independent thinking spring 2013

Plus:Try a recipe from

The Hummingbird BakeryExclusive special offers

& signed copies100s of proofs

available to read

Introducing the new novel from

--- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ---

---

Welcome to Independent Thinking from HarperCollins, a selection of new books for the spring, chosen with independent

booksellers in mind. Throughout this issue you’ll find a feast of new fiction, beautiful & collectible books, fascinating non-fiction,

and children’s books to please all ages. Look out for symbols highlighting the availability of proof copies, signed books, author events, point-of-sale and special offers. For further

details or to place an order, please contact your HarperCollins sales representative or email us at [email protected].

Contents

04 New Fiction

New novels from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tash Aw, Lionel Shriver and Tracy Chevalier, plus Nathan Filer’s extraordinary debut The Shock of the Fall.

10

Critically Acclaimed PaperbacksBooks by Nicola Barker, Charles Cumming and new talents

Sam Thompson and Maggie Shipstead.

12

Hilary MantelLose your head in the new paperback edition of

The Man Booker Prize winning Bring Up the Bodies.

14 Beautiful Books

Stunning clothbound editions of iconic science fiction and fantasy books.

16 Non-Fiction

Uncover a treasure trove of intriguing artefacts with Molly Oldfield and rediscover the sea with Samuel Johnson prize winner, Philip Hoare.

24 Food & Drink

Jay Rayner, one of our most influential food critics shoots a few sacred cows of the food world.

28 Children’s Books

Discover the novel everyone including J.K. Rowling is raving about, plus new books from Judith Kerr, Oliver Jeffers and Michael Morpurgo.

Spring

4 5

There’s a feast of fiction this season with new novels from bestselling authors Chimamanda

Ngozi Adichie, Tracy Chevalier and Lionel Shriver, plus one of 2013’s most anticipated

debuts, Nathan Filer’s The Shock of the Fall. Our selection of critically acclaimed

paperbacks is led by Hilary Mantel, whose record-breaking Man Booker and Costa

prize-winning novel, Bring Up the Bodies, is published worldwide in paperback on 7th May.

New Fiction---

5

A richly told story spanning three continents and numerous lives ---Americanah marks the triumphant return of one of our greatest storytellers, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, with her first novel in seven years, following 2007’s Orange Prize-winner Half of a Yellow Sun. Americanah is the story of Ifemelu and Obinze, two young Nigerians who fall in love under the country’s military dictatorship.

Deprived of opportunities, the couple flee – Ifemelu to America, Obinze to the UK – and come apart under the strain of terrible hardships. Both feel the weight of something they never thought of back home – race.

Years later, and both are successful in their new lives. But will they find the courage to meet again?

AmericanahChimamanda Ngozi Adichie

£20, HB11th April978-0-00-730622-0Fourth Estate

‘This is a very funny, very warm and moving intergenerational epic that confirms Adichie’s virtuosity, boundless empathy and searing

social acuity.’Dave Eggers

New Fiction / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

76

A book jostling with love, betrayal and guilt---Tash Aw’s debut, The Harmony Silk Factory, won the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Novel, as well as being longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Five

Star Billionaire will surely confirm him as one of our most astute and exciting novelists.

In this new novel, Tash Aw charts the weaving and overlapping paths of migrant Malaysian workers, forging lives for themselves in sprawling Shanghai, counterpointing their adventures with the life they have left behind. He tracks five encounters with a new China, including that of the Five Star Billionaire himself, who pulls the strings of destiny, his lessons for success unsettling the dynamics of these

disparate lives. In examining the migrations that are shaping these new cities Tash Aw delves into the psyche of Shanghai and questions what is left behind in the relentless push forward.

