Bloomsbury Publishing strana 4 z 114

NOW WITH A BRAND NEW AFTERWORD Minority rule (noun): an irrational fear fuelled by right-wing pundits, lobby journalists and billionaires, that minority groups are displacing majority populations. We all know that the modern world is in crisis. But it's not just a crisis for the climate, or of living standards - it's a 'blame crisis'. Whether it's infighting on the left or the demonisation of immigrants on the right, there's always a new talking point to distract us from real, systemic change. Now is the time to realise that we have been duped into fighting with each other; now is the time to redirect our outrage towards those who deserve it. In Minority Rule, political commentator Ash Sarkar offers a sharp and lively reality check. Whether it's exposing the origins of the 'white working class', or examining how 'non-events' have taken over journalism, this book - now with a brand new afterword - will help you break the blame cycle for good.

What was it like to live on the edges of ancient empires, at the boundaries of the known world? When Ovid was exiled from Rome to a border town on the Black Sea, he despaired at his new bleak and barbarous surroundings. Like many Greeks and Romans, Ovid thought the outer reaches of his world was where civilisation ceased to exist. Our fascination with the Greek and Roman world, and the abundance of writing that we have from it, means that we usually explore the ancient world from this perspective too. Was Ovid's exile really as bad as he claimed? What was it truly like to live on the edges of these empires, on the boundaries of the known world? Thanks to archaeological excavations, we now know that the borders of the empires we consider the 'heart' of civilisation were in fact thriving, vibrant cultures - just not ones we might expect. This is where the boundaries of 'civilised' and 'barbarians' began to dissipate; where the rules didn't always apply; where normally juxtaposed cultures intermarried; and where nomadic tribes built their own cities. Taking us along the sandy caravan routes of Morocco to the freezing winters of the northern Black Sea, from Co-Loa in the Red River valley of Vietnam to the rain-lashed forts south of Hadrian's Wall, Owen Rees explores the powerful empires and diverse peoples in Europe, Asia and Africa beyond the reaches of Greece and Rome. In doing so, he offers us a new, brilliantly rich lens with which to understand the ancient world.

**The most uplifting picture book of the year, from master storyteller Michael Rosen** Big Bear and Little Bear are going on a Big Journey to find a new home. So begins a grand adventure, as two bears set out on an epic journey over the mountains, drawing on all their courage and resilience to see them safely to the other side. In this heartwarming sequel to their acclaimed picture book The Big Dreaming, bestselling author Michael Rosen and award-winning illustrator Daniel Egnéus tell a story of hope, love and resilience: a modern classic for our times.

A spectacular, vivid, groundbreaking work of history which takes us into the minds and lives of medieval women. What was life really like for women in the medieval period? How did they think about sex, death and God? Could they live independent lives? And how can we hear their stories? Few women had the luxury of writing down their thoughts and feelings during medieval times. But remarkably, there are at least four extraordinary women who did. Marie de France, a poet; Julian of Norwich, a mystic and anchoress; Christine de Pizan, a widow and court writer; and Margery Kempe, a "no-good wife". In their own ways these four very different writers pushed back against the misogyny of the period. Each broke new ground in women’s writing and left us incredible insights into the world of medieval life and politics. This mesmerizing book is an unforgettably lively and immersive journey into the everyday lives of medieval women through the stories of these four iconic women writers, some of which are retold here for general readers for the first time.

The history of modern China has long been portrayed as a tale of Communists fighting in the hills for freedom, gradually gaining popular support by taking land from the rich and giving it to the poor. Drawing on a wealth of archival evidence, Red Dawn Over China reveals how unlikely the Party's victory actually was, had it not been for financial and military support from the Soviet Union. Established in 1921 under the direct guidance of Moscow, for the best part of a decade the Communist Party left a trail of destruction, besieging towns and plundering the countryside. When the Communists managed to hold territory, they reduced the villagers to a state of servitude, undermining belief in their cause as well as the local economy. By 1936 they had the same popular appeal as an obscure religious sect. A brutal war of occupation by Japan allowed them to survive far behind enemy lines. After Soviet troops invaded Manchuria in 1945 and provided more money and munitions, the Communists at long last prevailed through a pitiless war of attrition, driven by an unflinching will to conquer at all costs. In this riveting tale told with great narrative verve, Frank Dikotter reveals how thirteen delegates gathered in a dusty room in 1921 ended up raising the red flag over the Forbidden City in 1949, forever altering the course of history for a quarter of humanity and shaping the world as we know it today.

