' - Chetna Makan, author of Chai, Chaat and Chutney

1 tablespoon sunflower oil, plus extra for deep-frying

4 onions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1 small green chilli, finely chopped

12 sheets of filo pastry

1 egg, beaten

extra small green chillies, to decorate (optional)

Peanut Chutney  or Coriander and Spinach Chutney  to serve

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the salt, chilli powder and green chilli, mix well and set aside to cool.

Take 1 sheet of pastry and cut it into strips, each 5cm (2 inches) wide. While you work with each piece, keep the other pastry sheets covered with a damp tea towel to prevent the pastry from drying out. Set

1 strip of pastry on your work surface and place a heaped tablespoon of the onion mixture at 1 end. Fold 1 corner of the pastry over the filling to form a triangle, then continue folding in alternate directions along the strip to make a triangular parcel. Brush the loose end with beaten egg and seal the triangle. Place the filled samosa on a plate and cover the plate with a damp tea towel so the pastry doesn’t dry out

while you continue making samosas with the remaining pastry and onion mixture.

Fill a deep-fat fryer or a large saucepan with enough oil for deep-frying the samosas (ensuring the pan is no more than one-third full). Line a plate with some kitchen paper. Heat the oil to 190°C (375°F).

Fry the samosas in batches for about 2 minutes each, until golden brown. Watch them carefully as they cook, since the filo pastry browns quickly.

Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer the samosas to the paper-lined plate to drain excess oil. Decorate with extra small green chillis, if you wish, and serve hot with Peanut Chutney or Coriander and

Spinach Chutney.

We are thrilled to reveal the roar-somely shiny, dragon-tastic 20th anniversary edition of How to Train Your Dragon!

This very special deluxe hardback not only features the original story but lots of exclusive bonus content, including a brand-new short story How to Train Your Hogfly. The ideal gift for existing fans or those coming fresh to the series.

This one hits bookshops on the 8th June and can be pre-ordered now here.

Lancashire Rue Rew’s Fine Form

• Addictive commercial fiction that readers can’t get enough of – we’re looking for gripping storytelling, characters we believe in and a distinctive narrative voice.  

• Genres we’re particularly interested in includes psychological thriller, police procedural, cosy crime, historical fiction, women’s fiction, romantic comedy and speculative fiction

How to pitch to us:

• Between 9am and 6pm on Monday 5^th June, tweet your pitch with the hashtag #PitchAccent, tagging @AccentPress. Our team of editors will be monitoring throughout the day and will ‘like’ your pitch if they want to call it in. When pitching, consider the strength of the hook – can you sum it up in one line? – and, if you can, let us know what the genre is.

• Every pitch we call in will be read and considered for the Accent list. While we can’t guarantee a publishing deal, all submissions will receive some editorial feedback and advice on next steps within 8 weeks.

• Length of submission: please be prepared to have at least the first three chapters of your novel ready if we call it in. A full manuscript is even better but we understand this may not always be possible. If an editor is keen to pursue after reading the material, they will be in touch to discuss a timeline.

'A stylish conclusion to a good lunch in the garden, this dish requires a little time in the kitchen. Several components can be made in advance and stored. Alternatively, simplify things by only making the cheesecake. Or, even easier, serve the poached peaches with their poaching syrup and your favourite ice cream.' – John Williams, author of The Ritz Cookbook

You will need

sugar thermometer | 6 x 8cm (3& 1/4 inch) ring moulds

3cm (1 & 1/4inches) deep

2 nonstick silicone baking mats

ice cream machine

blowtorch

Ingredients

1 x quantity Almond Nougatine Dough

1 x quantity Sabl. Biscuit Dough

24 Atsina Cress sprigs

For the almond meringue

3 whole almonds

1 x quantity Meringue

For the almond crack tuile

4 whole almonds | 200g (7oz) glucose syrup

200g (7oz) caster sugar

50ml (2f l oz) water

For the poached peaches

2 peaches

100ml (3 & 1/2f l oz) Stock Syrup

1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped

1 star anise

1 bay leaf

250ml (9f l oz) Champagne

For the peach sorbet

4 small peaches

350ml peach puree

150ml (5f l oz)

Stock Syrup

50ml (2f l oz) Champagne

For the Champagne cheesecake

4g (⅔ tsp) gelatine leaves

125g (4 1/2oz) full-fat cream cheese

zest of 1/4 lime

zest of 1/4 lemon

zest of 1/4 orange

1/4vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped

4 tbsp elderflower cordial

50ml (2f l oz) Champagne

40ml (1& 1/2f l oz) egg yolks

65g (2 1/4oz) caster sugar

165ml (5 3/4f l oz) double cream, whipped to soft peaks

Method

Make the meringue “drops”

Preheat the oven to 140˚C (275°F), Gas Mark 1. Put the almonds on a baking tray and roast for 8 minutes until golden.

Make the meringue drops following the instructions on page 229 but finely grate the toasted almonds over the meringue bulbs prior to drying out in the oven.

To make the almond crack tuile

Roast the almonds as above and leave to cool. Line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper. Weigh the glucose into a heavy-based pan, followed by the sugar and measured water. Mix well and brush the sides with a wet pastry brush to avoid crystallization. Place over a medium-low heat and cook to 154°C (309°F), then carefully pour on to the lined tray and leave to cool. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. When cold, break up the tuile, blend to a fine powder in a mini food processor and sieve on to a very lightly greased baking tray, making sure it’s spread evenly over an area of 30 x 20cm (12 x 8 inches) and not too deep. Bake for about 1 minutes until the powder melts and resembles a sheet of glass. Remove it from the oven and immediately grate the toasted almonds over the tuile.

When it has cooled slightly, cut out 6 strips, 28 x3cm  then, while they are still warm, roll each strip around one of the ring moulds. Leave it in place for 30 seconds, then remove and leave to cool and harden. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To make the nougatine

Make, roll out and bake the dough. Leave to cool slightly, then use one of the ring moulds to carefully cut out 6 discs.

To make the sablé biscuit discs

Roll the sable dough between 2 sheets of nonstick baking paper to a thickness of 2.4mm (about 1/16 inch). Refrigerate for 24 hours. The next day, preheat the oven to 160˚C (325°F), Gas Mark 3 and line a baking tray with a nonstick silicone baking mat. Cut out 6 discs from the chilled dough using one of the ring moulds as a cutter, place on the tray and cover with another silicone mat. Bake for 9–10 minutes, or until very lightly browned.

On the day of serving…

Poach the peaches Using a small and sharp knife, slice 6 wedges from each peach, from top to bottom, reserving any excess pieces to use in the sorbet. Put the peach segments in a heavy-based saucepan with all the remaining ingredients and poach over a low heat for about 5 minutes – depending on their ripeness – they should still be slightly firm. Leave to cool, then drain and transfer the peach segments to a container. Cover and refrigerate until required. Set aside the poaching syrup for the sorbet.

Make the sorbet

Remove the flesh from the peaches, cut into small chunks and add to the reserved peach trimmings. In total, the sorbet requires 380g (13oz) peach flesh. Put in a saucepan with 100ml (3fl oz) of the reserved poaching syrup, the peach puree, the stock syrup and Champagne. Gently heat to 60˚C (140°F), then remove the pan from the heat. After 30 minutes the peach pieces will have softened. Using a stick blender, blend to a smooth puree, then pass through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer to an ice cream machine and churn following the manufacturer’s instructions until frozen.

Then the cheesecake

Soften the gelatine in a bowl of iced water for 10 minutes. Line the bases of the ring moulds with clingfilm and place on a baking tray. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, citrus zests and vanilla seeds, then set aside.

Pour the elderflower cordial into a small, heavy-based saucepan. Shake the excess water from the gelatine, add it to the pan and warm the mixture over a low heat to 40˚C (104°F) to melt the gelatine, stirring with a balloon whisk. Pour in the Champagne and stir once more. Remove from the heat and pass through a fine-mesh sieve. In a food processor, whisk the egg yolks and sugar to a sabayon – pale, rich and thick. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the sabayon into the cream cheese mixture. Next, fold in the whipped cream. Finally, pour in the elderflower mixture. Divide the

 cheesecake mixture between the lined rings, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.