Five Star BillionaireTash Aw

£18.99, HB28th February 978-0-00-749415-6Fourth Estate

The ScenT of DeaTh---anDrew Taylor

From the No.1 bestselling author of The American Boy comes a brilliant, much anticipated historical thriller, set during the American War of Independence. Surrounded by its enemies, British Manhattan is a melting pot of soldiers, profiteers, double agents and a swelling tide of refugees seeking justice from the Crown. Edward Savill, a London clerk, is assigned to New York to investigate the claims of dispossessed loyalists caught on the wrong side of the American War of Independence. In the escalating violence of a desperate city, a body is found whose secret could be the key to power for whoever uncovers it…

£14.99, HB28th February978-0-00-721351-1HarperFiction

The accurSeD---Joyce carol oaTeS

This eerie psychological horror sees the real inhabitants of turn-of-the-century Princeton fall under the influence of a supernatural, irresistible evil. Following a savage lynching, it becomes apparent that the genteel families of Princeton have been beset by a powerful curse. Few remain unscathed; not future president Woodrow Wilson, nor author Upton Sinclair. The Accursed combines Joyce Carol Oates’s unmistakable psychological insight, with beautifully transporting historical detail and chilling fantastical elements to stunning effect.

£18.99, HB5th March978-0-00-749419-4Fourth Estate

‘What a storyteller Tash Aw is.

Unputdownable.’Doris Lessing


Tash Aw

98

Discover the book that is setting the reading agenda for 2013---Louisa Joyner, HarperFiction Editorial Director, introduces The Shock of the Fall

‘I remember years ago a good friend telling me about a book she’d just acquired. It was a novel that, she felt, allowed people to experience life as Atticus Finch would have it, wearing someone else’s shoes. She wasn’t just excited to be the book’s editor, for her it was about celebrating an extraordinary piece of writing and she couldn’t wait to start pressing it into people’s hands.

For me The Shock of the Fall is that novel. Nathan Filer’s extraordinarily original debut allows you not just to see what it’s like to live with mental illness

but actually get to experience it first-hand as it tackles head on what it’s like to live with schizophrenia. As funny and smart as it is heartbreakingly loving, The

Shock of the Fall has the ability to take us to a place few of us ever get to go. I cannot wait for you to get reading and experience its force for yourselves.’ The Shock of The FallNathan Filer

£12.99, HB23rd May978-0-00-749143-8HarperFiction

Big BroTher---lionel Shriver

Lionel Shriver is the award-winning author of We Need to Talk About Kevin, which has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Big Brother is her moving novel about one sister’s fight to save her obese brother.

£16.99, HB9th May978-0-00-727109-2HarperFiction

liTTle exileS---roBerT DinSDale

Robert Dinsdale has a unique literary voice that will enthral fans of Louisa Young and Peter Carey. Little Exiles is based on the true story of the forced migration of British children to Australia after WWII.

£12.99, HB 28th February978-0-00-7481705HarperFiction

The laST runaway---Tracy chevalier

Tracy Chevalier is an international phenomenon and The Last Runaway is her evocative story about the last days of slavery. Fans have waited four years for this novel and widespread reviews are guaranteed.

£14.99, HB14th March978-0-00-735034-6HarperFiction

The Palace of curioSiTieS---roSie garlanD

Praised by Sarah Waters and already a bookseller favourite, The Palace of

Curiosities is a fascinating story about an early Victorian circus and the outcasts that perform within it.

£14.99, HB28th March978-0-00-7492770HarperFiction

‘A stunning novel, ambitious and

exquisitely realised.’S. J. Watson


Nathan Filer

The SPaniSh holocauST---Paul PreSTon

Based on records of General Francisco Franco’s atrocities that have only recently become available, Paul Preston reveals for the first time the extent of the violence committed against the Spanish people.

£10.99, PB31st January978-0-00-638695-7HarperPress

10 11

coMMunion Town---SaM ThoMPSon

This is no ordinary place. Ghosts and monsters, refugees and travellers – the voices of Communion Town clamour to tell the stories of the city, stories that must be heard to be believed.

£7.99, PB31st January978-0-00-745477-8Fourth Estate

Bring uP The BoDieS---hilary ManTel

Bring Up the Bodies and it’s 2009 predecessor, Wolf Hall, are both No.1 bestsellers and Man Booker Prize-winners. Hilary Mantel’s win for Bring Up the Bodies is a historic achievement, making her the first British and first female author to win The Man Booker Prize twice, and the first to win with two consecutive novels.

£9.99, PB7th May978-0-00-7315109Fourth Estate

The yiPS---nicola Barker

This hilarious and flamboyant Man Booker-longlisted novel captures the pre-Twitter moment and is the filthiest state-of-the-nation novel since Martin Amis’s Money. Prepare to meet Luton’s finest.

