Independent Thinking Spring 2013

Introducing the new novel from ---

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Plus: Try a recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery --Exclusive special offers & signed copies --100s of proofs available to read

Spring

Welcome to Independent Thinking from HarperCollins, a selection of new books for the spring, chosen with independent booksellers in mind. Throughout this issue you’ll find a feast of new fiction, beautiful & collectible books, fascinating non-fiction, and children’s books to please all ages. Look out for symbols highlighting the availability of proof copies, signed books, author events, point-of-sale and special offers. For further details or to place an order, please contact your HarperCollins sales representative or email us at independentthinking@harpercollins.co.uk.

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New Fiction New novels from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tash Aw, Lionel Shriver and Tracy Chevalier, plus Nathan Filer’s extraordinary debut The Shock of the Fall.

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Critically Acclaimed Paperbacks Books by Nicola Barker, Charles Cumming and new talents Sam Thompson and Maggie Shipstead.

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Hilary Mantel Lose your head in the new paperback edition of The Man Booker Prize winning Bring Up the Bodies.

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Beautiful Books Stunning clothbound editions of iconic science fiction and fantasy books.

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Non-Fiction Uncover a treasure trove of intriguing artefacts with Molly Oldfield and rediscover the sea with Samuel Johnson prize winner, Philip Hoare.

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Food & Drink Jay Rayner, one of our most influential food critics shoots a few sacred cows of the food world.

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Children’s Books Discover the novel everyone including J.K. Rowling is raving about, plus new books from Judith Kerr, Oliver Jeffers and Michael Morpurgo.

New Fiction

New Fiction / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

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A richly told story spanning three continents and numerous lives

There’s a feast of fiction this season with new novels from bestselling authors Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tracy Chevalier and Lionel Shriver, plus one of 2013’s most anticipated debuts, Nathan Filer’s The Shock of the Fall. Our selection of critically acclaimed paperbacks is led by Hilary Mantel, whose record-breaking Man Booker and Costa prize-winning novel, Bring Up the Bodies, is published worldwide in paperback on 7th May.

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Americanah marks the triumphant return of one of our greatest storytellers, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, with her first novel in seven years, following 2007’s Orange Prize-winner Half of a Yellow Sun. Americanah is the story of Ifemelu and Obinze, two young Nigerians who fall in love under the country’s military dictatorship.

Deprived of opportunities, the couple flee – Ifemelu to America, Obinze to the UK – and come apart under the strain of terrible hardships. Both feel the weight of something they never thought of back home – race.

Years later, and both are successful in their new lives.

But will they find the courage to meet again?

Americanah Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie £20, HB 11th April 978-0-00-730622-0 Fourth Estate

‘This is a very funny, very warm and moving intergenerational epic that confirms Adichie’s virtuosity, boundless empathy and searing social acuity.’

Dave Eggers

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New Fiction / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

A book jostling with love, betrayal and guilt --Tash Aw

‘What a storyteller Tash Aw is.

Unputdownable.’

Doris Lessing

Tash Aw’s debut, The Harmony Silk Factory, won the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Novel, as well as being longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Five Star Billionaire will surely confirm him as one of our most astute and exciting novelists.

disparate lives. In examining the migrations that are shaping these new cities Tash Aw delves into the psyche of Shanghai and questions what is left behind in the relentless push forward.

In this new novel, Tash Aw charts the weaving and overlapping paths of migrant Malaysian workers, forging lives for themselves in sprawling Shanghai, counterpointing their adventures with the life they have left behind. He tracks five encounters with a new China, including that of the Five Star Billionaire himself, who pulls the strings of destiny, his lessons for success unsettling the dynamics of these

£18.99, HB 28th February 978-0-00-749415-6 Fourth Estate

Five Star Billionaire Tash Aw

The Scent of Death

The Accursed

Andrew Taylor

Joyce carol oates

From the No.1 bestselling author of The American Boy comes a brilliant, much anticipated historical thriller, set during the American War of Independence. Surrounded by its enemies, British Manhattan is a melting pot of soldiers, profiteers, double agents and a swelling tide of refugees seeking justice from the Crown. Edward Savill, a London clerk, is assigned to New York to investigate the claims of dispossessed loyalists caught on the wrong side of the American War of Independence. In the escalating violence of a desperate city, a body is found whose secret could be the key to power for whoever uncovers it…

This eerie psychological horror sees the real inhabitants of turn-ofthe-century Princeton fall under the influence of a supernatural, irresistible evil. Following a savage lynching, it becomes apparent that the genteel families of Princeton have been beset by a powerful curse. Few remain unscathed; not future president Woodrow Wilson, nor author Upton Sinclair. The Accursed combines Joyce Carol Oates’s unmistakable psychological insight, with beautifully transporting historical detail and chilling fantastical elements to stunning effect.

