A bumper start to 2025: from literary discussions to thought-provoking journalism, our authors have been making waves in the media this month.
The travel journalist trio of Daniel Stables, Shafik Meghji & Mary Novakovich contributes to Words from the Road 2025, a collection of travel narratives curated by Deskbound Traveller. Their work also features in the Inspire Global Travel Awards 2025 shortlist. Recognised by Book Authority, Mary’s travel guide on Croatia has also been ranked among the best in its category. She also shares the joy of slow travel in The Guardian, recounting a three-week road trip through Croatia.
Michael Robb, author of Shelf Life, provided insights in Booktime as he discusses his latest work and the literary inspirations behind it. Read an interview with Michael for The History Press. “I would hope that those who love books and bookshops have a much better understanding about the history of this business, but also the importance of those who work in the book trade (and often are incredibly undervalued). I hope the book makes people value books and bookshops more highly.”
Joe Luc Barnes delved into the complexities of the Russian language’s survival across post-Soviet states for Riddle. “There’s a case to be made that Russian will soldier on despite Putin, simply because it is needed.”
In January edition of Country Life, Dr Richard Sugg shares extraordinary stories of animals who travel remarkable distances to reunite with their owners. He also explored canine sentience in Psychology Today, reflecting on the heroic Nome serum run. Richard’s next book, Impossible Journeys, showcases incredible homing journeys by dogs.
Speaking to The Bookseller, Seth Thévoz, author of Behind Closed Doors: The Secret Life of London Private Members’ Clubs (Little, Brown), and the forthcoming London Clubland, told The Bookseller of the venue’s impact: “The Groucho Club was absolutely critical in reinventing London private members’ clubs, from their traditional, fusty image into the fashionable phenomenon they are now – and it did that by being a hub for creatives, artists, writers, journalists and publishers.”
In an interview with Cinto Press, Tom Gaisford reflected on his lifelong passion for storytelling and its power to shape narratives. His debut novel, Sanctuary, is about a young idealist who sets out to save his vocation as a refugee lawyer and secure the affection of the woman he loves, and makes a series of discoveries about himself, those around him and about the complex world he inhabits. “I hope readers form their own responses to it. At the same time, it is essentially a rite of passage novel.”
Remembering the remarkable life of Noreen Riols, intelligence historian Michael Smith contributes an obituary for The Guardian. Trainer for the Special Operations Executive she acted as a ‘honey trap’ and later wrote novels based on her wartime experiences.
Featured in The Irish Times and The TLS, George Harrison’s debut novel, Season, has been praised for its literary prowess. ‘Harrison does an excellent job… Season captures the universal experience of fandom but its real concern is male loneliness’
In SpyTalk, Henry R. Schlesinger, author of Honey Trapped and the forthcoming Age of Amateurs examines the evolution of disinformation in the digital age and how a forgotten turn-of-the century author’s obscure study of Germany’s clever 1914-1918 propaganda tricks warned us about the future of psychological warfare
Writing for Drinks Business, Nick Breeze, author of COP OUT: How governments have failed the people on climate, reflects on the lessons COP28 taught us about climate change and sustainable winemaking.
Reporting for Context, journalist Dan Collyns investigates Brazil’s intensified efforts to combat illegal gold mining in the Amazon. Illegal mining has surged in Brazil as international gold prices have soared, while former president Jair Bolsonaro, in power between 2019 and 2023, advocated for wildcatters and sought to legalise mining on indigenous land.
Finally, contributing to The Conversation, Melissa Butcher continues to offer thought-provoking commentary on current affairs and social issues. Her book, The Trouble with Freedom (Manchester University Press) publishes next year—an illuminating exploration of how the very value that unites America is also the one tearing it apart.
As political divisions deepen and crises mount, Americans of all beliefs feel their freedom is under threat. Journalist and researcher Melissa Butcher travels across the country, uncovering not just anger and distrust but also the potential for understanding and change.
Last but not least, Rikki Stein‘s memoir, 
Debut novelist Tom Gaisford, whose forthcoming book will be published by Cinto Press, gets a mention in the Guernsey Press’s feature about famous Guernsey authors.
Mira Harrison launched her new novel 
Timothy Bird is a writer, photographer, and English language editor with dual British and Finnish citizenship, and lives in Helsinki. His published works include A Baltic Odyssey, Suomenlinna – Islands of Light, and Living in Finland (co-authored with Ingalil Snitt) and contributes to various publications such as The Independent, The Telegraph, Finnair Blue Wings, and Fodor’s Guides.
Amanda Tuke is a consultant botanist, urban plant walk leader, and associate lecturer for Bath Spa University’s MA in nature & travel writing. She writes a monthly column for Bird Watching Magazine on urban birds and has contributed to RSPB Magazine, BBC Countryfile Magazine, Resurgence Magazine, and the London Wildlife Trust Blog.
Helping desperate clients reach safety is what gives his job meaning. But he now finds himself demoted, signed off sick for stress, and facing redeployment to the firm’s subterranean billing department.
“I’m now firmly convinced that emotion is the key to the mystery of these astonishing journeys. Perhaps most astonishing of all are the journeys where a dog finds their person or family in a completely new place: Irish terrier Prince walking from London to Armentieres in France to find Private James Brown in 1914, or the spaniel named Joker in World War Two. When his owner Stanley Raye was posted from Pittsburg, California to an island in the Pacific, Joker walked 30 miles to Oakland harbour, got onto a boat, and then ignored numerous island stops until he found the one where Raye had been sent.”
Professor Melissa Butcher is a social and cultural geographer at Cumberland Lodge and Royal Holloway, University of London. She has produced to date two monographs (2003, 2011), five edited collections, over 30 academic journal articles, as well as numerous pieces of journalism. She has had regular invitations to present her work at public events including in the past the Bloomsbury Festival and the Dublin Science Museum.
This is a meticulously crafted exploration of bookselling and publishing spanning two millennia. This engaging narrative, designed for book lovers of all kinds, unveils the resilience and innovation of key figures who shaped the literary landscape. From the pioneering days of William Caxton to the contemporary influence of Jeff Bezos, the book chronicles the stories of those who transformed the world of books.
Cull & Co. Literary Agency Ltd 