Category: In the Media

Autumn leaves fall as our authors rise in the media.

George Harrison’s novel, Season (Lightning Books), was shortlisted for the Debut Fiction category of the Nero Book Awards and the Debut Novel category of the East Anglian Book Awards.

The 2025 debut fiction judges at Nero remarked that ‘Season captures perfectly the essence of male isolation in a sensitive, unsentimental way. Whether you love or loathe football culture, this book offers a glimpse of its vital place in the human heart.’

A further congratulations to Shafik Meghji, whose book Small Earthquakes: A Journey Through Lost British History in South America, has been named the Travel Narrative Book of the Year by the British Guild of Travel Writers.

This year’s judges ‘described this book as being beautifully written, a seductive historical narrative, and a fascinating and rewarding travelogue.’

The award-winning journalist, travel writer, author, editor, and broadcaster also made headlines in The Times, BBC Travel, The Observer, Geographical and a number of major outlets following the success of his book.

Don George at the BBC, wrote: ‘Combining the immediacy of a travel memoir with the depth of a scholarly history lesson, Small Earthquakes illuminates how Britain helped shape these nations through economic ventures, cultural exchange and political intervention, and how those regions in turn have reshaped Britain, from the Falklands conflict to canned Fray Bentos pies.’

Continuing the theme of travel, Daniel Stables’s article for the National Geographic Traveller, was named the Travel Feature of the Year!

Stables’s winning article recounted a summer hiking expedition in the remote Icelandic Highlands, exploring the region’s landscapes and folklore.

Stables was also nominated for Domestic Travel Writer of the Year. His debut narrative travel book Fiesta, is out now.

And it was wonderful to see FOUR agency writers from the stable in the British Guild of Travel Writers ‘Book Friday’ gift guide: Shafik Meghji, Daniel Stables, Mary Novakovich & Tim Bird.

In other news, if Anthony Gardner’s previous book, Fox – chosen as Book of the Year by Sue Gaisford in The Tablet – is anything to go by, All God’s Creatures is set to be just as successful.

Gardner has also already received up strong early coverage, with reviews from the Irish Examiner, Daily Mail, Nicholas Coleridge, Amanda Craig, The Tablet, The Crack and Jasper Rees.

The Irish Examiner described All God’s Creatures as ‘a wonderfully enjoyable tonic for our current reality’.

Nicholas Coleridge similarly noted: ‘This might be the wittiest book I’ve read in five years – hilarious, joyous and astute. Not a dud word from beginning to end. Highly recommended’.

All God’s Creatures was published and launched at Daunt Books Marylebone on November the 6^th.

It has been a lively run in the press and on air for Cull & Co authors, with political history, spycraft and sharp cultural commentary all jostling for attention.

We start with Seth Thevoz, whose work continues to rattle the crockery in Westminster. An archived extract doing the rounds captures his characteristic mix of archival ferreting and wry prose, reminding readers why his investigations travel so well beyond the committee room read it here.

Michael Robb’s Shelf Life keeps prompting conversations about the past, present and future of bookselling. The notices have been steady and enthusiastic, and the author has been out and about discussing the trade with the sort of good humour that only a lifetime at the coalface can produce. The TLS reviewed his book to cap off a wonderful publication period.

Over in the culture wars corner, Nigel Winter sharpened the quill for Country Squire, delivering “Vive la Goddess!” – a spirited, mischievous meditation on our current taste for idols and iconoclasm alike. It is a lively read, and very Nigel. Dive in.

On geopolitics, Joe Luc Barnes has been charting the EU’s renewed attention to Central Asia. His recent video explainer lays out the energy, security and trade stakes with clarity, the sort of briefing you can watch over a coffee and come away feeling properly briefed. Watch here. His debut book Farewell to Russia – A Journey Through the Former USSR, will be published in March 2026.