£14.99, HB 28th February 978-0-00-721351-1 HarperFiction

£18.99, HB 5th March 978-0-00-749419-4 Fourth Estate

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New Fiction / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Discover the book that is setting the reading agenda for 2013 --Louisa Joyner, HarperFiction Editorial Director, introduces The Shock of the Fall

Na than Filer

‘A stunning novel, ambitious and exquisitely realised.’

S. J. Watson

‘I remember years ago a good friend telling me about a book she’d just acquired. It was a novel that, she felt, allowed people to experience life as Atticus Finch would have it, wearing someone else’s shoes.

She wasn’t just excited to be the book’s editor, for her it was about celebrating an extraordinary piece of writing and she couldn’t wait to start pressing it into people’s hands.

but actually get to experience it first-hand as it tackles head on what it’s like to live with schizophrenia. As funny and smart as it is heartbreakingly loving, The Shock of the Fall has the ability to take us to a place few of us ever get to go. I cannot wait for you to get reading and experience its force for yourselves.’

For me The Shock of the Fall is that novel. Nathan Filer’s extraordinarily original debut allows you not just to see what it’s like to live with mental illness

£12.99, HB 23rd May 978-0-00-749143-8 HarperFiction

The Shock of The Fall Nathan Filer

Big brother

the last runaway

little exiles

lionel shriver

tracy chevalier

robert dinsdale

THE PALACE OF CURIOSITIES --rosie garland

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Lionel Shriver is the award-winning author of We Need to Talk About Kevin, which has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

Big Brother is her moving novel about one sister’s fight to save her obese brother.

Tracy Chevalier is an international phenomenon and The Last Runaway is her evocative story about the last days of slavery.

Fans have waited four years for this novel and widespread reviews are guaranteed.

Robert Dinsdale has a unique literary voice that will enthral fans of Louisa Young and Peter Carey. Little Exiles is based on the true story of the forced migration of British children to Australia after WWII.

Praised by Sarah Waters and already a bookseller favourite, The Palace of Curiosities is a fascinating story about an early Victorian circus and the outcasts that perform within it.

£16.99, HB 9th May 978-0-00-727109-2 HarperFiction

£14.99, HB 14th March 978-0-00-735034-6 HarperFiction

£12.99, HB 28th February 978-0-00-7481705 HarperFiction

£14.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-7492770 HarperFiction

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Critically Acclaimed Paperbacks / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Critically Acclaimed Paperbacks

Winner

Longlisted

the Yips

Seating arrangements

A foreign country

Nicola Barker

Maggie shipstead

Charles Cumming

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‘Barker is ostensibly a comic writer, and is indeed snort-inducingly funny.’

Daily Telegraph

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This hilarious and flamboyant Man Bookerlonglisted novel captures the pre-Twitter moment and is the filthiest state-of-thenation novel since Martin Amis’s Money.

Prepare to meet Luton’s finest.

Winn Van Meter, father-of-the-bride, has spent his life following the rules of the east coast upper crust, but now, just shy of his 60th birthday, he must finally confront his failings, his desires, and his own humanity.

A Foreign Country is Charles Cumming’s best novel yet. Six weeks before she is due to become the first female head of MI6, Amelia Levene vanishes without a trace, with devastating consequences.

£8.99, PB 28th March 978-0-00-747666-4 Fourth Estate

£7.99, PB 4th July 978-0-00-746773-0 Blue Door

£7.99, PB 28th March 978-0-00-734643-1 HarperFiction

Winner

Longlisted

Longlisted

THE SPANISH HOLOCAUSt

COMMUNION TOWN

bring up the bodies

paul preston

Sam Thompson

Hilary mantel

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Winner

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Winner

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Based on records of General Francisco Franco’s atrocities that have only recently become available, Paul Preston reveals for the first time the extent of the violence committed against the Spanish people.

