THE VALLEY OF RAVENS by Barbara Erskine is a Top Ten bestseller!

Barbara Erskine’s THE VALLEY OF RAVENS has flown into the Top Ten in the UK hardback Original Fiction bestseller chart, hitting Number Six on chart after just three days on sale. HarperCollins published THE VALLEY OF RAVENS on 30th July – the tenth Barbara Erskine novel to become a Top Ten bestseller, with her previous title, THE STORY SPINNER, reaching Number One as well.

In THE VALLEY OF RAVENS, two women, centuries apart, are bound by fate… In the present, Eve, desperate for a fresh start, arrives in the Valley of Ravens to restore a long-abandoned cottage. Everyone knows the place is cursed. Why else would it be called The Witch’s House? As Eve begins her renovations it becomes clear the place has a secret waiting to be uncovered, if only she can make the connection with the past.

Meanwhile, in Wales in 1260, Alys, a healer living in the depths of the valley, discovers Llewelyn – last true Prince of Wales – lying wounded on the battlefield. She tends him and her fate is forever bound to his. Her vow to keep his final secret will echo through the centuries…

Barbara has a busy roster of events to celebrate the publication of THE VALLEY OF RAVENS, beginning with a very special launch at Hay Castle in Hay-on-Wye on publication day. Hay-on-Wye sits on the border with England along the River Wye and is of course the site of Barbara’s debut, the iconic classic LADY OF HAY. THE VALLEY OF RAVENS also features LADY OF HAY heroine Jo Clifford. Fans came from all over the UK to attend the launch, also in family groups – from Edinburgh, York, Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham and more. A lively discussion about Barbara’s research and Q&A session was followed by a long signing queue!

You can listen to Barbara talking more about the book on BBC Radio or read more in this fascinating Muddy Stilettos interview. You can see more event dates here, photos of Barbara’s location travel and research on her website here and sign up for her monthly newsletter here, for early news and extra insights.

THE VALLEY OF RAVENS has already garnered praise from early readers and reviewers:

‘Erskine masterfully connects these women across centuries, delivering an atmospheric blend of historical drama and supernatural suspense that explores how deep secrets refuse to stay buried.’ – Woman’s Own

‘Gripping and inspirational… Barbara Erskine never disappoints. She is a master storyteller with a genius for evoking lost worlds, and writes pacy and convincing time-slip novels in which magic and the supernatural abound and menace is always lurking, and this book is no exception. I was riveted, entranced by the poignant story of the last native Prince of Wales, and the brave heroine who risks her all for his sake. It’s a beautifully crafted story, a real roller-coaster ride, and utterly spellbinding.’ – Alison Weir

‘There are few things as exciting as a new Barbara Erskine novel. In fact, I’m beginning to think that she writes especially for me, because her stories, so multi-layered, gliding smoothly from present to past, with intriguing and often quite scary paranormal threads, are exactly what I crave in a book. No one does the paranormal like Barbara and I love her for it. She’s a kindred spirit and I soak up every word with unadulterated pleasure. THE VALLEY OF RAVENS is Barbara at her best – she’s been at her best for years, really, she hits that high pitch of perfection every time. She’s a master storyteller and a wise woman. Long may she continue to entertain, fascinate and give great joy to her many readers! I adored THE VALLEY OF RAVENS so much!’ – Santa Montefiore

'An intriguing time-slip story... With beautiful prose, this atmospheric story is told in dual time frames as ancient events and secrets come to the fore.' – Candis

It was recently announced that HarperCollins have acquired two new books from Barbara Erskine, one being the long-awaited sequel to Barbara’s debut, the multi-million-copy bestseller LADY OF HAY, which has been in print for 40 years. The new novel, also set in Hay-on-Wye, has Jo Clifford again as central character and will be published in 2028, with a further title to follow.

About the Author

Barbara Erskine at the launch of THE VALLEY OF RAVENS

Historian and novelist, Barbara Erskine was the first writer to become a major bestseller with dual time period novels. Her first novel, LADY OF HAY, catapulted her to international success and has been constantly in print for 38 years. Often imitated, never equalled, Barbara’s work is published all around the world in English and in 26 other languages. Her books are regular Sunday Times bestsellers in both hardback and paperback, with millions of copies sold.

Barbara Erskine has 16 novels and 3 original short story collections to her name. Euromedia published ‘The Best of Barbara Erskine’ short story collection in the Czech Republic in October 2020.

