Finalist for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for BiographyShort-listed for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionThe award-winning biographer Frances Wilson presents an exhilarating new look at Muriel Spark, a consummate artist of the twentieth century.“Is the story fact? Is it fiction? It is what it is,” said Muriel Spark.Muriel Spark was a puzzle, and so too are her books. She dealt in word games, t...

A brilliantly original and gripping new look at the sinking of the Titanic through the prism of the life and lost honor of J. Bruce Ismay, the ship's ownerBooks have been written and films have been made, we have raised the Titanic and watched her go down again on numerous occasions, but out of the wreckage Frances Wilson spins a new epic: when the ship hit the iceberg on April 14, 1912, and one thousand men, lighting their last cigarettes, prepared to die, J. Bru...

"Never trust the teller," wrote D. H. Lawrence, "trust the tale." Everyone who knew him told stories about Lawrence, and Lawrence told stories about everyone he knew. He also told stories about himself, again and again: a pioneer of autofiction, no writer before Lawrence had made so permeable the border between life and literature. In Burning Man: The Trials of D. H. Lawrence, acclaimed biographer Frances Wilson tells a new story about the author, focusing on his decade of superhu...

The author hopes to encourage readers to think about how words including viewpoints can affect relationships. Words and views are like windows. Just like there are various types of windows, our views vary. When a window is opened it allows fresh air, so when we express our views, we can help to foster community and interaction.

"Is the story fact? Is it fiction? It is what it is." —Muriel SparkThe word most commonly used to describe Muriel Spark is "puzzling." Spark was a puzzle, and so too are her books. She dealt in word games, tricks, and ciphers; her life was composed of weird accidents, strange coincidences, and spooky events. Evelyn Waugh thought she was a saint, Bernard Levin said she was a witch, and she described herself as "Muriel the Marvel with her X-ray eyes." Following the clues, riddles, an...

"My Home in the Field of Honor" by Frances Wilson Huard is a poignant memoir that captures the essence of life during wartime. The author, a dedicated nurse, shares her experiences on the front lines, providing a vivid portrayal of the struggles and sacrifices faced by soldiers and medical staff alike. Through her eyes, readers gain insight into the emotional and physical toll of war, as well as the resilience of the human spirit. Huard's narrative is both personal and universal, resonatin...

My Home in the Field of Honor by Frances Wilson Huard is a poignant and vivid memoir that offers a unique perspective on life during World War I. Huard, an American living in France, provides an intimate account of her experiences and observations as the war unfolded around her. Her narrative captures the resilience, courage, and everyday struggles of those living through the conflict.The memoir reflects on the impact of the war on both the French people and the ex...

This early work by Frances Wilson Huard was originally published in 1918 and we are now republishing it as part of our WWI Centenary Series. 'With Those Who Wait' is a work that paints a picture of what life was like for many in rural France during the First World War. This book is part of the World War One Centenary series; creating, collating and reprinting new and old works of poetry, fiction, autobiography and analysis. The series forms a commemorative tribute to mark the passing of on...

Everyone has struggles, but wishes they did not. This of course is not reality, but many still try to avoid them. They soon discover, however, that the very issues they try to avoid only increase, creating obstacles. Some try to get around the obstacles, only to encounter new ones. There is no way around obstacles, so it is back to square one.In seeking solutions for health issues, we usually seek the services of medical personnel. Generally, we learn best from those who had simila...

Boldly combining the highly personal with the brilliantly scholarly, In the Dark Room explores the question of how memory works emotionally and culturally. It is narrated through the prism of the author's experience of losing both his parents, his mother when he was sixteen, his father when he was on the cusp of adulthood and of trying, after a breakdown some years later, to piece things together. Drawing on the lessons of centuries of literature, philosophy and visual art, Dillon...

'Both the fictional and autobiographical versions of 'The Middle Years' are concerned with authors, acolytes, and endings rather than the middle of things. Or rather they are about, as are all the tales of James's middle years, the recognition of one's own extreme brevity'Frances Wilson, from her preface to The Middle Years & Other TalesThe stories in this collection represent Henry James's middle years, a time in his life which he described as 'misanthropic, melanc...

'James's tales can be traps and ruses; they can also be complex self-descriptions in which his own fears and desires have full reign'Frances Wilson, from her Preface to The Beast in the Jungle & Other TalesThis collection is made up of the later works in Henry James's repertoire, into which he threw the full weight of his creative fears - notably those concerned with the life he missed out on while distilling his experiences into literature. The stories explore the ...