This is no ordinary place. Ghosts and monsters, refugees and travellers – the voices of Communion Town clamour to tell the stories of the city, stories that must be heard to be believed.

Bring Up the Bodies and it’s 2009 predecessor, Wolf Hall, are both No.1 bestsellers and Man Booker Prize-winners. Hilary Mantel’s win for Bring Up the Bodies is a historic achievement, making her the first British and first female author to win The Man Booker Prize twice, and the first to win with two consecutive novels.

£10.99, PB 31st January 978-0-00-638695-7 HarperPress

£7.99, PB 31st January 978-0-00-745477-8 Fourth Estate

£9.99, PB 7th May 978-0-00-7315109 Fourth Estate

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Hilary Mantel / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Hilary Mantel

Accolades for Hilary Mantel ---

The first woman to win the Man Booker Prize twice The first person to win the Man Booker Prize & Costa Book of the Year The first Briton to win the Man Booker Prize twice Wolf Hall was the fastest-selling Man Booker Prize winner to date The novels have inspired two new plays at the RSC

‘The greatest modern English prose writer working today.’

TV adaptations of the two novels will be on the BBC in spring 2014 And the best news is – the third & final book in the trilogy is still to come!

We have POS available to promote Bring Up the Bodies in paperback. If you’d like to order POS, contact your HarperCollins rep or email us at independentthinking@harpercollins.co.uk

Sir Peter Stothard, Chairman of the Man Booker Prize

Dumpbin: 978-0-00-793292-4 Poster: 978-0-00-793291-7

A place of greater safety

THE GIANT O’BRIEN

GIVING UP THE GHOST: A memoir

BEYOND BLACK

hilary mantel

hilary mantel

hilary mantel

hilary mantel

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An extraordinary work of historical imagination - this is Hilary Mantel’s epic novel of the French revolution.

The Giant O’Brien is an unforgettable novel; lyrical, shocking and spliced with black comedy.

A wry, shocking and beautiful memoir of childhood, ghosts, hauntings, illness and family.

Hilarious and sinister, Beyond Black is a tale of dark secrets and secret forces in suburban England.

£9.99, PB Reissue 978-0-00-725055-4 Fourth Estate

£7.99, PB Reissue 978-1-85702886-7 Fourth Estate

£8.99, PB Reissue 978-0-00-714272-9 Fourth Estate

£8.99, PB Reissue 978-0-00-715776-1 Fourth Estate

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Beautiful Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Beautiful Books

i, robot special edition

a game of thrones special edition

neuromancer special edition

isaac asimov

george r. r. Martin

william gibson

I, Robot is a classic collection from the master of the genre. In these stories Isaac Asimov creates the Three Laws of Robotics, designed to insure humans have superiority, and ushers in the Robot Age.

From the internationally bestselling author comes a covetable clothbound edition of the first volume in the greatest epic work of the modern age. In the Game of Thrones you win or you die.

The novel that launched the cyberpunk generation and heralded the coming of the internet is arguably the most influential science fiction novel of our time. Winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Philip K Dick awards.

£14.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-749151-3 Voyager

£18.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-749157-5 Voyager

£14.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-749152-0 Voyager

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‘These stunning clothbound editions are perfect for fans and collectors of beautiful books.’

Natasha Tanczos, Assistant Editor, Voyager

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, Assassin s apprentice special edition

Fahrenheit 451 special edition

magician special edition

ray bradbury

raymond e. feist

THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING special edition --T. H. White

The internationally acclaimed Fahrenheit 451 is a masterwork of twentieth-century literature. This terrifyingly prophetic novel of a post-literate future still dazzles and shocks.

Magician is the original masterwork of magic and adventure and the first book of Feist’s critically acclaimed Riftwar series that has enchanted readers for over thirty years.

T. H. White’s masterful retelling of the Arthurian legend is an abiding classic. All five volumes that make up the story are published here together in a single volume, as White himself always wished.

The first book in the acclaimed Farseer Trilogy is a classic fantasy novel combining magic with epic mastery. Where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become an enigma.