£8.99, PB28th March978-0-00-747666-4Fourth Estate

SeaTing arrangeMenTS---Maggie ShiPSTeaD

Winn Van Meter, father-of-the-bride, has spent his life following the rules of the east coast upper crust, but now, just shy of his 60th birthday, he must finally confront his failings, his desires, and his own humanity.

£7.99, PB4th July 978-0-00-746773-0Blue Door

a foreign counTry---charleS cuMMing

A Foreign Country is Charles Cumming’s best novel yet. Six weeks before she is due to become the first female head of MI6, Amelia Levene vanishes without a trace, with devastating consequences.

£7.99, PB28th March978-0-00-734643-1HarperFiction

Longlisted

Longlisted WinnerLonglistedWinner

Winner Winner

‘Barker is ostensibly a comic writer, and is indeed

snort-inducingly funny.’Daily Telegraph

Critically Acclaimed Paperbacks

Critically Acclaimed Paperbacks / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

1312

The gianT o’Brien---hilary ManTel

The Giant O’Brien is an unforgettable novel; lyrical, shocking and spliced with black comedy.

£7.99, PBReissue978-1-85702886-7Fourth Estate

a Place ofgreaTer SafeTy---hilary ManTel

An extraordinary work of historical imagination - this is Hilary Mantel’s epic novel of the French revolution.

£9.99, PBReissue978-0-00-725055-4Fourth Estate

giving uP The ghoST: a MeMoir---hilary ManTel

A wry, shocking and beautiful memoir of childhood, ghosts, hauntings, illness and family.


BeyonD Black---hilary ManTel

Hilarious and sinister, Beyond Black is a tale of dark secrets and secret forces in suburban England.


Hilary Mantel

Hilary Mantel / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

‘The greatest modern English prose writer

working today.’Sir Peter Stothard,

Chairman of the Man Booker Prize

Accolades for Hilary Mantel---

The first woman to win the Man Booker Prize twice

The first person to win the Man Booker Prize & Costa Book of the Year

The first Briton to win the Man Booker Prize twice

Wolf Hall was the fastest-selling Man Booker Prize winner to date

The novels have inspired two new plays at the RSC

TV adaptations of the two novels will be on the BBC in spring 2014

And the best news is – the third & final book in the trilogy is still to come!

We have POS available to promote Bring Up the Bodies in paperback. If you’d like to order POS, contact your HarperCollins rep or email us at [email protected]

Dumpbin: 978-0-00-793292-4

Poster: 978-0-00-793291-7

1514

fahrenheiT 451SPecial eDiTion---ray BraDBury

The internationally acclaimed Fahrenheit

451 is a masterwork of twentieth-century literature. This terrifyingly prophetic novel of a post-literate future still dazzles and shocks.

£14.99, HB28th March978-0-00-749156-8Voyager

MagicianSPecial eDiTion---rayMonD e. feiST

Magician is the original masterwork of magic and adventure and the first book of Feist’s critically acclaimed Riftwar series that has enchanted readers for over thirty years.


aSSaSSin,S

aPPrenTiceSPecial eDiTion---roBin hoBB

The first book in the acclaimed Farseer Trilogy is a classic fantasy novel combining magic with epic mastery. Where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become an enigma.

£16.99, HB28th March 978-0-00-749155-1Voyager

The once anD fuTure king SPecial eDiTion---T. h. whiTe

T. H. White’s masterful retelling of the Arthurian legend is an abiding classic. All five volumes that make up the story are published here together in a single volume, as White himself always wished.


neuroMancerSPecial eDiTion---williaM giBSon

The novel that launched the cyberpunk generation and heralded the coming of the internet is arguably the most influential science fiction novel of our time. Winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Philip K Dick awards.


a gaMe of ThroneSSPecial eDiTion---george r. r. MarTin

From the internationally bestselling author comes a covetable clothbound edition of the first volume in the greatest epic work of the modern age. In the Game of Thrones you win or you die.


i , roBoTSPecial eDiTion---iSaac aSiMov

I, Robot is a classic collection from the master of the genre. In these stories Isaac Asimov creates the Three Laws of Robotics, designed to insure humans have superiority, and ushers in the Robot Age.


