Saturday Spotlight: New Book Releases July 2025
By Claire Buss, Deputy Editor, Write On!
At Write On! and Pen to Print, we want to help connect authors and readers, playwrights and audiences, so we’ve created a Spotlight page on the last Saturday of the month, showcasing some of the exciting new reads and plays available. The curated list is based on books and plays that you send us, so if you’re an author or a playwright and you’d like your book or play in the spotlight, reach out to us at pentoprint@lbbd.gov.uk. Whether you’re an indie author, with a small press or mainstream publisher, established or brand new playwright, we’d love to hear from you and shine a light on your new work.
Write On! offers other opportunities for writers as well. If you’d like us to feature an extract from your book or a short story, please send the extract, book cover and blurb to pentoprint@lbbd.gov.uk with the subject: Write On! Showcase (ensuring you have your publisher’s permission, of course).
Pen to Print are also looking for short videos from people reading a passage from their favourite book, or authors reading extracts from their own books. These videos will be featured on the Pen to Print YouTube channel and across our social media. Please send in your videos or links to pentoprint@lbbd.gov.uk with the subject: Video Stories.
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Writing for Performance Student’s Debut
One of our Writing for Performance Workshop students, Robert Nurden, has his debut play Empty playing at the Cockpit Theatre, London at 5.30pm, 7 September. For full details visit: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/new_stuff_september_0
Congratulations Robert!
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Horrible Histories: Gorgeous Georgians &Vile Victorians, Palace Theatre, Southend, 24 August
We all want to meet people from history! The trouble is everyone is dead!
Are you ready to swing with a Georgian king? Does the Duke of Wellington get the boot? Would you stand and deliver to dastardly Dick Turpin? Can you help detectives find the headless man? Dare you dance the Tyburn jig? Will you be saved by Florence Nightingale? Find out what a baby farmer did and move to the groove with party Queen Victoria!
Don’t miss this horrible history of Britain, with the nasty bits left in!
It’s time to prepare for Horrible Histories live on stage with the acclaimed production of Gorgeous Georgians & Vile Victorians!
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, 26 August – 6 September
West End mega-hit TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, comes to the Cliffs Pavilion as part of its first ever UK & Ireland tour.
From humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her triumphant transformation into a multi award-winning global superstar, Tina Turner didn’t just break the rules, she rewrote them, winning 12 Grammy Awards and selling more concert tickets than any other solo performer in music history.
Wonders Of Our Universe, Palace Theatre, Southend, 29 August
Immerse yourself in an evening of cosmic exploration, meticulously crafted to deliver a visually stunning and emotionally charged journey through the universe.
This show weaves together distinctive storytelling, live demonstrations, breathtaking visuals and live music, allowing imaginations to soar and inspiring minds of all ages.
Presented by Astrophysicist Ian Hall FRAS and Exoplanet Research Scientist Charlotte Alexandra FRAS.
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Broken Boundaries by Helen Aitchison
Desire, deception, danger.
After a turbulent past, the sudden death of her brother, and a recent break-up, Melody Dartford decides it’s time to seek professional help. London-based Lundie Therapy sounds perfect and Melody’s grieving, over-protective father, Matthew, is happy to pay for the private therapy; anything to keep his daughter’s mental health from deteriorating.
However, Melody feels more than expected from the weekly therapy sessions with Nate Lundie and develops an infatuation with her therapist. As her unresolved emotional blockages are explored, feelings of a different nature develop that aren’t just unhealthy for Melody, they also compromise Nate’s moral compass.
As boundaries become broken, the truth emerges about both Melody and Nate that can only end with dangerous consequences.
Available to buy here
Connect with Helen Aitchison
The Starlight Rebel by Lisette Auton
In the future, the most underestimated person on the planet may be the only one who can save it.
The year is 3897, and life on Earth is a neon dream, all flashing lights and buzzy noise. No one remembers that, behind the illuminated shell above them, there’s a night sky filled with stars.
As she turns 11, neurodivergent, freckled Astrifer Nova is nothing like her sporty, high-achieving twin brother, Blaze. And on the day of her Work Path Allocation ceremony which determines the course of her life, she is crushed when she gets assigned to something as boring as the sock factory.
But all is not as it seems and as she uncovers layers of hidden truths all around her, Astrifer discovers the world is bigger than she ever imagined – and that it’s up to her and a motley crew of new friends (including one from very far away) to challenge the status quo. Turns out, their differences may be exactly what the planet needs…
Available to buy here
Connect with Lisette Auton
Blood On The Bramble by Molly Dunne
In this debut collection, Molly Dunne draws you into a vivid tapestry of myth, memory and nature.
