Bill Bryson has the rare knack of being out of his depth wherever he goes – even (perhaps especially) in the land of his birth. This became all too apparent when, after nearly two decades in England, the world’s...

Knowing nothing of Singapore, Neil Humphreys arrives in the land of ‘air-conned’ shopping centres and Lee Kuan Yew. From the aunties in the hawker centres to expats dressed as bananas, from Singlish to kiasuism, and from Singaporeans abroad, Humphreys...

Part autobiography and part social history, Notes from the Hyena’s Belly offers an unforgettable portrait of Ethiopia, and of Africa, during the 1970s and ’80s, an era of civil war, widespread famine, and mass execution. “We children lived like...

In October 1943, POWs Alfie and Frank, jump from a train taking them to a German camp, into the Italian mountains. Hopelessly ill-equipped, their survival through the harsh winter depends on the courage and generosity of local families. The...

A short series of reflections from inside locked-down Italy provides a thoughtful reminder of the beauty, charm and wonder at the heart of Italian life, even in the most trying times. From an emotional overnight drive over a snow-filled...

The ride back to Kathmandu was comfortable and relaxing. There were more overturned trucks (the gas-powered ones seem to tip the most, I’m surprised there weren’t more explosions), goats being herded across the highway by ancient women, children playing...

Sarah grew up in the forests of Maine, following her father on hunts. They approached each kill with something close to reverence, honouring the sacrifice the animal made and the sustenance it provided through winter. Now, she’s a final...

FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE WEDDING PEOPLE Sally Holt has always been mystified by the things her older sister, Kathy, seems to have been born knowing. Kathy has answers for all of Sally’s questions about life, about...

(Miller Hatcher book #1) The body of a missing tourist is found in the small Coromandel town of Castle Bay. Miller Hatcher, a journalist battling her own demons, arrives in the idyllic seaside town intent on gaining a promotion...

The Second World War is long over but its legacy continues to tear a town – and a young boy’s life – apart.Knud is growing up in Falster, a small Danish town in the 1960s. The war is over...