Category: Latest Deals

The History Press have secured publication rights to The Royal Film Performance: A Celebration by Robert Sellers and Gareth Owen.

Fully authorised by The Film and Television Charity and by Buckingham Palace, this book will celebrate the 80th anniversary of iconic Royal Film Performances.

For nearly eight decades, the Royal family has been gracing the red carpet to see the most eagerly anticipated film of the year. Since 1946, the Royal Film Performance has been an annual highlight of the entertainment social calendar, where cinema’s most famous icons have come face to face with royalty.

With authors Gareth Owen and Robert Sellers, dive into the glitz, glamour and regal encounters of each Royal Film Performance, the memorable moments and the fascinating stories. From Marilyn Monroe’s nervous encounter with Queen Elizabeth II to the cheeky remarks of Jayne Mansfield, witness the intersection of cinema’s luminaries and royalty.

Photographer Harry Myers attended the first Royal Film Performance in 1946 and documented the event for nearly five decades before passing the baton to his son, Scott. With access to Harry’s archive and the charity’s extensive collection—including brochures, reports, press clippings, and ephemera from all 72 performances—the authors will create a richly illustrated and engaging book that celebrates the stars, Royal guests, and legacy of one of Britain’s most distinguished charities.

After earning a degree in Applied Physics in 1994, Gareth Owen entered the film industry, launching a production company at Pinewood Studios. He worked with Edgar Wright and Sir Norman Wisdom before becoming Sir Roger Moore’s personal manager and ghostwriting all four of his autobiographies. Gareth has authored, co-authored, or ghosted over 20 books.

Originally training as an actor, Robert Sellers turned to film journalism, writing for The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Empire, and The Independent, among others. He has authored, co-authored, and ghosted 25 books.

As the curtain rises on this cinematic celebration, The Royal Film Performance: A Celebration pays homage to the stars, the royals and the unsung heroes of the industry, sure to delight fans of the royal family and cinema aficionados alike.

The book will be released on October 23, 2025 and can be ordered now.

A tale of murder, blackmail, sex and book collecting in the Ozarks has been snapped up by Post Hill Press in the USA.

Atop the Ozark Mountains, Rolland Comstock lived in what was described as “a Grimm Fairy tale.” With his pet wolves roving the estate and a world-famous book collection to obsess over, Rolland was no ordinary country lawyer. When he was murdered, Rolland’s story turned into a tragic mystery; one some did not want to see solved. This intimate true crime tale not only seeks to resolve the question of who killed this man but also to examine his life. It is a thriller from the perspective of the one character who can no longer tell the story himself.

Though the murder remains officially unsolved, this book delivers its own revealing conclusion—and asks why some secrets are better left buried.

This is also a story the author witnessed first-hand.

James Owen is a lawyer who worked with Rolland Comstock as well as at the firm that tried the case against his ex-wife. As a young lawyer seeking a private sector position, James met Rolland while applying for an associate role at his law firm. Captivated by Rolland’s quick wit and impressed by his extensive knowledge, James joined his firm, eager to learn from the best. However, he soon uncovered a whirlwind of personal and professional turmoil.

Outside law, he has written most of his life, most notably as the co-creator and writer for Film Snobs. He wrote for this site prolifically for six years until he became an on-air film critic for KY3, the NBC affiliate in Springfield. He also hosts a podcast for his non-profit called Renew Gurus.

The book will be published in January 2026 and available for pre-order now on Amazon or Barnes&Noble.

A new literary novella by Scottish writer and academic Christiana Spens has been bought by Salt Publishing.

This is a satirical exploration of the wellness industry, the human desire for escapism, and the ways in which we are all contagious, in the end.

After a painful breakup, Lena escapes to an artists’ colony on a remote Scottish island, but as the idyllic retreat unravels into paranoia and decay – with dead birds washing ashore and tensions rising – she discovers that the quest for wellness may be more toxic than healing. In an age obsessed with wellness, escapism, and curated perfection, The Colony offers a chilling, thought-provoking reflection on how easily utopias can become dystopias.

Publisher Christopher Hamilton-Emery says: “This sinister tale of control and submission, set on a remote Scottish island, is haunting, eerie, and touched by fears of contagion and self-delusion – it’s perfect novel for Salt – and we’re delighted to welcome Christiana to our list.”

Christiana Spens says: “I’m thrilled that Salt will publish The Colony, my first foray into folk horror, and the culmination of many years of work and reflection. They have long supported authors writing about coastal life, islands and the strange relationships we often form with our environments, so I know it has found a perfect home with them.”

