Cull and Co. Ltd Latest Deals

CRYPTO CONFIDENTIAL by Jake Donoghue to Flint Books

UK & Commonwealth rights have been acquired by Flint Books.

Crypto Confidential: An Insider’s Account from the Frontlines of Fraud presents an uncompromising account of the exorbitant greed and systemic corruption which characterises the cultish world of cryptocurrency. Written by a prominent, well-connected and well-informed insider, the book tells the salacious story of the industry everyone is talking about right now. In doing so, it sheds light on some of the most scandalous financial crimes of the 21st Century.

The book will shed light on many of these crimes and corruptions, revealing how they’re orchestrated, and giving an insider’s account of how they unfold on a daily basis within the industry. With easily digestible explanations of technical concepts, this opens the book up to a mass market readership, without compromising on the appeal to those already literate and active in the crypto and finance sectors.

A full and frank depiction of how the crypto industry really works, and how those in charge orchestrate, coordinate, and ultimately pull off some of the most audacious crimes in the history of finance.

In past lives, Jake Donoghue held numerous positions within finance, politics and PR. He went on to co-found the UK’s foremost crypto marketing agency, working with the biggest names in the business. A frequent key-note speaker on the conference circuit, he has also written extensively for publications such as The Times, The FT, and The Spectator. Crypto Confidential presents his scandalous insider’s account of the world’s fast-growing, most tempestuous asset class.

“Crypto Confidential is the final word on the cryptocurrency industry. Its lively and dramatic account of greed, corruption, and scandal will captivate you from start to finish. I have been speaking out about Bitcoin and cryptocurrency for nearly ten years, and this book is a visceral illustration of why. It shines an uncompromising light on the dangers and pitfalls of the 21st Century’s most malevolent fad, and I would recommend it as essential reading for anyone considering dabbling in digital assets.” –– Frank W. Abagnale: Author of Catch Me If You Can

“Everything you feared was true about crypto and much worse are laid bare in this gripping and infuriating insider account of his time at the forefront of the industry. Funny, illuminating and beautifully written.” 

Liam Vaughan, Author of Flash Crash: A Trading Savant, a Global Manhunt and the Most Mysterious Market Crash in History

The book will be released on August 22, 2024. Pre-order here now.

Cull and Co. Ltd Latest Deals

CHILDREN OF THE VOLCANO by Ros Belford to September Publishing

Rights to travel writer Ros Belford’s memoir have gone to September Publishing.

The story of a single mum with two young children, not much money and a big dream – a beautifully vivid and evocative memoir of a mother’s move to a Sicilian island to give her daughters a childhood to remember.

Reeling from a broken relationship, Ros Belford decided the best chance she had of healing and giving her children an interesting childhood was to move to the Mediterranean and live by the sea. They end up on a small island off the coast of Sicily.

With humanity, vitality, honesty, and optimism, Ros Belford shows us what it is like as an outsider to live and bring a family up in Sicily. Children of the Volcano is for anyone unwilling to give up dreams of adventure and excitement simply because of parenthood, lack of income, and not getting things right the first time.

‘Immensely enjoyable … Ros’s experiences are fascinating. She’s clearly a woman and who doesn’t let the obstacles life throws at her get her down.’
Chris Stewart, author of Driving Over Lemons

‘A joyous tale of following one’s dreams, despite the obstacles.’
Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller

‘Thank you, Ros Belford! This delightful memoir has brought back to me the wonder, the
excitement and the challenges that come with embracing a new life in Sicily.’
Mary Taylor Simeti, author of On Persephone’s Island

Ros Belford spends her time between Salina, Siracusa and Cambridge and is the author of numerous guidebooks to Italy, Sicily and the Mediterranean. She has written articles on travel and food for many magazines and newspapers and is the Telegraph’s Sicilian travel expert. She has made radio programmes for the BBC. Recently, Ros climbed an active volcano on Lion TV’s The Rough Guide to Mediterranean Islands.

This book will be released on June 20, 2024.

Pre-order the book now:

Cull and Co. Ltd In the Media

Authors in the Media – March, April 2024

Agency author Henry R. Schlesinger (Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal & Weaponised Love) was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 for Broadcasting House, the Sunday morning news magazine programme with Paddy O’Connell.

The sequence on Honey traps is around 29 mins in, an old espionage tactic, in the news with a senior Conservative MP admitting his involvement in a honey trap.

He was also interviewed on the Spy Talk podcast.

Not to be outdone, Mary Novakovich (My Family and Other Enemies) appeared on BBC Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent at 17:59.

Rab Island off the north coast of Croatia was once home to a lesser-known Italian concentration camp, where some 4,000 people were killed during World War Two. Mary Novakovich visited the island, where she met a woman who began her life in one of the camps.