£14.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-749156-8 Voyager

£18.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-749153-7 Voyager

£18.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-749154-4 Voyager

£16.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-749155-1 Voyager

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robin hobb

Non-Fiction

Non-Fiction / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

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Some treasures are too precious to display

Delve into the hidden archives of the world’s finest museums with QI researcher Molly Oldfield, re-engage with the sea and the creatures that live within it with Samuel Johnson prize-winner, Philip Hoare, and join Jay Rayner, one of our leading food critics, as he faces the challenging question of how we will feed ourselves in the 21st century. This diverse choice of non-fiction offers stimulating books for all interests this spring.

--Molly Oldfield introduces her new book, The Secret Museum

‘Museums are a great place to go to learn, to get fresh ideas and to wander around in beauty. I used to visit the public areas without realising that behind closed doors, most of each museum’s collection is hidden away. That changed when two curators of the Natural History Museum invited me to look around their secret realm. I began to wonder if all museums were like this – housing things that only researchers and curators know about? I spent the following year finding hidden treasures in the archives to lift into the light, and onto the pages of this book. Whatever you’re into, there ought to be something here for you: take your pick – what about a space suit covered in moon dust? Van Gogh’s personal sketchbooks? A letter opener made from the paw of Charles Dickens’s cat? A friendship book written by Anne Frank? How about a piece of Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree? Delve in and have a look around. I hope you will find ideas, people, stories and treasures that you enjoy.’

The Secret Museum Molly Oldfield

‘Whatever you’re into, there ought to be something here for you.’

£25, HB 28th February 978-0-00-745528-7 Collins

Molly Oldfield

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Non-Fiction / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Philip Hoare sets out to discover the sea, its islands, birds & beasts --Zeljka Marosevic, Marketing Executive, Harper Press & Fourth Estate introduces The Sea Inside

Ph i l i p Ho a r e

‘Every morning Philip Hoare cycles to Netley to swim in the English Channel. It is these swims which provide the early rhythm of The Sea Inside, unlocking Hoare’s meditation on the creatures he encounters and the history of the land.

‘A classic so compelling it cast a spell on me that endured for days.’

In this masterful new book, his most personal to date, Hoare rediscovers the sea for us all, when it has never meant more to our future and survival.’

The Sea Inside Philip Hoare

From here the book expands outwards from the inhabitants of the Isle of Wight to the complicated relationship between whales and islanders on the Azores.

Hoare encounters the blue whale in Sri Lanka and ends his journey in New Zealand where he swims with rare dolphins, their striped bellies flashing in the water.

The Observer on Leviathan

£18.99, HB 6th June 978-0-00-741211-2 Fourth Estate

falling upwards

Leviathan

Richard holmes

david scott

A heart-lifting and lilting group biography telling how the generation of pioneering aviators felt as they ascended to a new dimension of human experience. Through the strange allure of the great balloonists, Richard Holmes offers a subtle portrait of human endeavour, recklessness and vision. Featuring dramatic rivalries and heroic experiments, Falling Upwards tells how the journey of this enigmatic group of men and women flying skyward above the earth influenced and transported science, warfare, literature and discovery.

In this wide-ranging new study, the scope of which has not been seen for years, David Scott challenges traditional assumptions about how Britain achieved her global might. Patriotism and constitutional ideals competed with baser motives, or were sidelined by the impact of dynastic accident and the vagaries of war. Leviathan commands respect as a work of scholarship in telling the story of the religious fanaticism, political hatred, profiteering and hunger for power that made Britain great. Yet it is written with such vivacity and enthusiasm that it opens the subject up to a wider audience.

£25, HB 25th April 978-0-00-738692-5 HarperPress

£26, HB 11th April 978-0-00-724080-7 HarperPress

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Non-Fiction / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

A refreshingly funny take on feminism for 2013 ---

Hadley Freeman is like the Funny Female Friend from your favourite movie – the one with the best lines, who’s about 1000 times more interesting than the leading lady (think Kristin Scott Thomas from Four Weddings, not Andie MacDowell). Witty, cool and with a killer dance routine to Patrick Swayze’s She’s Like the Wind – she’s the woman you want to be.

Ha dley Free man

‘Feminism is not about hating men or special treatments: it’s about equality. Nor does it mean women should wear boiler suits!’

that is unfalteringly funny, smart and surprisingly heart-warming, Hadley Freeman is a voice of sanity that every woman should hear.