Christiana Spens is a critic and essayist. The author of four books, her most recent was The Fear (2023) published by Repeater Books, which The Spectator described as “A powerfully affecting tale of devastation and survival.”

She also writes regularly for publications2 such as The New Statesman, The Irish Times, Glamour, Stylist, Literary Hub, The London Magazine, Prospect and Studio International on culture, psychology and politics, and sometimes works as an illustrator for books by Granta, NYRB, and other publishers.

The book will publish on May 6, 2026 and is available for pre-order now.

Rights to Sean Egan’s new book have gone to Jawbone Press.

2025 marks sixty years since his annus mirabilis; the year when Bob Dylan changed popular music and the world forever.

By telling the story of Bob Dylan’s first calendar decade as a recording artist, one crucial in setting the template for his genius and encompassing the bulk of his influence and greatest work, this book will provide a unique angle on an endlessly fascinating career.

Decade of Dissent will seek to bring to life Dylan and his milieu at that point where he was making music that was not merely aesthetically magnificent but sociologically earthshaking. Sean Egan has interviewed, down the years, many of Dylan’s associates from this period, much to this day unpublished including Roger McGuinn (The Byrds), Eric Burdon (The Animals), Tom McGuinness (Manfred Mann).

All during this time he was engaged in a personal voyage that saw him first embrace the blandishments of fame and then emphatically reject them.

Sean Egan has been working as a freelance journalist, author and editor since 1993 and is the author has authored Rod Stewart: The Classic Years; The Clash on the Clash; The Mammoth Book of Bob Dylan; and Rough Guide to the Rolling Stones.

The book publishes on May 20, 2025. Pre-order here.

Flint Books, an imprint of The History Press in the UK, has acquired rights to urban naturalist and nature writer Amanda Tuke’s first book.

In Wild Pavements, naturalist Amanda Tuke shares her delight in the overlooked and under-appreciated wildlife in our UK cities, finds the people who care for it, takes groups out to enjoy it and explores what the current thinking in ecology and conservation means for the future of urban nature. The author explores London from the City out to the suburbs and visits Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff, Hull, Aberdeen and other cities in the British Isles, exploring the diversity of our urban nature and the surprising places you can find it.

With at least 85% of the UK population living in towns and cities, Wild Pavements encourages us all to experience the urban environment differently, through the eyes of urban naturalists, ecologists or even wildlife.

“Amanda Tuke is a standout among the new generation of urban nature writers. With beautifully written prose and practical advice, she makes nature and nature writing more inclusive and accessible to readers of all experience levels.” — Stephen Moss, author of 10 Birds That Changed the World, shortlisted for the 2023 Wainwright Nature Writing Prize

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.

From 2021 to 2022, she was the nature-writer-in-residence for the London Wildlife Trust’s Great North Wood project.

Her work appears on her blog, The Urban Naturalist, and she shares updates on social media as @suburbanwilduk.

Cinto Press, an imprint of Bath Publishing, has signed Tom Gaisford’s “ambitious” debut novel, Sanctuary.

Alex Donovan is a young refugee lawyer in crisis.

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.

Then there is Amy, the woman he adores. The irresistible junior barrister seems to be drifting away from him.

With little to lose and all to prove, Alex dreams up a madcap plan to restore his honour and secure Amy’s affection.

Chaplin commented: “When Tom’s debut novel landed in our inbox, we knew why his agent had sent it to us. The wit and insider knowledge he uses to construct such an ingenious, irresistible tale from the intricacies of immigration law immediately appealed, given our grounding in law. But Sanctuary is not just a riveting good read, it shines a light on the murky world of asylum in the UK—still a very live issue. We are delighted Tom has given us the chance to bring it to a wider public.”

Gaisford added: “Cinto Press’ growing fiction list, background in legal publishing and fearless interest in gritty stories about social justice made it the perfect fit. But it was also its appreciation of the novel’s lighter side, the humour and the love story, which permeate the narrative, that sealed the deal.”

‘Tom Gaisford’s insider knowledge makes his cleverly constructed legal thriller a compulsive and genuinely enlightening read. Alex’s passionate hope is that a story can change the public’s perception of asylum seekers. Maybe this one will.’
Suzi Feay, literary critic for The Financial Times

‘Tom Gaisford’s gripping novel explores an urgent subject – the UK’s inhumane treatment of asylum seekers…(it is) both affecting and memorable.’
Lucy Popescu, Chair of the Author’s Club and the Best First Novel Award

Tom Gaisford is a human rights barrister with over ten years’ experience working in immigration law. He lives on Guernsey with his wife and their two young daughters and Sanctuary is his first novel.