She lives in an old police station in Hay-on-Wye, the setting of LADY OF HAY and SLEEPER’S CASTLE. The area, near Offa’s Dyke, is a key location in THE DREAM WEAVERS, THE STORY SPINNER and THE VALLEY OF RAVENS too.

Praise for Barbara Erskine

‘Fascinating, absorbing, original. But perhaps the most suitable word is hypnotic.’ – SHE

‘Erskine never disappoints.’ — Historical Novel Society

 'My perfect storm of escapist bliss.' – Saga

 ‘The acknowledged queen of the historical time-slip novel.’ – Daily Mail

‘Whether you class her as historical or supernatural, she is certainly a first-rate storyteller.’ – The Bookseller

Visit Barbara’s website.

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Audible Original Romantasy Sensation FORGED BY FIRE (Ashen Crown Book Two) Publishes August 12th

FORGED BY FIRE, the second instalment in the Ashen Crown trilogy by Elli J. Morrigan, will publish as an Audible Original on August 12th, 2026, across the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and Germany. The release arrives amid growing interest in exploring a television adaptation of the trilogy.

About the Ashen Crown trilogy

Book One, BOUND BY FIRE, established Ashen Crown as one of Audible's standout romantasy successes and was named one of Audible's Best Romantasy of 2025, became one of the platform's biggest breakout titles, reaching #1 on Audible Germany's Fantasy chart and #2 in Most Popular overall.

FORGED BY FIRE raises the stakes further with darker shadows and a flame that refuses to be extinguished. Fire doesn't burn in water. But Izzy has never played by the rules. Izzy has fled Skarvindar and the wreckage left behind her at the Dawn of Kings with a broken heart, a fading flame and the memory of the man who shattered everything she thought she knew. Her fire is gone, and her only escape leads straight into Nymara - a breathtaking water realm built on balance and secrets, ruled by a queen, whose kindness is her most dangerous weapon. Meanwhile, Queen Kalia's shadows creep closer on the hunt for Izzy, darkening every horizon. But something inside Izzy is waking up as she learns balance, how to control her fire magic and the realisation that only she can forge what Kalia desires most. Caleb has crossed half a world to find her. When he finally does, he is prepared to fight for her, only to find nothing between them is resolved. The woman he finds is no longer the one he lost. The connection that has always burned too bright threatens to ultimately unravel them both. Some powers demand sacrifice. Some desires survive betrayal. Some hearts refuse to let go. And some promises are forged by fire.

Book Three is already confirmed for 2027.

About the authors

Ashen Crown is co-written by Alison Norrington and Jenny E. Kleine under the shared pen name Elli J. Morrigan. The series is written simultaneously in English and German, twin originals rather than translations, one story told natively in two languages at once.

“Book One was one of Audible's Best Romantasy titles of 2025.  Book Two arrives with even higher stakes, launching across five territories on the same day," says Norrington.

"Izzy had to earn her power all over again in Book Two," says Kleine. "So did we - every scene had to work twice as hard, in both languages, at once."

"The pressure with a sequel isn't finding the story - it's making sure it still burns as bright as the first book did," says Norrington. "And with Book Three already underway, we're not done yet."

TikTok: [@elli.j.morrigan_author](https://www.tiktok.com/@elli.j.morrigan_author)

Instagram: [@elli.j.morrigan_author](https://www.instagram.com/elli.j.morrigan_author/)

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Pre-order available now.

For media enquiries please contact Julian Friedmann.

Edward Wilson-Lee’s THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS recognised as the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize looks back on 25 years of historical non-fiction

Image: Orlando Myxx

Edward Wilson-Lee, who was awarded the 2019 PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize for THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS, joined his fellow past prize winners in celebration as the Prize marked its 25th and final ceremony. The prize, funded by and in memory of the late Marjorie Hessell-Tiltman, recognised exceptional works of historical non-fiction, of such literary merit that reached beyond the academic market to connect with all readers.

Image: Orlando Myxx

The event on 16 July at Foyles Charing Cross included Edward and other previous winners Anita Anand, Kojo Koram, Keith Lowe, Diarmaid MacCulloch, Margaret Macmillan, David Olusoga, Richard Overy, David Reynolds, Avi Shlaim, Stephen A Smith, Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Jenny Uglow, and Rebecca Wragg Sykes in conversation to consider the past, present, and future of historical non-fiction. The night culminated with Margaret Macmillan being crowned the ‘Winner of Winners’.

