A long-suffering employee in a big corporation has summoned up the courage to ask for a raise. But as he runs through the looming encounter in his mind, his neuroses come to the surface: What is the best day to see the boss? What if he doesn't offer you a seat when you go into his office?The Art of Asking Your Boss for a Raise is a hilarious account of an employee losing his identity-and possibly his sanity-as he tries to put on the most acceptable face for the corporate w...

'I remember hula hoops.''I remember Hermes handbags, with their tiny padlocks.''I remember that Stendhal liked spinach.''I remember that I dreamed of one day having all 57 varieties of Heinz.'Both an affectionate portrait of mid-century Paris and a daring memoir, Georges Perec's I Remember is now available for the first time in English, with an introduction by David Bellos.In 480 numbered statements, all beginning identically with 'I remember',...

In this ingenious book Perec creates an entire microcosm in a Paris apartment block. Serge Valene wants to make an elaborate painting of the building he has made his home for the last sixty years. As he plans his picture, he contemplates the lives of all the people he has ever known there. Chapter by chapter, the narrative moves around the building revealing a marvellously diverse cast of characters in a series of every more unlikely tales, which range from an avenging murderer to an eccen...

A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook.When Ebenezer Halliday’s daughter’s body is found stuffed underneath a train seat, the wealthy American industrialist hires Hercule Poirot to locate the murderer and over one hundred thousand dollars’ worth of stolen jewels.

A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook.Whilst at a meeting at the Tuesday Night Club, attorney Mr Petherick relates an incident involving the late Simon Clode, a wealthy client. Obsessed by his granddaughter’s death, despite the presence of his young niece and nephew, Clode turns to spiritualist Eurydice Spragg to contact his granddaughter in the afterlife. Clode then decided to write a new will, leaving Eurydice as the benefact...

Written by one of the country's leading experts on the short story, Write Short Stories - And Get Them Published is ideal if you want to write creatively in a genre that is increasingly attracting attention from publishers, and which offers plenty of competition and festival opportunities for you to showcase your work.It will help unlock your imagination and creativity, and to discover stories you didn't know you had. It will help you to observe the world around you more sharply, a...

A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook.Regretting her actions Daphne St John needs to return a diamond she stole from a friend. But without the owner being any the wiser. After worrying herself out of sleep she enlists the help of Parker Pyne to give the diamond back and ease her guilty conscience.

A battle-cry for civilised behaviour from the author of the multi-million selling Eats, Shoots and Leaves."Talk to the hand 'cause the face ain't listening," the saying goes. When did the world get to be so rude? When did society become so inconsiderate? It's a topic that has been simmering for years, and Lynne Truss says that it has now reached boiling point. Taking on the boorish behaviour that has become a point of pride for some, Talk to the Hand is a rallying cry for courtesy....

Ever feel hungry to write but can’t find an idea that whets your appetite? Whether you write fiction, poetry or memoir, there’s plenty here to get your teeth into. In this book, creative writing tutor and author Carol McKay shares not only some of her favourite prompts but also some of her tried and tested recipes to bring out the full range of flavours in your writing. The exercises, one-liners, photoprompts and definitions are suitable for those working on their writing alone or in a gr...

A Thunk is a beguiling question about everyday things that stops you in your tracks and helps you start to look at the world in a whole new light. The author guides you through the origins and uses of Thunks and demonstrates how this powerful little book can develop philosophical thinking for all ages ... remember there are no right or wrong answers to these questions. How liberating is that ...? Winner of The Author's Licensing and Collecting Society Award for Educational Writing by the S...

Language is always changing. No one knows where it is going but the best way to future-cast is to look at the past. John Simpson animates for us a tradition of researching and editing, showing us both the technical lexicography needed to understand a word, and the careful poetry needed to construct its definition. He challenges both the idea that dictionaries are definitive, and the notion that language is falling apart. With a sense of humour, an ability to laugh at bureaucracy and an inc...

'Greatly enjoyable' GUARDIAN'It is always exhilarating to read a book which says what so many of us think' SPECTATOR'Timely and lively' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'Let us be very clear about this from the start: John Humphrys is a Good Thing' EVENING STANDARD* * * * * *From Today programme presenter and national treasure John...