Now assemble the dish

Remove the set cheesecake mixture from the rings, then place on to the sable biscuits in the centre of each serving plate. Carefully lay the almond crack tuile over each one, then top with the nougatine discs. Arrange the peach wedges around the nougatine discs, leaving a gap in the middle for the sorbet. Add the meringue drops, followed by the cress. Finish with a scoop of sorbet.

'A first course that unites some of my favourite ingredients of spring. Seagulls’ eggs – the most flavoursome eggs in the world – are a little gamey and with a slight taste of the sea. As a nation, we should sing about them. Here, they are served hot, with soft, runny yolks. As for English asparagus, there’s nothing quite like it. Do you peel the spears or don’t you? I like to remove the top layer of skin as I find this gives a cleaner taste and improved texture. I cook them swiftly in salted water, with butter and a little sugar; when the liquid has evaporated the asparagus is done and is coated in a buttery sheen. The pecorino foam is suitably light for this time of year.' - John Williams, author of The Ritz Cookbook

Ingredients

6 gulls’ eggs (or hens’ eggs)

sea salt flakes and pepper

For the Pecorino foam

50ml (2fl oz) olive oil

20g (3/4oz) butter

60g (2 & 1/4oz) shallots, roughly chopped

1/2 celery stick, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

50g (1 & 3/4oz) button mushrooms, trimmed and finely sliced

6 black peppercorns

50ml (2fl oz) dry white wine

4 tbsp Nage

400ml (14f l oz) milk

4 tbsp double cream

450g(1lb) pecorino cheese, grated

For the asparagus

18 green and 24 wild asparagus spears (or just use green)

2 pinches of salt

2 pinches of caster sugar

40g (1 & 1/2oz) butter

For the morels

18 morels, cleaned and stalks trimmed

20g (3/4oz) butter

about 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) water

100ml (3 1/2fl oz)

Chicken Stock

For the purée & glazing

120g (4 & 1/4oz) broad beans, skinned

40g (1 & 1/2oz) butter

50g (1 3/4oz) peas

100ml (3 1/2f l oz) Chicken or Veal Stock

To finish (optional)

10 bean flowers | wild garlic flowers

50g (1 3/4oz) mixed wild herbs, such as wild chervil or wood sorrel

To make the Pecorino foam

Heat the oil in a large saut. or frying pan. Add the butter, then the shallots and sweat them over a medium-low heat until softened but not browned. Stir in the celery, garlic and mushrooms. Add the peppercorns and season with salt, then pour in the wine and leave to bubble away until reduced by half. Stir in the nage and, again, reduce by half. Add the milk and cream and bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes (or to 70˚C/158°F) before returning the pan to the heat and adding the Pecorino. Remove from the heat, leave to infuse for 30 minutes then pass through a fine-mesh sieve, stir well and set aside. Immediately before serving, use a stick blender to aerate the sauce to make it foamy.

To braise the asparagus

Break the asparagus spears at their weakest point to ensure tenderness. Peel off the outer skin of the asparagus stems and slice about 4cm (1 inches) from the base to ensure every piece is succulent. Reserve the trimmed pieces for the puree. Place the green asparagus spears in a pan of water so that they are submerged by three-quarters. Add

half the salt, sugar and butter and cook over a high heat for 3–4 minutes, or until tender. Set aside. Repeat the process with the wild asparagus, but cook these for only 1 minute.

To braise the morels

In a pan, braise the morels in the butter and measured water over a medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes. Pour in the stock. Cook for 5 minutes, turning the morels gently in the stock until they are perfectly glazed and have absorbed the stock’s flavours. Set aside.

Next, the purée

Add the beans to a large pan of boiling salted water. Cook for 3 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. Cook the asparagus trimmings in the same way. Using a stick blender, blend the asparagus trimmings with one-quarter of the beans to form a puree. Mix in half the butter and season to your taste.

In a frying pan over a high heat, melt the remaining butter, add the reserved beans and the peas, then pour in the stock. Turn the beans and peas so that they are well coated and glazed. Set aside.

Finally, the glorious gulls’ eggs

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and carefully lower in the eggs. Cook for 4 minutes. Shell the eggs in a bowl of icy water, then they’re ready to serve.

To finish

Spoon the puree into the centre of each plate. Top with the eggs, add the asparagus and morels, scatter with the

 glazed beans and peas, flowers and herbs, if using, then spoon over the Pecorino foam. Serve this dish hot.

Murtagh Still a Lethal Weapon

Unique Price Offers Joy for Fans

Pope Blesses The Oval With Two Fine Innings

Leicestershire Snatch Rare Win at Headingley

'You can trade in the mozzarella for burrata here, if it takes your fancy! You can also roast the greens if you like. I love them blanched because the result is so fresh and tastes like springtime, but it’s just

as delicious with them charred.' - Elena Silcock, author of Salads Are More Than Leaves

300g (10& 1/2oz) asparagus spears

300g (10 & 1/2oz) sugar snap peas

200g (7oz) frozen peas

2 courgettes

30g (1oz) soft herbs – I used a mixture of flat leaf parsley, tarragon and dill

3 125g (4 1/2) balls of mozzarella cheese

1 lemon

salt and pepper

DRESSING

Green Sauce or Salsa Verde or Lemon &

Olive Oil

TOPPERS

50g (1 & 1/2oz) nuts – I used flaked almonds

1] Toast the nuts. Meanwhile, make the dressing of your choice.

2] Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and fill a bowl with iced water. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus, then add along with the sugar snaps to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 30 seconds. Drain and plunge into the iced water. Once cooled, drain and set aside on kitchen paper to dry.

3] Finely slice the courgettes and put in a large mixing bowl. Pull the herb leaves from the stems and add most of them to the bowl. Add the drained veg along with half of the dressing. Finely grate the zest of the lemon into the bowl, then halve and squeeze in the juice of one half. Toss, taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a platter.

4] Snuggle the mozzarella balls into the salad, then tear open and season them with a little salt. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and finish with the remaining herb leaves and roasted nuts. Add a crack of black pepper, then serve with the remaining lemon half for squeezing over if you think it needs a little more acidity.

'This dish requires your wok to be smoking hot. I would recommend leaving it on a high heat for at least 30–60 seconds before starting this stir-fry. Get that extractor fan on high, open all your windows and put away any laundry hanging in the kitchen – unless you want your clothes, too, to have a smoky finish.' - Jeremy Pang, author of School of Wok

300g (101/2oz) rib-eye steak, cut into large dice

150g (51/2oz) heritage baby

tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved

100g (31/2oz) watercress, rinsed

2 baby cucumbers, sliced diagonally into wedges

1/2 red onion, finely sliced

1 spring onion, roughly chopped

2–3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

vegetable oil

handful of coriander and mint leaves, to garnish

PICKLED RED ONION

1/2 red onion, finely sliced

100g (31/2oz) radishes, finely sliced (optional)

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon sea salt

MARINADE

1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1/4 teaspoon cracked

black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 tablespoon cornflour

SAUCE

11/2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1/2 tablespoon sugar

juice of 1/2 lime

1. For the pickled red onion, place the onion into a small bowl with the radishes, if using. Add the rest of the pickled onion ingredients to the bowl and give it a stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Set aside for a minimum of 20 minutes.

2. Place the steak in a mixing bowl and massage the marinade ingredients into the meat, saving the cornflour until last. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a separate bowl.

3. Place the tomatoes in a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of the pickling liquid from the pickled red onion. Arrange the watercress over a serving plate and scatter the cucumber and tomatoes around.

4. Build Your Wok Clock: Start at 12 o’clock with the marinated beef, followed by the (unpickled) red onion, spring onion and garlic, and lastly the sauce.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in your wok over a high heat until smoking hot. Swirl the oil around the wok a little and then add the marinated beef and sear for 1 minute on ea

ch side. Next add the sliced red onion to the wok and start to fold through. Add the spring onion and garlic and continue to stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, giving the wok a good shake every 20–30 seconds.

