Journal

"Make America Great Again."Simple. Punchy. Repetitive, like a nursery rhyme or a drumbeat. But pause for a moment - just a moment - and ask:When exactly was America great?And, more importantly:

Book prizes used to be rare honours. Now they’re everywhere - from international juggernauts to niche gongs for every genre and age group. In this insightful (and slightly cheeky) blog, I explore how this prize culture reshapes publishing, boosts authors, powers marketing machines like The Bookseller, and raises the question: are we celebrating excellence - or just addicted to applause?

While creatives can value originality, art, and the emotional resonance that is in their work, some CEOs and business leaders prioritise metrics, scalability, and efficiency. Originality can be seen as time wasting. This divergence of points of view can lead to creative contributions being dismissed as "generic," undervalued, or treated as interchangeable. 

Learn how to write a children’s publishing press release that sounds human, not hysterical. Practical tips, common pitfalls, and why "thrilled" is the biggest giveaway of all.

Today, The Great Gatsby is enshrined as the Great American Novel. It's not just literature - it’s a cultural metronome, ticking through the decades with unnerving relevance. Every generation rediscovers Gatsby, and in doing so, sees itself reflected in the mirrored surface of Jay Gatsby’s champagne-soaked lifestyle.

In 1919, as tensions exploded in Amritsar, a young Sikh barrister rode into a furious crowd on horseback to stop the violence. Educated in Dublin during Ireland’s rebellion, Gurdial Singh Salariya risked everything to prevent bloodshed—then was erased from history. This is the forgotten story of a man who stood between empires.

I created and designed the You Wouldn’t Want To Be... series in 1999, the world, and the world was completely different.

Misery, Marketed There was a time when memoirs were quiet things - stitched together in notebooks or typed out slowly at kitchen tables.

How AI trained on pirated books is fuelling a cultural heist – what UK authors and publishers must do to fight back.

Discover why graphic novels are essential reading for children – boosting literacy, critical thinking and visual comprehension.

Think signing a book deal means instant riches? Think again. This blog breaks down how authors are really paid – through advances, royalties

World Book Day is a global celebration of books and reading. But did you know that it’s celebrated in different ways all over the world? From books and roses in Spain to manga and poetry in Japan, each country has its own unique way of honouring the power of stories

In 1495, Gutenberg’s printing press rewrote the rules of power, religion, and knowledge - fueling revolutions and reshaping Europe.

Self publish?ow do you get your story into the hands of readers? Should you go down the traditional publishing route?

One still lives by the pitching of ideas and editorial meetings, perhaps dog-eared manuscripts in canvas bags are long gone.

This no-nonsense guide isn’t here to sell you a dream. It’s here to help you navigate the reality of freelancing.

In children's books, where visual appeal is just as important as the text, getting the layout right can make the big difference.

So, what can Meditations teach us about surviving the circus of modern publishing? Let’s take a leaf from his scrolls?

Discover the true cost of publishing a children’s book in the UK! Whether you choose self-publishing or traditional publishing.

Publishing: a world of book fairs, tote bags, and people who can write an 80,000-word novel but still don’t know how to use Track Changes.