Tom Gaisford’s debut novel Sanctuary has opened doors well beyond the book pages. In The Times he described writing as an alternative form of advocacy, reframing legal experience as narrative muscle archived link. The Channel Islands press also took notice, with Bailiwick Express praising the lawyer-turned-author’s asylum thriller for its moral clarity and pace review.

In music and mythmaking, Sean Egan’s Decade of Dissent has drawn nods from both niche and mainstream outlets. All About The Rock spotlighted the book’s case that 1960s Dylan changed more than just chord progressions review, while SPIN zoomed out to the wider cultural shockwaves of the period feature.

From Wall Street to Washington, Jake Donoghue unpacked the uneasy courtship between Trumpworld and crypto for The Spectator – a cool-headed piece arguing for scepticism amid the laser-eyes and conference razzmatazz read.

And then there is Tim Willasey-Wilsey, everywhere at once. Reviews have been generous, from The Telegraph’s take on The Spy and the Devil review to Gill Bennett’s thoughtful assessment at Engelsberg Ideas review, KCSi’s write-up from Andrew Boyd review, and an international angle from The Wire in India feature. The Times ran two historical pieces tied to the book’s themes – one on the British charm that opened doors in Hitler’s inner circle read, another asking whether a British spy helped topple Labour’s first government read. Alan Judd weighed in at The Spectator on how much we really knew in the early 1930s column, while The Scotsman revisited the enduring relevance of a 1938 MI6 warning column. For contemporary policy, RUSI carried his argument that America, in the Trump era, cannot be taken on trust and asks what the UK should do next commentary.

Broadcast has matched print. Tim joined BBC Radio 4’s Today for a brisk five-minute segment that distilled the book’s core question of risk and deception listen, sparred amiably with Hugo Rifkind on Times Radio watch, and spoke at length to Giles Brown on Talk Radio Europe for a thoughtful twenty-two minute conversation listen.

A spring in our step as several authors received excellent coverage in the media.

Tom Gaisford‘s debut novel, Sanctuary (Cinto Press), was launched at Waterstones Tottenham Court Road and was featured in The Times by Catherine Baksi.

Gaisford explained that the novel’s development was “a bit like a potter’s wheel: you’ve got your life and all your experiences, interests and concerns — and from all of that, you fashion something completely different, but it’s made of the same stuff”.

Judge Julian Phillips in The Law Gazette reviewed the book giving it 4/5 stars stating ‘It was only when I got near to the end that I appreciated what a good book this is, and indeed one that deserves to be read again.’

Tim Willasey-Wilsey had two features about his book The Spy and the Devil (Blink) in The Times.

The big reveal in The Times scooped Tim’s new research that points to MI6 agent Bill de Ropp as the man behind the forged Zinoviev letter, leaked just days before the 1924 election. Jack Blackburn writes ‘It was perhaps the greatest political scandal of the first half of the 20th century. Four days before the election of 1924, the leaking of the Zinoviev letter exploded the fear of the red threat and dealt a final blow to Britain’s first Labour government. Was this an establishment plot against the Labour Party? Who wrote the letter? Who leaked it? For more than a century, the puzzle has remained unsolved — but one piece may have slotted into place.‘

Tim also appeared on the Today programme, discussing how Bill de Ropp used his British charm to infiltrate Hitler’s inner circle. Interview starts at 1:23:40.

Travel writer Tim Bird wrote for the BBC about Finland, which has topped the World Happiness Rankings for the eighth year running – but the real appeal for travellers lies in the country’s deeply-lived values of balance, nature and everyday contentment.

‘Happy Land – Finding the Inner Finn’, will be published by Eye Books in the UK in January 2026 and takes a “sideways” look at Finland’s happiness status.

Staying with travel, Shafik Meghji was shortlisted for the Journey Magazine Best Long-Haul Feature Award for his piece on the Bolivian Amazon. His new book Small Earthquakes (Hurst) will be published July 20, 2025.

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.