6. Now stop shaking the wok to allow the heat to build until smoking. Then quickly pour in the sauce and bring to a vigorous boil. Fold through once or twice to fully coat the beef and vegetables, then spoon onto the top of your salad. Garnish with the herbs and drained pickled red onion.

In May 1799, Austen wrote to her sister, Cassandra, ‘Our journey yesterday went off exceedingly well, nothing occurred to alarm or delay us . . . At Devizes we had comfortable rooms and a good dinner, to which we sat down about five; amongst other things we had asparagus and a lobster, which made me wish for you, and some cheesecakes, on which the children made so delightful a supper as to endear the town of Devizes to them for a long time.’ Austen is good at painting pictures of domestic contentment – she certainly knew that happiness lies in small things and undoubtedly that one of those small things was cheesecake. The cheesecake of the period was somewhat akin to an almond-thickened custard baked in a pastry case, but we think this more modern take on the cheesecake would have pleased the Austen children just as well. -

 Robert Tuesley Anderson, author of Jane Austen's Table

SERVES 6

prep + cooking time: 30 minutes

115g digestive biscuit crumbs

25g unsalted butter, melted

170g cream cheese

50g caster sugar

55g soured cream

finely grated zest of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cornflour

2 eggs

raspberries, to serve

icing sugar, for dusting

1. 1. Line a 6-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Stir the digestive crumbs into the melted butter and press into the bases of the cases. Chill while you make the filling.
3. [caption id="attachment_22808991" align="alignright" width="136"] Click here to pick up a copy![/caption]
4. 2. Place the cream cheese, sugar, soured cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract, cornflour and eggs in a bowl and beat together.
6. 3. Spoon the mixture over the biscuit bases and bake at 160˚C for 20 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes.
8. 4. Remove the cheesecakes from the cases and place on a serving plate. Serve warm, decorated with raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar.

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Inspired by the resilient spirit of Anna Makievska and The Bakehouse, Kyiv, who have continued to bake day and night throughout the conflict, Knead Peace is a unique collection of beautiful bakes in support of Ukraine. With recipes donated by esteemed bakeries from across the globe, £2.50 from the sale of each print copy of Knead Peace sold in the UK is donated to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal of the Disasters Emergency Committee.

1. Mix the flour and water until well incorporated. Then cover and let it sit at room temperature for one hour. After the hour add the sourdough and salt. Mix by hand until well incorporated.

2. Place the dough on the work surface without flour. Do 5 minutes of Slap & Fold technique to knead the dough.
4. Place dough in a container and let it relax for 30 minutes. Do 3 sets of Stretch & Fold at 30 minutes intervals and after the final one end with a 30-minute rest.

3. Cover the dough and place in the refrigerator overnight to ferment in a container three times larger than the dough.

4. Divide and Shape: Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and flour the to divide dough into 2 pieces. Pre-shape with the dough and cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Then you can shape into a round loaf and place in a floured proving baskets with the seam side on the top.

5. Once shaped, cover with plastic and let it proof for 2 hours in warm area.

6. Baking: Preheat oven and dutch oven for 1 hour at 250C.Score the loaves with a simple cut lengthwise just before going in the oven. Once the oven is pre heated gently tip the loaf on to a baking parchment and gently place inside the dutch oven and spray the loaf with a fine mist of water and place the lid on.

8. Bake with steam for 10 minutes at 250C. Lower temperature to 210C and bake for an additional 25 minutes or so with the lid off.

Click here to find out more about the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal of the Disasters Emergency Committee.

Well, here you go – my GF pancakes that I literally live on five days a week. They are so good, and fluffy too! The demand for these bad boys has been crazy. Pair them with my crispy bacon and maple syrup! - Megan McKenna, author of Can You Make that Gluten Free?

MAKES 12

450 g (1 lb) gluten-free self-raising flour

2 eggs

300 ml (10 fl oz) semi-skimmed milk

olive oil, for frying

Put your flour, eggs and milk into a large bowl and whisk until smooth.

Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick pan over a low heat. When hot, add 1 heaped tablespoon of your pancake batter and swirl it into a small circle about 5 mm (1/2 in) thick. Depending on

the size of the pan, add another 1 or 2 spoonfuls in the same way. The circles look thin, but they will rise, don’t you worry!

Turn the heat up to medium and cook for about 1&1/2 minutes on each side, until fluffed up and lightly speckled brown. You’ll know when they’re ready.

Transfer the pancakes to a plate and keep warm while you make as many more pancakes as you can with the remaining batter. Remember to heat a spoonful of oil for each batch. Serve the pancakes with your chosen toppings.

1. Put the onion, garlic, chillies, cream, passata, spaghetti and measured water into a large, deep frying pan with  a well-fitting lid. 

2. Cover and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes, or until  the pasta is cooked and has absorbed some of the sauce. 

3. Add the Parmesan and vodka and stir through, cooking for a further 2–3 minutes. 

4. Divide between 4 warmed bowls and serve, topped with a handful of basil leaves. 

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"My first Clover Club highlighted the potential for flavour within the structure of a cocktail. We still have our founding steps of 50ml of spirit, 25ml of sour, 25ml of texture and 15ml of sweet. We also have a 15ml float of dry vermouth, a highly aromatized liquid more commonly found with gin in a Martini. Now imagine the flavour profile and experience of a Martini as a 3-D shape, a compressed concertina. Imagine stretching out the Martini concertina. Imagine that each peak and trough is one individual aroma note. The peaks will be the top notes of lemon and orange, coriander seed, juniper, maybe some floral or light herbal notes. The troughs will be the base notes of orris, liquorice, barks and heavier herbal notes. We can move from left to right and start to imagine how our experience of a Martini builds and changes over time. Through examining this structure, we can start to see the space between each fold, taking note of the shapes that are starting to form here. And we can also start to imagine what other aromas would ‘fit’ well in that space. Raspberry suddenly looks like a logical fit with gin and dry vermouth. This is what I call the ‘space’ or 'gaps' between aroma. It’s where I like to explore the potential of a cocktail as a vehicle for overall flavour. When I take this point of view, I can understand how this classic cocktail will work, build an expectation of my experience and hopefully be inspired to create something new in the future." Zoe Burgess, author of The Cocktail Cabinet

50ml (1⅔oz) gin

25ml (⅔oz plus 1 tsp) lemon juice

25ml (⅔oz plus 1 tsp) egg white

15ml (1& 1/2oz) raspberry syrup

15ml (1& 1/2oz) dry vermouth

Total drink volume: 150ml (5oz)

Ideal glass volume: 180–200ml

(6–6⅔oz)

Glass: chilled large coupette

Add the gin, lemon juice, egg white, raspberry syrup and dry vermouth to a cocktail shaker, then seal the shaker and dry shake. Open the shaker and pour the liquid into the smaller half while you fill the larger half with cubed ice. Pour the liquid over the ice. Reseal the shaker and shake. Strain into the chilled glass and serve.

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"I love texture in chocolate, especially crunch, so these are a winner every time and perfect if you fancy a mix of crunch, melt and spice. The spices here are the ones I love best, but they’re just a guide, so if you don’t like cinnamon but love ginger, simply make a swap. The same goes for any of the spices." - Paul A. Young, author of The Joy of Chocolate

Makes 25 kisses

200g (7oz) your homemade

chocolate (page 59)

100g (3 1/2oz) roasted cocoa nibs

50g (11/2oz) demerara sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Melt half of your homemade chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot water, and chop the rest into small pieces. Mix the chopped chocolate into the melted chocolate until everything has melted.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients, then use a teaspoon to dollop small portions on to the prepared baking tray – each one should be about 25g.

Tap the tray once on the worktop so that each portion becomes slightly spread out, but not too much – it’s a kiss, not a button.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes to set, then store at room temperature.

Present in chocolate boxes as a gift or store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To add more joy While your buttons are still unset, add your favourite decorations, glitters or sprinkles.

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An earthy, smoky stew that takes its flavour inspiration from the classic Hungarian dish of goulash, this is easy to prepare, involving not much more than throwing all the ingredients together and letting your cooker do most of the work.