‘These stunning clothbound editions are perfect for fans and collectors of beautiful books.’

Natasha Tanczos, Assistant Editor, Voyager

BeautifulBooks

Beautiful Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

17

Some treasures are too precious to display---Molly Oldfield introduces her new book, The Secret Museum

‘Museums are a great place to go to learn, to get fresh ideas and to wander around in beauty. I used to visit the public areas without realising that behind closed doors, most of each museum’s collection is hidden away. That changed when two curators of the Natural History Museum invited me to look around their secret realm. I began to wonder if all museums were like this – housing things that only researchers and curators know about? I spent the following year finding hidden treasures in the archives to lift into the light, and onto the pages of this book. Whatever you’re into, there ought to be something here for you: take your pick – what about a space suit covered in moon dust? Van Gogh’s personal sketchbooks? A letter opener made from the paw of Charles Dickens’s cat? A friendship book written by Anne Frank? How about a piece ofIsaac Newton’s Apple Tree? Delve in and have a look around. I hope you will find ideas, people, stories and treasures that you enjoy.’

The Secret MuseumMolly Oldfield

£25, HB28th February978-0-00-745528-7Collins

Delve into the hidden archives of the world’s finest museums with QI researcher Molly Oldfield, re-engage with the sea and the creatures that live within it with Samuel

Johnson prize-winner, Philip Hoare, and join Jay Rayner, one of our leading food critics, as he faces the challenging question of how we will feed ourselves in the 21st century. This

diverse choice of non-fiction offers stimulating books for all interests this spring.

Non-Fiction---

Non-Fiction / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

‘Whatever you’re into, there ought to be

something here for you.’Molly Oldfield

16

1918

falling uPwarDS---richarD holMeS

A heart-lifting and lilting group biography telling how the generation of pioneering aviators felt as they ascended to a new dimension of human experience. Through the strange allure of the great balloonists, Richard Holmes offers a subtle portrait of human endeavour, recklessness and vision. Featuring dramatic rivalries and heroic experiments, Falling Upwards tells how the journey of this enigmatic group of men and women flying skyward above the earth influenced and transported science, warfare, literature and discovery.

£25, HB25th April978-0-00-738692-5HarperPress

Philip Hoare sets out to discover the sea, its islands, birds & beasts---Zeljka Marosevic, Marketing Executive, Harper Press & Fourth Estate introduces The Sea Inside ‘Every morning Philip Hoare cycles to Netley to swim in the English Channel. It is these swims which provide the early rhythm of The Sea Inside, unlocking Hoare’s meditation on the creatures he encounters and the history of the land.

From here the book expands outwards from the inhabitants of the Isle of Wight to the complicated relationship between whales and islanders on the Azores. Hoare encounters the blue whale in Sri Lanka and ends his journey in New Zealand where he swims with rare dolphins, their striped bellies flashing in the water.

In this masterful new book, his most personal to date, Hoare rediscovers the sea for us all, when it has never meant more to our future and survival.’

The Sea InsidePhilip Hoare

£18.99, HB 6th June978-0-00-741211-2Fourth Estate

‘A classic so compelling it cast a spell on me that

endured for days.’The Observer on Leviathan

leviaThan---DaviD ScoTT

In this wide-ranging new study, the scope of which has not been seen for years, David Scott challenges traditional assumptions about how Britain achieved her global might. Patriotism and constitutional ideals competed with baser motives, or were sidelined by the impact of dynastic accident and the vagaries of war. Leviathan commands respect as a work of scholarship in telling the story of the religious fanaticism, political hatred, profiteering and hunger for power that made Britain great. Yet it is written with such vivacity and enthusiasm that it opens the subject up to a wider audience.

£26, HB11th April978-0-00-724080-7HarperPress


Philip Hoare

2120

A refreshingly funny take on feminism for 2013 ---Hadley Freeman is like the Funny Female Friend from your favourite movie – the one with the best lines, who’s about 1000 times more interesting than the leading lady (think Kristin Scott Thomas from Four

Weddings, not Andie MacDowell). Witty, cool and with a killer dance routine to Patrick Swayze’s She’s

Like the Wind – she’s the woman you want to be.

Be Awesome will appeal to women of all ages and walks of life, covering a variety of topics vital to any woman wanting to stay sane in the modern world.

