Published Today: AN ELEPHANT FOR THE EMPEROR – Saviour Pirotta
Saviour Pirotta’s latest thrilling adventure is now available for purchase!
Set in the Golden Age of Islam, AN ELEPHANT FOR THE EMPEROR follows our three heroes Farouk, Hudayn, and Abul on an epic quest from Damascus to Aachen. Facing pirates, sea storms, bandits and more, AN ELEPHANT FOR THE EMPEROR is both a extraordinary tale of courage and friendship, and an exploration of the world of the Islamic Golden Age perfect for KS2 classrooms.
In a blog post written for Heath Books, Saviour gives a guide to using the novel in a classroom setting for KS2 teachers. To inspire discussion and learning, classes could discuss the technology of the time, the comparison of Islamic and Christian culture, and modern perceptions of the Middle East among many other rich topics explored in the books.
Saviour also talks about the inspirations in his own childhood from his grandmothers cooking at home. This inspiration has developed over the years and culminated in his incredible novels THE GOLDEN HORSEMAN OF BAGHDAD and AN ELEPHANT FOR THE EMPEROR. These novels introduce young readers to the history of the ancient world and the culture of the Abbasid Caliphate, while being excellent research and discovery springboards for KS2 teachers.
Both are published by Bloomsbury Education, and you can purchase your copy here: An Elephant for the Emperor: Saviour Pirotta: Bloomsbury Education – Bloomsbury
Read more here and buy from the links below.
Waterstones link: An Elephant for the Emperor by Saviour Pirotta | Waterstones
Amazon link: An Elephant for the Emperor : Pirotta, Saviour: Amazon.co.uk: Books
See their Instagram for a collaboration announcement with Saviour Pirotta: Instagram
Written by Victoria Shipton for Paper Lion Ltd, 2026
D.H. Lawrence’s lasting legacy in the COVID era.
The Ship of Death: Last Poems by D.H. Lawrence with a new foreword by Frances Wilson.
We are so excited about the release of THE SHIP OF DEATH: Last Poems by D. H. Lawrence!
This new collection of his final poems reflects the relevance of his meditations on sickness, life and death. In a modern society living with the after effects of a pandemic, publisher Gail Spilsbury saw how Lawrence’s poems could add to our current conversations. The result is THE SHIP OF DEATH, a unique engagement with Lawrence and his legacy.
The book is a personal selection of D.H Lawrence’s most affecting and poignant poems, written while the poet lay dying of tuberculosis at the age of 44. This anthology is essential for both first time readers and long time lovers of Lawrence, as his rage, joy and faith in the face of death results in some of his most impressive and touching poetry.
The new foreword by award winning biographer Francis Wilson brings new meaning to this collection of 67 poems, and sheds light on Lawrence’s life and writing. In the echo of the COVID pandemic, this anthology is a enlightening reflection on the eternal nature of beauty and suffering. Many modern readers will find comfort in these truly emotive poems, as well as essential understanding in Wilson’s exploration of the last months of Lawrence’s life.
Lawrence’s meditations on life, death and sickness remain incredibly relevant, and we extend our congratulations to Bergamot Books and to Francis Wilson.
You can purchase your edition here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ship-Death-Last-Poems/dp/B0GSKQ6BJ5
Written by Victoria Shipton for Paper Lion Ltd, 2026
MIDWICH CUCKOOS flying over Prague
The spooky children of Midwich have set their yellow eyes on the Czech Republic,
THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS by John Wyndham will be published in audiobook by Tympanum, where it joins an illustrious stable of classic fantasy: GAME OF THRONES by George R.R. Martin, THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Witcher series (Sága o Zaklínači) by Andrzej Sapkowski, all narrated in Czech.
Tympanum already publish John Wyndham’s most famous book, THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, which came out earlier this year, narrated by David Novotný.
“Read it with your ears” if you dare!
STARSPILL on the Shortlist
The great thing about the James Reckit Hull prize is that the winners are chosen by the people who actually read the books – the children! We all know how honest children can be, so when they choose a good book, we know it’s a really good book.
That’s why we’re proud and delighted that Catherine Fisher’s STARSPILL is on the shortlist for the eagle-eyed judges.
STARSPILL was published last year by Firefly Press, which celebrates Welsh heritage in literature. Catherine has several books with them: fireflypress.co.uk/authors/catherine-fisher Her children’s novel THE CANDLEMAN is heading Firefly’s new list of Welsh classics. You can already pre-order it here: fireflypress.co.uk/books/the-candleman.
STARSPILL
Catherine Fisher, renowned for her poetic storytelling and masterful world-building, delivers yet another spellbinding tale in her latest novel, STARSPILL.
Set in a land with no sun, Zac is chosen by the cats to lead a dangerous quest to get the sun back in its place, and flood the world with light again. But there are sinister reasons why some people might prefer certain things to stay hidden in the dark.