Be Awesome Hadley Freeman £12.99, TPB 25th April 978-0-00-748569-7 Fourth Estate

Be Awesome will appeal to women of all ages and walks of life, covering a variety of topics vital to any woman wanting to stay sane in the modern world.

From body image and sex, to dating and friendship, via hair and work, Hadley offers a voice of sanity in a frequently un-awesome world. With an attitude

Hadley Freeman

woodsman

deserter

ben law

charles glass

Ben Law is the UK’s most respected woodsman. His famously unique and characterful woodland home in Prickly Nut Wood, designed and built by himself, was named by Kevin McCloud as his favourite ever Grand Design. Ben has lived as a woodsman for over 20 years and in this book he tells how he came to know and love his woodland. It is an insightful and inviting demonstration of his authentic sense of the land and the wildlife, in which his respect for age-old traditions and how to sustain them shine through.

During the Second World War, all sides experienced desertion and troops left the ranks in their thousands. Now veteran reporter and historian Charles Glass breaks the taboo and examines the extraordinary story of the deserters of the Second World War. Many of these men were captured and court marshalled, while others were never apprehended. Some remain wanted to this day. Who were they? What made them run? And what happened once they made the decision to flee their ranks? Deserter is a highly emotional and engaging study of an under-explored area of World War II history.

£14.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-741627-1 Collins

£25, HB 28th March 978-0-00-734592-2 HarperPress

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Non-Fiction / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

The incredible new novel from the author of The Alchemist ---

Paulo Coelho is an internationally bestselling author and publishing phenomenon. He is best known for his modern classic, The Alchemist, which has sold more than 1.5 million copies in the UK. His books have sold an incredible 145 million copies worldwide and been translated into 74 languages. Paulo is also a United Nations Messenger of Peace and one of the most influential people online with nearly 10 million Facebook fans and 6.3 million Twitter followers.

‘One of the few to deserve the term publishing phenomenon.’

before them and invited the people to share their fears that he might offer hope and comfort. His extraordinary insights on courage, solitude, loyalty and loss were transcribed and passed on.

Manuscript Found in Accra went straight to the top of the bestseller lists in many of the countries in which it was released last year. If you are a Paulo Coelho fan, were inspired by The Alchemist, or have always wanted to read one of Paulo’s books, then this is the ideal time.

Paulo’s incredible new novel, Manuscript Found in Accra, is a timeless and powerful exploration of personal growth, everyday wisdom and joy. After lying undiscovered for over 700 years, a manuscript holding the answers to a city’s final questions is unearthed from a cave in Cairo. Centuries before, on the eve of the invasion of Accra, the citizens gathered. A man stood

Independent on Sunday

Manuscript Found in Accra Paulo Coelho £12.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-751392-5 HarperNonFiction

The English a field guide

Win an ipad mini!

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Matt Rudd The sun is out, flowers are sprouting in pavement cracks, and evenings are stretching beyond five o’clock. This can only mean one thing – publication date is nearly upon us for Matt Rudd’s hilarious field guide to the world’s most remarkable and unusual creatures: The English. Come June 6th you can join Matt as he gets to know this curious breed, whether they be reclining on their living room sofas; getting drizzled on as they wait for the 05.37 from Sevenoaks; eating pakoras at the Birmingham Lahore Village Balti House or dogging around Thetford Forest!

To celebrate the launch, we’re offering one lucky bookshop the chance to win a hamper crammed full of English treats (think 22

posh chutneys, fudge and other quintessentially English goodies).

All you need to do is dress your window in a typically English fashion on publication! We’re envisioning bunting, flashes of red, white and blue, miniature double-deckers, or perhaps one of the scenes that Matt depicts in The English. Please send us your photos before 1st July, via email (independentthinking@ harpercollins.co.uk) or twitter (@HarperPress) and we’ll award the hamper to our favourite themed window! £11.99, HB 6th June 978-0-00-749045-5 HarperPress

Simply answer the following question: How many copies of Paulo Coelho’s books have been sold worldwide? Email your answer to independentthinking@harpercollins.co.uk.

Closing date 30.04.13 23

Food & Drink / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Food & Drink

How (almost) everything you know about food is wrong...

--Jay Rayner talks about his new book and shoots a few sacred cows of the food world give them belly laughs, and make them think about how they fill their belly.

