Catapulted into national prominence with the release of her multiple-award-winning debut album, Zandisile, in 2005, Simphiwe Dana has since carved a place for herself as one of the most significant artists of her generation using a unique combination of jazz, rap and traditional music. Hailed by the media as 'South Africa's Jazz Diva No#1' and 'the best thing to happen to Afro-Soul music since Miriam Makeba', Dana is listened to and loved both locally and abroad. A Renegade Called Simphiwe, penned by highly respected writer, cultural rogue and academic, Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola, is part biography, part analysis; unconventional like its subject, and unravels the 'Simphiwe phenomenon' and the world that makes her possible.

From cultural icon Margaret Atwood comes a brilliant collection of essays -- funny, erudite, endlessly curious, uncannily prescient -- which seek answers to Burning Questions such as:
*Why do people everywhere, in all cultures, tell stories?
*How much of yourself can you give away without evaporating?
*How can we live on our planet?
*Is it true? And is it fair?
*What do zombies have to do with authoritarianism?
In over fifty pieces Atwood aims her prodigious intellect and impish humour at our world, and reports back to us on what she finds. The roller-coaster period covered in the collection brought an end to the end of history, a financial crash, the rise of Trump and a pandemic. From debt to tech, the climate crisis to freedom; from when to dispense advice to the young (answer: only when asked) to how to define granola, we have no better questioner of the many and varied mysteries of our human universe.

A remarkable companion piece to The Writer and the World, Naipaul's previous volume of highly acclaimed essays, Literary Occasions is a stirring contribution to the fading art of the critic, and a revelation of a life in letters. In these eleven extended pieces V. S. Naipaul charts more than half a century of personal enquiry into the mysteries of the written word and of fiction in particular. Here are his boyhood experiences of reading books and his first youthful efforts at writing them; the evolution of his ideas about the extent to which individual cultures shape identities and influence literary forms; observations on Conrad, his literary forebear; the moving preface he wrote to the only book his father ever published; and his reflections on his career, ending with his celebrated Nobel lecture, 'Two Worlds'. 'He is an exceptionally good and perceptive critic - a few passages on Dickens are worth whole books by others - and when he addresses the art of fiction he not only writes beautifully (as always) but with complete humility' New Statesman

Noni Jabavu was the first black South African woman to publish books on her life. Her memoirs Drawn in Colour and The Ochre People have been compared to Zora Neale Hurston's work. A cosmopolitan, free-spirited woman, she returned home in 1977 and wrote a weekly column in the Daily Dispatch. This book is a compilation of these cheeky, insightful and hilarious columns for a younger audience of empowered women.

In Sigh The Beloved Country, Bongani Madondo writes about people, issues, women who rock!!!, believers, fast boys and their faster toys, inner city and street life, and cultural criticism, amongst others. Nobody escapes his critical pen, from Kenny Kunene, Miriam Makeba to Oscar Pistorius. His 32 essays will make you laugh and cry as he captures the essence of every aspect of our country that makes it so weird and wonderful.

The Colour of Madness is a groundbreaking collection that amplifies the voices of people of colour and their experiences with mental health. These are the voices of those who have been ignored. Updated for 2022, The Colour of Madness is a vital and timely tribute to all the lives that have been touched by medical inequalities and aims to disrupt the whitewashed narrative of mental health in the UK. A compelling collection of memoir, essays, poetry, short fiction and artwork, this book will bring solace to those who have shared similar experiences, and provide a powerful insight into the everyday impact of racism for those looking to further understand and combat this injustice. Statistics show that people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK have not only experienced inadequate mental health treatment in comparison to their white counterparts, but are also more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act. From micro-aggressions, inherent bias, religious/cultural influences and social stigma, people of colour are consistently fighting to be heard, believed, and offered help beyond the need for ticking off diversity boxes. The book was first published in 2018. Editors Dr Samara Linton and Rianna Walcott ended their relationship with their previous publisher in 2021 when the press was linked to a far-right group. The editors have since collaborated with a new publisher and present this revised edition complete with more contributions and powerful artwork.

Alice Wright doesn't love her new American husband. Nor her domineering father-in-law or the judgmental townsfolk of Baileyville, Kentucky. Stifled and misunderstood, she yearns for escape and finds it in defiant Margery O'Hare and the sisterhood bringing books to the isolated and vulnerable. But when her father-in-law and the town turn against them, Alice fears the freedom, friendship and the new love she's found will be lost . . . 'A beguiling tale of unlikely love. The most appealing thing is Moyes' wonderful way with romance. Delightful' The Times 'Beautiful, special . . . with characters so real they feel like dear friends. I loved it and didn't want it to end!' Liane Moriarty 'Inspiring and wildly romantic' Daily Mail, Books of the Year 'Her best book yet. It's a romance - but about female friends, the outdoors and the magic of reading' Grazia 'Epic' David Nicholls, bestselling author of One Day

The incredible beat of my heart is a provocative collection of short prose, varying in style from suburban-realist to surrealist. Kuit transmits the elusive strangeness of daily life in a deceptively matter-of-fact tone, spiked with bursts of rage, humour, and unmarked detours.

Harry Hole returns in a pulse-pounding thriller like no other. 'This book had my pulse in the red zone from start to finish' Michael Connelly A freezing December night Christmas shoppers have gathered to listen to a Salvation Army carol concert. Then a shot rings out and one of the singers falls to the floor, dead. A blood-curdling terror Detective Harry Hole and his team are called in to investigate but have little to work with - there is no immediate suspect, no weapon and no motive. But when the assassin discovers he's shot the wrong man, Harry finds his troubles have only just begun. Now the clock is ticking before he kills again.

Some friendships need celebrating, some are hard to navigate, and some need a bit of tender love and care. Delve into this anthology for a tour of all aspects of friendship by your favourite classic authors. Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning pocket size classics. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is edited and introduced by writer, academic and historian, Michèle Mendelssohn. Why Friendship Matters is an inspiring collection that spans three centuries of writing and includes many favourite authors such as Michel de Montaigne, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Jane Austen. Readers will also discover lesser-known delights such as American writer Audre Lorde on her high school friendships and playwright Alice E. Ives writing about friendship between women. Contributors from across the globe celebrate and investigate all aspects of friendship; the strength of its bonds, how it can hurt and how it runs deep.