She was also shortlisted in the TravMedia Awards for the specialist travel writer of the year. The awards are on April 22nd, so fingers crossed!

Staying on the Croatian theme, fellow travel writer Daniel Stables explored the rich cultural landscape of Istria for the May edition of National Geographic Traveller.

Continuing on the travel road, agency author Shafik Meghji (Crossed Off the Map: Travels in Bolivia) contributed to DK Eyewitness’ new Unforgettable Journeys The Americas, out now from about remarkable trips by train, road, bike & water, including travelling down Bolivia’s ‘death road’ & riding the southernmost railway on Earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And further congratulations to Shafik for winning an Inspire Global Award for his Evening Standard piece on Indigenous tourism.

Cull and Co. Ltd In the Media

Authors in the Media – January 2024

A bumper edition of agency authors in the media to start 2024.

Henry R. Schlesinger (Honey Trapped) wrote for AirMail magazine in the New Year’s Eve edition about Prince Serge Oblensky, the a nightlife-and-hospitality impresario, who seemed to know everyone and be everywhere, could always be found among the boldface names. His marriage into the Astor clan lasted nearly a decade and ended without apparent rancor or loss of employment. When the St. Regis hotel landed back under Astor control, in 1935, Obolensky was put in charge of its remodeling and relaunch, and it was here that Obolensky’s knack for creating fashionable scenes blossomed.

July 1964: Colonel Serge Obolensky (1890 – 1978) at the St Regis Roof restaurant, which he created in New York. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

Henry also appeared on Carl Rollyson’s podcast, to discuss the ever-popular honey trap.

Uruguayan poet, narrator, and essayist Roberto Echavarren was interviewed for No Country Magazine about his latest book – Russian Nights: Autocracy and Testimony (Vernon Press, 2023), in which Echavarren reconstructs, through a mosaic of heartbreaking testimonies, a panoramic view of the terror lived under Lenin and Stalin. These testimonies, collected between 2001 and 2005, lend a voice to the experience of survivors during four decades of Soviet terror (1917-1956), from the moment Lenin took power to the Second World War.

He also discussed Verde escarabajo, a book that brings together poems from the last 20 years for Brecha.

Shafik Meghji’s story on Tierra del Fuego appeared in the BBC’s favourite travel stories of 2023. Barely 1,000km north of Antarctica and home to just two people, Caleta Eugenia is the southernmost point to which you can drive in Chile.

“This journey to ‘the end of the world’ wraps elements of adventure, isolation, environmentalism and Indigenous rights into a stunning narrative while revealing a side of the globe few people will ever see.” – Eliot Stein. Read the story here.

(Image credit: Shafik Meghji)

Nick Breeze wrote an article in the Drinks Business Magazine reporting on what links COP28 to wine production, both emissions and resilience. Nick’s debut book – COPOUT: How governments have failed the people on climate – is published by Ad Lib on 14th March 2024 (paperback RRP £9.99) Pre-order here now or via any bookshop.

Last, but never least, Seth Thevoz (Behind Closed Doors) was quoted in The Guardian about the ever-slow moving campaign to force the Garrick Club, one of London’s last remaining gentlemen’s clubs, to admit women with an internal poll revealing that a majority of members are in favour of dropping the men-only rule.

 

Cull and Co. Ltd In the Media

Authors in the Media – November 2023

A round-up of the latest agency author news this month.

Congratulations to Neil Robinson, who made the Spectator’s Best Books 2023 list! His novel The Other Side of Trust (Burning Chair, 2022), was described as ‘a gripping spy thriller of a pace and subtlety with which John le Carré might not have been disappointed.’

For the 30th anniversary issue of Wanderlust magazine, Shafik Meghji wrote about Chile’s capital Santiago & the nearby port of Valparaíso, dynamic cities with turbulent histories, vivid street art, atmospheric funiculars & strong poetic connections.

Former ANC spy, Sue Dobson, was interviewed by Radio Liskeard about her book Burned: The Spy South Africa Never Caught (Vine Leaves Press, 2023). In a frank and revealing interview Sue (aka Deana) talks about her infiltration of government departments, Military and Espionage Training in the Soviet Union and her escape from the pursuit of would-be prosecutors when her identity as an agent of the banned ANC was discovered. Having sought political asylum in the UK Sue’s life became a media circus and she was afforded the security of the Royal Protection Squad in light of the inevitable threat to her life.

How is she regarded in her native South Africa…. Traitor or Hero? Listen back here.

And finally, congratulations to Mary Novakovich at the British Guild of Travel Writers Awards in November, in which took the prize for travel narrative book of the year for My Family and Other Enemies: Life and Travels in Croatia’s Hinterland (Bradt, 2022). She picked her award at the glitzy Annual Gala Awards Dinner held at the Middle Temple Hall in London.