I will be promoting this book with as much energy and shamelessness as I can muster, arguing my case with as light as touch as possible.’

‘Can I, like a proud father, introduce you to my new book, A Greedy Man In A Hungry World. At its heart is one of the most pressing questions facing us today: how do we feed ourselves in the 21st century with a population expected to peak at nine billion, and resources under pressure. We need to come up with a truly radical way of feeding the planet without killing it.

‘I look forward to working with you to make this book the huge success it has the potential to be!’

A Greedy Man In A Hungry World Jay Rayner

It’s true that the issues are very serious, but the book isn’t. I’ve approached it through memoir and comedy and I’ve set out to take the reader on a rollicking and compelling journey which will both

Jay Rayner

Master it ---

Rory O’Connell

£12.99, TPB 23rd May 978-0-00-723759-3 Collins

Home Sweet Home: 100 New Recipes For Baking brilliance ---

Try the recipe on the next page

The Hummingbird Bakery

Master It is the antidote to cookery books that are more about the chefs rather than the ingredients and simple, but essential, skills that make you a truly good cook. Rory O’Connell, co-founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School and twice Ireland’s Chef of the Year, tackles a particular cooking technique in each chapter and also includes a collection of fresh, seasonal recipes. Having worked with many big names such as Raymond Blanc, Rick Stein and Skye Gyngell, O’Connell’s cooking is for foodies who want new twists on classic techniques and cooking newbies starting out in the kitchen.

The bakery at the forefront of the current baking trend returns with 100 tried and tested recipes that celebrate home baking. The bakers from the first American cupcake bakery in the UK share some of their all-time favourite home baking recipes, alongside their original cakes and bakes. The recipes are accompanied with step-by-step photos so novices and confident bakers alike can achieve wonderful nostalgic flavours and beloved tastes – all with a unique Hummingbird twist.

£25, HB 23rd May 978-0-00-744728-2 Fourth Estate

£20, HB 14th February 978-0-00-741359-1 Collins

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Try a recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery

Food & Drink / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

--Blueberry & Amaretti Trifle Cupcakes ---

One Christmas the Hummingbird Bakery decided to mix things up and created this Italian biscuit-inspired recipe as an alternative to their Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes. You can put a tiny dash of amaretto liqueur onto the crushed biscuits if you want something boozier, but be careful not to get them too soggy.

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

For the sponge

For the custard

70g (2½ oz) UNSALTED BUDER. SOFTENED 210g (7½ oz) PLAIN FLOUR 1 tbsp BAKING POWDER ½ tsp SALT 250g (9oz) CASTER SUGAR 210ml (7½fl oz) WHOLE MILK 2 LARGE EGGS 1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT 150g (5½fl oz) BLUEBERRIES

330ml (11½fl oz) whole milk 3 Large egg yolks 6Og (2oz) caster sugar 20g (¾oz) plain flour one or 20g (¾oz) cornflour 150ml (5½fl oz) double cream For the decoration

75g (2½oz) blueberries 50g (1¾oz) amaretti biscuits, crushed into crumbs

6. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when lightly touched.

The blueberries will sink into the sponge - this is normal.

Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

7. While the cakes are in the oven, make the custard. Place the milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour to make a paste, adding 1 tablespoon of the hot milk to thin if necessary.

Equipment

Two 12-hole deep muffin tins

8. When the milk has boiled, remove the pan from the heat and mix 4-5 tablespoons with the egg and flour paste, then pour this back into the pan with the remaining hot milk and return to the heat.

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, and line the muffin tins with paper muffin cases to make the number you require.

9. Bring back up to the boil, whisking constantly, and continue to boil for a further 3-4 minutes to ensure the flour and cornflour are fully cooked. However, be careful not to overcook or the eggs may begin to scramble. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the custard into a baking tray. Cover straight away with cling film and set aside to cool completely.

2. First make the sponge. In a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand-held electric whisk, mix the butter, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together until they form a crumb-like consistency.

3. In a jug, mix together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract by hand.

10. To finish the custard, pour the double cream into a medium bowl. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the cream until it forms soft peaks. Place the cooled custard into a medium bowl. Using the mixer or whisk, on a slow speed mix the custard until it is smooth. Using a spatula, gradually fold the whipped cream into the custard.

