Manderley Press Ltd

Storm Jameson (1891-1986) was born and grew up in the Yorkshire port of Whitby and became one of the most formidable and prolific British novelists of the twentieth century. A committed socialist and President of English PEN, Jameson helped rescue hundreds of writers fleeing fascism during the Second World War, while producing an extraordinary body of fiction and journalism. Once widely read and admired by contemporaries including Vera Brittain and E.M. Forster, her work has slipped from view, though its sharp wit and moral urgency is strikingly contemporary. The Moon is Making was inspired by, and set in, the town of Whitby. Told through the lens of the Wikker family, Jameson's searingly brilliant portrait of a fractured coastal community explores class division and emotional alienation in this rediscovered Northern novel from the 1930s. This brand new edition of a forgotten classic is introduced by Maxine Peake and illustrated by fellow Northerner, Alice Patullo. "The Moon Is Making is superior in technical skill and dramatic power. Miss Jameson is a writer worth watching."The New York Times, 1938

Susan Ertz was a popular novelist of the interwar years, best known for her novel Madame Claire, which was chosen as one of the first ten Penguin Books paperbacks in 1935; she also wrote In the Cool of the Day - later adapted into a film of the same name in 1963 - starring Jane Fonda and Angela Lansbury. However, one of her earlier titles - Woman Alive - is an important work in the canon of speculative fiction, until now largely forgotten among the works of her contemporaries such as George Orwell, H.G. Wells and Aldous Huxley. Woman Alive is set in 1985 and is at once a satire and a commentary on the rising threat of nationalism in 1930s Britain. The novel is cinematic in structure, conjuring a world in which feminisim and pacifism are woven together to tell the story of Stella - an accidental survivor who became queen of England and the hope of humankind. The relevance of this novel to 21st-century society is of course heightened post-Covid-19. But at its heart it is a love story, a romance of sorts and a page-turner extraordinaire.

"Beautifully done ... I really cannot recommend thisbook too vigorously" - The Sunday TelegraphFrom the author of 84, Charing Cross Road comesanother literary jewel of a memoir from Helene Hanff. This is a delightfulaccount of her early days as a struggling writer on the edge of show business. When Helene became an apprentice playwright with New York'sprestigious Theatre Guild, she was high on the champagne of her hopes. What didshe care about living chiefly on coffee in meagre bed-sitters when she couldalways borrow her best friend's best blouse for lunch with a producer, and wasmeeting awe-inspiring people? She was young, stage-struck and determined havefun. Brought back into print after several decades in gorgeoushardback gift edition, Underfoot in Show Business is introduced by Helene'scousin Jean Hanff Korelitz, a New York Times best-selling novelist inher own right.

"His books have moved me and so many others to laugh outloud, to cry and to think." Cressida Cowell, author of How to Train YourDragon. From one of the nation's most beloved authors and thecreator of The Snowman, comes a brand new edition of two forgottenchildren's classics by Raymond Briggs. Also illustrated by the author, the book was inspired by theauthor's childhood adventures in post-war London. The two friends Tim and Gerrystumble upon a deserted house, but after they spot a ghostly face behind aboarded-up window, they decide to investigate further .... Introduced by renowned children's author, Chris Riddell, whowas taught by Raymond Briggs in the 1980s, and published as a sumptuous gifthardback, this book will entrance and entertain a new generation of children.

“She is one of our greatest writers and gave me a lifelonglove of history.” Chris RiddellSun Horse, Moon Horse is a captivating tale ofcourage and destiny, set against the ancient hills of Iron Age Britain. Fromthe author of the beloved children’s classic, The Eagle of the Ninth,Sutcliff weaves history and legend into a poignant narrative that resonatesthrough the ages. As tensions mount between his tribe and encroachinginvaders, Lubrin Dhu, the young chieftain of the Iceni tribe, carves the iconicchalk horse into the rolling hills, a symbol of strength, unity and hope. Introduced by award-winning writer, artist andenvironmentalist, Tiffany Francis-Baker, and published in a beautiful gifthardback, this book will entertain and transport children back in history.

"Perhaps the only novel in which a man has successfully invaded the feminine field and produced a work comparable to Jane Austen's.” Graham GreeneHenry James’ Washington Square is a classic tale of love, betrayal and stifling societal pressures, set in the heart of nineteenth-century New York. It has become one of his best-loved and most widely admired novels, inspiring writers, artists and playwrights for nearly 150 years. This brand-new edition, published as a beautiful gift hardback, is also introduced by Colm Toibin, who is an expert in the life and works of Henry James and has re-examined the novel in light of the author’s connections to its New York setting. Toibin’s own bestselling novel about Henry James, The Master, was published in 2004, and is a powerful tribute to this author written from a novelist’s point of view.

From the author of Frankenstein, this book bringstogether for the very first time the journals, letters and short stories that MaryShelley wrote while living in Bath from 1816 to 1817. In her brand new introduction, acclaimed poet, historianMary Shelley biographer, Fiona Sampson describes this as a “strange, haunted”period for Mary, which would contribute to the evolution of her iconic Gothic novel,Frankenstein. Mary Shelley in Bath explores how a place can shape awriter’s life and work, offering readers a deeper understanding of thepioneering woman behind one of literature’s most enduring masterpieces.