Literary essays

Before the novel, the world of books was dominated by scientific tomes, religious tracts and histories of the victorious in war. There had been stories and epic poems from ancient times - Homer's Iliad and Odyssey recounted ancient Greece, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was a chivalric roman...

Twelve bytes. Twelve eye-opening, mind-expanding, funny and provocative essays on the implications of artificial intelligence for the way we live and the way we love.

Here is a masterful collection from one of the most acclaimed writers of our time. 'Abominations' showcases Lionel Shriver's relentlessly sceptical and deeply insightful thoughts on our contemporary era.

Soldier, journalist, historian, author of 40 books, Jan Morris led an extraordinary life, witnessing such seminal moments as the first ascent of Everest, the Suez Canal Crisis, the Eichmann Trial, The Cuban Revolution and so much more. Now, in 'Allegorizings', published posthumously as was her wi...

Soldier, journalist, historian, author of 40 books, Jan Morris led an extraordinary life, witnessing such seminal moments as the first ascent of Everest, the Suez Canal Crisis, the Eichmann Trial, The Cuban Revolution and so much more. Now, in 'Allegorizings', published posthumously as was her wi...

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QW...

A collection of contemporary Scottish writing on nature and landscape, 'Antlers of Water' showcases the diversity and radicalism of new Scottish nature writing. Edited, curated, and introduced by the award-winning Kathleen Jamie, and featuring prose, poetry, and photography, this inspiring collec...

Wonderfully warm and astonishingly acerbic, Jilly's observations from her days as a much-loved newspaper columnist cover everything on sex, socialising and survival - from marriage and friendship; the minutiae of family life and the tedium of going to visit people for the weekend; to the stress o...

In five short essays, the award-winning writer dissects the nervous condition of being not only Black, and not only a woman, but also quote-unquote 'postcolonial'. Weaving together the experiences, events, intersections, and negotiations of her multifaceted identity, Dangarembga offers a powerful...

In response to the international outcry at George Floyd's death, Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder have commissioned this collection of essays to discuss how and why we need to fight for Black lives to matter - not just for Black people but for society as a whole. Recognising Black British experience ...