4· With the mixer or whisk on a slow speed, gradually pour half of the liquid into the crumb mixture and mix thoroughly until combined. Turn up the speed to medium and beat until the batter is smooth and thick, with no lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Once all the lumps have been beaten out, turn the speed back down and gradually pour in the remaining liquid from the jug, continuing to mix until the batter is smooth and completely combined. Stir the blueberries into the cake batter by hand.

11. Spoon generous amounts of the custard onto each cupcake, then gently smooth over with a palette knife, making a swirl at the top if you wish. Top each cupcake with 3-4 blueberries and a sprinkling of amaretti biscuit crumbs.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared paper cases, filling them two-thirds full. Using a 50ml (1¾fl oz) ice-cream scoop can make this process easier and will result in even cupcakes.

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Children’s Books

Children’s Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

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Set to be this year’s biggest debut launch

Everyone including J.K. Rowling is raving about House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini, the first in an epic new series filled with high-stakes adventure, offbeat humour and a fantastic cast of characters.

With new books from authors including Michael Morpurgo, Oliver Jeffers, Derek Landy and Judith Kerr, this spring is shaping up to be something of a vintage season for children’s books!

--Rachel Denwood, Publishing Director, Children’s Books introduces House of Secrets ‘Here is a book that every children’s publisher dreams of finding – a classic-in-the-making, high stakes fantasy adventure that entertains and thrills on every page.

I am delighted to introduce House of Secrets by Hollywood legend Chris Columbus (writer, producer and director of some of the most beloved family films in history, including The Goonies, Gremlins and the first two Harry Potter movies), and highly acclaimed author Ned Vizzini.

The first in a new series, House of Secrets tells the story of Brendan, Cordelia and Eleanor Walker who move with their parents into creepy and mysterious Kristoff House, where they uncover a family secret intertwined with dark magic. An explosive adventure in which the scares and the comedy are perfectly balanced, House of Secrets is the 2013 launch that is making us feel like kids again.’

House of Secrets Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini

‘A break-neck, jampacked, rollercoaster of an adventure.’

£12.99, HB 25th April 978-0-00-7465835 Children’s Books

J. K. Rowling

Picture: Sabra Embury 28

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Children’s Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

There’s panic up in Heaven. They’ve mislaid The Book of Doom...

Ba rr y

Hutchiso

--Barry Hutchison introduces his hilarious comic fantasy, The Book of Doom

n

‘Hutchison’s work is not only hilarious; it contains a high degree of wit and intelligence.’

Books for Keeps

‘It was one of those middle of the night ideas: What if every religion in history was right? What if all gods from all civilisations actually existed? And what if they sometimes knocked about together and had a laugh?

In The Book of Doom I do just that. On the journey from Heaven to Hell our heroes stop by Asgard, party in Hades, and meet a fez-wearing demon with eyes where his nipples should be. If it’s half as much fun to read as it was to write, I’ll be a happy man indeed.’

The next day I grabbed a notebook and the Afterworlds books began to take form. I’d been planning to write something about the Norse gods, but now I had a much broader scope. I could have Odin play darts with Zeus! Satan get in a fight with Min, the Chinese God of Lettuce! I could do anything!

The Book of Doom Barry Hutchison £6.99, PB 28th February 978-0-00-744091-7 HarperCollins

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT: THE MALEFICENT SEVEN --Derek Landy

DEPARTMENT 19: BATTLE LINES --Will Hill

This is real treat for Skulduggery Pleasant fans; a one off novel taking place between Kingdom of the Wicked and the forthcoming eighth book in the series, catching up with what fan favourite Tanith Low has been up to since we last saw her in book five. And this time she’s the bad guy. Tanith, now possessed by a Remnant, recruits a gang of villains – many of whom will be familiar from previous Skulduggery adventures – and plans her own dastardly double crosses to stay two steps ahead of her team mates and rivals.

Teen-fiction major player, Will Hill, is back to please his legion of Facebook fans with the third instalment of the blockbusting Department 19 series. Blacklight faces a new and potentially deadly threat, born out of one of the darkest moments of its own long and bloody history. Uneasy truces are struck, new dangers emerge on all sides, and relationships are pushed to breaking point. All the while the clock ticks towards zero hour and the return of Dracula.

£12.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-750092-5 Children’s Books

£12.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-735451-1 Children’s Books

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Picture Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Picture Books

What is it that puts the ‘best’ into ‘best friends’?

