The classic nursery story celebrates 100 years since its first publication! He didn't mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery magic had made him Real, and when you are Real shabbiness doesn't matter. In the nursery, only the toys that are old and wise truly understand what it means to be Real. The Velveteen Rabbit, a newcomer to the nursery, asks one of the most knowledgeable toys, the Skin Horse, what being Real means. And so begins the Velveteen Rabbit’s journey towards becoming real – through the love of a child … Margery Williams’ timeless picture book classic has been read and cherished by many generations of children and their parents and is now available in this beautiful hardback edition. Brought to life by gorgeous and much-loved classic illustrations by William Nicholson, with a new foiled cover design, this is a wonderful keepsake gift to treasure and share.

A beautiful brand new hardback edition of one of the greatest children's books of all time, from the renowned artist William Nicholson, illustrator of The Velveteen Rabbit. The perfect balance of words and pictures, this charming story of a busy day and a forgotten toy paved the way for the modern picture book and still manages to capture the heart with its winning simplicity and uniquely gripping story. "A brilliant piece . . . never fails to grip three- and four-year-olds." Shirley Hughes "Clever Bill, I have long felt, is among the few perfect picture books for children." Maurice Sendak Sir William Nicholson was a distinguished British artist and graphic illustrator. He was renowned for his images of the famous, from Queen Victoria and Rudyard Kipling to Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt. He illustrated Margery Williams' classic children's book The Velveteen Rabbit which was published to great acclaim in 1922. Nicholson went on to write and illustrate two more children's books, Clever Bill and The Pirate Twins.

From an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, an epic novel of love and loss and the long shadows war leaves behind.
Summer, 1942. Kitty, an army driver stationed in Sussex, meets Ed, a Royal Marine commando, and Larry, a liaison officer with Combined Ops. She falls instantly in love with Ed, who falls in love with her. So does Larry. Both men go off to war, and Ed wins the highest military honor for his bravery. But sometimes heroes don't make the best husbands.
"Motherland "follows Kitty, Ed, and Larry from wartime England and the brutally tragic Dieppe raid to Nazi-occupied France, India after the war, and Jamaica before independence. Against this ever-changing backdrop--as they witness history being made and participate in the smaller dramas of romance, friendship, and parenthood--these three friends make choices that will determine the challenges and triumphs of their lives. But the insistent current running through all they experience is the unacknowledged tension of the love triangle that binds them together and must somehow be resolved.
Written by an award-winning screenwriter whose novels have earned extraordinary critical praise, "Motherland "is a compelling, page-turning narrative brimming with stunning war scenes, pageantry, politics, and questions about faith and art, as well as quiet, intimate moments of passion, doubt, and longing. Above all, it is a great love story about three people struggling to find happiness and meaning amid war and its aftermath.

Triple bill of historical adventures. In 'The Eagle' (2010) Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum), a young soldier in 140 AD Roman-occupied England, sets out to honour his father's memory by tracking down the long-missing Roman Ninth Legion in which his father once served. Accompanied by his British slave, Esca (Jamie Bell), Marcus travels beyond Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia to confront its savage tribes and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth. In 'Gladiator' (2000) Russell Crowe stars as Maximus, a general beloved of the Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), but feared by the Emperor's son and heir, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). When Aurelius dies and Commodus accedes to the throne, Maximus returns home to find his wife and son killed and only just survives the murderous dictates of the new Emperor himself. Sold into slavery then trained as a gladiator, only thoughts of revenge keep Maximus going as he prepares for a showdown at the Colosseum, presided over by Commodus. In 'Robin Hood' (2010), Sir Robin of Loxley (Crowe) returns from the Crusades to his home in the north of England. There he comes up against the oppressive regime imposed by the tyrannical new Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew Macfadyen). Outraged by the Sheriff's behaviour and the general state of the region, Robin summons up a group of supporters and puts his formidable archery skills to use in an effort to free the people from corruption and political injustice.

The classic nursery story celebrates 100 years since its first publication! He didn't mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery magic had made him Real, and when you are Real shabbiness doesn't matter. In the nursery, only the toys that are old and wise truly understand what it means to be Real. The Velveteen Rabbit, a newcomer to the nursery, asks one of the most knowledgeable toys, the Skin Horse, what being Real means. And so begins the Velveteen Rabbit’s journey towards becoming real – through the love of a child … Margery Williams’ timeless picture book is brought to life by gorgeous classic illustrations by William Nicholson.

