Prof. Elena Ene Drăghici-Vasilescu teaches and researches in the fields of Late Antiquity and Medieval Studies (Philosophy, Art History, History of Ideas). Most recently her work has focused on Mediterranean culture.

She has a DPhil/PhD in Arts from the University of Oxford and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Dr. Vasilescu is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences.

She has published books and articles with Oxford University Press, Palgrave, Routledge, Peeters and Vasilescu Academic Oxford (her own publishing house).

Among her latest books are ‘Michelangelo, the Byzantines, and Plato’ (2021, second revised edition 2025); ‘Byzantine and Medieval Cappadocia’ (2024), ‘Creation and Time. Byzantine and Moder’ (2021), ‘Glimpses into Byzantium. Its Philosophy and Arts’ (an anthology of peer-reviewed articles).

Dr. Vasilescu has also published chapters in collective volumes published by Ashgate, Routledge and other well-known publishers. Moreover, Elena Ene Drăghici-Vasilescu published three volumes of poems: ‘Bucuria Verii cu Fluturi/A Summer with Butterflies’ (2025); ‘Tot despre cuvinte’/’About Words Again’ (2026), and ‘E Dreptul Meu’ [‘It is my Right’]

She directed two films: one is titled “Ieşirea din Labirint”/”Escape from the Labyrinth” and the other is based on Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” and is titled as such. The latter had its premiere on the 2nd of May, 2026, at the Ultimate Picture Palace cinema in Oxford.

Born in Lancashire, Paul joined the British Army at 16 and served for thirteen years before leaving to pursue a career.

In 2022, Paul published his debut novel, The Stone of Radnor, a YA fantasy and the first in the Guardian of the Stone trilogy. He has gone onto to complete the series and in August of this year he published his fourth novel, a Fantasy / Sci-Fi thriller called The Emerald Passage.

Paul works full time as a cybersecurity consultant and aside from writing in his spare time, Paul enjoys country walks and helping his partner with her horses and ponies. He currently lives in Hampshire with his two teenage children and a very annoying cat.

“Founded by award-winning storytellers, Epic is the UK’s only publisher training all its authors to deliver enthralling visits for schools and events. For producing books that hook resistant readers and successfully spark reading habits, Epic is a preferred supplier for the Department for Education.

Visit us for…

CHIP COLQUHOUN & KORKY PAUL’S ‘ALL THE BETTER TO READ YOU WITH’
Looks like a storybook. Feels like adventure. This series of illustrated short stories offers the perfect reading experience for new and enthusiastic young readers alike. The educators’ edition, endorsed by Prof Teresa Cremin, is (at the time of writing) shortlisted for the Teach Primary Awards due to its proven ability to stimulate recreational reading.

THE BESTEST STORY IN THE WORLD… EVER!
Noah has one week to save the world – but he really doesn’t want to. This mischievous tale is full of fun for book lovers, but also resonates with every reluctant reader – not least because it’s based on the true-life journey of one non-verbal literacy loather whose life was changed through storytelling…

BUNNY VS MONKEY: THE SCRAMBLING SCHOOL SCRAPE
That’s right: THE Bunny vs Monkey! Find out how Epic is helping legendary graphic novelist Jamie Smart reach schools around the UK.

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Learn how our books could earn an author visit to the school of your choice, ask about our writing and storytelling courses, or peruse our full range of titles and comics… and maybe see how your title could become one of them?”

Established in 2017 and based at Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre, ignitionpress is an award-winning poetry pamphlet press with an international outlook which publishes original, arresting poetry from emerging poets.

The press won the Michael Marks Publishers’ Award in 2021, and six of our pamphlets have been shortlisted for the Michael Marks Poetry Award, with one winning the Michael Marks Environmental Poetry Pamphlet Award in 2026. Six of our pamphlets have also been Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice selections.

Sarah Lustig is the author of the Westminster Mysteries series, which follow the adventures of Theo Duncan, the Prime Minister’s son, as he tries to solve mysteries that have baffled Parliament.

The first book in the series, Mystery in the Palace of Westminster, was awarded Highly Commended in the Selfies Children’s Book Award 2023 and it is a Wishing Shelf Book Awards finalist. The second book in the series, Body in the Thames, was also shortlisted for the Selfies Book Awards, 2025. The series finale, Murder at Speaker’s House, published in September 2026.

Sarah been a book editor for over 15 years and lives in Buckinghamshire, where she spends her time reading, writing and pottering on her balcony garden.

Nicki Thornton’s Little Bookshop of Murders is a series of twisty murder mysteries set around the world of bookselling, inspired by her 20 years in the book trade.

In Who Shot Jackson Brodie? bookshop owner Keera Munroe finds herself investigating an unsolved murder that everyone has called an impossible crime. Why were a couple shot dead on the first night they moved to Crossways? Soon it’s clear someone will stop at nothing to prevent the truth being exposed and once again Keera asks herself if the loveliest places hide the darkest secrets.

Nicki’s murder mystery series follows her bestselling crime fiction fantasy thrillers for children. Her books have been translated into more than 15 languages. She speaks regularly in bookshops, literary festivals and libraries about her love of mysteries.