Category: Non fiction
-
Notes from an Island
By Tove Jansson and Tuulikki Pietilä Paperback, £12.99 A short and beautiful memoir, as two women in their late 40s build their dream cabin on a remote island in the Gulf of Finland. They stayed every summer until they were less able to manage the rigorous physical work that living there required. Luckily for us…
-
Rental Person Who Does Nothing
By Shoji Morimoto Paperback, £10.99 In this written account, Tokyoite Shoji Morimoto tells the story of why and how he stopped freelancing and started offering his services – for free! – as a “rental person who does nothing” on Twitter. Don’t let the quirky premise put you off. I spent my entire time reading it…
-
Now Go: On Grief and Studio Ghibli
-
Boy Friends
by Michael Pedersen In this soft and tender epistolary memoir, Scottish poet Michael Pedersen recounts his most impactful friendships, with at its core the one he shared with musician, singer and artist Scott Hutchison, abruptly cut off by Hutchison’s death in 2018. Pedersen takes us through the before – all the previous (friend) love stories…
-
Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism
-
Explorers, Dreamers and Thieves: Writers in the Archives of the British Museum
Paperback, £11.99 A timely and intriguing collection of short pieces inspired by the ‘eth docs’ – items in the ethnographic collection’s archive, all relating to the Americas. Charco have lined up an outstanding list of writers to respond to these items, and the book includes essays, short stories, and poetry. Contributors include Selva Almada and…
-
Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt
by Brontez Purnell In this memoir in verse, Purnell’s fifth book, he takes us on a ride from his Alabama childhood to his adult life in California. From one poem to the next, he takes on gossip, sex, mental health, past loves, pop culture – settling scores and taking stock as he goes. I loved…
-
Ending the Pursuit: Asexuality, Aromanticism & Agender Identity
by Michael Paramo This is an exploration of the evolution of the meanings attributed to love, sex and gender that is both readable and bursting with information and conceptualisation. It is certain to have you question the ways and reasons behind the relationships in your life, as it explains the colonial, capitalist and cisheteropatriarchal mechanisms…
-
The Lost Paths
-
Many Things Under a Rock
-
Arrangements in Blue
By Amy Key Paperback, £10.99 In this memoir, poet Amy Key takes the lovely pretext of Joni Mitchell’s seminal album Blue to explore various aspects of her own life and relationships. Each chapter, guided by a song lyric, focuses on something different: building a home, her relationships to parents and grandparents, her friendships, her romantic…
-
Friendaholic
-
Cuckooland
-
Grief Is For People
-
Beyond the Wall
-
Strong Female Character
By Fern Brady Paperback, £12.99 Fern Brady is an unstoppable force on the British comedy scene, appearing on Taskmaster, numerous podcasts, and sold-out line ups around the UK. It is always a joy when a comic publishes a book, their writing being naturally full of wit and skill, and Strong Female Character delivers both, alongside…
-
Getting Better
By Michael Rosen Paperback, £12.99 This is a useful and moving combination of memoir and practical guide to healing after serious illness. Rosen finds moments of joy after Covid and bereavement, and offers accessible creative ways of dealing with struggle. His writing for children and adults, while often very funny, has also dealt with difficult…
-
Pirate Enlightenment
You must be logged in to post a comment.