Books

The mysterious Griffin arrives at a picturesque English inn during a snowstorm, swaddled in bandages which cover his face and with his eyes hidden behind dark glasses. His odd get-up and irascible behavior intrigue the locals, who believe him to be the victim of an accident. However, the true reason for Griffin's outfit is far stranger: underneath those clothes, he is completely invisible. As the cause of Griffin's state of transparency is revealed, his nefarious and destructive intentions become clear.
One of the foundational texts of science fiction, The Invisible Man has inspired numerous film and TV adaptations and remains chilling in its depiction of scientific experimentation gone wrong.

When an army of invading Martians lands in England, panic and terror seize the population. As the aliens traverse the country in huge three-legged machines, incinerating all in their path with a heat ray and spreading noxious toxic gases, the people of the Earth must come to terms with the prospect of the end of human civilization and the beginning of Martian rule.
Inspiring films, radio dramas, comic-book adaptations, television series and sequels, The War of the Worlds is a prototypical work of science fiction which has influenced every alien story that has come since, and is unsurpassed in its ability to thrill, well over a century since it was first published.

In Thomas More's hugely influential Utopia, a traveller recounts his discovery of an island nation in which the inhabitants enjoy unprecedented social cohesion and justice. The book imagines a community in which laws, personal relations and professional ambition are based on reason, in contrast with the tradition-bound superstitions of Europe, which were, in More's eyes, impediments to equality and peaceful coexistence.

One of the indicators of the profound cultural and political influence of More's masterpiece is today's common use of the word “Utopia” – a term he invented. This extraordinary treatise on the values of rationality and reason – here presented in a sparkling new translation by Roger Clarke and accompanied by copious notes and additional texts – questions what a philosopher can do to enact change in society, and how idealized visions can inform political practice.

A sparkling new translation by Roger Clarke of one of the most influential philosophical works of all time, which renders the original Latin into an English that is clear, readable and true to the spirit of Thomas More's writing.

Accompanied by: Biographical notes on contemporary figures and an index explaining More's Utopian vocabulary; a map of the island of Utopia; correspondence relevant to the text (as well as letters of endorsement and even celebratory verses), written by numerous prominent sixteenth-century European humanists. These letters – presented chronologically and translated from Latin – work in conjunction with the detailed notes on Thomas More's life, the genesis of Utopia and information about the verse metres employed to offer a unique and fascinating insight into the composition and publication of Utopia, which no student of the text should be without. Moreover, they offer a glimpse not only into the character of More, Erasmus and other members of their circle, but also into the world in which they inhabited.

Odyssey, a volume of twenty-one stories aimed at young adults, offers a variety of takes on the theme of travelling - at times funny and playful, at others dramatic and poignant - covering a wide range of themes relevant to teenagers across Europe, such as coming of age, sexuality, migration, identity and displacement. Whether you're after realism or escapism, tales about inner cities, sunny holidays or sci-fi ventures into the future, this book will have something for everyone.

Hay Festival is delighted to present Aarhus 39, a two-volume collection of the best emerging writers for young readers from across wider Europe. Three of Europe's best loved children's authors - Matt Haig (UK), Kim Fupz Aakeson (Denmark) and Ana Cristina Herreros (Spain) - have selected thirty-nine writers under the age of forty, and invited them to write an original story on the theme of 'journey'. These new stories, together with the specially commissioned illustrations that accompany them, are a celebration of great new writing for young people and reflect issues facing them in contemporary Europe. Reading stories of other people's lives and journeys extends understanding and empathy to new generations.

Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.

Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.

When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.

يفاجئنا عز الدين شكري فشير، أحد أهم كُتابنا المعاصرين، بهذه الرواية المزلزلة، ليحكي لنا عن أمل التي تستيقظ في الفراش مع عمر، الذي بالكاد تعرفه. وفي الساعات المتبقية حتى موعد طائرة أمل مساء اليوم التالي، نكتشف من خلالهما جوانب من مصر الأخرى، القابعة تحت السطح في خليط من اليأس والأمل لا ندري إن كان سيدفعها للانفجار أم يقتلها كمدًا. رواية مثيرة، ستجعلنا نعيد التفكير في كثير من المسلَّمات.

A healthy young man dies in his sleep, despite the ringing of eight separate alarm clocks…Gerry Wade had proved himself to be a champion sleeper; so the other house guests decided to play a practical joke on him. Eight alarm clocks were set to go off, one after the other, starting at 6.30 a.m. But when morning arrived, one clock was missing and the prank had backfired with tragic consequences.For Jimmy Thesiger in particular, the words ‘Seven Dials’ were to take on a new and chilling significance…

Agatha Christie’s most famous murder mystery, reissued with a new cover to tie in with the hugely anticipated 2017 film adaptation.

A dreamer who can start a revolution For the past two hundred years the Scion government has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in London. Clairvoyance in all its forms has been decreed a criminal offence, and those who practise it viciously punished. Forced underground, a clairvoyant underworld has developed, combating persecution and evading capture. Paige Mahoney, a powerful dreamwalker operating in the Seven Dials district of London, leads a double life, using her unnaturalness illegally while hiding her gift from her father, who works for the Scion regime...