Poetry and tales rich with haunting imagery and evocative storytelling. From the mystical depths of witchcraft and ancient woodland spirits to tender reflections on love, loss and resilience, Molly’s words explore the primal and the sacred in everyday moments.
Her lyrical voice teases the delicate balance between darkness and light, revealing the wild beauty that resides both within and beyond us.
High-flyer Becky Thorne cannot believe what she’s being told. She doesn’t need to be signed off for burnout!
Life has been a bit chaotic lately, that’s all. As if dealing with her enviable job and permanent meddling from her mother aren’t enough, she’s also inherited a café in the Loire from an estranged great-aunt, complete with sitting tenant who refuses to budge.
But nobody stands in Becky’s way! Ignoring her best friend Amber’s advice, she decides to storm over to France and sort the tenant out. Then she can finally get the café sold and jump back on the career ladder.
What she doesn’t count on is the tenant being Pascale: six feet of tall, dark, handsome and extremely grumpy about her plans for change. Not to mention the village and the secrets it holds about her past.
Becky’s path to success is all planned out. But the Loire has a magic she might not be able to resist…
Meet Me At Rainbow Corner by Celia Imrie
London, 1944. The air raid sirens are blaring, bombers are hovering. The war with Germany has been raging for four years and there’s no sign of peace coming.
Dot Gallagher is newly arrived from Liverpool and working as a nurse. During an air strike, she encounters an enthralling group of American GIs who tell her all about Rainbow Corner, a social club for US troops in Piccadilly: a wartime oasis where they can forget their fears, fall in and out of love and dance the nights away.
It’s here that Dot finds a new best friend in Lilly. And together, against the stark realities of war, they must learn to face their fears, uncover secrets and discover the true meaning of love.
The Irresistible Urge To Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
Stone And Water by James Marshall
When the Romans invade Britain, the Celtic tribes are fragmented and the old magic has long been forgotten.
Fedlimid, the daughter of a Cornovii chieftain, is the victim of an inter-tribe dispute but is saved by Druistan, a swineherd from another tribe.
As the Romans march westwards, Fedlimid and Druistan are forced to deal with kidnapping, death and betrayal.
Growing up in strange lands, away from home, they discover untapped sources of bravery and strength –and something even older.
But will bravery be enough when the final battle comes?
Available to buy here
Connect with James Marshall
An Anthology of poetry from one hundred North East England poets to help raise money to support the homeless in the area.
Words On A NE Street won’t in itself end homelessness, but it may help those kind-hearted individuals who go out every night in all weathers to support those who are living rough and to those who are committed to lifting them off our streets and giving them a better life in 2025 and beyond.
Arctic Insanity by Jules Mountain
When a friend told Jules Mountain he’d bought a helicopter in Canada and would need to ship it home to the Channel Islands by container, Jules thought that sounded crazy. Why not just fly it?
Actually there were lots of good reasons. The lightweight aircraft had a range of 300 miles, was neither pressurised nor supplied with oxygen, and could fly for just three hours before running out of fuel. Whereas the shortest feasible route was 4,300 miles across the polar ice cap, with stretches across water that would take up to five hours to cross.
It sounded impossible for even the most experienced pilot, and Mountain had only been flying helicopters for three years. But he’d never been one to duck a challenge…so he volunteered for the job.
Arctic Insanity is the hair-raising story of what happened next, as the madcap adventurer battled extreme cold, zero-visibility whiteouts and near-misses with icebergs – landing along the way in some of the harshest places on earth – in his bid to get the aircraft (and himself) back to Europe in one piece.
Po3try Vent: Chaotic Ramblings by Alex Murdock
In this searing follow-up to the groundbreaking Po3tryVent: Ramblings Of A Madman, Alex Murdock the MadPo3t narrator delves deeper into the chaotic beauty of unfiltered thought. Po3tryVent Volume 2: Chaotic Ramblings pushes the boundaries of poetic expression even further, offering readers a raw and uncompromising journey through the human psyche.
Building on the stream-of-consciousness style that defined its predecessor, this new volume abandons all pretence of structure, allowing words to cascade across the page in a torrent of emotion, observation and fragmented insight. Each poem serves as a snapshot of the mind’s inner workings, capturing the fleeting nature of thought and the complex tapestry of human experience.
Themes of identity, perception and the nature of reality intertwine throughout the collection, challenging readers to question their own mental landscapes. The poet’s voice shifts rapidly between lucidity and apparent madness, blurring the lines between profound truth and delirious rambling.
