Writing London asks the reader to consider how writers sought to respond to the nature of London. Drawing on literary and architectural theory and psychoanalysis, Julian Wolfreys looks at a variety of nineteenth-century writings to consider various literary modes of productions as responses to the city. Beginning with an introductory survey of the variety of literary representations and responses to the city, Writing London follows the shaping of the urban consciousness from Blake to Dickens, through Shelley, Barbauld, Byron, De Quincey, Engels and Wordsworth. It concludes with an Afterword which, in developing insights into the relationship between writing and the city, questions the heritage industry's reinvention of London, while arguing for a new understanding of the urban spirit.

Finalist for the Desmond Elliott Prize A "superb debut"* novel—based on the story of the author's grandmother—following an aristocratic woman who abandons her family and her money in search of a life she can claim as her own. (*The Guardian) Enid Campbell, granddaughter of a duke, grew up surrounded by servants, wanting for nothing except love. But when her brother died in the First World War, a new heir was needed, and it was up to Enid to provide it. A troubled marriage and three children soon followed. Broken by postpartum depression, overwhelmed by motherhood and a loveless marriage, Enid made the shocking decision to abandon her family, thereby starting a chain of events—a kidnap, a court case, and selling her son to her sister for £500—that reverberated through the generations. Interweaving one significant day in 1964, when it seems the family will reunite for one last time, with a decade during the interwar period, A Perfect Explanation explores the perils of aristocratic privilege, where inheritance is everything and happiness is hard won.

The adventure that began in Siobhan Dowd's popular and acclaimed novel The London Eye Mystery at long last continues with Ted, Kat, and their cousin Salim investigating a theft at the Guggenheim Museum that's been pinned on Salim's mother! When Ted and his big sister, Kat, take a trip to New York to visit their cousin Salim and their aunt Gloria, they think they're prepared for big-city adventures. But when a famous painting is stolen from the Guggenheim Museum, where Aunt Gloria works, the surprises begin to mount faster than they could have anticipated. With the police looking at Aunt Gloria as the prime suspect, Ted, Kat, and Salim become sleuthing partners, following a trail of clues across NYC to prove her innocence--and to pinpoint the real thief. Ultimately, it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery. "Fast-paced, suspenseful, but never scary, a middle-grade mystery with a singular voice and a welcome continuation of the Sparks' adventures." -- Kirkus Reviews "Swift pacing and smartly integrated clues allow readers to make connections along with the characters. Stevens's portrayal of Ted, who is on the autism spectrum, is positive and empowering" -- School Library Journal "A welcome return for this dynamic trio." -- Booklist

For this edition of Jack London's observations on the craft of writing—culled from essays, reviews, letters, and autobiographical writings—a significant amount of new material has been added.

The first study to consider how Irish writers have regarded, reported and represented London in their fiction, drama and poetry.

The presence of Irish writers is almost invisible in literary studies of London. The Irish Writing London redresses the critical deficit. A range of experts on particular Irish writers reflect on the diverse experiences and impact this immigrant group has had on the city. Such sustained attention to a location and concern of Irish writing, long passed over, opens up new terrain to not only reveal but create a history of Irish-London writing. Alongside discussions of MacNeice, Boland and McGahern, the autobiography of Brendan Behan and identity of Irish-language writers in London is considered. Written by an internal array of scholars, these new essays on key figures challenge the deep-seated stereotype of what constitutes the proper domain of Irish writing, producing a study that is both culturally and critically alert and a dynamic contribution to literary criticism of the city.

A unique hill-walking guide to 20 of Britain's peaks, adding up to the exact height of Everest. Scaling the peaks of Everest, the world's highest mountain, is the ultimate physical and mental challenge that the human race can aspire to. But as it takes years of preparation and a minimum of £25,000 to achieve, it remains out of reach to most of us. This book allows ordinary people to embark on their own personal "Everest" without leaving England's green and pleasant land. Ascending hills of varying sizes whose ascents add up to the same height as Everest--29,016 feet--celebrity vicar and countryman Peter Owen Jones guides the reader on a road trip covering over 20 hill-climbs in different parts of England. The climbs can be done mindfully over a limited period--20 days is the suggested time scale--or as fast as possible, thus creating a physical challenge rather like the Three Peaks. The climbs could also be undertaken separately over longer periods of time and used as opportunities for mindfulness and quiet meditation under Peter's expert spiritual guidance. The journey takes in sacred places found on coastal cliff walks, ancient holy sites, tors, peaks, mountains and the highest church in England.