Susan Bell

Social work is a profession under strain, and practitioners report finding the role increasingly challenging. What can sustain social work in these times? How can social workers sustain themselves in the role? How can they derive confidence and meaning from what they do? In addressing these questions, Sustaining Social Work is a source of understanding and support for professionals struggling with the tensions of practice. Accessible and engaging , it explores the fallout that results from social workers experiencing these tensions, including feelings of powerlessness, responsibility, optimism and cynicism. Drawing on ideas from social theory and the social sciences, it puts forward a model of sustainable social work that will help practitioners not just cope but flourish – even in the context of ongoing crises. An enlightening, uplifting read in a difficult and uncertain time for the profession, Sustaining Social Work addresses the challenge of finding sustenance and consolation within day-to-day practice, enriching it beyond the short-term.

In the North East of England at the dawn of the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries, two women face tragedy and challenges. Set within the compelling political landscape of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, and the complications and frustrations of the digital age, this dual romantic narrative shows that upheaval and revolution are no match for the constancies of love. Alternately tense, dramatic and joyful, A Similar Devotion follows two women separated in time, but united in their determination to overcome the obstacles they face throughout the events and relationships that colour their lives. The intertwining stories reveal that despite the contrasting worlds in which they live, love has a power to heal and bring happiness that neither woman expected. Susan Bell encapsulates the romantic past with the same vigour as the vibrant present.

The Writer's Notebook compiles the best craft seminars in the history of the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop, along with a variety of craft essays from some of Tin House's favorite writers. The cast of deeply respected poets and prose writers explore topics that vary from writing dialogue to the dos and don'ts of writing about sex. With how-tos, close readings, and personal anecdotes, The Writer's Notebook offers aspiring scribes advice and inspiration to hone their own craft.

The Artful Edit explores the many-faceted and often misunderstood or simply overlooked art of editing. The book brims with examples, quotes, and case studies, including an illuminating discussion of Max Perkins's editorial collaboration with F. Scott Fitzgerald on The Great Gatsby. Susan Bell, a veteran book editor, also offers strategic tips and exercises for self-editing and a series of remarkable interviews, taking us into the studios of successful authors such as Michael Ondaatje and Ann Patchett to learn from their various approaches to revision. Much more than a manual, The Artful Edit inspires readers to think about both the discipline and the creativity of editing and how it can enhance their work. In the computer age of lightning-quick composition, this book reminds readers that editing is not simply a spell-check. A vigorous investigation into the history and meaning of the edit, this book, like The Elements of Style, is a must-have companion for every writer."