The Canons

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

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
Free Play by Stephen Nachmanovitch cover
A foundational text since 1990 and previously translated into nine 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
The Story of My Boyhood and Youth by John Muir cover
A memoir of childhood and a celebration of the natural world, from one of the founding fathers of modern conservation
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
Dreamer by Charles Johnson cover
A fearless work of historical fiction that digs deep into the life of one of history’s best-known figures of the Civil Rights Movement
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

Walking Through Clear Water In a Pool Painted Black by Cookie Mueller cover
A new edition of the cult classic, with over two dozen additional stories, from the godmother of autofiction
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
My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki cover
A cross-cultural tale of two women brought together by the intersections of television and industrial agriculture, fertility and motherhood, life and love, from the Booker-shortlisted author
All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki cover
A compelling and compassionate novel about environmental activism, community and starting over, from the Booker-shortlisted author
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki cover
Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, this is a timeless and compassionate novel about what it means to be human
The Millstone by Margaret Drabble cover
An award-winning novel about the perils of motherhood in a failing healthcare system and a woman’s fight against the social stigma of the Sixties
The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble cover
Loosely based on Drabble’s own experiences, a compelling, beautifully written novel following three generations of women in one family
The Radiant Way by Margaret Drabble cover
The first in a trilogy, this startling novel charts the radical change in Britain during the Eighties through the eyes of three women
A Summer Bird-Cage by Margaret Drabble cover
Witty and compassionate, the extraordinary debut from one of our greatest novelists, about lies and deceit, love and forgiveness
Jerusalem the Golden by Margaret Drabble cover
Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, an intimate novel about human desire against the backdrop of the sexual liberation movement of the Sixties