May 18

May 18 Hey hey Hay On Wye!

The Covid pandemic has affected a large number of events and festivals due to happen this year, included the much lauded literary gathering at Hay On Wye. But like many of us, they’ve adapted and switched things up and taken their programme online!

This is fabulous news and makes the festival super-accessible for everyone sat in the comfort and safety of their own homes. The main programme is happening May 22nd - 31st, so if you’re thinking of attending (virtually of course!) why not order some of the key titles from us!

There’s far too many books being covered in the programme to list them all, but one of our superstar members has compiled her top tips for what to look out for. (Thanks Joan!)

Top non-fiction…

Gloria Steinem - Thoughts on Life, Love and Rebellion

For decades, people around the world have found guidance, humour and unity in Gloria Steinem’s gift for creating quotes that offer hope and inspire action. From her early days as a journalist and feminist activist, Steinem’s words have helped generations to empower themselves and work together.

Esther Duflo - Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems

Original, provocative and urgent, Good Economics for Hard Times offers the new thinking that we need. It builds on cutting-edge research in economics - and years of exploring the most effective solutions to alleviate extreme poverty - to make a persuasive case for an intelligent interventionism and a society built on compassion and respect.

Jon Sopel - A Year at the Circus: Inside Trump’s White House

In A Year at the Circus: Inside Trump’s White House, BBC North America Editor, Jon Sopel, takes you inside Trump’s West Wing and explores the impact this presidency has had on the most iconic of American institutions. Each chapter starts inside a famous Washington room, uncovering its history and its new resonance in the Trump era.

Adam Rutherford - How to Argue with a Racist

How to Argue with a Racist is a short, crisp manifesto for a 21st-century understanding of human evolution and variation, and a timely weapon against the use of science to justify bigotry.

Philippe Sands - The Ratline

In The Ratline Philippe Sands offers a unique account of the daily life of a senior Nazi and fugitive, and of his wife. Drawing on a remarkable archive of family letters and diaries, he unveils a fascinating insight into life before and during the war, on the run, in Rome, and into the Cold War. Eventually the door is unlocked to a mystery that haunts Wächter’s youngest son, who continues to believe his father was a good man - what happened to Otto Wächter, and how did he die?

Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac - The Future We Choose

The Future We Choose is a passionate call to arms from former UN Executive Secretary for Climate Change, Christiana Figueres, and Tom Rivett-Carnac, senior political strategist for the Paris Agreement. We are still able to stave off the worst and manage the long-term effects of climate change, but we have to act now. We know what we need to do, and we have everything we need to do it.

Ainissa Ramirez - The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another

Ainissa Ramirez examines eight inventions-clocks, steel rails, copper communication cables, photographic film, light bulbs, hard disks, scientific labware, and silicon chips-and reveals how they shaped the human experience. These fascinating and inspiring stories offer new perspectives on our relationships with technologies. Ramirez shows not only how materials were shaped by inventors but also how those materials shaped culture, chronicling each invention and its consequences-intended and unintended.

David Spiegelhalter - The Art of Statistics

In The Art of Statistics, David Spiegelhalter guides the reader through the essential principles we need in order to derive knowledge from data. Drawing on real world problems to introduce conceptual issues, he shows us how statistics can help us determine the luckiest passenger on the Titanic, whether serial killer Harold Shipman could have been caught earlier, and if screening for ovarian cancer is beneficial.

Jules Hudson - Escape to the Country

For over a decade, the BBC’s hit rural property series ‘Escape to the Country’ has helped thousands of would-be country dwellers do just that. Now Jules Hudson shares his experience of seeking out captivating country homes in this inspiring and practical guide.

Claudia Hammond - The Art of Rest

The Art of Rest draws on ground-breaking research Claudia Hammond collaborated on The Rest Test - the largest global survey into rest ever undertaken. It was completed by 18,000 people across 135 different countries. Much of value has been written about sleep, but rest is different; it is how we unwind, calm our minds and recharge our bodies. And, as the survey revealed, how much rest you get is directly linked to your sense of well-being.

Samantha Power - The Education of An Idealist

Power is a leading global voice on human rights and international affairs. She served for four years as President Obama’s human rights adviser and then, from 2013 to 2017, in his Cabinet and as US Ambassador to the United Nations. ‘Her highly personal and reflective memoir … is a must-read for anyone who cares about our role in a changing world’ - Barack Obama.

Top fiction…