SERVES 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

625 g (11/4 lb) beetroot, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes

300 g (10 oz) sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes

400 g can (13 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

400 g can (13 oz) chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato purée

750 ml (11/4 pints) vegan stock

salt and pepper

To serve

2 tablespoons roughly chopped dill fronds

dairy-free crème fraîche or soured cream (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish with a lid, add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic and cook over a medium heat for about 8 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the caraway seeds and smoked paprika and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the beetroot, sweet potato, black beans, tomatoes, tomato purée and stock, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover with the lid and cook slowly for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so.

Remove the lid and cook, uncovered, for another 20 minutes until reduced and thickened. Serve in bowls sprinkled with the dill and topped with a dollop of dairy-free crème fraîche or soured cream, if

you like.

I love Sichuan-style Fish Fragrant Aubergines, which is a spicy, pungent and salty dish, but I always feel it’s missing a nutty sesame flavour. The addition of peanut butter and tahini takes this dish to another level – the perfect comfort dish. Serve with wheat flour noodles or steamed jasmine rice. - Ching He Huang, author of Stir Crazy

Serves 2 kcal 192 carbs 18.2g protein 4g fat 11.8g

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, plus 1 teaspoon

300g (10 oz) purple aubergine, sliced into 1cm x 3cm (1/2 inch x 1 inch) strips

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

1 tablespoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry

For the sauce

1 teaspoon smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon chilli bean paste

1 teaspoon sesame paste, such as tahini

2 tablespoons low-sodium light soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinkiang black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon cornflour

50ml (1/4 cup) cold water

For the garnish and to serve

1 spring onion, finely sliced

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a jug, then set aside.

Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking and add 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil. Add the aubergine strips and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes while adding small drops of water to soften the aubergine – about 100ml (1/2 cup) in total. As the water evaporates, keep adding more. Once softened, push the aubergines to one side of the wok and add 1 teaspoon rapeseed oil. Fry the sliced chilli for a few seconds, then season with the Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry.

Give the sauce a stir, then add to the wok and cook gently, stirring and tossing all the ingredients together until the sauce is heated through and has coated the aubergines – about 2 minutes.

Garnish with the spring onion and toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

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Download these fun activity sheets for KS2 to support Vetman and His Bionic Animal Clan! The much-loved adventure from the Nation's Supervet, Noel Fitzpatrick.

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TERMS & CONDITIONS

In 2009, Dialogue Books was created as a bookshop in the back of a tearoom in Berlin when I was 27 years old. I’d moved to Berlin for love and a desire to make an independent bookshop work in the birthplace of the printing press. I had £5k to my name, very little German, and a dream to live a simple yet engaging life drinking red wine and talking to readers about literature. 

My journey started as a 15-year-old, working in my local bookshop in Battersea, South West London. I love selling books to readers. For me, there is a huge honour in being a bookseller. As a bookseller it’s a huge responsibility to find a book that will take a reader away from their friends, family, television, phone scrolling to immerse themselves for hours, days, and weeks in the pages of a book, blocking everything out other than the world that is created on a page. As Dialogue has grown, I have taken this understanding of readers and applied it to my work as a publisher.

I became a publisher entirely by accident. In winter 2016, I was at an exclusive industry publishing dinner in Mayfair with literary agent Julia Kingsford who co-founded the Good Literary Agency; Julia introduced me to Charlie King, the managing director of Little, Brown Book Group. After dinner, Julia, Charlie and Philip Jones, the editor of trade magazine The Bookseller and I went for a drink at Little Mayfair, Soho House, where I was a member. Over cocktails, we discussed many things publishing-related including the fact that I was the only Black person at the dinner and the male to female ratio was 50:50. Phillip brought out the new issue of The Bookseller which had a focus on diversity and as I flicked through a statistic jumped out at me: ‘out of 65,000 books published in 2016, less than 100 were by a person of colour and only ONE Black male debut was published’. At the time I ran a book-to-film consultancy and my job as a scout was to read hundreds of manuscripts and work out which narratives could be adapted to screen by my clients; I was also the literary editor of Elle magazine – with over a thousand books dropping on my door mat each year – so, whilst these stats were known to me through experience, to see them on the page was really shocking. My feeling then, as it is now, is that to not engage in the narratives, stories, experiences and talent from people from minority and marginalised groups is a failure of epic proportions that requires real change to rectify.

Over the next few weeks and months, I spoke to Charlie King, who was immediately open and engaged on the subject of me heading up an imprint to redress the balance of writers on UK publishing schedules. During this time I held meetings with PRH and Harper Collins, but there was a lack of understanding and ambition to what could be achieved whereas with Charlie King and Hachette’s CEO David Shelley, there was the desire for real, sustainable change that would make a difference to the publishing landscape. Knowing about Changing the Story, Hachette’s diversity and inclusion programme, helped me to understand that Hachette were serious and demonstrative about the issues. During these conversations, I spent time creating the proposal which continues to act as a blueprint for my vision for the imprint. Talking to other Black women in publishing as well as trusted allies to consider what was missing and what could be done differently was an inspiring time at the beginning of this chapter in Dialogue’s history. 

Since establishing in 2009, Dialogue has been four companies: the bookshop in Berlin, then publishing consultancy Dialogue Berlin, which evolved into book to film consultancy Dialogue Scouting, and then Dialogue Books the imprint. When I was working on the concept of the bookshop, Dialogue was a working title for me; it symbolised the exchange in the relationship between authors and readers. If I were to underline the focus of my work over the past two decades, it would be about the facilitation of connecting readers and writers. Although I’d never worked in a publishing house before, when I arrived at Hachette to work at Little, Brown as publisher of Dialogue Books in the summer of 2017, my unparalleled work experience meant that I was walking into the role with a mix of brilliant independent business acumen, proven track record in getting books to readers but little knowledge of the systems and processes that get a book from a manuscript to readers. My learning curve was steep in many respects but my prior experience and determination to keep the author and reader at the centre of all aspects of the publishing experience and my drive to succeed helped me to stride forward in the wake of negative comments and undermining actions. 

The publishing industry is quietly brutal. Everyone who works in publishing is really ‘nice’ but, for me, there is a question mark about the viability and relevance of an entire industry that is monocultural in terms of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability and age. Having grown up in London, it is astounding to me that an industry that concerns itself with the ideas of others entirely failed to include anyone from outside of a very specific background. As the first Black person to do my job as a publisher in a corporate publishing house – 50 years after Margaret Busby set up Allison and Busby – I refuse to succumb to imposter syndrome. I am on such a mission to change who is published by whom and although I’ve heard the negative comments and felt the pressure, I’ve fought for my authors and protected my mental health as I have gone above and beyond, because it’s imperative that I am here, doing this work. I have earned my place as someone committed to that author-to-reader journey and i know that my race, gender, sexuality, class and ability is needed. I see the world from a different perspective and I know there is great value in that and without vision and difference any business or industry becomes stagnant. We can see the effects of the single view from the publishing world and it’s one that it is leaving the most important art form (in my opinion) diminished. 

The publishing industries failure is entirely structural and therefore can be dismantled and remodelled. The greatest barrier to inclusion that publishing has to face is the barrier of exclusion. A recent manifestation of  exclusion can be characterised by the generation of unpaid work experience, this meant that by stepping foot in a publishing house you were more qualified than those who hadn’t, and so privileged people with two-week work experience from their godparent, aunt, or father’s friend from university were more likely to get a job because they had experience – thus a generation from the same background entered the workplace. 

As publishing companies merged to become huge houses, the demand for more books to be published by fewer people, for the sake of profit, resulted in a culture of hiring for the job that needed to be done today (diligent editorial assistant), rather than the job that needs to be done tomorrow (brilliant, innovative commissioning editor). Working in publishing is busy and demanding so it’s much easier to hire a highly organised person who has a hint of experience rather than take a chance on someone who is box-fresh and bursting with ideas, who may need some training. This results in only getting into publishing from the lowest rung of an entry level job; anything above step one on the ladder requires prior knowledge, managers don’t have time to train newbies so they want people that can hit the ground running. It’s gotten so bad that editors keen to move from fiction to non-fiction imprints or from rights to publicity departments in the early years of their career are told they don’t have the right experience; the lack of movement between departments has become rare, let alone from people from outside of publishing coming into the industry. By not understanding that skills are transferable across departments or recognising that people’s interests can change, and that there is value in knowledge and a vast array of untapped talent from outside of publishing, has led to a stark cultural deficit in publishing. 