From body image and sex, to dating and friendship, via hair and work, Hadley offers a voice of sanity in a frequently un-awesome world. With an attitude

that is unfalteringly funny, smart and surprisingly heart-warming, Hadley Freeman is a voice of sanity that every woman should hear.

Be AwesomeHadley Freeman

£12.99, TPB25th April 978-0-00-748569-7Fourth Estate

wooDSMan---Ben law

Ben Law is the UK’s most respected woodsman. His famously unique and characterful woodland home in Prickly Nut Wood, designed and built by himself, was named by Kevin McCloud as his favourite ever Grand Design. Ben has lived as a woodsman for over 20 years and in this book he tells how he came to know and love his woodland. It is an insightful and inviting demonstration of his authentic sense of the land and the wildlife, in which his respect for age-old traditions and how to sustain them shine through.

£14.99, HB28th March978-0-00-741627-1Collins

DeSerTer---charleS glaSS

During the Second World War, all sides experienced desertion and troops left the ranks in their thousands. Now veteran reporter and historian Charles Glass breaks the taboo and examines the extraordinary story of the deserters of the Second World War. Many of these men were captured and court marshalled, while others were never apprehended. Some remain wanted to this day. Who were they? What made them run? And what happened once they made the decision to flee their ranks? Deserter is a highly emotional and engaging study of an under-explored area of World War II history.

£25, HB28th March978-0-00-734592-2HarperPress

‘Feminism is not about hating men or special treatments: it’s about equality. Nor does it mean women should

wear boiler suits!’Hadley Freeman


Hadley Freeman

2322

The incredible new novel from the author of The Alchemist---Paulo Coelho is an internationally bestselling author and publishing phenomenon. He is best known for his modern classic, The Alchemist, which has sold more than 1.5 million copies in the UK. His books have sold an incredible 145 million copies worldwide and been translated into 74 languages. Paulo is also a United Nations Messenger of Peace and one of the most influential people online with nearly 10 million Facebook fans and 6.3 million Twitter followers.

Paulo’s incredible new novel, Manuscript Found

in Accra, is a timeless and powerful exploration of personal growth, everyday wisdom and joy. After lying undiscovered for over 700 years, a manuscript holding the answers to a city’s final questions is unearthed from a cave in Cairo. Centuries before, on the eve of the invasion of Accra, the citizens gathered. A man stood

before them and invited the people to share their fears that he might offer hope and comfort. His extraordinary insights on courage, solitude, loyalty and loss were transcribed and passed on.

Manuscript Found in Accra went straight to the top of the bestseller lists in many of the countries in which it was released last year. If you are a Paulo Coelho fan, were inspired by The Alchemist, or have always wanted to read one of Paulo’s books, then this is the ideal time.

Manuscript Found in AccraPaulo Coelho

£12.99, HB28th March978-0-00-751392-5HarperNonFiction

‘One of the few to deserve the

term publishing phenomenon.’

Independent on Sunday

The engliSh a fielD guiDe---MaTT ruDD

The sun is out, flowers are sprouting in pavement cracks, and evenings are stretching beyond five o’clock. This can only mean one thing – publication date is nearly upon us for Matt Rudd’s hilarious field guide to the world’s most remarkable and unusual creatures: The English. Come June 6th you can join Matt as he gets to know this curious breed, whether they be reclining on their living room sofas; getting drizzled on as they wait for the 05.37 from Sevenoaks; eating pakoras at the Birmingham Lahore Village Balti House or dogging around Thetford Forest! To celebrate the launch, we’re offering one lucky bookshop the chance to win a hamper crammed full of English treats (think

posh chutneys, fudge and other quintessentially English goodies). All you need to do is dress your window in a typically English fashion on publication! We’re envisioning bunting, flashes of red, white and blue, miniature double-deckers, or perhaps one of the scenes that Matt depicts in The English. Please send us your photos before 1st July, via email ([email protected]) or twitter (@HarperPress) and we’ll award the hamper to our favourite themed window!

£11.99, HB6th June978-0-00-749045-5HarperPress


Win an ipad mini! ---Simply answer the following question: How many copies of Paulo Coelho’s books have been sold worldwide? Email your answer to [email protected].

