Kirjahaku

'Fierce, funny and long overdue - I read this book out loud to anyone who'd listen.' Adam Kay'Toksvig's Almanac is intended merely as a starting point for your own discoveries. Find a fabulous (or infamous) woman mentioned and, please, go looking for more of her story. The names mentioned are merely temptations. Amuse-bouches for the mind, if you like. How I would have loved to have written out in detail each tale there is to be told, but then this book would have been too heavy to lift.'Let Sandi Toksvig guide you on an eclectic meander through the calendar, illuminating neglected corners of history to tell tales of the fascinating figures you didn't learn about at school.From revolutionary women to serial killers, pirate nuns to pioneering civil rights activists, doctors to dancing girls, artists to astronauts, these pages commemorate women from all around the world who were pushed to the margins of historical record. Amuse your bouche with:Belle Star, American Bandit QueenLady Murasaki, author of the world's first novelMadame Ching, the most successful pirate of all timeMaud Wagner, the first female tattoo artistBegum Samru, Indian dancer and ruler who led an army of mercenariesInês de Castro, crowned Queen Consort of Portugal six years after her deathIda B. Wells, activist, suffragist, journalist and co-founder of the NAACPEleanor G. Holm, disqualified from the 1936 Berlin Olympics for drinking too much champagneThese stories are interspersed with helpful tips for the year, such as the month in which one is most likely to be eaten by a wolf, and the best time to sharpen your sickle. Explore a host of annual events worth travelling for, from the Olney Pancake Race in Wiltshire to the Danish Herring Festival, or who would want to miss Serbia's World Testicle Cooking Championship?As witty and entertaining as it is instructive, Toksvig's Almanac is an essential companion to each day of the year.

Pre-order Sandi Toksvig's new novel FRIENDS OF DOROTHY now - coming in September 2024The long-awaited memoir from one of Britain's best-loved characters - presenter of QI, former host of The Great British Bake Off'Wise and kind... part celebration, part confession... it will make you miss your stop' Observer'A fun-filled, fact-packed, memorable ride' Sunday Times 'Life-affirming and addictive' Sunday ExpressBetween the Stops is a sort of a memoir, my sort. It's about a bus trip really, because it's my view from the Number 12 bus. From a brief history of lady gangsters at Elephant and Castle to anecdotes about boarding school, this is the long-awaited memoir from one of Britain's best-loved characters. Presenter of QI, former host of The Great British Bake Off, writer, broadcaster, activist and comic on stage, screen and radio for nearly forty years: this is an autobiography with a difference - as only Sandi Toksvig can tell it. A funny and moving trip through memories, musings and the many delights on the number 12 route, Between the Stops is also an inspiration to us all to get off our phones, look up and talk to each other because as Sandi says: 'some of the greatest trips lie on our own doorstep'.

NOW IN PAPERBACK - THE FUNNY, WISE AND BRILLIANT NOVEL FROM THE STAR OF QIPAPERBACK PUBLICITION BACKED BY A MAJOR PERFORMANCE TOUR'Warm, witty and wise . . . the perfect balm for these turbulent times' GRAHAM NORTONAfter much searching, the happily married young couple, Amber and Stevie think they have found the perfect spot in Grimaldi Square. Despite the rundown pub across the way, the overgrown garden and a decidedly nosy neighbour, number 4 is the house of their dreams. Stevie, a woman who has never left anything to chance, has planned everything so nothing can spoil their happiness. But upstairs in their new home, seated on an old red sofa is the woman they bought the place from - eighty-year-old foul-mouthed, straight-talking, wise-cracking Dorothy - who has decided that she's not going anywhere. It turns out that Dorothy will be only the first in a line of life-changing surprises.Friends of Dorothy is a touching, funny novel about a family that is not biological, but logical; a story close to Sandi Toksvig's heart.Readers can't get enough of Friends of Dorothy:'Superb. Buy this book . . . Enjoyed it so much that I feel like starting at the beginning again' ?????'I absolutely adored this book! I hope to be half as hilarious as Dorothy when I reach my 70s' ?????'I literally read this in 24 hours and really could not put it down' ?????'It's a rare thing to find a novel that's warm and funny, but in no way cheesy or predictable . . . can't wait to re-read!' ?????'A great big warm hug of a book' ?????'I would give this six stars if I could' ?????

Contemporary, funny, wise and witty on LGBT+ fun, games - and prejudice - this is an uplit novel by one of the nation's most famous and beloved.

The funny, wise and brilliant new novel from the star of QI and the author of Between the Stops - an instant Sunday Times bestseller'Warm, witty and wise . . . the perfect balm for these turbulent times' GRAHAM NORTONAfter much searching, the happily married young couple, Amber and Stevie think they have found the perfect spot in Grimaldi Square. Despite the rundown pub across the way, the overgrown garden and a decidedly nosy neighbour, number 4 is the house of their dreams. Stevie, a woman who has never left anything to chance, has planned everything so nothing can spoil their happiness. But upstairs in their new home, seated on an old red sofa is the woman they bought the place from - eighty-year-old foul-mouthed, straight-talking, wise-cracking Dorothy - who has decided that she's not going anywhere. It turns out that Dorothy will be only the first in a line of life-changing surprises. Friends of Dorothy is a touching, funny novel about a family that is not biological, but logical; a story close to Sandi Toksvig's heart.Readers can't get enough of Friends of Dorothy!'Superb. Buy this book . . . Enjoyed it so much that I feel like starting at the beginning again' ?????'I absolutely adored this book! I hope to be half as hilarious as Dorothy when I reach my 70s' ????? 'I literally read this in 24 hours and really could not put it down' ?????'It's a rare thing to find a novel that's warm and funny, but in no way cheesy or predictable . . . can't wait to re-read!' ?????'A great big warm hug of a book' ?????'I would give this six stars if I could' ?????