As those diligent first jobbers grow to become industry leaders, without any challenges to their ideas of innovation, diversity and culture, we’ve ended up in the state we are in. Despite my vast experience in a career dedicated to books and readers I was and continue to be seen as an industry outsider. For us to make progress, the way in which skills and creativity are valued needs to fundamentally change. When the idea of the right person changes, the demographics will; as the people who make books change, so will the authors;as the authors change, so will the readers. The reality is the colleagues, authors and readers are out there, being inspired by other mediums yet ready to be embraced, the lens just needs to be refocused so more people fit the picture. 

Dialogue Books is concerned not only with who writes the books, but who reads our books and who works on them. By introducing the credits page at the back of each publication, that was my way of celebrating teamwork and also to inform readers of the different roles that are required to create a book. My mission at Dialogue is the same as it ever was, to connect authors with readers, but now that task encompasses challenging an entire industry to think bigger and bolder about who writes the books, who reads them and who makes them. Multiculturalism is key to the planet's most incredible cities –London, New York, Paris, Berlin, Kingston, Toronto. We shouldn’t need Harvard Business School reports or panels on diversity to tell us that. Our working environments should mirror our journey to work with the variety of people we encounter. 

My only real hobby, which has become my obsession, is great storytelling. This comes from the fact that I had a challenging time of being misunderstood in my childhood and books were a great refuge for me to understand I wasn’t alone in the world and that other people faced issues far greater than mine and survived. Reading Matilda at 7 years old, Judy Blume at 9, then Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Karl Marx at 13 and Milan Kundera, Anaïs Nin and James Baldwin at 16 gave me confidence, instruction, and inspiration. Books transformed me and when I am reading a manuscript sent by an agent, I am considering if that narrative, that author's voice can do the same for Dialogue readers. My personal library contains books from writers from all backgrounds, the fact that I focus on publishing people from marginalised and minority backgrounds is because so many editors and publishers failed to do so and someone had make a stand and create a space where individuals are celebrated for their work and talent beyond their protected characteristics. However, I also believe that I could be a great publisher to any writer from any background, but my focus is on redressing the balance,I am here to ensure that other people from minority backgrounds get to work on whatever they are interested in and are not pigeonholed to diversity. I am driven by innovation and inclusion and I am so grateful to the team that work with me: Millie Seaward, Emily Moran, Celeste Ward Best, Catriona Row and more recently Maisie Lawrence and Bad Form’s very own Amy Baxter for committing so much time, energy, and creative passion to Dialogue and ensuring our books reach readers across our society. Looking forward as an industry, we have a long way to go to mirror our society. One way of doing this is by publishing professionals decentering themselves and their norms from the books, being really bold and engaging with the wide range of people, experiences and characteristics that make up our world. Looking beyond,embracing and creating (not just accepting) change, difference, and innovation will bring greater gains and, as we envelop more people into our orbit, what will open up to us will be incredibly rewarding on all metrics. By having this broad vision and naturally inclusive standpoint, Dialogue Books, our authors, and the reading communities we serve are here to lead the way and I am so proud of all we have achieved in the first five years of being a publisher. Cheers.   

375 ml (12 fl oz) gluten-free

chicken stock

60 g (2. oz) unsalted butter

1/2 onion, diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

125 g (4.1/2 oz) carnaroli rice

1/4 teaspoon salt

60 ml (2 fl oz) dry white wine

125 g (4. oz) Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons double cream

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

125 g (41/2 oz) mozzarella cheese, cut into 12 equal pieces

30 g (1 oz) gluten-free plain flour

1 large egg, beaten

200 g (7 oz) gluten-free breadcrumbs

rapeseed or vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Bring your stock to a simmer in a saucepan, then keep warm over a very low heat.

Melt half your butter in a separate pan, then fry your onion for 4 minutes, until slightly softened. Add your garlic and fry for 1 minute.

Stir in your rice and salt, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until the grains start to become translucent. It’s really important to keep stirring so your rice doesn’t stick!

Add your wine and stir for about 2 minutes, until the pan is almost dry.

Now add a cupful of your warm stock and continue cooking and stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed; this will take about 4 minutes. Continue adding the stock a cupful at a time, allowing each addition to be almost fully absorbed before adding the next.

When all the stock has been used, the risotto should be moist but not loose, with al dente grains.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in your Parmesan, cream, lemon zest and juice, the black pepper and your remaining butter.

Spread your risotto evenly in a baking tray, cover with clingfilm and set aside to cool for 1 hour. Transfer to the refrigerator and leave until completely chilled.

Set out another baking tray. Scoop a heaped tablespoon of the chilled risotto into your hand, place a piece of mozzarella in the centre, then press the risotto around it to form a ball about the size of a golf ball. The mixture should make around 12 balls.

Place the balls in the empty baking tray, then freeze for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, set out another baking tray and line it with non-stick baking paper.

Grab three bowls and put your flour in one, your beaten egg in another, and your breadcrumbs in the third. Season each bowl with salt and pepper.

Dip each arancini first in the flour, shaking off any excess, then coat well in the egg, and finally roll in the breadcrumbs. Transfer to your prepared baking tray and chill until you’re ready to cook the arancini.

Fill a deep-fat fryer with oil and heat to 180.C (350.F) degrees. Alternatively, pour the oil into a deep saucepan, filling it no more than one-third full, and heat until a cube of bread browns in 40–45 seconds.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower half the arancini into the hot oil and cook for 7 minutes, until golden brown and crisp all over. Drain on kitchen paper , season with a little salt, if you like, and transfer to a serving plate. Cooking the remaining arancini in the same way.

Now if you like a bit of extra zing, then this recipe is for you – a light spicy dip for your arancini balls. Whatever you wanna dip in it, this finishes off your tasting bites perfectly and is SO easy to make.

1 red bird’s eye chilli (this is very hot), finely diced

2 mild red chillies, finely diced

1/2 garlic clove, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place your chillies and garlic in a bowl.

Add your lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil and mix well.

Cover tightly with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.

Terms & Conditions:

1              This is a competition to win a place on the ‘Grow Your Story’ writers programme, which will provide a series of free, online workshops and up to 6 hours of mentorship for up to 10 writers of Black, Asian or minority ethnic (“BAME”) origin (the “Programme”). The Programme will commence in March 2022 with workshops held from March-April 2022 and mentoring to commence in May 2022 for a period of 9 months. For parts of the Programme that require travel to the Company’s offices, (but not where such travel is optional – for example where online versions are available) the Company will reimburse each winner such standard and pre-approved travel costs, up to £150 per return journey.

