Capture the wonders of nature in watercolour with this quick guide to wildlife painting, packed with techniques and inspiration. 

Bestselling author Hazel Soan demonstrates how to paint a variety of wildlife, from garden favourites to exotic wild beasts. With easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step exercises, it has never been easier to capture the likeness of an animal, in your chosen medium, in a few quick strokes.

The book covers all the key skills you need, including techniques for speed, capturing pose and proportion, advice on painting fur, feathers, hair, hides and markings, working with colour and light, and adding background and setting, as well as further work that can be completed in the studio.

From cats, big and small, birds and foxes to magnificent elephants, lions and zebras, Hazel’s simple tips, practical demonstrations and beautiful paintings can be applied to any moving subject and will help you master the art of capturing animals – in watercolour, oils, pencils or pastels – in no time at all.

Word count: 10,000 words

This beautifully-presented book chronicles the coming and going of these peoples, their kings, heroes and saints, and way of life. Look out for more Pitkin Guides on the very best of British history, heritage and travel.

Batsford’s Chess Bible is a landmark, full-colour chess instruction book, ideal for both beginners and more experienced players wanting to improve their game.

The book takes the form of a course, with quick-start guides to help to retain the information you’ve learned and puzzle sections for you to test yourself as you go. To illustrate more advanced strategy and tactics, author Sean Marsh uses world-class chess ‘heroes’, such as Anatoly Karpov and Mikhail Tal, to bring the concepts to life. Essential topics include:

• Pieces and Moves: the very basics, covering the chessboard, notation, the names of the pieces and how they move, plus an overview of chess etiquette.
• What Chess is All About: an exploration of chess culture and history.
• Winning, Drawing and Losing: Covers the various ways of winning at chess, and how games are drawn.
• Six Openings for Life: Coverage of six of the best chess openings, each illustrated by a different ‘chess hero’.
• Tactical Weapons: An examination of forks, pins, skewers and other tactical devices, followed by illustrative games from Tactical Hero Mikhail Tal.
• Positional Play: Looks at good and bad positions, plus the art of planning, seen through the games of Positional Hero Tigran Petrosian.
• Human Factors: Typical mistakes and blunders to avoid.

Easy to follow, yet thorough and challenging, this book is an essential companion for all budding chess champions.

A charmingly illustrated ode to increasingly threatened wildlife.

The much-loved illustrations of Hannah Dale celebrate a new generation of wildlife around the world, including many endangered animals. Born to Be Wild features 50 charming portraits of new cubs, chicks and calves, some with the mother and father, some in their pride or tribe and some setting off on their own. 

Wildlife has never been under such threat from climate change, habitation loss and poachers and hunters. This book is a timely reminder of the beauty of the wild and the accompanying text explains how the parents undertake their role of nurturer in the wild. From orangutans to humpback whales, tigers to hedgehogs, penguins to elephants, and meerkats to koalas, Hannah Dale captures and preserves the essence of wildlife in this pocket sized book. A wonderful reference and beautiful little gift book for nature lovers.

Following on from her textile hit Slow Stitch, author Claire Wellesley-Smith considers the importance of connection and ideas around wellbeing when using textiles.

Claire explores textiles in the context of individuals and communities, as well as practical ideas around ‘thinking-through-making’, using ‘resonant’ materials and extending the life of pieces using traditional and non-traditional methods. Contemporary textile artists using these themes in their work feature alongside personal work from Claire and examples from community-based textile projects. The book features some of the very best textile artists around, esteemed American fiber artists and the doyenne of textiles, Alice Kettle.

Resilient fabrics that can be manipulated, stressed, withstand tension and be made anew are recommended throughout the book, as well as techniques such as layering, patching, reinforcing, re-stitching and mending, plus ideas for the inclusion of everyday materials in your work. There’s an exploration of ways to link your emotional health with your textile practice, and ‘Community’ suggests ways to make connections with others in your regular textile work. ‘Landscape’ has a range of suggestions and examples of immersing your work in the local landscape, a terrific way to find meaning in your work and a sense of place. Finally, there is a moving account of one textile community’s creative response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

The connection between wellbeing and the creation of textiles has never been stronger, and, as a leading exponent of this campaign, Claire is the perfect author to help you find more than just a finished textile at the end of a project. 

The story both of the real world of the Brontës at Haworth Parsonage, their home on the edge of the lonely Yorkshire moors, and of the imaginary worlds they spun for themselves in their novels and poetry.

Wherever possible, their story is told using their own words – the letters they wrote to each other, Emily and Anne’s secret diaries, and Charlotte’s exchanges with luminaries of literary England – or those closest to them, such as their brother Branwell, their father Patrick Brontë, and their novelist friend Mrs Gaskell. 

The Brontës sketched and painted their worlds too, in delicate ink washes and watercolours of family and friends, animals and the English moors. These pictures illuminate the text as do the tiny drawings the Brontë children made to illustrate their imaginary worlds. In addition, there are facsimiles of their letters and diaries, paintings by artists of the day, and pictures of household life. 

This beautifully illustrated book offers a unique and privileged view of the real lives of three women, writers and sisters. 

‘I can’t think of a single person who wouldn’t enjoy having this beautiful collection of poetry to dip into when they need a boost’ – Good Housekeeping

‘This is supreme bedtime reading.’ – The Lady

‘Go to sleep with the lightest of hearts, with verses from Thomas Hardy, Emily Brontë, Simon Armitage, Wendy Cope and more’ – Townswoman

These days we’re all in need of a little nugget of happiness to help soothe our weary souls at the end of the day. A Happy Poem to End Every Day provides just that: one sublimely happy poem for every day of the year, from cosy fireside idylls in winter to outdoor adventures in summer, encounters with the beauty of nature in spring and moments of quiet reflection in autumn. It features some of the greatest poets ever to put pen to paper, from William Wordsworth on the joy of skating and Emily Brontë enjoying life on the moors to Simon Armitage catching a cricket ball and Wendy Cope sharing an orange, with a good smattering of classic jolly verse such as Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussycat.

