Four inspirational tales of Essex resilience intertwine to make an unmissable world premiere by the region’s most exciting playwrights.The Essex Princess by Anne OdekeIt’s 1908 and Joanna’s planning to provoke the attention of Southend and the whole of the nation, by becoming the first black woman to compete in a beauty pageant.Fiza by Guleraana MirFiza’s moved home with her parents. Under dire circumstance...

'Shall I tell you a secret? Anyone can be a queen, but a real queen wears the crown, she doesn't let the crown wear her.'It's 1908. Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Princess Dinubolu of Senegal is about to enter the beauty contest at the iconic Kursaal, Europe's largest entertainment complex. Meet Princess Essex.But how exactly did she get here? And is she all that she seems?Anne Odeke's play Princess Essex is a riotous, satirical comedy based on the amazin...

Sir Michael Morpurgo retells two of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer’s Night Dream, in this stunning audio collection in association with the RSC, featuring readings by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Michael himself.Translating these iconic plays into thrilling prose, the nation’s favourite storyteller preserves all the imaginative genius and spark of the originals, while bringing a contemporary and vi...

Sir Michael Morpurgo retells ten of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays in this stunning audio collection in association with the RSC, featuring readings by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Michael himself.This collection includes Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, Henry V, Twelfth Night, Taming of the Shrew, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest.Translating these iconic plays into thrilling prose, ...

From the incomparable author of LIFE AFTER LIFE and DEATH AT THE SIGN OF THE ROOK, a story of nightclub owners and socialites, gangsters and dancing girls set in 1920s Soho.'Seduction, betrayal, and larger-than-life characters that will have you hooked until the last page' SUNDAY TELEGRAPHAtkinson on her finest form. A marvel of plate-spinning narrative knowhow, a peak performance of consummate control.' OB...

THE HILARIOUS, TOUCHING LIFE STORY OF THE ICONIC COMEDIAN AND NATIONAL TREASURE'Fabulous? Yes. Funny? Absolutely' Mail on SundayJennifer Saunders' comic creations have brought joy to millions. From Comic Strip to Comic Relief, from Bolly-swilling Edina in Ab Fab to her takes on Madonna or Mamma Mia, her characters are household names.But it's Jennifer herself who has a place in all our hearts. This is her funny, moving and ...

WINNER OF THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2021WINNER OF DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2022A No.1 BESTSELLER IN THE TIMES'A tender and touching love story, beautifully told' Observer'Hands-down the best debut I've read in years' The Times'A beautiful and powerful novel about the true and sometimes painful depths of lov...

A mystery from one of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction's four Queens of Crime: a suspicious death and a treasured heirloom spell trouble for the gentleman sleuth."Wonderfully plotted…. A marvelous mixture of witchcraft, sacred relics and ancient oaths. [Allingham was a] rare and precious talent."— The Washington Post"Margery Allingham stands out like a shining light."—Agatha ChristieEstranged from his fathe...

The number one bestseller and Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year by national treasure Bob Mortimer.‘The most life-affirming, joyful read of the year’ - Sunday Times‘Winningly heartfelt’ – The Guardian‘A triumph’ – Daily MailBob Mortimer’s life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate...

A special gift for Reginald Hill fans on Father’s Day – the return of Joe Sixsmith in a beautifully packaged, witty new crime novelA sweltering summer spells bad news for the private detective business. Thieves and philanderers take the month off and the only swingers in town are those on the 19th hole of the Royal Hoo Golf Course. But now the reputation of the ‘Hoo’ is in jeopardy.Shocking allegations of cheating have been directed at leading member, Chris Porphyry. When C...

When Sophie's friend Anisha is sent on her first foreign trip in her job at a travel agency - and gets to take Sophie with her - she jumps at the chance of some time away.But what Sophie doesn't realise is that there is a catch - a rather large catch. The five-star hotel is also a world-renowned golf resort. And its owners have offered the holiday on the basis of the girls' golfing prowess. Of which they possess quite literally none...A laugh-out-loud short story from the b...

A haunting and moving debut, The Midwife by Tricia Cresswell is perfect for fans of The Familiars and The Binding.After a violent storm, a woman is found alone, naked, near death on the Northumberland moors. She has no memory of who she is or how she got there. But she can remember how to help a woman in labour, how to expertly dress a wound and can speak fluent French.With the odds against her – a pennil...