Christmas is the perfect time to remember how light conquers darkness, and this is the perfect gift for a child aged 8-12.
If you liked VARJAK’S PAW by SF Said, you’ll love STARSPILL with its sassy cats.
Published by Firefly in September, you can buy a copy from them here
First Books in New Audio Partnership
Children have always loved audiobooks. That’s why we are proud to partner with The Audio Agency to put as many of our clients’ children’s books as possible into audiobook. Not all children can read a book, but most can listen to a story.
The first ones are coming in January – the four NILE ADVENTURES by Saviour Pirotta. These exciting tales are brought to life by skilful narrating, with music and sound effects, making them truly immersive.
Release date is 28 January 2024, the same day that THE SERPENT’S ECLIPSE comes out in paperback, the final adventure in the series from Maverick Children’s Books.
The Audio Agency is a publisher and distributor with a passion for diversity and accessibility. This means Saviour’s audiobooks will be available on all platforms around the world, so that children who rely on audio for their reading, can enjoy the stories too.
New Malaria Vaccine Builds on the Life’s Work of a Feeble Cabbage
Geoff Butcher was inspired by his gap year in Africa, to devote his life to developing a vaccine for malaria, and that goal has now been achieved at last. The devastation that the disease caused, especially in children, moved him to become a research scientist. Despite being written off as a “feeble cabbage” at school, his work made significant contributions to the battle against malaria.
That’s why it’s particularly exciting to see that a new malaria vaccine has just been developed and is now approved by the World Health Organisation.
This is what another malaria research pioneer from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said:
“The wait for an effective malaria vaccine has been a long one and it was only in October 2021 that WHO recommended deployment of the world’s first malaria vaccine RTS,S. Now, two years later, a second malaria vaccine, R21, has also been approved by WHO.” Sir Brian Greenwood, Professor of Clinical Tropical Medicine.
You can read the whole news article here Malaria vaccine receives WHO recommendation
malaria cells attacking blood cells
Schizogony in P. Knowlesi malaria.
One of the achievements which paved the way for the vaccine was this film that Geoff made in 1969 by pointing his camera down the lens of his microscope. It was the first time that malaria cells were actually caught in the act of invading red blood cells, and then it clearly shows how they can be blocked by the presence of antibodies. This is despite predictions that it couldn’t be done. The film has the catchy title Schizogony in P. Knowlesi malaria. It is in the Wellcome Collection, and you can watch it here: Wellcomecollection.org/works/sw476ssr.
There is an explanation of this process (and more) in Geoff’s YouTube film about his book: YouTube book video
Geoff explains how his discoveries came about in his book MEMOIRS OF A FEEBLE CABBAGE in which he looks back over a life well lived.
It’s available in all good bookshops including this one: Waterstones
Nomads See Themselves in Print
Perhaps the best review of a book is the reactions of the people in it, seeing themselves in print for the first time. Diane Barker had this experience when she took her book PORTRAITS OF TIBET to the Tibetan grasslands to show to the families who appear in it.
Semtso and his family see themselves in PORTRAITS OF TIBET
Wangdrak Rinpoche laughs at pictures of his friends in PORTRAITS OF TIBET by Diane Barker
Diane could not carry enough copies of the heavy book to give them, so they took their own photos
Steamy, Intimate and Emotional
New on Netflix and in the cinema, the long awaited new version of the iconic LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER! Starring Emma Corrin (of Princess Di fame, in THE CROWN) as the disappointed Lady Chatterley, and Jack O’Connell as Mellors the gamekeeper, the film explores the scandal, not only of love outside marriage, but love that crosses classes. In the end, Constance Chatterley must make the anguished choice between her privileged lifestyle with its increasingly cold marriage to Sir Clifford, and the passion and poverty of a life with Mellors.
There are trailers and more to see on the Netflix site.
A tie-in paperback is coming to the US from Rosetta Books.
You can read more from DH Lawrence, in ebooks from Rosetta Books.
2022 – the Year of John Wyndham
We are proud to announce that Audible have completed their release of 12 novels by John Wyndham in audiobook. This is a historical moment because it is the first time that some of his works have ever appeared in audio form, and the first time that all his novels appear together in the same place. You can find old favourites like THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS and CHOCKY and discover little-known gems like FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED and the strangely contemporary STOWAWAY TO MARS.
You can see the full range here: Audible.co.uk
One of these firsts is THE CURSE OF THE BURDENS which is a perfectly formed murder mystery. Is an ancient curse still affecting the Burden family, or was it straightforward human greed that led to the death of the heir to the Shotlander Estate? Find out in this slightly spooky new discovery. Scroll down or click here to see this forgotten novel leaving the British Library for the first time in decades, on a memory stick.