---

Best known for his highly acclaimed picture books Captain Buckleboots on the Naughty Step and The Sunflower Sword, Mark Sperring has once again delivered a sparkling text that delights in language and rhythm. Mabel and Me is a rollicking read-aloud story, perfectly complemented by Sarah Warburton’s terrifically warm and witty illustrations. Sarah’s Rumblewick character has sold worldwide and these beautiful new stand-out drawings will prove just as popular with young children.

‘Captivating and memorable. My favourite picture book of the season.’

The Bookseller on The Sunflower Sword

really is a modern day comedy of errors and our irresistible duo will enthrall young children who will fall in love with Me – a strange little creature with scrawny, hairy legs! His misunderstandings will have everyone in hysterics and his loyalty will warm all hearts.

Mabel and Me Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton

In this laugh-out-loud picture book we meet the wonderfully peculiar pair, Mabel and Me, in their very first adventure exploring just what it is that puts the ‘best’ into ‘best friends’. This story

by Mark Sperring

£12.99, HB 28th March 978-0-00-746836-2 Children’s Books

The imaginative master picture book creator returns ---

Meet the Hueys - a fabulously quirky group of characters from international bestselling, awardwinning author/illustrator, Oliver Jeffers, creator of How to Catch a Star, Lost and Found, Stuck and This Moose Belongs to Me. The Hueys - It Wasn’t Me is the second in a character series of collectible picture books with a distinctive and innovative artwork style. The Hueys have a unique, quirky and endearing take on life and the books are written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers with a subtle humour to be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

A fight has broken out amongst The Hueys. “It was 32

not me! It was him!” But no one can remember what they’re fighting about. If only they could find an interesting distraction…

The Hueys - It Wasn’t Me Oliver Jeffers £12.99, HB 25th April 978-0-00-742067-4 Children’s Books 33

Picture Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Britain’s favourite fairy tale from our favourite storyteller ---

After encountering a fearsome beast at a mysterious palace, down-on-his-luck merchant Marco is forced to make a promise in exchange for his life: he must persuade one of his three daughters to return to the palace in his place – but she must come of her own free will.

‘There are few children’s writers as compelling as Michael Morpurgo.’

but her plans are thwarted by the trickery of her jealous sisters. When, at last, Belle is able to find her way back to the palace, she finds her beloved Beast lying as still as death on the ground. As Belle’s tears fall on his face, the Beast is transformed into a handsome prince – the ancient spell upon him broken

by Belle’s tears of true love…

Beautiful, kind-hearted Belle agrees at once to return to the palace, and there she and the Beast exist companionably, with the Beast asking of Belle the same question at the end of each day: “Dearest Belle, will you marry me?”

Daily Express

Beauty and the Beast Michael Morpurgo and Loretta Schauer £6.99, PB 6th June 978-0-00-751340-6 Children’s Books

After a return home to consult with her father, Belle resolves to follow her heart and return to the Beast,

Read the story behind the stories ---

This is a lavishly illustrated retrospective in celebration of the 90th birthday of Judith Kerr, author of The Tiger Who Came to Tea and many other iconic books.

Judith’s story begins with the extraordinary events of her early childhood in Berlin, dramatically cut short by the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Party in 1933. She tells what it was like to be a German refugee in London during the war and we see her early attempts at drawing and writing; her sketches and work from art school, and her textile designs from her first job.

We hear of her life-changing meeting with her future husband and her time at the BBC, first as a reader and then as a scriptwriter herself.

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Judith’s career as a children’s book writer and illustrator began after she had children, and over forty years on she is still producing classic picture books. She is a rare and wonderful talent and this is a fascinating insight into the person behind the classic books that have been enjoyed by generations.

Judith Kerr’s Creatures Judith Kerr £25, HB 6th June 978-0-00-751321-5 Children’s Books 35

--Book orders: To order any of the books featured in this brochure or to take advantage of our independent exclusive offers, please contact your local HarperCollins sales representative, email us at: independentthinking@harpercollins.co.uk or call HarperCollins customer service on: 0844 576 8120 --Connect with us @HCindythinking To receive our digital newsletter and advance reading copies email ‘JOIN’ to independentthinking@harpercollins.co.uk Visit our blog HCindythinking.co.uk ---