‘David Goldblatt is the greatest British sportswriter of the 21st century ? Injury Time is an absolute classic.’ James Montague, author of The Billionaires Club and Engulfed

Football, history and the state of the nation – and why it matters

Injury Time is a sharp and thought provoking look at contemporary British society through the lens of football; a society shaken by more than a decade of economic, political and social upheaval, whose causes and consequences have proved hard to grasp.

Set against the backdrop of Brexit, Covid and today’s ‘polycrisis’ – spanning economic decline, war in Europe, political unrest and climate change – this book argues that football provides an unmatched vantage point for understanding the nation’s state of affairs. From grassroots clubs battling for survival to the rise and fall of Russian oligarchs in the sport, the game’s tragedies and triumphs echo the larger shifts shaping Britain.

With striking examples such as Marcus Rashford’s anti-hunger campaign and the uproar surrounding Gary Lineker’s tweets, Injury Time underscores football’s central role in public conversation. Football, Goldblatt contends, is the ultimate societal bellwether – a reflection of Britain’s virtues and flaws alike.

The Ultimate Guide to parkrun (always with a lower case p!) covers how parkrun started, how it is staged every week, how to get involved as a runner, walker, or volunteer – and even how to start your own run.

Written by a running writer and qualified athletics coach, this celebratory book goes behind the scenes to tell the heartwarming human stories behind parkrun. But it also brims with practical information, with training plans for different types of runners so that you can (if you wish to) improve your own finishing time.

Published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the founding of the mass participation event in Autumn 2024, the book delves into parkrun’s origins as the brainchild of Paul Sinton-Hewitt, an unemployed man in London. Just 13 runners competed in the first Bushy Park Time Trial on 2 October 2004.

Now parkrun has more than 9 million runners at more than 2,200 parks in 23 countries, with the most popular countries being the UK, Australia, and South Africa.

The book features all aspects of parkrun, including how public-spirited volunteers put on the event, sustainably and for free, every week, and fun boxes such as the most interesting courses around the world, from Poland to the Falkland Islands.

About the author

Lucy Waterlow is a journalist, ghostwriter and author who has contributed to national newspapers and specialist publications such as  Runner’s World and  Women’s Running.

She is a keen amateur runner, and a qualified England Athletics coach in running fitness. She is the co-author of  Nell McAndrew’s Guide To Running  and  Run Mummy Run: Inspiring Women to be Fit, Healthy and Happy.

‘Warm, sad and funny… There is something very eccentric and British about A Fan for All Seasons’ – Sunday Times

A hilarious, heartfelt, nostalgia-infused story of sport, loss and the journey of a lifetime.

After the sudden death of his older brother, Dan, Jon Harvey turned to the thing that had provided their strongest connection: sport, in all its myriad sublime and ridiculous forms. He made it his mission to visit as many events as he possibly could in a single year – to build the ultimate season ticket.

A kaleidoscopic twelve months took him from London Olympia to ancient Olympia, from rugby balls to Rubik’s Cubes, Wimbledon tennis to Wimbledon greyhounds, from tennis legend Roger Federer to darts hero Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams, and much, much more. It’s a celebration, of sport, life, and an unbreakable bond between two brothers.

‘The best self-help book of 2022. This is the book everyone needs to read.’ Independent

_____________________________________

When did you last feel exhilarated and light-hearted?
When did you last feel fully alive?
When did you last have fun?

In our always-on, tech-addicted lifestyles, the pursuit of fun has become an indulgence. We have forgotten how to relax.

Award-winning science journalist Catherine Price argues that fun is the key to living a more meaningful, fulfilling and happier life. If you prioritize fun, you will:

* Be healthier, less stressed and have more energy
* Find community and a sense of purpose
* Stop languishing and start flourishing

And best of all? You’ll enjoy yourself!