This is wrong. It's reckless, dangerous, but- I can't get you out of my head. I can't wash you from my skin. Vasalie Moran was once a dancer in King Illian’s court – until he framed her for murder. Barely surviving her two years in the dungeons, she’s suddenly called to face her King. He offers her a deal: become his spy at the month-long royal Gathering and he’ll grant her freedom. As Illian’s orders grow bloody and dangerous, forcing her to harm and betray those around her, Vasalie discovers the monster she serves may be aligned with a bigger monster – one far closer to home. With her world threatened, Vasalie enlists the help of Illian’s brother and greatest adversary, the King of the East. As the rivalry between brothers escalates with Vasalie caught in the middle, the truth of her past comes to light. If she wants to survive, she must decide who to trust, who to fight for, and how much of her soul she’s willing to damn in the processIf you love...

A compelling insight into how our imagination works, based on the latest scientific research. People often think of imagination as something used only in creative endeavours. In fact, we use imagination constantly as we reminisce, anticipate, plan, daydream, read, create imagined worlds. The truth is we live in the here and now much less than we tend to think. Imagination isn’t the exception in our daily lives; it’s our default setting. Yet only now are we beginning to understand exactly how it works. From hallucination to sleepwalking, from REM sleep to delusions, neurologist Adam Zeman brilliantly guides us through the latest scientific studies in the world of the imagination. He draws on research in neuroscience, the study of human origins and child development to show how the human brain is above all else a creative, imaginative organ – and that we have evolved to share what we imagine. Our brains behave in strikingly similar ways when we observe, remember, imagine or act. Imagine looking at a cube and your eye will trace the contours of the cube as if you were actually seeing it. Yet it turns out that people differ hugely in their imaginative experience. Some people lack sensory imagery altogether – they would be unable to picture their family if asked to – but still lead fulfilling, even highly creative, lives. From how we visualise to how we understand the minds of others, from the benefits of play to mental disorders, The Shape of Things Unseen dazzles and delights. It is an essential guide to the latest discoveries about the workings of the human mind.

Imagine a future where we grow houses rather than build them. Where smartphones are living, clothing has opinions, and all human knowledge fits into a speck of DNA. A world where disease is a thing of the past, and the human lifespan is dramatically extended. To achieve this, says Adrian Woolfson - founder of the genome writing company Genyro - we must transform biology into a predictive, programmable engineering material. That means decoding the generative grammar of DNA: the language of life itself. It may then be possible to author genomes - and, if we choose, even rewrite our own. We are at the cusp of a technological revolution, driven by the convergence of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. Currently at the scribbling phase - writing the genomes of viruses, bacteria and yeast - we will eventually author the genomes of extinct and never-before-realised species. Life will become computable, detached from its past, and no longer bound by Darwinian evolution. While offering extraordinary opportunities, this power also carries great risk and it is vital for everyone to understand what the future might hold. Genome writing can help preserve the planet, but may also undermine human nature and disrupt ecosystems. In this bold and visionary account, Woolfson provides a guide to how this might all be achieved and how we should navigate this astonishing new world, offering a moral compass to help us do so safely, wisely and ethically.

What does real happiness look like? How can we find true purpose, meaning and connection in our finite time on Earth? 105-year-old Professor Kim reveals key aspects of ancient Korean philosophy and shares stories from over a century of living to help us live better. Showing us how to lean into the world with more softness, gratitude, openness and sincerity – especially when confronted with life’s challenges – he invites us to discover the everyday lessons we can take from Korean values, giving invaluable insight into: -how to find the happiness that already exists in our daily lives -how we can cultivate happiness through hard work and personal growth -how to nurture happiness in our closet relationships -how we can enjoy happiness that grows with us as we age and mature. The answers to finding genuine, long-lasting happiness in life are more straightforward than we think.

Welcome to Chicken Hill: join Ferdy, Gripper and Tink as they investigate all things strange in their seriously weird town. Three hilarious and off-the-wall stories in one full-colour graphic novel, perfect for fans of Dog Man and Bunny vs Monkey. Chicken Hill: Just your average, everyday, run-of-the-mill small town, where the pets can talk, the frogs rule over a secret underwater empire and you're only ever one day away from an alien invasion. Chicken Hill is home to Ferdy, a tech wiz with a knack for invention and a habit of running into trouble. Always with him is Gripper, his farty and self-obsessed pug, and Tink, his brother's forever-tired cat. Together, they investigate the many wild and weird happenings in town… And whether fending off an invasion of zombie cactuses, or trying to keep an army of cloned conspiracy theorist cats out of office, there's no shortage of things to keep them busy. Because in Chicken Hill, there's only one rule: if you think things can't get weirder, they always can.