Closing date 30.04.13

2524

How (almost) everything you know about food is wrong...---Jay Rayner talks about his new book and shoots a few sacred cows of the food world

‘Can I, like a proud father, introduce you to my new book, A Greedy Man In A Hungry World. At its heart is one of the most pressing questions facing us today: how do we feed ourselves in the 21st century with a population expected to peak at nine billion, and resources under pressure. We need to come up with a truly radical way of feeding the planet without killing it.

It’s true that the issues are very serious, but the book isn’t. I’ve approached it through memoir and comedy and I’ve set out to take the reader on a rollicking and compelling journey which will both

give them belly laughs, and make them think about how they fill their belly. I will be promoting this book with as much energy and shamelessness as I can muster, arguing my case with as light as touch as possible.’

A Greedy Man In A Hungry WorldJay Rayner

£12.99, TPB23rd May978-0-00-723759-3Collins

MaSTer iT---rory o’connell

Master It is the antidote to cookery books that are more about the chefs rather than the ingredients and simple, but essential, skills that make you a truly good cook. Rory O’Connell, co-founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School and twice Ireland’s Chef of the Year, tackles a particular cooking technique in each chapter and also includes a collection of fresh, seasonal recipes. Having worked with many big names such as Raymond Blanc, Rick Stein and Skye Gyngell, O’Connell’s cooking is for foodies who want new twists on classic techniques and cooking newbies starting out in the kitchen.

£25, HB23rd May978-0-00-744728-2Fourth Estate

hoMe SweeT hoMe: 100 new reciPeS for Baking Brilliance ---The huMMingBirD Bakery

The bakery at the forefront of the current baking trend returns with 100 tried and tested recipes that celebrate home baking. The bakers from the first American cupcake bakery in the UK share some of their all-time favourite home baking recipes, alongside their original cakes and bakes. The recipes are accompanied with step-by-step photos so novices and confident bakers alike can achieve wonderful nostalgic flavours and beloved tastes – all with a unique Hummingbird twist.

£20, HB14th February978-0-00-741359-1Collins

‘I look forward to working with you to make this book the

huge success it has the potential to be!’

Jay Rayner

Food&

Drink

Food & Drink / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Try the recipe

on the next page

2726

MAkeS 12-16 CuPCAkeS For THe CuSTArD 330ml (11½fl oz) whole milk3 large egg yolks6og (2oz) caster sugar20g (¾oz) plain flour one or 20g (¾oz) cornflour150ml (5½fl oz) double cream For THe DeCorATioN 75g (2½oz) blueberries50g (1¾oz) amaretti biscuits, crushed into crumbs

For THe SPoNge 70g (2½ oz) unsalted buder. softened210g (7½ oz) plain flour1 tbsp baking powder½ tsp salt250g (9oz) caster sugar210ml (7½fl oz) whole milk2 large eggs1 tsp Vanilla eXtract150g (5½fl oz) blueberries equiPMeNT two 12-hole deep muffin tins

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, and line the muffin tins with paper muffin cases to make the number you require.

2. First make the sponge. In a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand-held electric whisk, mix the butter, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together until they form a crumb-like consistency.

3. In a jug, mix together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract by hand.

4· With the mixer or whisk on a slow speed, gradually pour half of the liquid into the crumb mixture and mix thoroughly until combined. Turn up the speed to medium and beat until the batter is smooth and thick, with no lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Once all the lumps have been beaten out, turn the speed back down and gradually pour in the remaining liquid from the jug, continuing to mix until the batter is smooth and completely combined. Stir the blueberries into the cake batter by hand.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared paper cases, filling them two-thirds full. Using a 50ml (1¾fl oz) ice-cream scoop can make this process easier and will result in even cupcakes.

Blueberry & Amaretti Trifle Cupcakes---

6. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when lightly touched. The blueberries will sink into the sponge - this is normal. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

7. While the cakes are in the oven, make the custard. Place the milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour to make a paste, adding 1 tablespoon of the hot milk to thin if necessary. 8. When the milk has boiled, remove the pan from the heat and mix 4-5 tablespoons with the egg and flour paste, then pour this back into the pan with the remaining hot milk and return to the heat.

