Comedian, author and one half of BBC Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage, Robin Ince will be joining us for a quirky dive into the world of human behaviour. A powerful, personal exploration of anxiety, ADHD and neurodiversity, Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal reminds us all – no matter how weird we feel – that it’s okay to be a little different. Read more
Celebrating the 20th century women who went to sea, Julia Jones will be diving into the stories of an array of incredible, unconventional and extraordinary women who set their sights on the sea in an all-male world, and paved the way for the female sailing superstars of today. Read more
A stunning biography of one of the most flamboyant and enigmatic seventeenth-century Englishmen at the heart of political and royal life. Lucy Hughes-Hallett will transport us into a courtly world of masques and dancing, exquisite clothes, the art of Rubens and Van Dyck, gender-fluidity, same-sex desire, and appallingly rudimentary medicine. Read more
The Grammar of Angels tells how Renaissance prodigy and polymath Giovanni Pico della Mirandola dedicated his short, brilliant life to a quest to find the sublime; to reconcile all existing thought into a philosophy that would settle the most important questions about human existence. Read more
We are thrilled to welcome Tony Peake in celebration of this new edition of Derek Jarman: The Authorised Biography covering Jarman's story from childhood to student life and his work as a designer, painter, and filmmaker. New contributions look at Jarman’s impact and legacy over the past five decades and his position as one of the late twentieth century’s most celebrated cultural figures. Read more
New York Times bestselling author, Paul French who specialises in the history of 20th century China, joins us to examine a controversial and revealing period in the early life of the legendary Wallis Simpson. French will reveal the untold story of what really happened to Wallis during that year in China, dispelling many of the myths and gossip surrounding it. Read more
Historian and broadcaster, Gareth Russell, will explore the life and loves of Britain’s first King. James Stuart did not always love wisely, but he never failed to do so boldly. This groundbreaking book puts James – genius, liar, spendthrift, idealist, witch-hunter – and the men he loved at the centre of one of the most dramatic stories in British royal history. Read more
Award-winning British TV producer and author Clare Paterson joins us for a fascinating conversation about her latest book. The Nine Lives of Annie Besant charts the extraordinary – and largely untold - story of a pioneering Victorian feminist - a rebel with a thousand causes, and a thorn in the side of power across two continents. Read more
2026 marks the centenary of the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh, one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. Best-selling biographer Gyles Brandreth knew the real Christopher Robin and his new book is both an intimate and revealing biography of A A Milne (to whom there was so much more than Pooh) and a fascinating exploration of fathers and sons, children and their parents and the nature of childhood itself. Read more
From an award-winning journalist comes the hugely timely story of Britain’s broken asylum system and the search for belonging in Britain today. With unique and unparalleled access, award-winning journalist and former Home Office insider Nicola Kelly takes us behind the scenes what happens when you arrive here in the UK, from boat to shore to holding room and beyond. Read more
Darren Coffield will be exploring his book, Hen Mistress of Mayhem: A Portrait of Henrietta Moraes, providing a unique insight into 1950-60s Bohemia and the key players of the fashion, music and art scene. Read more