By Priyanka Joshi, Elizabeth Haslam and William Swift
Elliott & Thompson is a UK-based independent publisher renowned for producing thought-provoking and beautifully crafted non-fiction books. Established in 2009, the publisher has carved out a reputation for curating works that inspire curiosity, spark conversation and provide fresh perspectives on various topics. From history and science to nature and culture, Elliott & Thompson collaborates with leading experts and storytellers to deliver compelling narratives that resonate with readers worldwide.
Their catalogue includes award-winning titles such as The Edge of the Plain by James Crawford, shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing, and Rootbound by Alice Vincent, a Sunday Times bestseller. Dedicated to excellence and driven by a passion for storytelling, Elliott & Thompson is a trusted name in independent publishing, championing works that inform, engage and enrich the literary landscape.
New and Upcoming Releases
A Winter Dictionary by Paul Anthony Jones
As the days are getting shorter and the nights are drawing in, A Winter Dictionary provides an excellent excuse to curl up in front of the fire and lose yourself to the captivating world of words. Have you heard of the words ‘frost-dogs’ or ‘crapulent’? Do you know where they come from? In this book, Paul Anthony Jones offers a delightful and informative compendium of the words’ origins that form the winter world vocabulary. This is perfect for language lovers who want to delve into a winter wonderland of words.
Her Lotus Year: China, The Roaring Twenties and the Making of Wallis Simpson by Paul French
Wallis Simpson has been remembered as a wicked temptress who disrupted the English monarchy. However, in this revealing story of Simpson’s early, formative years, Paul French dismantles the image of a woman often reduced to mere scandal. He instead creates a more well-rounded image of an elegant, cosmopolitan and intelligent character, who was put in an impossible situation. Not much was known about the ‘missing’ years Simpson spent in China in the twenties. Yet, by sifting fact from fiction, French adds new layers to one of the 20th century’s most enigmatic figures in this well-researched and compelling read.
Mother Animal by Helen Jukes
In this stark new vision of motherhood, Helen Jukes questions what it means to be a mother by looking beyond humans at the animal world. After becoming pregnant, Jukes plunges into researching the changes to expect with pregnancy and motherhood. The broadening of her search to species, including spiders, polar bears and beetles, unsettles and expands her understanding of mothering as it is and could be. Drawing on evolutionary biology, zoology and toxicology, this personal memoir uses stories of parenting and birthing from the natural world to try to figure out where our own animality ends and the influence of human industry begins.
Notable Reads
The Future of Geography by Tim Marshall
Waterstones’ Paperback of the Year in 2023, The Future of Geography is a captivating projection of ‘astro-politics’ and the way states will interact in a new era. Marshall, a reporter with experience on the ground in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, has brought his correspondent knowledge to the public in a series of titles on geopolitics, such as Prisoners of Geography, Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags, Divided and Shadowplay: Behind the Lines and Under Fire. These titles, also available from Elliott & Thompson, have climbed the bestseller charts, with Prisoners of Geography reaching number one. Published in October 2023, this title rocketed to the top of the list for Paperback of the Year in the final months.
Thunderstone: Finding Shelter from the Storm by Nancy Campbell
Following up with more award-winning titles released in 2023, Elliott & Thompson author Nancy Campbell won The TLS Ackerley Award with her title Thunderstone. The Ackerley Award, Britain’s only autobiography award, is judged by influential historians searching for a well-written and candid work, and Thunderstone no doubt fits the bill. In this post-pandemic tale, Campbell buys a caravan and drives it to a strip of woodland without electricity or plumbed water. As illness descends, in the beauty of nature, the mythical Thunderstone – believed to prevent lightning strikes – will buoy Campbell in the storm.
Taking Flight: The Evolutionary Story of Life on the Wing by Lev Parikian
A third prestigious title from West Londoner and nature enthusiast Lev Parikian is a feather in Elliott & Thompson’s cap. Previously published via Unbound, Elliott & Thompson has since acquired several of Parikian’s titles. Taking Flight, shortlisted for the 2023 Royal Society Science Book Prize, investigates the evolutionary development of flight. Looking at the simple act of flapping wings with visionary admiration, Parikian explores fourteen species from the first known flier in 300 million BCE (Before the Common Era), to the hummingbirds and dragonflies in your garden. Tapping into his passion for nature, Parikian’s Shortlist nomination is well deserved, and his future titles will be hotly anticipated by publishers and readers alike.