9. Bring back up to the boil, whisking constantly, and continue to boil for a further 3-4 minutes to ensure the flour and cornflour are fully cooked. However, be careful not to overcook or the eggs may begin to scramble. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the custard into a baking tray. Cover straight away with cling film and set aside to cool completely.

10. To finish the custard, pour the double cream into a medium bowl. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the cream until it forms soft peaks. Place the cooled custard into a medium bowl. Using the mixer or whisk, on a slow speed mix the custard until it is smooth. Using a spatula, gradually fold the whipped cream into the custard.

11. Spoon generous amounts of the custard onto each cupcake, then gently smooth over with a palette knife, making a swirl at the top if you wish. Top each cupcake with 3-4 blueberries and a sprinkling of amaretti biscuit crumbs.

One Christmas the Hummingbird Bakery decided to mix things up and created this Italian biscuit-inspired recipe as an alternative to their Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes. You can put a tiny dash of amaretto liqueur onto the crushed biscuits if you want something boozier, but be careful not to get them too soggy.

Food & Drink / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013Try a recipe fromThe Hummingbird Bakery

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Children’s Books---

2928

Everyone including J.K. Rowling is raving about House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and

Ned Vizzini, the first in an epic new series filled with high-stakes adventure, offbeat humour and a fantastic cast of characters. With new books from authors including Michael Morpurgo, Oliver Jeffers, Derek

Landy and Judith Kerr, this spring is shaping up to be something of a vintage season

for children’s books!

Set to be this year’s biggest debut launch---Rachel Denwood, Publishing Director, Children’s Books introduces House of Secrets

‘Here is a book that every children’s publisher dreams of finding – a classic-in-the-making, high stakes fantasy adventure that entertains and thrills on every page.

I am delighted to introduce House of Secrets by Hollywood legend Chris Columbus (writer, producer and director of some of the most beloved family films in history, including The Goonies, Gremlins and the first two Harry Potter movies), and highly acclaimed author Ned Vizzini.

The first in a new series, House of Secrets tells the story of Brendan, Cordelia and Eleanor Walker who move with their parents into creepy and mysterious Kristoff House, where they uncover a family secret intertwined with dark magic. An explosive adventure in which the scares and the comedy are perfectly balanced, House of Secrets is the 2013 launch that is making us feel like kids again.’

House of SecretsChris Columbus and Ned Vizzini

£12.99, HB25th April 978-0-00-7465835Children’s Books

‘A break-neck, jam-packed, rollercoaster

of an adventure.’J. K. Rowling

Children’s Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Picture: Sabra Embury

3130

There’s panic up in Heaven. They’ve mislaid The Book of Doom...---Barry Hutchison introduces his hilarious comic fantasy, The Book of Doom

‘It was one of those middle of the night ideas: What if every religion in history was right? What if all gods from all civilisations actually existed? And what if they sometimes knocked about together and had a laugh?

The next day I grabbed a notebook and the Afterworlds books began to take form. I’d been planning to write something about the Norse gods, but now I had a much broader scope. I could have Odin play darts with Zeus! Satan get in a fight with Min, the Chinese God of Lettuce! I could do anything!

In The Book of Doom I do just that. On the journey from Heaven to Hell our heroes stop by Asgard, party in Hades, and meet a fez-wearing demon with eyes where his nipples should be. If it’s half as much fun to read as it was to write, I’ll be a happy man indeed.’

The Book of DoomBarry Hutchison

£6.99, PB28th February978-0-00-744091-7HarperCollins

SkulDuggery PleaSanT: The MaleficenT Seven---Derek lanDy

This is real treat for Skulduggery Pleasant fans; a one off novel taking place between Kingdom of the Wicked and the forthcoming eighth book in the series, catching up with what fan favourite Tanith Low has been up to since we last saw her in book five. And this time she’s the bad guy. Tanith, now possessed by a Remnant, recruits a gang of villains – many of whom will be familiar from previous Skulduggery adventures – and plans her own dastardly double crosses to stay two steps ahead of her team mates and rivals.

£12.99, HB 28th March978-0-00-750092-5Children’s Books

DeParTMenT 19: BaTTle lineS---will hill

Teen-fiction major player, Will Hill, is back to please his legion of Facebook fans with the third instalment of the blockbusting Department 19 series. Blacklight faces a new and potentially deadly threat, born out of one of the darkest moments of its own long and bloody history. Uneasy truces are struck, new dangers emerge on all sides, and relationships are pushed to breaking point. All the while the clock ticks towards zero hour and the return of Dracula.