2. To enter, please submit an extract of up to 3,000 words of an English-language fiction manuscript written by you, a one-page synopsis and a one-page personal statement on why you would benefit from a development programme for writers. Entries should be submitted to https://www.hachette.co.uk/landing-page/thrive-grow-your-story-2022/.
3. We will be selecting 10 winners for the 2022 Programme. Winners will be selected from the correct entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions based on the following criteria: the quality of their writing, submitted work and personal statement. Twenty longlisted entrants shall be selected by members of the Company’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic employee network, THRIVE, and ten winners will then be selected from the longlist by a panel of industry judges. Decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
4. There is no purchase necessary to enter.
5. Submissions for the competition open at 12:00 pm GMT on 3rd December 2021 and close at 11:59 am GMT on 4th January 2022. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the competition.
6. The winners will be contacted by the week commencing 18^th February 2022 at the latest. The winners may see their names posted on the Company’s website and on other websites and social media accounts.
7. The competition is open to residents of the UK aged 18 or over who are of Black, Asian or minority ethnic origin, except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the Programme either themselves or through their families.
8. Only one entry per person is allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.
9. By submitting their entry, entrants agree and warrant that: (i) their entry is their own original work; and (ii) nothing in their entry is defamatory, private or an infringement of copyright or other intellectual property right or in any way a breach of another’s right. Any entry in breach of this clause will be disqualified from participating in the competition and from winning any prize on offer.
10. The Company reserves the right to use all the submissions received on its website, its Facebook pages and on its other social networking sites. The Company will try to include the name of the entrant, but this may not always be possible.
11. Entries will not be returned.
12. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.
13. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the competition and/or the Programme without notice but will try to avoid creating any undue disappointment. No cash alternatives to the prize will be provided. If a selected winner is unable to accept their prize or cannot be contacted, the Company reserves the right to select another winner.
14. The Company will make available the name and county of the winners to anyone who requests this information by writing to the Company at the address shown below (enclosing a self-addressed envelope) within one (1) month of the closing date stated in condition 5. If an entrant objects to any or all of their name and/or county being made available, please contact us at GrowYourStory@hachette.co.uk with “Grow Your Story Competition” as the subject of the email. In such circumstances, we must still provide the information to the Advertising Standards Authority on request.
15. David Higham Associates Limited (“David Higham”) may be involved in delivering some aspects of the Programme. Neither the Company nor any other member of the Hachette group of companies makes any warranty or claim in respect of it or accepts any liability whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise howsoever in respect of any aspect of the Programme delivered by David Higham.
16. Winners shall comply with any reasonable instructions from the Company in relation to the conduct of the Programme. The Company shall not be obliged to enter into any form of commercial relationship with any entrants or participators in the Programme, including offering book deals. Winners will not be required to enter into an exclusive arrangement with the Company as a pre-condition to participating in the Programme.
17. The Company is the data controller of Personal Data that it collects in the course of running the competition and will use the Personal Data in accordance with the Company’s Privacy Notice available at https://bit.ly/3kkcxhI. It will use such Personal Data for the purposes of running the competition and providing any prize(s) and will delete it (a) for unsuccessful entrants, after 90 days from the end of the submission period, or (b) for winners, after 90 days from the end of the Programme. “Personal Data” means names of entrants and other details provided by them (e.g. email addresses, telephone numbers) for the competition. The Company will not share such Personal Data with any third parties except for the purpose of delivering the prize(s).
18. The Company will need to provide the winners’ contact information and other relevant information to David Higham to enable them to undertake elements of the Programme. Where an entrant has opted in for their Personal Data to be shared with David Higham, they agree that the Company may transfer their Personal Data to that company and that company will be deemed to be the data controller of the Personal Data transferred to them. They will use the Personal Data for delivering some aspect of the prize and will use it in accordance with their Privacy Notice, https://bit.ly/3wrZOys. The Company will remain the controller of any Personal Data it retains.
19. Where entrants have opted-in to receive communications from companies within the Hachette UK group of companies (“Hachette Companies”), the email addresses of entrants may be shared with the Hachette Companies. It will be used by the Hachette companies in accordance with their Privacy Notice(s) to send news about their books, products and promotions and to invite entrants to participate in surveys. Entrants will be given the option of opting out in those emails if they don’t want to receive any further communications. A list of the Hachette UK companies is at https://bit.ly/3kgQzMH.
20. By entering the competition, entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
21. This competition is being organised by Hachette UK Limited of Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ (“Company”).
22. These terms and conditions and any disputes or claims (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of these terms and conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England, whose courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

• Start simple, repeat what works. Find exercises you enjoy and repeat them again and again.
• Manageable goals, regular application. Set yourself goals to draw for a certain number of hours every week. Make drawing your way of interacting with and exploring the world around you.
• Find a community. Learning alongside other people is critical for support and inspiration. Draw with your friends, start attending a life class or join an online community.
• Learn to enjoy learning. Enjoy the exercises and processes for the experience rather than the final outcome.

• Mouse garlic, Allium angulosum
• Nodding onion, Allium cernuum
• Golden garlic, Allium moly
• Welsh onion, Allium fistulosum
• Chives, Allium schoenoprasum
• Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum

• Anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum
• Korean liquorice mint, Agastache rugosa
• Campanulas, C. portenschlagiana, C. poscharskyana, C. persicifolia Miner’s lettuce, Claytonia perfoliata (let it self-seed in the shade of tall potted plants)
• Alpine strawberry, Fragaria vesca ‘Semperflorens’
• Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis
• Sweet violets, Viola odorata(let them self-seed in the shade of taller potted plants)

• Juneberries, Amelanchier species
• Japanese quince, Chaenomeles species
• Fucshia, Fuchsia species
• Apple, Malus domestica on M27
• dwarfing rootstock
• Red and whitecurrants, gooseberries, Ribes species
• Blueberries, Vaccinium species

• Blackberry, Rubus x hybrid
• Japanese wineberry, Rubus phoenicolasius
• Roses, Rosa spp.
• Mashua, Tropaeolum tuberosum
• Malabar spinach, Basella alba – not hardy, it must be brought in over the winter. This is not a spinach, but a tropical vine with heart-shaped, crisp, succulent leaves that can be used just like spinach.It is prolific in a sheltered spot (don’t whatever you do put in a polytunnel or it will take over!) and can be grown in a pot. It needs something to climb up, such as pea netting.

The partnership aims to raise awareness and improve understanding of learning disability, by generating as much visibility of people with a learning disability as possible to reduce the everyday stigma and misunderstanding this group face.

People with a learning disability face huge inequality every day of their lives. They are more likely to be socially isolated, nearly twice as likely to be inactive and die on average over two decades earlier compared to those without a learning disability. The pandemic has exacerbated this inequality and people with a learning disability are one of the groups who have been hit hardest. Mencap has continued to provide the highest quality frontline care to thousands of people with a learning disability, while advocating for the rights of the 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK and their families. Most notably, the charity successfully campaigned for the inclusion of people with a learning disability in priority groups for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout programme.

The partnership with Mencap forms a key part of the Accessibility Network’s outreach agenda for this year, and its aim is to increase awareness of learning disability within the company and host at least five fundraiser activities, encouraging network members and other Hachette UK employees to engage with the amazing work that Mencap does for people with a learning disability, who face huge inequalities in every area of life.

The five fundraiser activities planned include a virtual cocktail class and cook-along on 17^th June with Hachette UK authors, Dan Whiteside (Sphere) and Sam Gates (Robinson), which will be ticketed, with all funds raised going directly to Mencap. Members of the network have also committed to taking part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October this year.

Jasmine Palmer, Cecilia Rushton and Aine Ryan, co-chairs of the Accessibility network, commented: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Mencap and look forward to growing our relationship with the charity this year, as we host both social and educational fundraisers for employees of Hachette UK.

“The partnership is a vital step for our network outreach and we will be conducting a survey to see how much awareness has improved at Hachette UK in order to benchmark our progress.”

Mary O’Hagan, Director of Fundraising at Mencap, said: “We are incredibly excited to partner with Hachette UK to see what we achieve together in the coming year. Not only will this partnership raise vital funds to support people with a learning disability, but it will also help increase awareness about learning disability.

“People with a learning disability have been hit hard during the pandemic. Every penny raised will go towards Mencap’s life-changing programmes, which will help people with a learning disability lead happy and healthy lives, just like anyone else.”

Amy Clarke, who has a learning disability and is Digital Assistant at Mencap, said: “As someone who enjoys reading, I am excited about this new partnership with Hachette UK. Not a lot of people know what a learning disability is, so it is great that this partnership will help to raise awareness.

“The money Hachette UK raises from the fundraisers will go a long way. It will change the lives of people with a learning disability and make the UK the best place to live if you have a learning disability.”

Around 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability, which is defined as a reduced intellectual ability. This means that they often take longer to learn new things and need support with everyday tasks, such as cooking, managing money, travelling and personal care. The level of support someone needs is different for every individual depending on the severity of their learning disability. For example, people with profound and multiple learning disabilities often need round-the-clock care and support.