THE CATEGORY OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS, Edward’s 2019 winner, told the story of Christopher Columbus' illegitimate son Hernando, who sought to equal and surpass his father's achievements by creating a universal library to harness the vast powers of the new printing presses to assemble the world’s knowledge in one place. ‘THE CATEGORY OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS was a unanimous choice,’ said the 2019 judges Dr Kate Wiles and Stephanie Merritt. ‘We felt it stood out for its combination of compelling original research with elegant writing and a gripping narrative, bringing together histories of exploration, scholarship and personal and national identity. Through the life of Hernando Colón, Edward Wilson-Lee captures a turbulent world in the grip of unprecedented change, geographically and intellectually, and considers what lessons we might take for our own age of rapidly expanding information.’

THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS was published by William Collins in the UK in 2018 and by Scribner in the US in 2019. Rights have been sold in ten translation markets so far: Bulgaria (Colibri), China (Guangxi Normal University Press), France (Editions Paulsen), Italy (Bollati Boringhieri), Japan (Kashiwashobo), Netherlands (Meulenhoff), Romania (ART), Portugal (Bertrand Editora), Saudi Arabia (Madarek) and Spain (Ariel, Planeta). THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS was also shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for Biography in 2019.

About Edward Wilson-Lee

Edward Wilson-Lee is 1596 Fellow in English at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he teaches Renaissance Literature. After growing up in the US, Kenya, and Switzerland, he studied in London, New York, Oxford and Cambridge and lived in Zimbabwe, Mexico and the United States in between. He lives in Cambridge with his wife and two sons.

He has been awarded numerous Fellowships to support his work, including from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Foundation, and most recently a Guggenheim Fellowship. His first book was SHAKESPEARE IN SWAHILILAND and THE GRAMMAR OF ANGELS his most recent. In addition to English-language publications in the UK and the US, his work has been translated into another 15 languages and he is regularly invited to festivals abroad.

Praise for THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS

‘Perfectly pitched poetic drama – the closest thing documented history can get to magic realism…THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is a wonderful book, not least in the literal sense of an epic unfolding in a nonstop procession of marvels, ordeals and apparitions… A simile-studded prose that is seldom less than elegant and often quite beautiful… THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is most compelling as a meditation on the response to an explosive expansion of knowledge.’ – Simon Schama, Financial Times

'Wilson-Lee’s main subject… is an intellectual hunger at once dazzling and monstrous: Hernando Colon’s insatiable urge to know and to possess… For lovers of history, Wilson-Lee offers a thrill on almost every page… THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is an intellectual biography, but its beating heart is the tangled love of a son for his father... Edward Wilson-Lee’s magnificent book helps us understand [Hernando’s] obsessive desire to gather and preserve, even in the face of chaos.'  – Irina Dumitrescu, New York Times

'Superb biography... THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS affords an intriguing glimpse into the Renaissance mind and its rage for order, as well as a beguiling preview of the modern library and, very possibly, what lies beyond.' – Ernest Hilbert, Wall Street Journal

‘An elegantly written, absorbing portrait of a visionary man and his age.’ – Kirkus Reviews (Starred review)

'A gripping study of heroic endeavour and family rivalry; it's a tour de force of sifting through dusty fragments and of vivid biographical storytelling, as well as a delicious, Borgesian dream for all bookworms and lovers of libraries and print ephemera.' – Marina Warner, New Statesman

‘Edward Wilson-Lee’s THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is an utter joy, the story of the first internationally important library and the man whose vision it was. It will remind everyone who reads of it of how wonderful libraries and the people who work in them are.’ – Joseph O’Connor, Irish Times

Praise for Edward Wilson-Lee

‘Wilson-Lee combines literary flair with deep historical insight.’ – Paul Lay, The Times

‘Wilson-Lee has the rare knack of re-visiting even the most familiar places as if they were being discovered for the first time. His prose is rich, fluent, absorbing. He guides his readers through a kaleidoscope of detail, interrelating various themes with consummate skill.’ – Fernando Cervantes

‘Autodidact catnip. He’s a gifted chronicler of the odd, the interesting and the esoteric. Think non-fiction Umberto Eco.’ – Ian Sansom, The Spectator

Bookouture acquires two more Jean Fullerton novels

Bookouture has acquired two more World War Two saga novels from bestselling author Jean Fullerton for publication in 2027. The books will be the fifth and sixth in her East End Girls series, which follows the lives, loves and heartbreaks of a group of four extraordinary young women, who join the WAAF and are stationed in the East End of London as barrage balloon operators. Commissioning Editor Lizzie Brien has agreed a World English Language deal, including audio, from Kate Burke at  Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.