This work is not for the faint of heart. It demands active engagement from the reader, inviting them to find their own meaning in the chaos of language. For those brave enough to venture into its pages, Po3tryVent Volume 2: Chaotic Ramblings offers a transformative experience that will leave them questioning the very nature of poetry, consciousness and self.
Available to buy here
Connect with Alex Murdock
The Girl With The Suitcase by Lesley Pearse
London, 1941
When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth she realises their lives couldn’t be more different.
Elizabeth is beautiful and charming, about to set off on a dazzling adventure to Ireland where she’s inherited a grand house.
Mary, shy and meek, has nothing to look forward to but the dreary life of a maid in Hampstead.
But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground Mary’s life is suddenly changed forever.
After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for Elizabeth and hands over her suitcase with Elizabeth’s money and tickets to Ireland inside.
This is Mary’s chance to escape the hardship of her life and start afresh.
Will she take it and what could possibly go wrong?
A Fighting Chance by Val Penny
In the second Jane Renwick Thriller by Val Penny, drug cartels collide as crime boss Connor O’Grady returns to Scotland to protect his turf from rival Peggy Cheney, newly released from prison.
DS Jane Renwick and DC Brian Harris are sent to Stirling, where Jane discovers two tragic deaths—a young man and a girl—raising suspicions of a single killer.
O’Grady denies involvement, but can a drug lord be trusted?
Set in Stirling and Gartcosh, this tense police procedural thrusts Jane into the heart of a deadly turf war.
Basilisk by Matt Wixey
Alex Webster is an ethical hacker who, like most hackers, prefers questions to answers.
So when she and a colleague, Jay Morton, stumble across a mysterious game created by a shadowy figure known as The Helmsman, they are instantly hooked.
As they solve increasingly bizarre puzzles and uncover The Helmsman’s deranged manifesto, they are pursued by a sinister group known only as XXX XXXXXXX XXXXXX, who will do anything to stop them uncovering the Basilisk, a cognitive weapon which makes anyone who understands it lose their mind.
When Jay disappears, as they hone in on the truth of the Basilisk, Alex is left trying to piece together what’s happened to her friend, escape the awful smiling glitch people stalking her every move, and solve The Helmsman’s final puzzle.
Writers’ & Artist’s Yearbook 2026
The bestselling Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook contains a wealth of information on all aspects of writing and becoming a published author, plus a comprehensive directory of media contacts.
Packed with practical tips, it includes expert advice from renowned authors and industry insiders on:
– submitting to agents and publishers
– writing non-fiction and fiction across different genres and formats
– poetry, plays, broadcast media and illustration
– marketing and self-publishing
– legal and financial information
– writing prizes and festivals.
Revised and updated annually, the Yearbook includes thousands of industry contacts and over 80 articles from writers of all forms and genres, including award-winning novelists, poets and playwrights, scriptwriters for TV and audio, songwriters and comedians.
If you want to find a literary or illustration agent or publisher, would like to self-publish or to crowdfund your creative idea, this Yearbook will help you.
Available to buy here
Connect with Writers’ & Artists’
Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2026
Celebrating its 22nd edition, the indispensable Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook provides everything you need to know to get your work noticed. With thousands of up-to-date contacts and inspiring articles from dozens of successful writers, illustrators and industry insiders, it is the ultimate resource on writing and publishing for children of all ages.
Packed with insights and practical tips, it provides expert advice on:
– submitting to agents and publishers
– writing non-fiction and fiction across genres and formats
– poetry, plays, broadcast media and illustration
– self-publishing
– copyright, finances and contracts
– marketing, prizes and festivals
– and much, much more …
Available to buy here
Connect with Writers’ & Artists’
Remember, if you’re an author and you’d like to see your book in our Saturday Spotlight, email: pentoprint@lbbd.gov.uk and send us the details of your new novel.
For details of Penguin RandomHouse new releases, visit their website here.
For details of Hachette new releases, visit their website here.
For details of HarperCollins new releases, visit their website here.
For details of PanMacmillan new releases, visit their website here.
For details of Simon & Schuster new releases, visit their website here.
Disclaimer: Amazon links are given for ease but please remember there are a number of other online retailers operating, including hive (which helps to support independent book shops), Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play and Nook as well as online stores for bookstores such as Waterstones, Barnes & Noble and WHSmiths.
Issue 25 of Write On! is out now and you can read it online here. Find it in libraries and other outlets. You can find previous editions of our magazines here.
You can hear great new ideas, creative work and writing tips on Write On! Audio. Find us on all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Google Podcasts and Spotify. Type Pen to Print into your browser and look for our logo, or find us on Podcasters.Spotify.com.
We want to help connect authors and readers, so our Saturday Spotlight page showcases some of the exciting new reads available each month.
