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Literary Connections
Across the UK and Channel Islands, we proudly champion learning and conversation – from hosting book launches and guest speakers, to supporting festivals that celebrate ideas and storytelling.
Across the UK and Channel Islands, we proudly champion learning and conversation – from hosting book launches and guest speakers, to supporting festivals that celebrate ideas and storytelling. It is in this spirit that we introduce the Hand Picked Book Club: a new space for readers who love thoughtful writing, compelling stories and books that stay with you long after the final page. In each issue, we will curate a small selection of recommended reads – from contemporary fiction to voices shaping culture, business and the environment.
For Little Readers
A Little Boy and His Bear
Jane Riordan (Farshore) illustrations by Andrew Grey
Few literary characters are quite as universally cherished as Winnie-the-Pooh. In 2026, A. A. Milne’s honey-loving bear celebrates 100 years since the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh, and a very special new collection of stories invites readers back into the Hundred Acre Wood.
Written by Jane Riordan, A Little Boy and His Bear is an authorised sequel to Milne’s original stories, set after the events of Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. Written in the spirit and style of the originals, the collection is accompanied by new illustrations from Andrew Grey, inspired by E. H. Shepard’s instantly recognisable drawings.
Published to mark the centenary of one of the best-loved characters in children’s literature, A Little Boy and His Bear offers a wonderfully nostalgic return to a familiar world while introducing its magic to a new generation. One to read with children and grandchildren, or simply to enjoy for yourself, it is a timely reminder that you are never really too old to return to the Hundred Acre Wood.
For Thriller Seekers
Dead in Three Two One
Peter James (Pan Books)
Against the colourful backdrop of Brighton Pride, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace faces his most personal and dangerous threat yet. While coordinating security amid fears of a terrorist attack, Grace is unaware that a deadly revenge plot is unfolding frighteningly close to home.
Albanian mobster Roel Albazi is determined to destroy his old nemesis, while ruthless consigliere Dritan Dervishi checks into the Royal Courteney Hotel with a lethal secret and Grace firmly in his sights. As Roy and his wife Cleo prepare for an evening of celebration, a relentless countdown begins in this gripping, high-stakes thriller from bestselling author Peter James.
For Wine Lovers
The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide
Neal Martin (Quadrille Publishing)
For wine critic Neal Martin, every vintage tells a story. The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide brings together more than 150 years of Bordeaux, combining expert insight with the people, events, music and culture that shaped each year.
Designed to be dipped into rather than read from cover to cover, Martin’s guide takes readers from 1870 through to the present day, offering an engaging perspective on how individual vintages developed and what made them distinctive. Alongside his knowledge of the wines themselves, he adds the personal observations and cultural references that have become part of his distinctive approach to wine writing.
Informative without being intimidating, it is a book for seasoned collectors and curious wine lovers alike, and an ideal companion when opening a bottle and wanting to discover a little more about the year behind the wine.