I hope to display 3 books this time, one a personal account of living in and visiting Japan entitled ‘An Affair with a Village — the work of social anthropological fieldwork and the long-term relationships built up’. The other two are novels: the first the tale of a 1960s escapee from the expectation that a girl, even with a degree, should quickly settle down, marry and have children.

The book, ‘Sharing Worlds’, recounts the exciting life she discovers between Mexico and Scotland, a fascinating job she finds, but still the conflict with wanting eventually to fulfil that expectation.

The second novel, to be launched at the Fair, is a sequel, and recounts the peripatetic life of a young woman whose travels and troubles are symbolised by the book’s title, ‘Born at Sea’. Set in the last three decades of the 20th century, it touches on cultural conflicts, the (recovering) plight of indigenous languages, and the early days of Climate Change, all presented through the eyes of a girl growing up. Spolier alert/ promise: both novels draw on some of my own experience as a social anthropologist, but the second is an entirely invented story.

In Teachers, Schools and Views on Education, John Howson brings together a year of sharp, timely reflections on the English education system at a moment of rapid change. Written as events unfolded, these commentaries capture the pressures facing teachers, the shifting demands on schools, and the policy decisions that shaped the national conversation throughout 2013.

With his trademark clarity and deep understanding of the teacher labour market, Howson offers readers a grounded, insightful narrative that connects policy to practice and national debate to classroom reality. From recruitment challenges to governance reforms, from curriculum shifts to workforce morale, this book provides a rare contemporaneous record of a pivotal year.

Essential reading for educators, policymakers, researchers, and anyone seeking to understand how the forces of policy and practice interact, this volume stands as both a historical document and a lens through which to view today’s ongoing debates.

Norman George was born in Bangor, Northern Ireland, where he grew up during the height of the troubles. Although he is a retired IT network manager, his real passion is for natural sciences, having studied Genetics and Cell Biology, Geosciences and Astronomy at Manchester and Open Universities.

He spent over 20 years living on mainland Europe, and spent several years hosting a ski chalet, where he became chef, driver, tourist guide and barman. His fascination for natural sciences, complemented by observation of humanity’s cultural conflicts, terrorism and the impact of mankind on nature, inspired his first novel.

‘Who Writes the Rules?’ published in 2023 presents scientific ideas and the author’s concerns about the impact of human activity. The story of Mosse and Heelia’s relationship examines how of cultural differences conflicts with their instincts, while providing a vehicle for discussing natural science within the context of the plot.

Norman’s 2nd novel, ‘Divine Intervention’, was inspired by visits to Athens and Delos, where the temples to the Greek gods are now in ruins. How would Athena react if she saw the horde of tourists surrounding the Parthenon?

A 3rd thought-provoking book is currently being researched, to be published in 2027.

nü editions is a uk-based independent publisher that aims to introduce original, innovative poetical works that provoke thinking, through bilingual productions.

WarmPorch Publishing is a very small, independent, labour of love.

In one form or another, I have been involved in publishing for almost twenty-five years, from setting up an independent music magazine (Sandman Magazine) in Sheffield to my current work at Oxford University Press.

WarmPorch was initially created to publish some extracts from my grandmother’s journals, The Search for Freeland Gardens [2009]. This small book (also now our first ebook) covered the arrival of my family, 50 years previously, to open a nursery garden in a small West Oxfordshire village.

In recent years I have been working with the sculptor Steve Hurst, using his diaries and sketchbooks to tell the story of the young artist. In 2022, Drawn From Life: The Ruskin Diaries 1949-53, was the first full length WarmPorch book and this year we published the follow-up, Bluff Road: The Malaya Diaries 1953-1955, covering Steve’s experiences as a national serviceman during the Malayan Emergency.

Looking further ahead, my grandmother wrote her journals between 1931 and 1974, and they track the author’s life from a shy teenager about to embark on her nursing training during the early years of the Depression, to the older, hardy, market gardener contemplating retirement. Ideally I’d like to publish three volumes of these journals. The entire text has been transcribed (about 1.3 million words); the next task is to edit them down.

Watch this space.

Angela has written extensively for the Oxford University Press Reading Tree Programme (mostly for the award-winning Readerful series). She has recently written two Stories for Maths titles. Scareground, her middle-grade novel was published in 2023 and nominated for the Historical Association’s Young Quills Award (Best Historical Fiction for Children). Angela teaches creative writing worldwide to children and adults, and will reopen her booking list in September. Hobbledown, the award-winning adventure park, is based on her children’s book of the same title.