Ground-breaking, eye-opening and packed with useful advice, The Power of Fun won’t just change the way you think, it will bring you back to life.
__________

‘This delightful book might just be what we need to start flourishing.’ ADAM GRANT, author of Think Again

‘The Marie Kondo of Brains.’ New York Times

RULE #1: DON’T WATCH THE BALL

Yes, football is about stars, goals and glory. But it’s also about the intense calculations and movements being made by the twenty-one other players on the pitch. It’s about the ticking clock, and the bellowing fans, and their impact on player psychology. It’s about the coach, the club owner, and the director of football, who are watching, scouting and scheming from the side-lines. It’s about money and data, about geopolitics and architecture, and even about climate change.

Football is the most popular sport in the world, and Tifo Football is one of the world’s most popular football channels. In this short, illustrated guide, its creators share fifty-two simple ‘rules’ for understanding and enjoying the beautiful game-both on and off the pitch.

Covering the key concepts, tactics and philosophies that are shaping the sport today, How to Watch Football reveals surprising new perspectives on familiar elements of gameplay, while highlighting lesser-known aspects of the industry and its history.

Whether you’re a casual fan or a football obsessive, the fifty-two golden rules in this pocket-size guide will deepen your delight in the world’s favourite sport.

‘An antidote to all the darkness … a guide to tapping into true fun.’ New York Times

‘A practical, evidence-backed plan … and an argument that fun isn’t optional, but essential.’ CHARLES DUHIGG, author of The Power of Habit

‘This is the book everyone needs to read.‘ Independent

__________

When did you last feel exhilarated and lighthearted?
When were you last engaged, focused and completely present?
When is the last time you felt fully alive?
In other words, when did you last have fun?

In our always-on, tech-addicted lifestyles, we often think of the pursuit of fun as an indulgence. When we do find time to relax, we often turn to activities that are not actually that enjoyable, let alone fun: bingeing on television and movies, doomscrolling the news, or feeding our FOMO on social media.

But award-winning science journalist Catherine Price has learned the truth: far from being frivolous, fun is the key to living a more meaningful, fulfilling and happier life. If you make fun a priority, you will be healthier and have more energy. You will be more productive, less resentful and less stressed. You will find community and a sense of purpose. You will stop languishing and start flourishing. And best of all? You’ll enjoy the process.

In The Power of Fun, Price argues that fun will lead to the happiness we so desperately seek, and includes a practical plan for how to incorporate more fun into our daily lives. Ground-breaking, eye-opening and packed with useful advice, The Power of Fun won’t just change the way you think about fun. It will bring you back to life.
__________

‘Inspirational, funny, research-packed and full of practical strategies… The Power of Fun is a game-changer.’ ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, founder and CEO, Thrive Global

‘Sharp, entertaining and persuasive… an essential guide for anyone who can’t quite remember what it’s like to experience joy.’ LAURIE SANTOS, host of The Happiness Lab podcast

‘The Marie Kondo of Brains.’ New York Times

‘Matt shows with great insight and wisdom how (sport) can form the foundations for future discovery, development and ultimately, happiness.’
Ben Ryan, Olympic Gold Medal-Winning Rugby Coach and Author Sevens Heaven, Daily Telegraph Sports Book of the
Year 2019

Sport can save us.

After a fractious decade following the 2012 Olympics, sport – one of our few remaining collective rituals – is entering its golden age. An increasingly powerful force for good, it is undergoing a dramatic transformation that will positively impact our lives, on and off the pitch.

From the collective shared experience of a nationwide event and the individual benefits gained from lacing up your trainers and getting out there to the political power of a footballer’s Twitter account, All to Play For is a roadmap for the way that sports can unite us in the worst of times. Illuminated by interviews with a diverse range of sports insiders, including fitness guru Joe Wicks, gold medalist Greg Searle, the mind behind the viral ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, Tanya Joseph, and running obsessed rockstar Johnny Marr, All to Play For dives into the past, present and future of the industry to show how sport will lead us out of the darkness and guide us in a post-pandemic world.

Covering the rise of the athlete activist, the necessity of grassroots organisations, the secret recipe for making sport an effective tool for change and ten bold predictions on how it will guide us in the future, this is an examined look at why sport has the power to heal a divided world.