Tom Hooper directs this Academy Award-winning big-screen adaptation of the stage musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel. Set in 19th-century France, the film tells the story of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a prisoner who breaks his parole and spends the next two decades fleeing from obsessive police inspector Javert (Russell Crowe). In his quest for personal redemption, Valjean adopts Cosette (Isabelle Allen/Amanda Seyfried), daughter of impoverished prostitute Fantine (Anne Hathaway), and is eventually elected as town mayor. But despite the events of the intervening years, can he ever really shake off his past? The ensemble supporting cast includes Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne and Samantha Barks. Hathaway won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA for her supporting performance. The film also won two additional Oscars and three BAFTAs, and received Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy and Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical Or Comedy (Jackman).

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.

Justin Chadwick directs this award-winning biopic of the former South African President and key anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. Idris Elba stars as Mandela, who grows up in a nation divided by racial segregation laws but doesn't become politicised until his university years. While training as a lawyer, Mandela becomes increasingly aware of the injustice suffered by black South Africans in a country run almost exclusively by whites. His relationships with like-minded spirits such as his wife Winnie (Naomie Harris) fuel his radicalism and lead him into a conflict with the authorities that sees him imprisoned on Robben Island with other anti-apartheid activists for over a decade. With unrest growing throughout the nation, Mandela becomes an increasingly influential figure despite his imprisonment, leading him to hope that he may yet lead his people on the walk to freedom. The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Original Song and won the corresponding award at the Golden Globes.

Feature-length made-for-TV drama directed by Norman Stone, forming part of the 'Screen Two' anthology series produced by the BBC. Starring Dirk Bogarde and Helena Bonham Carter, the drama follows a secretive cult as it puts into motion its plan to create a new European order. When the former TV personality they hired to front the organisation begins to have serious doubts about their aims, they must rethink their strategy if their plan is to work. The cast also features Alan Curtis, Richard Cubison and Bruce Boa.

The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real By Margery Williams illustrations by William Nicholson Children's Classics The Velveteen Rabbit (or How Toys Become Real) is a children's novel written by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of his owner. The book was first published in 1922 and has been republished many times since. The Velveteen Rabbit was Williams' first children's book. It has been awarded the IRA/CBC Children's Choice award. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." A stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen is given as a Christmas present to a small boy, but is neglected for toys of higher quality or function, which shun him in response. The rabbit is informed of magically becoming Real by the wisest and oldest toy in the nursery as a result of extreme adoration and love from children, and he is awed by this concept; however, his chances of achieving this wish are slight. One night, after the boy has misplaced his cherished china dog, he is pacified through the presence of the rabbit, who attracts more attention from his owner from then onward as a result, to the extent of his promotion to the position of the child's favorite toy. However, when the toy rabbit's owner contracts scarlet fever, he is prescribed a trip to the seashore and is pacified upon receiving a stuffed rabbit of higher quality as a replacement for the Velveteen Rabbit, which must be burned alongside all of the other playthings due to potential bacteria. Before the rabbit can meet a painful demise, he is greeted by the Nursery Fairy, who transforms him into a living rabbit to spare him from an agonizing fate, as he'd acquired greater affection from the boy than all of the other toys and surpassed all qualifications required. The rabbit accompanies several others in rejoicing, gleeful upon having received his dream.

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.

Angelina Jolie directs this Academy Award-nominated war drama telling the story of former Olympic champion runner Louis Zamperini (Jack O'Connell), who, after surviving a plane crash in the Pacific, was interred at numerous Japanese concentration camps over the course of the Second World War. The film follows Zamperini's life story, through the success and fame he found through his running career in the United States and his appearance at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, to his experiences as a Japanese POW. Held until the end of the war in August 1945, Louis was subjected to terrible physical and mental abuse as the notorious prison guard Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Miyavi) believed the former champion's reputation and worldwide fame a threat to his authority in the camps.

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

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).

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.

The brilliant and compelling finale to William Nicholson's award-winning epic fantasy series, The Noble Warriors. 'A timeless piece of storytelling' - TES Seeker Morning Star and the Wildman will question their loyalties and those they thought they loved. Seeker is relentless in his mission to find out who the assassin is. Morning Star is engulfed by a dark force that threatens her life. And the Wildman is betrayed by someone he thought was a true friend. The three are about to discover the secret behind the Nomana. But not before they realise their enemies are closer than they think ...An epic fantasy of far-reaching significance. Fantasy books for children don't get more spectacular than Noman. William Nicholson's first fantasy books, the 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 has also written for the screen and the stage, including the Oscar-winning film Gladiator and the BAFTA-winning play Shadowlands.

Seeker, Morning Star and the Wildman return in the second mesmerising book in William Nicholson's award-winning epic fantasy series, The Noble Warriors. 'A timeless piece of storytelling' - TES In a fortress-monastery on an island live the legendary warriors of the Nomana. It is a time of war and the mighty Orlan army marches to destroy the Nomana. But the Nomana are indestructible, aren't they? Seeker, Morning Star and the Wildman must all choose whether to continue serving the Nomana. Their paths will lead them in very different directions. Seeker, when tested to his limits, discovers he is the strongest warrior. Morning Star faces turmoil - she is in love with someone who doesn't love her. And the Wildman decides to rebel and plans a terrifying escape from the Nomana. The three must fight for all they know at a time when everything they know is changing ...An epic fantasy of far-reaching significance. Fantasy books for children don't get more spectacular than Jango. William Nicholson's first fantasy books, the 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.

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.

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.

Drawing its inspiration from Anthony Mann's 'The Fall of the Roman Empire' (1964) and Stanley Kubrick's 'Spartacus' (1960), Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning take on the Roman epic lavishes the genre with the very latest in computer-generated effects technology. After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) betrays the Emperor's beloved General Maximus (Russell Crowe) and takes the throne for himself. Maximus is sold as a slave and then trained as a gladiator, keeping himself strong with thoughts of revenge. Eventually he is taken to the Colosseum, where he prepares to fight in a contest presided over by the corrupt Commodus. Will he suffer the ultimate humiliation and die for the entertainment of his enemy or will he survive the rigors of the arena and find a way of exacting his revenge?

She loves him. She's happy. But could she be happier? 'Capturing humour in the small, perfectly skewered moments of everyday life, this is a story of small, largely middle-class lives enclave, made golden by the light that Nicholson shines on them' Sunday Times 'Nicholson is a subtle and addictive writer who deserves to be a household name' Observer Maggie and Andrew are lovers who live apart - Maggie in the country, Andrew in town. When Andrew is offered a job close to Maggie, moving in with her is the obvious next step. Or is it? Is this the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with? Maggie panics. She ends their relationship, devastating Andrew. But when he turns the tables on her, she begins to see him differently. Meanwhile, Maggie's Sussex neighbours are living through their own intense dilemmas. The stories of Maggie and other characters entwine in a continuous dance over seven golden days of high summer - a human kaleidoscope that captures how passionate yet mundane, painful yet comic our everyday lives can be. These are seven golden days of summer ... time enough for relationships to change for ever...

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).

Jack Lewis is smug in his convictions about God and His plan for the world until Joy and her young son enter his life and the bewildered theoretician of love in the abstract finally confronts its direct presence.