Opine Books Opine Books
Academy Book Prize receive funding academic appointment Atlantic Books BIBF Globe Children additional amazing year Black Women Writers

2025 February


Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld is moving, witty and achingly real

Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld is moving, witty and achingly real

But Sittenfeld gently reminds us that, considering the chaotic past decade, where death, catastrophe and complex political issues have dominated American lives, fear and anxiety are an entirely reasonable emotional response.


‘Profile more valuable than expertise now’: anonymous editor weighs in on fact-checking furore

‘Profile more valuable than expertise now’: anonymous editor weighs in on fact-checking furore

“Harnessing celebrity to sell books is nothing new, of course, but once upon a time these people lending their profile to shift copies would have been paired with a ghost writer who would do much of the actual work required.


‘An unclenching of the soul’: Geraldine Brooks’ raw, gentle grief memoir has helped me navigate my own mourning

‘An unclenching of the soul’: Geraldine Brooks’ raw, gentle grief memoir has helped me navigate my own mourning

On Flinders Island, Brooks creates some of her own rituals of mourning: taking long walks, swimming in the ocean, savouring her interactions with local wildlife, staring at the night sky.


Spread the Word unveils 2025 London Writers Awards winners

Spread the Word unveils 2025 London Writers Awards winners

McKenna continued: “It can make a life and career in writing imaginable and tangible, where before it may have felt remote, nebulous and difficult to reach, giving participants permission to handle their own work with confidence and seriousness.


Chris van Tulleken, Catherine Belton and Caroline Criado-Perez shortlisted for the ÂŁ10k Unwin Award

Chris van Tulleken, Catherine Belton and Caroline Criado-Perez shortlisted for the ÂŁ10k Unwin Award

Moreover, The Lost Rainforests of Britain (William Collins) author Guy Shrubsole was shortlisted for his "lyrical, inspiring and educational prose", as well as "the ways in which his work has shaped public understanding of land ownership, conservation and our relationship with the natural world".


‘One of the finest Scottish crime writers of his generation’: Denzil Meyrick dies aged 59

‘One of the finest Scottish crime writers of his generation’: Denzil Meyrick dies aged 59

The publisher added: “Denzil was known for the skill with which he pinned to the page the reality of life on the streets of Glasgow along with the issues of the small rural communities of Scotland, a talent which caught the attention of a wide reading public across the UK and well beyond.


Books on BookTok: Ali Hazelwood leads trending titles

Books on BookTok: Ali Hazelwood leads trending titles

The latest addition to the Hunger Games series, Sunrise on the Reaping (Scholastic), by Suzanne Collins is due to be published next month and “many readers are rereading the original trilogy and remembering why we loved it in the first place”, noted Suraka.


Books on Podcasts: Jojo Moyes on her latest novel, modern families and privacy

Books on Podcasts: Jojo Moyes on her latest novel, modern families and privacy

The Artist was selected as one of The Bookseller’s Debuts of 2025: Volume 1, described by fiction previewer Madeleine Feeny as a "tense psychodrama of female subversion and liberation exploring the legacy of war, the unreliability of perception and the hidden corners of art history".


Neneh Cherry and Jenni Fagan longlisted for 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction

Neneh Cherry and Jenni Fagan longlisted for 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction

There is a strong Brit contingent with 11 of the 16 nominations coming from British authors, including newly elected MP Yuan Yang, palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke and marine biologist Helen Scales.


Seltmann Publishers signs with GMC for distribution

Seltmann Publishers signs with GMC for distribution

GMC’s sales director Michael Robb said: "We are very pleased to be selling Seltmann’s exciting list of gift titles, and the addition of these products will mean we can bring an even greater range of gift ideas for all occasions to the UK retail market."


London bookshops reveal falling pupil numbers partly triggering ‘toughest’ times yet

London bookshops reveal falling pupil numbers partly triggering ‘toughest’ times yet

Jess Allan, store manager of Queens Park Books in north west London, said: "We have historically done more events with schools and just in general and that has certainly changed post lockdown.


John and Yoko, Cher, Lisa-Marie Presley: 3 memoirs illustrate the peculiar lives of celebrities

John and Yoko, Cher, Lisa-Marie Presley: 3 memoirs illustrate the peculiar lives of celebrities

A big, bold, engaging story of grit and determination that charts the initial rise of Cheryl Sarkisian from poverty and hardship towards becoming the “global icon” known as Cher, this book has all the right ingredients for a blockbuster celebrity biography.