Diaries & Memoirs

After humble beginnings in the Dulais Valley, newly married Patricia James leaves everything she knows to move to another continent. Describing life first in Libya then Ghana, this memoir gives a glimpse into expatriate life in the mid-sixties.

A memoir and manifesto from the world's most Michelin starred chef, Alain Ducasse, with introductions by internationally renowned writer Jay McInerney and chef Clare Smyth. At twelve years old, Alain Ducasse had never been to a restaurant. Less than fifteen years later, he received his first Michelin star. Today he is one of just two chefs to have been awarded twenty-one stars. Now, for the very first time, Ducasse shares a lifetime of culinary inspirations and passions in a book that is part memoir and part manifesto. Good Taste takes us on a journey from his childhood, where he picked mushrooms with his grandfather on a farm in Les Landes, to setting up groundbreaking schools and restaurants across the world. He is now taking off his chef's whites and passing on what he knows to the next generation. Ducasse writes a poignant ode to the humble vegetables that have inspired his entire cuisine and to the masters that guided him along the way, from Paris to New York to Tokyo. As he looks to the future, he reflects on just what 'good taste' means.

A genuinely funny memoir with lots of heart (and just the right amount of bitterness!), Helen Lederer pulls no punches, but every blow is wrapped in a laugh of recognition. Brilliantly written, revealing, and moving, Not That I'm Bitter is sweet, sour, laugh-out-loud, and addictive.

It's not the dream that matters, it's the telling of the dream - the words you choose, the risks you take in externalising your mindThis is a dreamlike portrait of a body in struggle to connect with itself and others. As the narrator contends with chronic pain, and with a pandemic raging in the background, she sets out to examine the literal and symbolic role of the mouth in the life of a writer. Merging dreams and dailies, Pathemata recounts the narrator's tragicomic search to alleviate her suffering, a search that eventually becomes a reckoning with various forms of loss - the loss of intimacy, the loss of her father and the loss of a pivotal friend and mentor. In exacting, distilled prose, her account blurs the lines between embodied, unconscious and everyday life. With characteristic precision, humour and compassion, Nelson explores the limits of language to describe experience, while also offering a portrait of an unnerving and isolating time in our shared history. A stunning new, original experiment in interiority by the adored author of Bluets and The Argonauts, Pathemata is a personal and poetic reckoning with pain and loss, both physical and emotional, as well as an uncanny meditation on love, affliction and resilience.

Comedian Pierre Novellie was on stage when a heckler suggested he was autistic. Usually, this disruption would be water off a ducks back but two things made this heckler different: first, he was himself autistic. Second, he turned out to be absolutely right. This random encounter led to a diagnosis of autism at the age of 31 that unravelled his world, explained his struggles and answered questions that had bothered him for his entire life: why were the other kids obsessed with Britney Spears instead of The Goon Show? Why dont people ever say what they mean? Why is everyone chewing so loudly?At once a hilarious and insightful journey through autism and neurodivergence, an entertaining explainer for the uninitiated and observational comedy for the neurodiverse, this is the perfect read for anyone who has ever asked themselves: why cant I just enjoy things?

"A daughter's story of unresolved grief and a family's hard-won healing. When her husband Bill died in 1969, Tina Presnell gathered her three children. "We won't talk about this," she said. "It will be easier that way." In 2012, several years after her mother's death, Barbara Presnell recovered her father's World War II belongings: a scrapbook, news clippings, documents, and letters. Recalling how much his war experiences had meant to him, Barbara, along with her estranged brother and sister, planned a journey to travel their father's route through Europe. From Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, to the western bank of the Elbe River in Magdeburg, Germany, the siblings would follow the movements of their father's division and rediscover his stories, share memories, and renew family bonds. In Otherwise, I'm Fine, Presnell tells the story of her grief and, across her tour of western Europe, the breakthroughs that released her from recurring depression, resolved her conflicted grief for her mother, and returned her beloved father to her and her siblings as a living memory"--

Acclaimed historian and novelist Robert Irwin begins his book with a caveat: '[it] will be of little or no practical use or interest to stamp collectors. It does not deal with the subject's practicalities'. Instead, Irwin takes us on a fascinating, wayward journey through a wealth of literary texts that cast a surprising light on stamps and the curious activity of collecting them. Drawing on writers from Sigmund Freud to Ellery Queen, Irwin charts an erudite path that encompasses the psychology and psychopathology of collecting, classification, nostalgia, anal retentiveness, secrecy and subversion, boredom and death. As his sources take him from the colonial history of stamp imagery to the bizarre trade in stamp forgeries, Irwin builds a unique and compelling portrait of the art of collecting, and of himself as collector.