The second book in William Nicholson's award-winning epic fantasy series, Wind on Fire. 'Gloriously cinematic and completely enthralling' - Independent "I hate school! I hate ratings! I won't reach higher! I won't strive harder! I won't make tomorrow better than today!" In the walled city state of Aramanth, rules are everything. When Kestrel Hath dares to rebel, the Chief Examiner humiliates her father and sentences the whole family to the harshest punishment. Desperate to save them, Kestrel learns the secret of the wind singer, and she and her twin brother, Bowman, set out on a terrifying journey to the true source of evil that grips Aramanth ... Fantasy books for children don't get more spectacular than The Wind Singer. Since first publication, William Nicholson's Wind on Fire trilogy has been translated into over 25 languages and won prizes including the Blue Peter Book Award and Smarties Prize Gold Award. One of the greatest writers of our time, William Nicholson's has not only sold millions of children's books worldwide, he also written for the screen and the stage, including the Oscar-winning film Gladiator and the BAFTA-winning play Shadowlands.

The third and final book in William Nicholson's award-winning epic fantasy series, Wind on Fire. 'Gloriously cinematic and completely enthralling' - Independent "I hate school! I hate ratings! I won't reach higher! I won't strive harder! I won't make tomorrow better than today!" In the walled city state of Aramanth, rules are everything. When Kestrel Hath dares to rebel, the Chief Examiner humiliates her father and sentences the whole family to the harshest punishment. Desperate to save them, Kestrel learns the secret of the wind singer, and she and her twin brother, Bowman, set out on a terrifying journey to the true source of evil that grips Aramanth . . . Fantasy books for children don't get more spectacular than The Wind Singer. Since first publication, William Nicholson's Wind on Fire trilogy has been translated into over 25 languages and won prizes including the Blue Peter Book Award and Smarties Prize Gold Award. One of the greatest writers of our time, William Nicholson's has not only sold millions of children's books worldwide, he also written for the screen and the stage, including the Oscar-winning film Gladiator and the BAFTA-winning play Shadowlands.

The second book in William Nicholson's award-winning epic fantasy series, Wind on Fire. 'Gloriously cinematic and completely enthralling' - Independent Five years have passed. The city of Aramanth has become kinder - weaker. When ruthless soldiers of the Mastery strike, the city is burned, and the Manth people taken into slavery. Kestrel is left, separated from her brother Bowman, and vowing revenge ... Fantasy books for children don't get more spectacular than Slaves of the Mastery. Since first publication, William Nicholson's Wind on Fire trilogy has been translated into over 25 languages and won prizes including the Blue Peter Book Award and Smarties Prize Gold Award. One of the greatest writers of our time, William Nicholson has not only sold millions of children's books worldwide, he also written for the screen and the stage, including the Oscar-winning film Gladiator and the BAFTA-winning play Shadowlands.

Crash is a contemporary, satirical comedy, probing the feelings behind and reaction to the economic crisis and the people who caused it. The play follows a reunion of sorts, but on the basis of the characters' current situations, their common ground is at best elusive. Nick is a Securities Trader for Goldman Sachs and collector of art. Humphrey is an artist with ethics and a cheque he's not sure he should cash. And Christine is the beautiful girl they both loved, but Humphrey married. All together again, in Nick's Elizabethan mansion, getting ready to celebrate the unveiling of a new sculpture. But under the surface Humphrey is angry. Angry in the same way that the whole world is angry, angry about how people like Nick seem to have got away with causing a financial meltdown that affected everyone, but still manage to bank their bonuses. William Nicholson is the Tony and Academy award nominated author of Shadowlands and screenwriter on Gladiator and Elizabeth: The Golden Age as well as an acclaimed novelist. His new play seethes with the fury of a nation duped, alongside some sharp political humour about art, Collateralised Debt Obligations and ramblers. Published to coincide with its world premiere at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, 16 October - 13 November 2010.

"What is REAL?" a shy stuffed animal asks an older and wiser plaything. Generations of children have found the answer to that vital question in "The Velveteen Rabbit: Or, How Toys Become Real, "the timeless story of a toy's transformation through the power of love. This gift edition of Margery Williams's beloved classic features enchanting color illustrations by William Nicholson from the original 1922 publication.

Nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.

Like the Skin Horse, Margery Williams understood how toys--and people--become real through the wisdom and experience of love. This reissue of a favorite classic, with the original story and illustrations as they first appeared in 1922, will work its magic for all who read it.

Passion and poetry: two love stories intertwine - a true historical one and an imagined contemporary one, both intimately connected with Emily Dickinson's life. In 1881 a young married couple, Mabel and David Todd, arrive in stuffy Amherst, Massachusetts. He will take up a post at Amherst College; she will embark on an affair that rocks the town. Emily Dickinson's brother is the College's Treasurer, Austin Dickinson, a respected citizen of the town and a married man with three children. Austin's sister Emily lives as a recluse in the house next-door to Austin. Over the months that follow the Todds' arrival, Austin falls passionately in love with Mabel, and she with him. In the present day, Alice Dickinson, 24 years old, seeks to escape her copy-writing job and make a living as a screenwriter. She takes a short holiday to Amherst to research a screenplay on a story that has fascinated her since college days, where a love of Emily Dickinson's poems was triggered by the coincidence of her own surname.The story is the illicit love affair between Austin Dickinson and Mabel Todd. As she researches one love affair taking place under the watchful eye of Emily Dickinson, Alice embarks on a passionate liaison of her own, and the novel interweaves the stories of these two loves, illuminating both past and present in the process.

A prominent member of a flourishing scientific and literary community, William Nicholson, author, patent agent and civil engineer, founded a widely-circulated journal (universally known as 'Nicholson's Journal'), which helped establish Humphry Davy's reputation. He was the first person to decompose water by electrolysis and was the inventor of cylindrical printing. Despite this, little has been written about his colourful life. This memoir, written by his son in 1868, now published for the first time, revisits London's rich cultural scene at the end of the eighteenth century, documenting Nicholson's overlooked part in this milieu of consilience and revolution. From inventions and significant contributions to science, to his work in literature and his friendships with the leading lights of the period, such as Sir Joseph Banks, Thomas Holcroft and William Godwin (he was invited to make a phrenological study of the infant Mary Shelley), William Nicholson's life reads as a microcosm of an Enlightenment making way for Romanticism. Bringing together Jacobin intrigue and a cast of familiar characters, it will please historians of the era and historians of science alike

'You come from a long line of mistakes', Guy Caulder tells his daughter Alice. 'My mother married the wrong man. Her mother did the same'. At the end of a love affair, Alice journeys to Normandy to meet Guy's mother, the grandmother she has never known. She tells her that there was one true love story in the family. In the summer of 1942, Kitty is an ATS driver stationed in Sussex. She meets Ed, a Royal Marine commando, and Larry, a liaison officer with Combined Ops. She falls instantly in love with Ed, who falls in love with her. So does Larry.

Cate Blanchett reprises her role as the 'Virgin Queen' in this sequel to the Oscar-nominated 'Elizabeth'. This time round Elizabeth has to contend with the rising power of Spain, as Philip II (Jordi Molla) readies an armada for invasion, intent on returning England to Catholic influence. While her trusty servant Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush) works tirelessly to protect her from numerous plots, Elizabeth discovers she has a potential weakness in her fondness for Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen).

In the nursery Velveteen Rabbit and Skin Horse talk about how a toy becomes real. A few days later, Velveteen Rabbit finds himself tucked into bed with a little boy and the two soon become inseparable. This is an extraordinary story about love and the value it can invest in the people and things around you.

With pace, wit and a beady eye, Adventures in Modern Marriage revisits the characters from Nicholson's highly acclaimed The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life. But now the children are grown up, and the adults are older, though not always wiser. Here is a big-hearted novel about life and love in the bestselling vein of Colm Toibin and Nick Hornby 'So incredibly accurate and true. Utterly captures the sense of quiet desperation of ordinary lives ... and the ways in which life turns on a sixpence' Kate Mosse on The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life Focusing on Henry and Laura Broad and their daughter Carrie, this is a minute - but in true Nicholson style, extraordinarily empathetic - dissection of relationships and what keeps them going. It is an acute and compassionate look at male mid-life crises, female sexual desire, death and the fear of it, children and the trouble with them - all the things we battle with every day.