Kirjahaku

In empty places darkness lives; hidden in small towns citizens find themselves traversing tales that others know to be safely confined in storybooks. Mr. Edward opens bookstores in these hamlets, selling rare works and indoctrinating children into "The Program" for lessons in the art of writing. Despite his oddness there is something about the gentleman that demands enough respect and admiration from the locals and his prot g s for him to quietly go about his business. Thomas, one of Mr. Edward's most promising pupils, admires and perhaps even loves the old man who nurtures his burgeoning talent for writing and introduces him to Samantha, who will grow to be the love of his life. Sensing something wrong Thomas begins to wonder if the darkness is in him and not his mentor. Between the old shop owner and the love of his life, Thomas's story takes many twists that his loving mother does not approve of. Mr. Edward's motives would thrill the devil himself. Warily keeping his most promising pupil off balance, he mercilessly culls from "The Program" those too weak to serve his sinister ends. Finally only Thomas remains; finding that everything he loves is on the line as he faces the greatest challenge yet, a monster with a familiar face. Two masters of words and magic go head to head with the young author's soul up for grabs as he challenges one of the great truths of the universe; that no one can write their own happy ending.

Pull up a chair and sit quietly in the corner. Try not to draw attention to yourself. We all know gods, even the benign ones, react in anger if interrupted when holding court. Order a drink and relax while you are regaled with this satirical tale. Just imagine it, Jesus retelling how his father created the world. You have never heard this version before. Listen to his breathtaking story of addiction and redemption as he recounts the lost years of his life. Take this trip with him, and some friends you never knew he had. Witness it all as he recounts it all for the first time, in all of time. Patrick Elliott ordains you as a priest in the order of the Lord's Confessors. The offering? Exalted stories, denied by any official record, too wonderful to be true. They come encased in a faux-faux-leather tome, but only for a Brief and Literal History of the World.

Raqib Shaw is one of the most extraordinary and sought-after artists working in the world today. Born in Calcutta in 1974 and raised in Kashmir, he came to London to study in 1998 and has lived there ever since. Inspired by a broad range of influences, including the old masters, Indian miniatures, Persian carpets and the Pre-Raphaelites, his paintings are infused with memories and longing for his homeland in Kashmir. His technique constitutes a completely unique kind of enamel painting. Spending months on preparatory drawings, tracings and photographic studies, he then transfers the composition onto prepared wooden panels, establishing an intricate design with acrylic liner, which leaves a slightly raised line. He adds the enamel paint using needle-fine syringes and a porcupine quill, with which he manoeuvres the paint. The finished works are intricate, magical and breathtaking in their colour and complexity. This book accompanies an exhibition of eight paintings by Raqib Shaw at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, alongside two paintings which have long obsessed him and have influenced specific works: Sir Joseph Noel Paton's The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania, 1849 (National Gallery of Scotland) and Lucas Cranach's An Allegory of Melancholy, 1528 (private collection). The book includes the first full-length biographical study of the artist.

In 1951, Joan Eardley visited the coastal fishing village of Catterline in north-east Scotland for the first time. Her visit sparked a fascination that would last the rest of her life. She made the village her home and found inspiration in the dramatic light and rapidly changing weather. The gentle landscapes and wild rolling seascapes she painted of Catterline in wind, snow, rain and sun are among her best-loved works. Unpublished archival material and interviews with many of those who knew her shed new light on Eardley’s life in Catterline. A vivid portrait is painted both of Eardley and of the village, showing the vital part Catterline played in her development as an artist. The story of her experiences on the wild Scottish coast is evocatively told and beautifully illustrated with some of her most remarkable drawings and paintings.