ONE OF THE 20th CENTURY'S FINEST MEMOIRS: the sweeping, candidly told story of a life in writing and politics, with an introduction by Vivian Gornick, who referred to the book as "literary gold" "Stops you in your tracks. I would like to persuade everyone to read it" -- Sunday Times A compulsively readable, beautifully written account of a fascinating 20th century woman and life. This candid, affecting portrait of a woman who loathed domesticity explores how she sought to balance a literary career with political commitment. After a lifetime of writing a novel every year, Storm Jameson turned to memoir with this stated ambition: 'I am trying to write without lying'. The result was an extraordinary reckoning with how she had lived: her childhood, shadowed by a tempestuous, dissatisfied mother; an early, unhappy marriage and her decision to leave her young son behind while she worked in London; a tenaciously pursued literary career, always marked by the struggle to make money; and her lifelong political activism, including as the first female president of English PEN, a role she used to help refugees escape Nazi Germany. In a richly ironic, conversational voice, Jameson tells of the great figures she knew and events she witnessed: from encounters with H.G. Wells and Rose Macaulay, to travels across Europe as fascism was rising. Throughout, she writes with electric candour and immediacy about her own motivations and psychology as she traces her lifelong struggle to live on her own terms.

'We were reflecting on our own career as it was happening. It’s not that we were trend-conscious, we were doing exactly what we would have been doing anyway.' - Jim Morrison'We didn’t sit down and have a meeting to say, ‘Hey, we want to change the minds of people.’ We didn’t say it but we enjoyed doing it.' - John Densmore'The Doors is bigger than any of us, and that only happens once in a lifetime and not to many people. It’s an honour to be one of The Doors.' - Robby Krieger'We were just a bunch of psychedelic guys trying to spread the word and the feel of what it was like to be high in Venice back in the mid-sixties. And boy, was it a good feeling to watch that sun set into the middle of the ocean and feel that peace, and to feel at one with the universe.' - Ray ManzarekNight Divides the Day is the definitive chronicle of The Doors, offering an intimate and richly illustrated exploration of the band’s legendary journey. Featuring interviews with Robby Krieger and John Densmore and meticulously sourced archival text from Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek, this 50,000-word manuscript comes to life with a treasure trove of rare, unpublished photographs, exclusive memorabilia and intricate recording and production notes—all drawn from The Doors’ personal archives and private collections.In this deeply intimate narrative, the band members recount their evolution from their early days playing local clubs on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles to the iconic, and sometimes infamous, moments that defined their career. From the electrifying release of anthems like ‘Light My Fire’, ‘The End’ and ‘Riders on the Storm’, to the notorious Dinner Key Auditorium performance in Miami, the book captures the essence of their meteoric rise and the cultural impact they left in their wake.Featuring new and insightful contributions from a diverse array of artists, including Van Morrison, Nile Rodgers, Slash, Nancy Sinatra and more, the book is anchored by a foreword from Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and an afterword by maestro Gustavo Dudamel. These unique voices offer fresh perspectives on The Doors’ influence and legacy.Granted unprecedented access to the band’s archives, Night Divides the Day is a visual and narrative feast. The book showcases a stunning collection of historical artifacts—childhood photographs, handwritten song lyrics, poster art, movie stills and previously unseen album cover outtakes. Images of the band in the recording studio, along with work from celebrated photographers and trusted insiders, transport readers behind the scenes and on the road with The Doors.In addition, rare and invaluable items from the band’s history, including vintage instruments and recording equipment, are specially photographed to enrich this kaleidoscopic portrait of one of rock music’s most legendary bands.Night Divides the Day is the ultimate account of The Doors, capturing their incredible story and enduring legacy in a way that has never been seen before.

When Maiwand Banayee was 16, he wanted to become a suicide bomber for the Taliban. In this inspiring tale of survival and self-discovery, the reader will follow Maiwand's journey down a dark path and his ultimate redemption. Growing up in Kabul amid the Afghan wars, he witnessed atrocities that no child should ever see - rotting corpses, starving families, a neighbourhood torn apart. He escaped to a refugee camp in Pakistan, where religious militants began the gradual grooming of Maiwand and other Afghan boys. These confused and traumatised children were indoctrinated, radicalised and prepared to die in the name of a religious war. But Maiwand escaped this life. Fleeing Afghanistan, he had a life-altering crisis of faith, confidence and meaning, finding new purpose and rebuilding himself. Maiwand taught himself how to read and write in English, and here tells his astonishing story in crystalline prose. Delusions of Paradise offers a powerful warning about the dangers of radical religion, and is a stunning celebration of self-determination and redemption from an important new voice.

16 recipes testifying to the sisterhood and solidarity forged in the most notorious prisons in Iran

A captivating memoir detailing Susan Elkin's unexpected journey from secondary school English teacher to accomplished, wide-ranging journalist and author. With warmth, wit, and humility, This Writing Business recounts her inspiring transformation and reveals the joys and challenges of a life dedicated to the written word.

"From cameraman to chef, musician to food scientist, Alton Brown has had a diverse and remarkable career. His work on the Food Network, including creating Good Eats and hosting Iron Chef America and Cutthroat Kitchen, has resonated with countless viewers and home cooks. Now, he shares exactly what's on his mind, mixing ... anecdotes from his personal and professional life with in-depth observations on the culinary world, film, personal style, defining meals of his lifetime, and much more. [He] explores everything from wrestling a dumpster full of dough to culinary cultural appropriation to his ultimate quest for the perfect roast chicken."--

For readers of Allie Brosh, Bless the Messy is a compassionate, distinctive, and voice-driven illustrated personal growth book, one that gives readers permission to radically love themselves, feel their feelings, and live with joy even as — especially as — they may fumble through major life moments, or feel othered by society’s narrow norms.