Longlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker prize 2016 'William Thacker is a name you will hear a lot more often.' -- Matt Haig, author 'Remarkable.' -- Caroline Smailes, author 'This is bloody brilliant.' -- Heydon Prowse, writer of the Bafta-winning The Revolution Will Be Televised There's a problem with Barrow, but it can be fixed. You just need to change the name to Birdseye. Birdseye-in-Furness... Miles Platting is pulled from the ruins of a shipwreck into a world in which no one will speak to him. The founder of Lingua Franca - a naming rights agency committed to renaming every UK town after a corporate sponsor - Miles recounts the story of his quest for linguistic supremacy to anyone who'll listen. Confined to his hospital bed in a deathly quiet ward, Miles seeks to find his colleagues and reunite with his true love. But in doing so, Miles must confront his deepest held convictions and consider, what's in a name? in a world where the spoken word has been replaced with silence.

`A strange book, but its strangeness is what keeps you turning the pages.' Jennifer Johnston `I'm always a sucker for redemption stories but this one is really highly entertaining, life-affirming and - yes - charming. On this evidence, William Thacker is a name you will hear a lot more often.' Matt Haig On reflection, he should probably continue with the plan. The plan was to get away, wasn't it? What made him deviate from the plan? It was all the things that came in between. He just needs to keep going. When retired politician Joe Street is named in a tabloid media slur, he carries out a last-ditch attempt to resurrect his marriage and undo the damage from the lie. With a cheap PR consultant in tow, Joe is reintroduced to a world of empty sound bites and media appearances - a world he would rather forget. His PR campaign takes a turn for the worse and Joe sets out to rebuild a relationship with his estranged daughter. Together, they commit themselves to a challenge that will help right their wrongs. In spite of his regeneration, Joe discovers that nothing is ever easy. With his fragile reputation on the line, his past continues to chase him. Joe finds himself on a journey of self-discovery, of redemption, but most importantly, of finding hope once more.