I am writing this story without knowing its end: it begins long before I was born and will continue long after I die. I am writing this story to help myself heal and to make you understand. Strong Roots is the story of a century in Ukraine told through four generations of one extraordinary family. It takes us from years of Russification, to Olia's grandmother's deportation to snowy wastelands under Stalin, to her Aunt Zhenia's school protest, to her own parents' flight from Ukraine when their town was occupied in 2022. This is an ode to the land, to ideas of home and belonging, and to family stories and recipes passed down the generations - the tang of sour cherries, the best way to make borsch. It is an account of resilience in the hardest of circumstances. Strong Roots brims with hope and grief. It lays bare the compromises and betrayals of generations struggling and surviving through war, peace, invasion and exile. It is an uplifting reminder of how much the human spirit can endure when born from a land rich with strong roots.

A dark spectre lives on the banks of Yearwood Lake. Make a deal and you’re in her debt. Those who’ve met her call her Regret. Halloween is Simone’s favourite holiday. Every year she throws an epic, spooky party, and this time she’s hosting it beside a lake, where legend has it that a haunting figure named Regret makes deadly deals with trespassers. Simone isn't worried about all of that – she just wants to have fun, scare her friends and distract herself from her own dark secrets. But in the dead of the night, things begin to go very wrong. When her best friend's life is in danger and Regret appears, Simone must make a choice. How far will she go to save her friend? Every deal comes with a price ...

With his trademark wit, candour and relentlessly perceptive eye, Edmund White, the beloved 85-year-old 'paterfamilias of queer literature' (New York Times) delves unflinchingly into the aspect of his life which has inspired so many of his masterpieces: sex. Documenting everything from covert fumblings in the repressed American Midwest of the 1950's to the Arcadian gay debauchery of New York in the 1970's; through the terror of HIV and the age of sex on the apps, White has seen - and experienced - it all. Unyieldingly honest, outrageously raucous and arrestingly touching, The Loves of My Life can but further cement White's unquestionable role at the apex of the gay canon.

An entertaining guide to history's most influential and inspiring poets - from Homer and Sappho to Shakespeare and Frank O'Hara - and how they can teach us to better understand the world around us. How did the greatest poets in history make the world anew? And what can we learn from the magic, wisdom and humour of their poetry? From the genius of the Ancient Greeks through to the love poetry and metaphysics of the Renaissance, through to the New York poets of the 20th century, this is the ultimate guide to the greatest writers of the human age. Through short, biographical portraits, poet and writer Dai George provides an entertaining introduction to the great works of poetry, and a welcoming guide to how we can read them. He addresses questions poets have grappled with: How can we truly describe the world? How can we express love, grief or friendship? How can poetry help us to understand justice, dreams or anger? This book paints vivid pictures of a global selection of renowned poets throughout history: from Sappho, Li Bai and Rumi, to William Shakespeare and John Donne, to Frank O Hara, Pablo Neruda and Sylvia Plath. George also seeks to re-examine the canon, traditionally dominated by Western, white and male poets, and bring to light major figures from other important cultures and communities, including China, India and the Caribbean.

Callyn has grown closer to Queen Lia Mara in Syhl Shallow, bonded by the secret magic they share. But their magic can stay hidden only so long, especially when a dangerous plot on the Queen's life forces Callyn to work with the man who betrayed her. In Emberfall, Tycho and Jax are struggling to rebuild their connection after months apart, complicated when they learn of Truthbringers causing trouble at the borders. Sent to investigate together, Jax and Tycho soon discover that the rebellious faction has formed a devil's bargain with the magical scravers to destroy human magic once and for all. When their missions bring them together, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn find themselves facing threats from all sides. With one last chance to save their magic and their kingdoms, they must work together, or lose everything. War has erupted. Love is tested. And without sacrifice, magic could destroy everyone ...

A thrilling and incredibly sexy new dark romantasy series from #1 Sunday Times-bestselling author Elizabeth May, perfect for fans of Phantasma, Gild, and Quicksilver. A princess and a war-weary god met in the ashes of a broken city, forging a pact in blood and sacrifice. Now, centuries of fragile peace are on the brink of collapse… Bryony Devaliant was born to die—again and again. In Vartena, royal blood is the currency of peace, with every monarch sacrificed and resurrected to appease the gods. But when rebellion stirs, the god-king sends his deadliest weapon to restore order: an immortal assassin known only as the Wolf. Evander has perfected the art of killing over centuries—until his latest target becomes the one person he cannot destroy. When forbidden desire burns between the assassin and the sacrificial princess, their connection threatens the fragile boundary between gods and mortals. And when that boundary shatters, empires crumble. Because when gods fall in love with mortals, mortals are always the ones to break. Inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Eros and Psyche, this dark, seductive tale is perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy’s Plated Prisoner series, with the wit and spice of Callie Hart’s Quicksilver. Packed with dark fairytale vibes, gothic romance, and tropes like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, death pacts, and villain-gets-the-girl, this is a story where love is as deadly as it is irresistible.