As an early Christmas present, we are giving you the chance to read a preview of the upcoming novel from bestselling author Jill Mansell! Check out the first chapter of AND NOW YOU'RE BACK here

Growing up in Israel, I always felt that something was missing in our history. As a child I learned a great deal about the Biblical period, the Zionist movement, the awful events of the First and Second World Wars, and of course, the establishment of the Jewish state. But what happened in the thousands of years that passed between the binding of Isaac and the assassination of Isaac Rabin? Well, what we mostly learned is that Jewish people in the Diaspora always prayed for a return to Israel. We learned that they suffered under cruel kings and discriminating laws. But even if this was true, why did they remain in these countries and how did they live normal lives?

I’m not sure if I was entirely conscious of having a desire to know more about these times. But I do remember that each time I encountered a family photo from 1925, or a piece of conversation about life in Europe, I knew that something was missing.

My research led me to read a lot of 19^th Jewish history and literature. I had no intention to write a book about it, but I was curious about this enormous missing link in my family’s story. I learned at first that all Jewish life in Eastern Europe shared three common characteristics: 1. At some point, somewhere, a fire will take hold in the Shtetl; 2. A stranger will enter the Shtetl and provoke disagreements; and 3. A lot of women will be abandoned by their husbands.

The Hebrew term “agunah” (meaning lodged, trapped, stuck) relates to the latter, for it is the term for a Jewish woman who has been abandoned by her husband. An agunah is trapped because she cannot get a divorce – a “get” (גט), she cannot remarry and, basically, she cannot continue with her life. Not only that, she still has to single-handedly support her many children, as God commanded: Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth and subdue it. Shmuel Yosef Halevi Czaczkes, a young writer back in 1908, was so disturbed by the problem that after he wrote his famous story Agunot, (the plural of agunah) he decided to change his name to Shmuel Yosef Agnon (a variation of the term agunah). Many years later he won the Nobel Prize for literature.

This problem of abandoned wives was so common that you would see hundreds of advertisements in Hebrew and Yiddish newspapers from women seeking the help of Jewish communities to find their long-lost husbands. Where did these husbands go? Well, it depends. In the late 19^th century, the world opened up for Jewish people. Or, if we want to rephrase it more accurately, we should say that Jewish people became more open to the world. Religion lost its grip in many orthodox communities. It was believed that Hasidic Judaism, by forming an alternative to the orthodox method, was responsible for that. But soon it became clear that many Jewish people did not wish merely to change their method of praying, they wanted to change their lives.

In the west it was the United States, di golden medina, the land of opportunity, that attracted people. In the far east it was the dangerous and exciting Palestine, a desolate place where Jewish people would work the land and transform their entire culture. In other major cities in Europe, like Odessa or Minsk, there were universities, knowledge, progress and prospects.

But these exciting opportunities were reserved only for men. The idea that a woman would leave her husband and children was not a remotely realistic one. Women had to take care of their families, and if the husbands left, women could only wait for them to return. By the way, as much as it’s hard to believe, the problem of the agunah still persists in the present day. And in some religious neighbourhoods in Jerusalem you can still find advertisements on bulletin boards from agunot who seek the help of their communities to locate their lost husbands.

And so it was pretty clear to me that the protagonist of my book should be a woman.

The Slaughterman’s Daughter is out now!

Worthy winners all, but – as the Spaniard-played-by-a-Scot said to the Frenchman-playing-a-Scot – there can be only one. And, so, without further ado, September’s Readers’ Choice submission that prompted the most interest from you, SF Gateway’s loyal readers was . . .

Way Station by Clifford D. Simak. Thanks and congratulations to @BestNOTTheTalk for choosing the winner of the 1964 Hugo Award for best novel. Your prize awaits! A copy of  September’s SF Masterworks – Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein (winner of the 1956 Hugo) – will be dispatched post haste, as soon as we have your postal address. Either DM us on Twitter or drop us a line.

 

If you have a personal favourite SF Gateway title that you’d like to see highlighted on the home page, just tweet us, email us or leave a message on the forum, giving us the title and why you love it in no more than 25 words and we’ll add you to the roster of Readers’ Choices.

In the blue corner, representing big space ships, pulp adventure and the vastness of the galaxy: Jack Williamson‘s The Legion of Space and E. E. ‘Doc’ Smith‘s The Skylark of Space.  In the blue corner, representing ‘inner space’, and showing SF’s mastery of more subtle, literary techniques: Leigh Kennedy‘s The Journal of Nicholas the American and Daniel Keyes‘ Flowers for Algernon.

Of course, we’re not taking any sides – there are times when one wants to read serious, insightful works and other times when a planet or two exploding and a spaceship travelling infeasibly quickly is just what the doctor ordered. All of the above are worthy and excellent picks and we wouldn’t want to choose between them – that’s your job! And, so, without further ado, the Readers’ Choice submission that prompted the most interest from you, SF Gateway’s  loyal readers was  . . .

Flowers for Algernon  by Daniel Keyes. Stand forth, Shrike, from the SF Gateway forum, for your choice of the above Nebula Award-winning novel (based on the Hugo Award-winning novella) is victorious. Send us your postal address by email and we’ll dispatch your prize – a copy of each of August’s SF Masterworks: Time is the Fire: The Best of Connie Willis and Michael Bishop‘s No Enemy But Time.

If you have a personal favourite SF Gateway title that you’d like to see highlighted on the home page, just tweet us, email us or leave a message on the forum, giving us the title and why you love it in no more than 25 words and we’ll add you to the roster of Readers’ Choices.

Well, too bad. We’re not going to. But Gollancz editor extraordinaire Marcus Gipps is:

perhaps the most remarkable novel about the Vietnam War – and all wars – ever written

And SF Gateway’s social media curator, Andrew Spong, is, too. Here’s an extract from his January 2006 review of The Forever War from SFandFantasyMasterworks.co.uk:

 It is 1997. Subsequent to the destruction of a colonists’ ship near Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus, the world is at war with the Taurans.

Warfare is space is deemed to be too complicated for the traditional jarhead, and the first draft of infantry enlisted by the Elite Conscription Act of 1996 consists of ‘fifty men and women, with IQs over 150 and bodies of unusual health and strength’ (p. 9). One of them is Private William Mandella.

The organisationally faceless, emotionally featureless monstrosity that is any army gets a particularly severe working over in this book. Servicemen and women are groomed to participate in a soulless round of endorsed drug taking, orgies and post-hypnotic suggestion in between bouts of combat, which the protagonist quietly dissociates himself from during the course of the novel.

The work forecefully demonstrates how conflict strips humanity of all the facets of existence which give life meaning and value, leaving an empty husk:

‘the thought came to me that the next time I closed my eyes could be my last. And partly because of the drug hangover, mostly because of the past day’s horrors, I found that I really didn’t give a shit’ (p. 58); ‘I was disgusted with the human race, disgusted with the army and horrified at the prospect of living with myself’ (p. 73).

Haldeman’s own experiences in Vietnam season this taut narrative with arresting, sometimes shocking, descriptions of the grimly visceral and unremittingly futile nature of warfare. [Read the rest of the review here]

Page numbers refer to the SF Masterworks paperback edition. The Forever War is, of course, also available as an SF Gateway eBook, and you can read more about Joe Haldeman in his entry at The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

Remember back at the start of the year, when we mentioned the changes coming to the SF Gateway home page – specifically the inauguration of the Readers’ Choice spotlight? Remember how we said the Readers’ Choice that generated the most click-throughs would win its proposer copies of that month’s SF Masterworks? Oops.

We seem to have failed spectacularly in our endeavours to keep up with the prize-giving; as a result – after some frantic digging about in the analytics –  we’re now announcing the winners for both March and April. And to make up for our tardiness in this area, the winners will receive copies of the Masterworks for both months.

Without further ado, we’re delighted to announce that the book that generated the most interest for March was Kev McVeigh‘s Vector for Seven by Josephine Saxton:

. . . perhaps if they had known they would have jumped off the bus screaming or would have bitten off their own tongues in order to bleed to death or they would have looked at one another merely in doubt and horror, but as they knew nothing of the future, and no person on earth knows anything much of the future which accounts for the extremely low suicide rate, they all sat and moved forwards to the point in time and space which could only logically and positively be called the start of their journey . . .

