The Canons

The Canons are books without boundaries. Some are classics already, the rest will be soon.

Home And Exile by Chinua Achebe cover
Looking back at his own life and education, this book by the giant of African literature is a deeply personal and essential key for unlocking Achebe’s literature and politics
Together by Ece Temelkuran cover
A powerful manifesto for change and argument for hope, compassion and faith in the face of the challenges of the twenty-first century, from award-winning political thinker Ece Temelkuran
How to Lose a Country by Ece Temelkuran cover
An urgent call to action from one of Europe’s most well-regarded political thinkers and a field guide to spotting the insidious patterns and mechanisms of the populist wave sweeping the globe – with a new foreword to the 2024 edition
The Outrun by Amy Liptrot cover
Film tie-in paperback edition of the exhilarating nature memoir about recovering from alcoholism in Orkney - now a major film starring Saoirse Ronan
True North: Travels in Arctic Europe by Gavin Francis cover
The first book from Sunday Times bestselling author Gavin Francis, a travelogue of his adventures in the far north, introduced by Colin Thubron
Awaydays by Kevin Sampson cover
A powerful portrait of a time and culture, of late 70s to early 80s and football hooligan gangs, of working-class lives and men left abandoned by Thatcher’s Britain
Climbing Days by Dorothy Pilley cover
A forgotten classic of 1920s mountaineering literature; Dorothy Pilley broke new ground for women in a sport dominated by men with her true account of adventure, endurance and daring
Goldenrod by Maggie Smith cover
From the award-winning poet and bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Keep Moving and Good Bones, a stunning poetry collection that celebrates the beauty and messiness of life
The Cello and the Nightingales by Patricia Cleveland-Peck, Beatrice Harrison cover
The memoirs of cello prodigy Beatrice Harrison, the woman who brought the music of the nightingale to millions worldwide - and created the first interspecies collaboration
Springfield Road by Salena Godden cover
A moving and poetic memoir about growing up without a father and a vivid portrait of the seventies from award-winning author and poet Salena Godden
Poetry Unbound by Pádraig Ó Tuama cover
A beautiful book of immersive poetry, based on the much-loved Poetry Unbound podcast downloaded more than 6 million times
The Foot of Clive by John Berger cover
From the 1972 Booker Prize-winning author comes an examination of masculinity, social covenants and murder that develops into a masterclass in humanity, with an introduction by Benjamin Myers
Free Play by Stephen Nachmanovitch cover
A foundational text since 1990 and translated into twelve languages, Free Play is a masterful and joyful meditation on how improvisation can be applied to not just art but the art of living - and in doing so unlock boundless creativity
Iced by Ray Shell cover
A searing work of modern fiction tracing a man’s decline into the depths of addiction
A Natural Curiosity by Margaret Drabble cover
The second in Margaret Drabble’s trilogy, following The Radiant Way
The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble cover
Set between eighteenth century Korea and the present day, The Red Queen is a rich, atmospheric novel about love and what it means to be remembered
The Sea Lady by Margaret Drabble cover
The Sea Lady tells a story of first and last love, of evolution and the ebb and flow of time that gives shape to our lives
More Fiya by Kayo Chingonyi cover
A scorching anthology of Black British poetry, edited by the award-winning acclaimed poet Kayo Chingonyi and following in the footsteps of the 1998 seminal collection The Fire People
The Fire People by Lemn Sissay, Lemn Sissay cover
The seminal Black British poetry collection, edited by and featuring an introduction from the number one bestselling poet and author Lemn Sissay, with a scorching sequel, More Fiya
Straight Life: The Story Of Art Pepper by Art Pepper, Laurie Pepper cover
The story of Art Pepper
Forever Words by Johnny Cash, Paul Muldoon cover
A treasure-trove of never-before-published poems and songs from the legendary Johnny Cash
Blues People by LeRoi Jones cover
A rousing exploration of the blues and jazz music that formed much of American popular music culture, penned by the iconic Beat writer and critic
The Corner by David Simon, Edward Burns cover

A devastating portrait of the American drugs war, from the creators of The Wire. ‘Mind-blowing … less a book, more a way of life’ The Times

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng cover
The first novel from the internationally bestselling, Man Booker-shortlisted author of The Garden of Evening Mists