Mary Novakovich

 

Cull and Co. Ltd Latest Deals

THE LANCASTER STORY by Sarah-Louise Miller to Michael O’Mara Books

World rights have gone to Michael O’Mara for Sarah-Louise Miller’s next book.

The Lancaster Story takes readers on a remarkable journey through the history of an aviation icon. Between its introduction in 1942 and the end of the Second World War, the Avro Lancaster flew over 150,000 sorties, dropped over 600,000 tons of explosives and took the Allied fight to Nazi Germany.

The true workhorse of the RAF’s bomber corps, the ‘Lanc’ featured on some of the most daring and celebrated missions of the war, including the heroic Dambusters raid and the Operation Hydra bombing. These and many other successes came at a significant cost, however: almost half of the 7,377 Lancasters deployed into service were lost in action.

Using archival documents, letters and first-hand accounts, The Lancaster Story delivers a dramatic and vividly rendered account of the most successful RAF bomber of the Second World War and the lives of the men and women who flew, designed, constructed, maintained it. Combining individual stories into a gripping, panoramic narrative, it paints a complete portrait of the battle over Europe, and the Lancaster’s unique and decisive role within it.

Sarah’s previous book is THE WOMEN BEHIND THE FEW (Biteback, 2023).

Cull and Co. Ltd Latest Deals

THE BEACON BIKE by Ed Peppitt to Icon Books

World Rights to Ed Peppitt’s two-wheeled journey of discovery around 327 of England & Wale’s Lighthouses, have been snapped up by Icon Books.

This is a story of a 3,500-mile cycle ride to explore the onshore and offshore lighthouses around the coastline of England and Wales, proving that a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis needn’t mean giving up on a lifelong dream.

Over the course of his journey, he meets with former lighthouse keepers, current lighthouse staff, lighthouse enthusiasts, and people who were born and brought up in lighthouses. This is more than a personal journey, it’s a social one.

The book will be accompanied by a set of original, hand-drawn illustrations of every lighthouse.

Ed is an active member and regional representative of a vibrant association for lighthouse keepers, engineers and enthusiasts, and presents and produces a fortnightly podcast about lighthouse heritage called Keeping Watch, available on all popular podcast platforms.

Peppett’s background is in educational publishing, having been publishing director at Letts Study Guides throughout the 1990s. He has done work for The Booksellers Association and more recently has worked on educational and business publishing projects with Channel 4, GL Assessment, Hodder & Stoughton, the Guardian, Commonwealth Education Trust and Bournemouth University. He is the author of seven business and computing titles, all published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Peppitt commented: “I am so grateful to Tom [Cull], my agent, for finding me the perfect home for The Beacon Bike, and I am pleased to be working with the Icon Books team. Icon shares my vision for this project – a journey of discovery, a celebration of our maritime heritage, and a tribute to the indomitable spirit of the people who kept watch. I’m looking forward to sharing my story, and I’m confident that, with them, my book will shine as brightly as the lighthouses themselves.”

The book will be published in spring 2024.

https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/icon-acquires-story-of-a-cycle-ride-exploring-the-lighthouses-of-england-and-wales

Cull and Co. Ltd In the Media

Authors in the Media – August 2023

It’s the dog days of summer, but Mary Novakovich was interviewed by online British Serbian magazine Britić about her travelogue My Family and Other Enemies: Life and Travels in Croatia’s Hinterland.

August 18th marked the first anniversary of its publication.

“I had too strong a story to turn it into a just another glossy travelogue. I felt I had a responsibility to turn this very complicated history into something that would enlighten readers and not mislead them… I’ve had readers tell me how much it had helped their understanding of Balkan history.”

Elsewhere, Position Papers reviewed God in Number 10: The Personal Faith of the Prime Ministers, from Balfour to Blair by Mark Vickers.

“Mark Vickers has produced a magnus opus which shows the extent to which Prime Ministers ‘have done God’ and how the Christian faith shaped political thinking during the 20th Century.”

Robert Sellers’ new book, When the British Musical Ruled the World was published in the UK on August 1st.

In this revealing behind-the-scenes narrative, journalist and author Robert Sellers gives a definitive account of how Evita, Cats, Starlight Express, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Chess, and Miss Saigon changed the business of musical theater in the 1980s. These mega productions of the were larger than life, colorful, and spectacular. Sellers collects insightful, personal stories from cast members, set designers, musical supervisors, dancers, lighting designers, production managers, singers, and choreographers from the shows that finally put Broadway on its back foot.

He also describes the backstage drama, production nightmares, and financial woes that threatened to derail the shows at multiple points. Whatever obstacles they faced, though, these productions swept the world and transformed the face of musical theater in ways that still resound today.