And April, bless my soul*, was a dead heat between Starman Dave‘s suggestion of The Fall of Chronopolis by Barrington J. Bayley and Arthur C. Clarke‘s The City and the Stars, which was put forward by @theLightDreams.

Congratulations to all three, who will find copies of The Gate to Women’s Country, The Sea and Summer, The Invisible Man and A Canticle for Leibowitz arriving on their doorsteps Real Soon Now.

If you have a personal favourite SF Gateway title that you’d like to see highlighted on the home page, just tweet us, email us or leave a message on the forum, giving us the title and why you love it in no more than 25 words and we’ll add you to the roster of Readers’ Choices.

* if such a beast can be said to exist.

Welcome to the strangest, most distinctive future ever imagined by a science fiction writer.

An insterstellar empire ruled by the mysterious Lords of the Instrumentality, whose access to the drug stroon from the planet Norstrilia confers on them virtual immortality.

A world in which wealthy and leisured humanity is served by the underpeople, genetically engineered animals turned into the semblance of people.

A world in which the great ships which sail between the stars are eventually supplanted by the mysterious, instantaneous technique of planoforming.

A world of wonder and myth, and extraordinary imagination.

Originally published as The Best of Cordwainer Smith, this collection is central to the author’s ‘Instrumentality of Mankind’ universe, and is described by The Star Plunderer as:

Fourteen trips into the strangest and most inventive future ever envisioned: a frenetic melange of time travel, telepathy, golden starships and eternal life.

The Rediscovery of Man is available as an SF Masterworks paperback and an SF Gateway eBook.

You can read more about Cordwainer Smith in his entry at The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, and find more of his books on his author page at SF Gateway.

It’s an excellent choice for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because it does exactly what we’d hoped Readers’ Choice would do when we instigated it: spotlight interesting books that aren’t necessarily thought of as the author in question’s milestone works. Secondly, because it gives us an excellent excuse to sing the praises of a multi-award-winning writer. ‘How many awards?’ you say? We’re glad you asked. Joe Haldeman has won five Hugo Awards, five Nebulas, a World Fantasy Award, a James Tiptree, Jr Award and  a John W. Campbell Memorial Award as well as well as sixteen others that the SFADB doesn’t classify as ‘major awards’.

The Forever War won both the Hugo and Nebula, as did loose sequel Forever Peace (which also won the Campbell); Camouflage won the Nebula and the Tiptree; and Mindbridge was nominated for the Hugo but lost out to Kate Wilhelm‘s Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, which – we’re sure you’ll agree – is no disgrace.

So. Joe Haldeman: this week’s Readers’ Choice – and frequently the judges’ and voters’ choice when it comes to award time.

]]> 11007908 https://michelthomas.com/readers-choice/2013/03/21/a-special-readers-choice-shambleau-and-others/ Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:00:04 +0000 http://blog.sfgateway.com/?p=2287 This week’s Readers’ Choice is Shambleau and Others by C. L. Moore, one of the greats of early days of modern science fiction and, along with Leigh Brackett, one of the first women to break into the male-dominated world of the SF pulps.

‘A worthy choice’, we hear you say, ‘but what qualifies it as “special”?’

‘Well,’ we answer, our chest swelling with pride, ‘It’s only been suggested by Pat Cadigan!‘

If you didn’t already know that two-time Arthur C. Clarke Award-winner, Pat Cadigan is a big fan of the SF Gateway, then you do now! We are proud and delighted to publish almost all of Pat’s books on Gateway – as well as having Synners as an SF Masterwork – but it’s not self-interest that powers her enthusiasm. Pat Cadigan has a long history of supporting the genre and the genre’s writers, from volunteering on Worldcon committees to teaching at the famous Clarion West writing workshop to running the (much-missed) Borders SF evenings in the early 2000’s.

Pat Cadigan the Writer is well-known (as well she should be!) but Pat Cadigan the Reader, perhaps less so. But we know how insightful a reader Pat is because we’ve read the introduction she wrote for the forthcoming SF Masterwork edition of Connie Willis‘s To Say Nothing of the Dog, and sat in on many an interview and event where Pat has directed conversations like an orchestra conductor.

And now you can share Pat’s expertise, too. Take a look at Shambleau and Others and you’ll see why Pat says of C. L. Moore ‘one of the most remarkable women from the early days of modern SF; her work is still powerful’.

As ever, you can read more about C. L. Moore and Pat Cadigan in their entries in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and you can follow Pat Cadigan on Twitter at @cadigan.

This week’s Readers’ Choice, as chosen by Gollancz editor extraordinaire Marcus Gipps, is Robert Silverberg‘s enthralling, magical, how-the-hell-did-it-not-win-the-Hugo-Award Lord Valentine’s Castle.

Set in an immense world teeming with alien races and fantastic, almost magical, machinery, Valentine, an itinerant juggler, wakes up one morning with only a vague and troubled idea of who he is. He gradually discovers, through dreams and portents, that he is in fact his namesake: Lord Valentine, the Coronal, his body and throne stolen by a usurper.

Across the giant world of Majipoor, Valentine sets out on a quest to win back his throne – and discover which of his enemies has the power to vanquish him so utterly from not just his throne, but his very life . . .

Lord Valentine’s Castle is an utterly beguiling book – a novel that feels like fantasy but thinks like science fiction and pulls of the great feat of displaying all the strengths of both sub-genres without any of the weaknesses of either. It is a majestic novel; one of the truly great works of modern SF. But it’s not just us that thinks so; some of the world’s major broadsheets lined up to praise it . . .

‘Silverberg’s invention is prodigious . . . like a competent juggler, he maintains his rhythm and suspense to the end’
Times Literary Supplement

‘There are two things that abide: absolute awe at Silverberg’s capacity for creating images . . . and the compassion that colours every word’
Washington Post

‘Spectacularly readable . . . it bears comparison with Frank Herbert’s Dune’
The Times

We’d like to leave the last word to Marcus, though:

There are a lot of fantastic books available on the SF Gateway (and a lot more to come), but if I’m honest, when I heard about the project, the book that made me most excited – even though I own it in paperback – was Lord Valentine’s Castle by Robert Silverberg.

Lord Valentine’s Castle: a modern classic of the genre, and this week’s Readers’ Choice.

Having responded very quickly to our request for submissions, SF Gateway member tanj666 has the honour of kicking off our new spotlight feature, and his choice is Icerigger by the acclaimed and Alan Dean Foster:

A story set in his ‘Commonwealth’ about life on an ice planet full of scary monsters and scary natives. Ethan Fortune, salesman of nick-naks to the galaxy, crash lands without even a sample case of his wares! Worse still, he’s on the wrong side of the planet from the only commonwealth settlement. With a rag-tag band of fellow commonwealth citizens he sets out to make it back to civilisation and his sample case, which includes a very efficient heater!

Okay, I made it seem a little more tongue in cheek than the book really is.  A story about an ice world and icy natives needs grounding into the characters reality and mentions of their ordinary lives amongst the stars adds real depth and thoughtfulness to the book.  Nothing is really simple at temperatures where steel will fracture and getting back to real warmth is not a simple matter for this disparate band of travellers.

Many thanks, tanj666! A place in the annals of SF Gateway history is assured you! We’ll have another reader’s choice to highlight next week but, for now, we hope you enjoy Icerigger. And if you’d like to know more about Alan Dean Foster, remember to check out his entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

Huge congratulations to all six of the shortlisted authors:
Greg Bear, Hull Zero Three (Gollancz)
Drew Magary, The End Specialist (Harper Voyager)
China Miéville, Embassytown (Macmillan)
Jane Rogers, The Testament of Jessie Lamb (Sandstone Press)
Charles Stross, Rule 34 (Orbit)
Sheri S.Tepper, The Waters Rising (Gollancz)

We are thrilled to have both Greg Bear’s Hull Zero Three and Sheri S. Tepper’s The Waters Rising shortlisted this year, and best of luck to them both!