London, green? Rediscover the capital through Rural London, published today by Michael O’Mara

Kate Hodges’ RURAL LONDON will be published today by Michael O’Mara. Lusciously-illustrated, RURAL LONDON invites you to discover London’s windmills and farms, its wild waters, gothic castles and grand country houses. Hodges presents a new face of the City, one that is green and peaceful, in sharp contrast with popular perceptions of the metropolis. Featuring farmers’ markets, Morris dancing and the best ‘country’ pubs, RURAL LONDON persuades you to fall in love with the city once more.

Tune into BBC London today at 1pm, where Kate will be speaking about her book with Jo Good. She also did a takeover of the Emerald Street mailout, where you can find see a sample of RURAL LONDON.

Kate tweets at @TheeKateHodges. 

Look out for features in Time Out and Londonist too.

And you can visit Kate’s website for more of her thoughts and information about her books.

A STREET CAT NAMED BOB WINS BEST BRITISH FILM AT THE NATIONAL FILM AWARDS

We are delighted for our clients Tim John and Roger Spottiswode that ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’ has won Best British Film at this year’s 3rd annual National Film Awards UK. The National Film Academy’s annual awards celebrates the UK’s best films and talent both in front and behind the cameras, and this year’s event, hosted at Porchester Hall in London, was home to a plethora of stars of industry.

The award, voted for by audiences, was hotly contested, and ‘Bob’ beat off competition including ‘Our Kind Of Traitor’, directed by Susanna White and starring Damien Lewis and Alan Skaarsard, and  ‘A United Kingdom’, directed by Amma Asante and starring Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo.

Directed by Roger, screenplay by Tim (and Maria Nation), and adapted from James Bowen’s international bestselling novel, ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’ is based on Bowen’s true life experiences on the streets. Produced by Adam Rolston at Shooting Script Films, and financed/exec produced by Prescience, the theatrical release was November 2016, and was greeted by warm reviews and strong box office. The film stars Luke Treadaway, Ruta Gedmintas, Joanne Froggatt, Anthony Head and Bob the Cat as himself. It is now available on DVD.

I KNOW WHERE SHE IS - debut thriller to Canelo

Editorial director Louise Cullen has acquired I KNOW WHERE SHE IS by SB Caves for Summer 2017 publication

I KNOW WHERE SHE IS features a mother whose child was abducted ten years earlier, and seems unlikely to ever be found until a mysterious young woman appears claiming that Francine’s daughter is being held captive. The chain of events that follows sees Francine face her worst nightmares and do things she never thought herself capable of in a quest to find her child.

Cullen said: 'SB Caves’ novel grabbed me from the first page and did not let go. I read much of it on the edge of my seat and raced through to the breathless finale. This novel has pace, tension, action aplenty and is an unsettling exploration of a dark side of human nature. Most of all, it is about a mother who will do whatever it takes to save her child.'

Caves said: 'I'm delighted that Canelo have faith in my writing and I'm really looking forward to working with them.'

The author is currently working on his second novel, a UK based thriller.

Follow SB Caves on Twitter here.

THE CRYSTAL RUN BY SHEILA O’FLANAGAN PUBLISHED in paperback today BY HODDER CHILDREN’S

THE CRYSTAL RUN, the first in a thrilling series of middle-grade novels, by bestselling author Sheila O’Flanagan, is published in paperback today by Hodder Children’s Books.

Frantic to escape from danger, Joe is transported to another world where he is plunged into the training regime of the Runners. Their mission is to protect the shield which keeps the Carcassians safe from their enemy. When he is paired with Kaia on her run, he realises how much is at stake. A Runner’s destiny is death, but he can’t let Kaia die. As they fight to escape, Joe needs to find a way to save them both...

Follow the hashtag #TheCrystalRun for more exciting info!

Follow Sheila on Twitter @sheilaoflanagan

Or visit Sheila's website here

Praise for Sheila O’Flanagan and THE CRYSTAL RUN

‘O'Flanagan's writing is crisp and concise and her plotting deft…an interesting debut which shows a lot of promise and children of 10-plus who like fast-paced, action-packed stories will certainly enjoy this book.’  Sarah Webb, The Independent

'This atmospheric YA debut from a bestselling novelist brims with all the hallmarks of a classic fantasy quest - a vividly evoked world, heart-rending conflict, compelling action - and the friendship that blossoms between Kaia and Joe makes their mission all the more powerful.' Joanne Owen, Love Reading 4 Kids

'O'Flanagan's writing is crisp and concise and her plotting deft.' - Belfast Telegraph

'Intriguing hints that all it not what it seems within Kanabia.' - SFX Magazine

'Well-written, with a strong plot and excellent characters, this book gives us an exciting, classic-style fantasy filled with intrigue' - Inis

About the author

Sheila is an ex-bond dealer and financial journalist whose novels have all been immediate No. 1 Irish bestsellers - with each publication, she breaks her record of weeks at No. 1. Her last three novels have sold in excess of 1,000,000 copies in their British editions. Her 25th book for Headline, THE MISSING WIFE, is published in hardback in June 17. She is currently writing two more adult books for Headline and a follow up to THE CRYSTAL RUN for Hodder Children’s.

THE OTHER EXILE: THE REMARKABLE STORY OF FERNÃO LOPES, THE ISLAND OF ST HELENA AND THE MEANING OF HUMAN SOLITUDE

Abdul Rahman Azzam's incredible book is published today by Icon Books. THE OTHER EXILE is an historical adventure story, a tale of a real-life Robinson Crusoe and his total retreat from society.

Azzam presents, through an expertly-paced narrative, the largely untold story of 16th Century Portuguese nobleman Fernao Lopes. In 1506 Fernão Lopes, a member of his country’s minor nobility, travelled to Goa in search of honour and wealth. There he converted to Islam, married a Muslim, fought his former countrymen, and was eventually captured – his nose and hands publicly cut off for treachery. Eventually sailing for home, he jumped ship at St. Helena, off the coast of Southern Africa, becoming the island’s first inhabitant, with only a black cockerel for company.

Based on ground-breaking research by A R Azzam, author of the acclaimed SALADIN (Longman, 2007), THE OTHER EXILE is at once a historical adventure story and a meditation on solitude, remoteness and the soul’s inward journey. It is a story about redemption in one of the darkest periods in Europe and the tale of the haunting relationship between man and wild nature.

Tom Webber, commissioning editor at Icon Books says, ‘the extraordinary story of Fernao Lopes immediately captures the imagination, and Abdul Rahman Azzams’s careful and lyrical narrative voice is perfectly suited to telling it. Lopes lived a life of amazing contrasts, and his remarkable journey from adventurer to desert-island dwelling hermit is a fascinatingly resonant one of a longing for peace and self-knowledge that has instant appeal.’

Follow the author on Twitter here

About the author

Dr Abdul Rahman Azzam is a graduate of Oxford University where he completed his BA and PhD in history. He is the author of RUMI AND THE KINGDOM OF JOY (Muhammadi Trust, 2000) and in 2007 Longman published his biography of Saladin to critical acclaim.  The Edinburgh Evening News called it ‘a comprehensive survey not just of the man, but of the age in which he lived’, the FT Weekend described it as ‘absorbing’ and The Irish News praised the book as ‘timely and well-written'. SALADIN was a bestseller when published in Arabic and was selected in Jordan as one of the top one hundred books on Islam.

Born in Egypt, Abdul Rahman is currently based in Qatar where he works as an advisor to the Royal Family. Currently completing his next book, THE OTHER EXILE, he has begun research on another: BEYOND THE OCEAN OF FOGS: Abu Bakkari and the Quest to Discover the Americas.