Beautifully illustrated with contemplative scenes of pure happiness, this wonderful book is the perfect way to give yourself a little lift every evening. Keep it by your bedside and it’s sure to bring restful sleep and sweet dreams.

Bridgerton is the runaway Netflix success that has captured the hearts and imaginations of its biggest ever global audience. Producers Chris Van Dusen and Shonda Rhimes have ripped up the Regency drama rulebook to create a series that speaks to a modern audience. 

Apart from the intense sexual chemistry, inspired casting and a lavish costume budget, what sets Bridgerton apart is the extensive use of location shooting. Step forward Bath: the Georgian architectural jewel gets to play many different parts of fashionable London. 

Bridgerton’s Bath takes you on a tour of all these locations from No.1 The Royal Crescent (the Featherington’s house on Grosvenor Square) to Abbey Green (Covent Garden) and the Abbey Deli (Modiste couturier) on Abbey Street. 

Bridgerton intersects with Jane Austen’s world at the Assembly Rooms where one of the early balls takes place, while the 18^th-century Bath Guildhall also gets a place on the series’ dance card. 

A key character in the drama is Lady Danbury, played by Adjoa Andoh, and her grand mansion is Bath’s former Sydney Hotel, today the Holburne Museum. Gunter’s Tea Room was a celebrated London patisserie and in Bridgerton it can be found on Trim Street. 

Many Bath streets feature regularly, including Beauford Square, a place for regular carriage trips and the Royal Crescent, which in Series One, reverberated to the sound of galloping hooves as our heroine (or her stunt double) raced to stop a duel. 

The book includes a feature on how the series was filmed in the city, and includes a detailed map so you can follow your own Bridgerton Walking Tour of this beautiful city, which has more to offer besides. 

As the longest serving royal consort in British history (1921-2021), this fully-illustrated guide celebrates Prince Philip’s remarkable contribution to the monarchy.

A strong character full of vigour and verve, he found himself married to the most famous woman in the world, Queen Elizabeth II. They married for love and, although at times this man with strong opinions and enthusiasms of his own has found it hard to play a subordinate role, he has always been the Queen’s rock and support. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, grew famous for speaking his mind, but as his loyalty to his wife and country and his devotion to duty became apparent, he has become a national treasure and a figure of great respect to the British public.

His marriage, fatherhood, early and distinguished career as a 1^st Lieutenant in the Royal Navy are all detailed, including the Duke of Edinburgh Awards that have changed the lives of many young people.

This commemoration of the Duke of Edinburgh, highlights how Prince Philip, as royal consort, has left an ongoing legacy not only to the sovereignty of Britain but also to his beloved royal family.

Her Majesty has never hidden the extent of her reliance on Philip, the man she has called: ‘My strength and stay all these years.’ 

Fascinating and richly illustrated stories of flowers for every day of the year.

Every day of the year a different species of flower bursts into bloom somewhere in the world. This collection of 366 flowers reveals not only their beauty but the fascinating botanical, literary, folkloric and historical stories behind them.  

Discover the magnificent magnolia, which evolved more than 95 million years ago at the time of dinosaurs, and the specific perfumed rose that covers the land around Grasse in France. Read about the powerful medicinal elements of the Manuka bush flowers and the inspiration behind William Wordsworth’s ‘host of golden daffodils’.

Here are also the cheerful Mexican marigolds bedecking urban graveyards, delicate cherry or sakura blossoming along Japanese avenues, spectacular tropical vines hanging in the Philippine rainforest and flamboyant wildflowers carpeting meadows across Europe, showcasing the amazing variety of the natural world.

Illustrated with stunning photographs and works of art, this collection is a celebration of flowers and their special place in both the natural world and our culture. 

Enthralling tales of the sea, rivers and lakes from around the globe.

Folklore of the seas and rivers has a resonance in cultures all over the world. Watery hopes, fears and dreams are shared by all peoples where rivers flow and waves crash. This fascinating book covers English sailor superstitions and shape-shifting pink dolphins of the Amazon, Scylla and Charybdis, the many guises of Mami Wata, the tale of the Yoruba River spirit, the water horses of the Scottish lochs, the infamous mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, and much more.

Accompanied by stunning woodcut illustrations, popular authors Dee Dee Chainey and Willow Winsham explore the deep history and enduring significance of water folklore the world over, from mermaids, selkies and sirens to ghostly ships and the fountains of youth.

With this book, Folklore Thursday aims to encourage a sense of belonging across all cultures by showing how much we all have in common.

‘Galvanises us to notice and care about our glorious natural world, through the words of an army of poets, ancient and modern’ – Bel Mooney

An anthology of poems to enter the bloodstream and rewild the spirit.

As with all life on Earth, the climate emergency, species extinction, ecological disaster, global pandemics, economic collapse, war, genocide and social injustice are all interconnected — how do we face our fears? How do we find the courage to rebel against forces ranged against the Earth?

This galvanising collection of poems spans 4,000 years of human history. Ranging from Nikolai Duffy’s ‘Against Metaphor’ and Lord Byron’s ‘Darkness’ to Allen Ginsberg’s evocative ‘Sunflower Sutra’ and Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze’s ‘Tweet Tweet’. This book is not just a sanctuary in which to find solace from environmental grief but a manual for psychic resistance in the war against Nature. 

As Pablo Neruda said, ‘Poetry is rebellion.’