Cull and Co. Ltd In the Media

Authors in the Media – July 2023

Andrew Jeffrey appeared in a 2-part edition of True Spies by Spyscape. A Scottish hairdresser, a wannabe actor/stunt pilot, and a Nazi spy ring spanning both sides of the Atlantic. Could be a movie?

In the 1930s, a resurgent Germany was determined to steal Allied secrets to gain an advantage in the coming war. Through a series of improbable twists, turns, and intelligence coups, MI5 and the FBI were able to target and eliminate a spy network that posed a very real threat to the Free World. His book, A TASTE FOR TREASON is out now.

Michael Smith wrote an article for Aspects of History and was also interviewed on the Spybrary podcast. Drawing on his personal experience in British military intelligence, Michael Smith provides a behind-the-scenes look at the close collaboration and alignment of intelligence that drives decision-making between the UK and the US. The episode delves into various anecdotes and stories, including the recovery of a Soviet jet from a lake in West Berlin. His book THE REAL SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP is out now in the US.

Sarah-Louise Miller appeared on the BBC History Extra podcast, delving into the roles played by the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during WW2, from courageous secret agents to the unflappable women behind the Dambusters raid. Her book THE WOMEN BEHIND THE FEW is out now.

Robert Sellers‘ new book WHEN THE BRITISH MUSICAL RULED THE WORLD, was included in Playbill’s theatre books round up for June. In a comprehensive look across the pond, this new release explains how British musicals initially struggled to compete with Broadway productions, until Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita revitalized the West End. With additional looks at blockbusters like Cats, Les Misérables, and Miss Saigon, the book shares stories from cast and crew members, obstacles that almost derailed productions, and more. It was published in the US on June 1st and available in the UK from August 1st.

Cull and Co. Ltd Latest Deals

COP OUT by Nick Breeze to Ad Lib Publishers

World English Language rights have been acquired by Editorial Director Duncan Proudfoot for Ad Lib Publishers, for climate journalist and host of the ClimateGenn podcast Nick Breeze‘s COP OUT: HOW GOVERNMENTS HAVE FAILED THE PEOPLE ON CLIMATE.

This book will take a look at why, after 30 years of international climate negotiations to reduce carbon emissions, the UN process has failed to deliver a survivable outcome; from Paris to Egypt, finding out what on Earth is going on and exploring the widening gap between public concern and political leadership.

From an on-the-ground perspective at every COP from COP21 Paris in 2015 up until COP27 in Egypt, COP OUT takes us on a fast-paced tour of how the UN process has achieved the exact opposite of what it first set out to achieve as far back as the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.

Duncan Proudfoot: ‘People tend to turn away, perhaps understandably, from the key existential issue of the day: climate change, or collapse. Nick Breeze succeeds in engaging us in the very human narrative of successive COP conferences: a story of imperfection, failure even, but not yet defeat. He shows clearly that it is not Extinction Rebellion or Just Stop Oil or other climate protesters who are the extremists; the true extremists are the
policymakers who undermine efforts to reduce emissions. Governments have failed the people on climate; Nick shows us how, why, and what we can do about it.’

Nick Breeze: ‘The story of COP OUT has emerged over the course of the last decade from my experience of attending the UN COPs, speaking with many experts and reflecting on the terrifying gap between scientific reality and political action. Thanks to my agent Tom Cull for believing in the project and teaming up with my editor, Duncan Proudfoot, both of whom got the story from day one.’

Breeze explores the widening gap between public concern and political leadership. An IPSOS poll in the UK was headlined ‘8 in 10 Britons concerned about climate change – half think net zero target should be brought forward’. In the United States, the Yale Programme on Climate Communication reported, ‘over 70 per cent of people are worried’. Despite this, global policy is still not taking the appropriate action that scientists have been prescribing since the 1980s.

Nick’s book is a personal story, less about the intricacies of science and more about the mainstream perception of how we are understanding and responding to the problem. It seems that, for the most part, society and governments regard protesters who glue themselves to roads or buildings as the lunatics; the truth, however, is that it is those in positions of power who are the true lunatics, failing to respond in the ways that we need to to save the biosphere that sustains us.

Nick Breeze has been interviewing climate scientists and related experts since 2009. In 2017, he co-founded the Cambridge Climate Lecture Series (CCLS) with Professor Hugh Hunt in Cambridge and also began a podcast series during the lockdown in 2020 and has an active YouTube channel that typically receives 30-60k views per month.

Prior to engaging with climate change in 2009, Nick was a wine journalist and soon after began mixing climate change and wine. In 2022, and now in 2023, Nick is the Sustainability Ambassador to the Wines of Alentejo (Portugal) Sustainability Programme (WASP).