Spanning three continents and two centuries, Twelve Bar Blues is an epic tale of fate, family, friendship and jazz. At its heart is Lick Holden, a young jazz musician, who sets New Orleans on fire with his cornet at the beginning of the last century. But Lick's passion is to find his lost step-sister and that's a journey that leads him to a place he can call 'home'. Meanwhile, at the other end of the century, we find Sylvia, an English prostitute, and Jim, a young drifter. They're...

Zambawi, a banana republic in sub-Saharan Africa, is on the verge of revolution. President Adini, dictator and eunuch, clings to power whilst his soldiers switch sides so often they don't know which uniform to wear.All in all, Zambawi is not the ideal location for student teacher Jim Tulloh to indulge in a spot of character building. Yet with the help of Musa, the local witchdoctor, some flatulent weed and headmaster, PK, Jim's days look set to be mellow in the extreme; until that ...

Master storyteller Patrick Neate has written a funny, provocative and daring tale of London high- and low-life set among the capital's twirtysomethings. Featuring performance poetry; murder; Trafalgar Square's only fried-chicken induced battle; hat selling; bank robbery for the middle classes, love (and other social ailments); as well as pigeons - lots of crazed, angry thinking pigeons - The London Pigeon Wars is both a comic fable for our times and an exciting bird's eye view of life (and...

In the first year of the 20th Century, a young Englishman returns home from the Boer War. Disillusioned with Empire and fearful for the soul of Albion, he sets out on a pilgrimage into the West Country, determined to identify the key elements of the English character that they may be forever preserved.In the present day, a young London entrepreneur, owner of the 'cultural consultancy' Authenticity™, defines his contemporaries through their consumer choices with bewildering accuracy...

***Now a film starring Riz Ahmed**,** James Floyd**,** Billie Piper**,** Cush Jumbo**,** Roshan Seth and Antonio Aakeel*******Meet Tommy Akhtar, Ugandan Asian cricket fan, devoted son, and not very successful private investigator with offices over his brother Gundappa's mini-cab firm in deepest West London.He's just woken up from his hangove...

An inspiring mission to rescue young people from drugs and violence with musicAt a time when interest in Brazilian culture has reached an all-time high, and the stories of one person's ability to improve the lives of others has captured so many hearts, this unique book takes readers to the frontlines of a battle raging over control of the nation's poorest areas. Culture Is Our Weapon tells the story of Grupo Cultural AfroReggae, a Rio-based organization em...

Ever since his dad died in a shock accident, thirteen-year-old Gabe’s world has been turned upside-down and back to front. Literally: Gabe has discovered the ability to tell stories which take him into the past, or imagine an impossible version of the present or future that seems as real as real. Gabe has no clue what is going on. But the answers may lie with his mysterious uncle Jesse, an online game called Small Town Hero which seems to mirror Gabe’s own life, a long-lost grandm...

A stunning musical journey and cultural odyssey, Where You're At is the story of how hip hop conquered the globe and nobody noticed.'A dazzling study of hip-hop ... illuminating and passionate throughout' Observer'Neate tells it like it is ... This is a heartening appreciation of a wondrous thing: poetry for the masses. Neate loves it and so should you' The TimesThis the definitive history...

From comedy to cocktails, festivals to first dates, the theme is literally a Big Night Out – any time, any place, with a particular focus on stories from Australian authors (many narrated by the authors themselves). The stories are punctuated with special features such as dating tips and recipes to make for an even more engaging listening experience. Put on your snappiest outfit and get ready for the biggest night out in your life, in the company of your favourite authors, celebrities and ...

"Essential reading."-Steve Coll, NewYorker.comA gripping, sobering account of how Mexican drug gangs have transformed into a criminal insurgency that threatens the nation's democracy and reaches across to the United States.The world has watched, stunned, the bloodshed in Mexico. Forty thousand murdered since 2006; police chiefs shot within hours of taking office; mass graves comparable to those of civil wars; car bombs shattering storefront...

"Without this testimony, we simply cannot grasp what is going on . . . Americans would do well to read [Gangster Warlords]." --The New York Times Book Review, Editor's ChoiceFrom the author of El Narco, the shocking story of the men at the heads of cartels throughout Latin America: what drives them, what sustains their power, and how they might be brought down.In a ranch south of Texas, the man known as The Execut...

The U.S. Treasury Department called Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman "the world's most powerful drug trafficker."Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has appeared on Forbes list of the world's richest people, with an estimated fortune of $1 billion.While, El Chapo has a $7 million dollar bounty on his head after a prison escape in 2001, he's received a number of accolades. His story is compelling to say the least.Within a short and concentrated read you'll learn abo...