Talks about April 1940 when the German troops began pouring into Denmark. When it became clear that the trouble isn't just going to pass them by, the people of Denmark decide to take action and Bamse and his eccentric family take part in one of history's most dramatic rescues - smuggling Denmark's Jewish population, across to Sweden.

When Amber, the littlest Viking, set out from Scandinavia to seek her fortune she must have got lost on her way! Now there's a Viking living in their garden!Having a Viking in the family isn't always easy. But when the garden is threatened by a nasty neighbour, Amber has some unusual - and hilarious - solutions to their problems . .

When Jessica brings her granny into school for 'Unusual Day' Miss Johnson thinks she's got muddled up with 'Family Day'. Her granny may be wearing a tracksuit and trainers, but she still looks like a fairly ordinary granny. However, when 'Unusual Day' is disrupted by a fire next door, everybody discovers just how unusual Jessica's granny is...

Boris is a 'tube' mouse - he lives in the underground railway in London. One day, Boris discovers an accident and has todevise a brave and clever plan to save the day. Illustrated throughout by whacky cartoon pictures, this is an ideal story for children who have just learned to read.

When Jessica loses her first tooth, Granny tells her to watch out for a trainee tooth fairy.

Because of the potato me and my family left our home and travelled 6,000 miles to find a new life . But things change overnight, and suddenly they find themselves facing hunger and danger like they have never known . Can one brave girl keep her family together no matter what is thrown at them .

11-year-old Slim Hannigan and her family left their home in Ireland to travel to America - in search of a better life. It has been so long and such a journey that Slim Hannigan and the rest of her family can't even imagine what home looks like anymore.

He shares his station with wise grandfather Garibaldi, his swaggering cousin Kicker and his best friend, Heavy Duty, the station cleaner. Kicker and Boris love football and when they see a brand-new football rolling down the station platform towards them, they can't resist the temptation to start a game.

Inge and Eve are part of the same generation, grew up in the same town, went to the same school together. But adult life has left them with nothing in common apart from their past - until the summer when their lives become entwined again, when one becomes a killer, and the other approves.

A brilliantly funny novel'Hugely rewarding' Beryl Bainbridge

From the author of BETWEEN THE STOPS and TOKSVIG'S ALMANACIn the Autumn of 1971, having been thrown out of a rather fancy private school, Sandi Toksvig was sent to the only remaining option - Mamaroneck High School, New York. She was thirteen years old and that year changed her life. Sandi auditioned and was chosen for the lead role in a production of The Skin of our Teeth by Thornton Wilder. Three girls were cast in the part of Gladys Antrobus, playing her at different ages of her life, and Sandi was the youngest. The three actresses soon became known as the Gladys' and this was the beginning of a friendship with a group of females that still influences her to this day. Soon all the girls in the cast and crew were becoming members of The Gladys Society. In the end there were twelve of them.GLADYS REUNITED records Sandi's travels in America catching up with her eleven fellows. It is a biography, a travel journal and a portrait of American women today. It's about friendship but also about Sandi herself, as she explores the origins of her career as a performer and her sense of national identity - where exactly does she fit?

Frances Angel, drunk and disgruntled, arrives in Italy to attend the I Zingari Art School, leaving behind her dazzling career as a successful theatrical impresario and returning to a distant and painful past. She falls into an eclectic group of performance artists, ex soldiers and a housewife who really just wants to paint something to match her settee. In the village a scale replica of the La Scala opera house becomes the setting for the great drama of Francis' past to be played out on the world's smallest stage. Francis expected to find some answers but what she didn't expect was romance and quite so much farce.

My brother stood up so quickly he almost knocked Mama over. "Why aren't you doing something? Do you know what the British are calling us? Hitler's canary I've heard it on the radio, on the BBC. They say he has us in a cage and we just sit and sing any tune he wants." I knew I should be afraid, but I didn't know yet what of: the Germans? The British? The French? We were theater people. We didn't get involved in these things. It had nothing to do with us. Bamse is used to drama--his mother is a famous actress and his best friend, Anton, is one of the most daring boys in all of Denmark. Should he follow his father's advice and not stir up trouble--or follow his daring brother into the Resistance and take part in the most demanding role of his life? Note: The character's name means "Teddy" in Danish and is pronounced "Bum Sir."]

How unbelievably dull my life was. I did everything I was supposed to. I was such a good girl. I lived in the house he chose and cleaned a dead woman’s furniture. I bought hats, who the hell wears a hat? And all the time I wanted to scream because I was so bored.On one dark and stormy night in the upper day room of the Silver Retirement Home, five elderly women are trading stories of their remarkable (or sometimes unremarkable) lives. With the storm floods rising and no rescue team in sight, the ladies are faced with the sudden realisation that in order to survive they are going to have to do what they have done for their entire lives – do it themselves!Silver Lining is a hilarious comedy by Sandi Toksvig. It tells the tale of a group of extraordinary yet forgotten women, who come together one treacherous night to recreate The Great Escape – senior-citizen style.It received its world premiere at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, on 3 February 2017 in a production by English Touring Theatre and Rose Theatre, Kingston.