Lizzie says, ‘I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Jean and Kate to publish more books in this incredible series. Every book that Jean writes opens a door onto our past in such a fascinating and delightful way, and the women of Balloon Site 312 have become firm favourites, capturing many hearts along the way! It’s such a joy to know that we have two more books in this series on the way. I know that readers are going to love them just as much as I do!’

Jean says, ‘I can’t tell you how delighted I am to have signed a new contract with Bookouture. It means I’ll once again be working with Lizzie Brien and the brilliant editorial team, and, best of all, I’m finally able to give all my lovely East End Girls the happy endings they so richly deserve.’

Kate says, ‘I’m delighted that Jean is writing more books in this wonderful series and that we get to continue working with Lizzie and the whole Bookouture dream team!’

About Jean Fullerton

Jean was born and bred in the overcrowded streets surrounding London Docks where her family have lived since 1825. Being born within the sound of Bow Bells, she’s a true cockney who grew up in what was then the working-class dockland community in Wapping and Stepney, East London. All her published books are set in the streets and alleyways she roamed as a child.

Jean worked for 30 years as a community nurse in East London, starting as a staff nurse and finishing as a university lecturer in Health Studies at London South Bank University.

Jean’s Ration Book series is published by Corvus, whilst her East London Nurses series and Victorian East London Nolan series are published by Orion. Her first memoir, A CHILD OF THE EAST END, was published by Corvus in August 2022.

 Praise for Jean Fullerton

‘The queen of East End sagas’ – Elaine Everest

‘Warmth, humour and characters readers care about are Fullerton’s hallmarks.’ – Peterborough Evening Telegraph

‘A brilliant author who is not afraid of the truth’ – Geoffrey Harfield, Historical Novels Society

Visit Jean’s website

Follow Jean on Instagram and Facebook 

THE MOTH by Paul Herzberg receives its London premiere at the Finborough Theatre this October

We are delighted to announce that Blake Friedmann client Paul Herzberg's award-winning play THE MOTH will have its London premiere at the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre for a strictly limited four-week season, from 27 October to 21 November 2026, following a triumphant Northern tour in 2025. The press nights will be held on Thursday, 29 October and Friday, 30 October 2026 at 7.30pm.

Micky Cochrane & Faz Singhateh in The Moth by Victoria Wai

THE MOTH tells the story of a chance encounter on a train between John, a Black British journalist, and Marius, a White South African ex-soldier. Their meeting sets in motion an escalating chain of events that reshapes their lives over thirty years, culminating in a confrontation before the nation's television cameras where they are forced to lay bare their conflicting truths.

Directed by award-winning theatre director Jake Murray Elysium Theatre Company. The play is presented by Andy Jordan Productions and Elysium Theatre Company in association with Neil McPherson.

Inspired by a true story, the play explores the themes of memory, identity, the legacy of Apartheid, and ultimately, what does forgiveness really mean. Paul, an accomplished actor and writer with nearly fifty years in theatre, television, and film, drew directly on his own experience of forced conscription into the army during the Angolan Border War. Having left South Africa in 1976, his lived experience of Apartheid and its continuing reverberations drive the narrative with profound authenticity.

ABOUT PAUL HERZBERG

An accomplished actor and writer, Paul Herzberg began his career at South Africa's first multi-racial theatre, The Space, before coming to the UK in 1976. As a writer, Paul's work has been produced by BBC Radio 4 and presented internationally. His previous stage play The Dead Wait was produced at the Market Theatre Johannesburg, the Royal Exchange Manchester, and the Park Theatre. It was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award, nominated for three Manchester Evening News Awards, and adapted for BBC Radio 4, ABC Australia, and WDR Germany.

Paul is represented by Julian Friedmann.

The Northern tour reviews:

“Evocative and as deeply human as it is disturbing... A sure sign of a remarkable and powerful play is that it stays with you long after the curtain call. Like a moth, this play will linger and flutter in your mind.”

Northern Arts Review ★★★★★

“A political thriller which directly confronts its darkness... A piece of theatre which lodges itself deep inside you, demanding reckoning long after the evening is over.”

The Palatinate ★★★★★

“Gripping, stellar performances by Faz Singhateh and Micky Cochrane. A poignant reflection on race, war, history and identity.”

Love Manchester ★★★★★