£12.99, HB 28th March978-0-00-735451-1Children’s Books

‘Hutchison’s work is not only hilarious; it

contains a high degree of wit and intelligence.’

Books for Keeps

Children’s Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

Barry Hutchison

3332

What is it that puts the ‘best’ into ‘best friends’?---Best known for his highly acclaimed picture books Captain Buckleboots on the Naughty Step and The

Sunflower Sword, Mark Sperring has once again delivered a sparkling text that delights in language and rhythm. Mabel and Me is a rollicking read-aloud story, perfectly complemented by Sarah Warburton’s terrifically warm and witty illustrations. Sarah’s Rumblewick character has sold worldwide and these beautiful new stand-out drawings will prove just as popular with young children.

In this laugh-out-loud picture book we meet the wonderfully peculiar pair, Mabel and Me, in their very first adventure exploring just what it is that puts the ‘best’ into ‘best friends’. This story

The imaginative master picture book creator returns---Meet the Hueys - a fabulously quirky group of characters from international bestselling, award-winning author/illustrator, Oliver Jeffers, creator of How to Catch a Star, Lost and Found, Stuck and This

Moose Belongs to Me.

The Hueys - It Wasn’t Me is the second in a character series of collectible picture books with a distinctive and innovative artwork style. The Hueys have a unique, quirky and endearing take on life and the books are written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers with a subtle humour to be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

A fight has broken out amongst The Hueys. “It was

really is a modern day comedy of errors and our irresistible duo will enthrall young children who will fall in love with Me – a strange little creature with scrawny, hairy legs! His misunderstandings will have everyone in hysterics and his loyalty will warm all hearts.

Mabel and MeMark Sperring and Sarah Warburton

£12.99, HB28th March978-0-00-746836-2Children’s Books

not me! It was him!” But no one can remember what they’re fighting about. If only they could find an interesting distraction…

The Hueys - It Wasn’t MeOliver Jeffers

£12.99, HB25th April978-0-00-742067-4Children’s Books

‘Captivating and memorable. My

favourite picture book of the season.’

The Bookseller on The Sunflower Sword by Mark Sperring

Picture Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

PictureBooks

3534

Britain’s favourite fairy tale from our favourite storyteller---After encountering a fearsome beast at a mysterious palace, down-on-his-luck merchant Marco is forced to make a promise in exchange for his life: he must persuade one of his three daughters to return to the palace in his place – but she must come of her own free will.

Beautiful, kind-hearted Belle agrees at once to return to the palace, and there she and the Beast exist companionably, with the Beast asking of Belle the same question at the end of each day: “Dearest Belle, will you marry me?”

After a return home to consult with her father, Belle resolves to follow her heart and return to the Beast,

but her plans are thwarted by the trickery of her jealous sisters. When, at last, Belle is able to find her way back to the palace, she finds her beloved Beast lying as still as death on the ground. As Belle’s tears fall on his face, the Beast is transformed into a handsome prince – the ancient spell upon him broken by Belle’s tears of true love…

Beauty and the Beast Michael Morpurgo and Loretta Schauer

£6.99, PB6th June978-0-00-751340-6Children’s Books

read the story behind the stories---This is a lavishly illustrated retrospective in celebration of the 90th birthday of Judith Kerr, author of The Tiger

Who Came to Tea and many other iconic books.

Judith’s story begins with the extraordinary events of her early childhood in Berlin, dramatically cut short by the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Party in 1933. She tells what it was like to be a German refugee in London during the war and we see her early attempts at drawing and writing; her sketches and work from art school, and her textile designs from her first job. We hear of her life-changing meeting with her future husband and her time at the BBC, first as a reader and then as a scriptwriter herself.

Judith’s career as a children’s book writer and illustrator began after she had children, and over forty years on she is still producing classic picture books. She is a rare and wonderful talent and this is a fascinating insight into the person behind the classic books that have been enjoyed by generations.

Judith Kerr’s Creatures Judith Kerr

£25, HB6th June978-0-00-751321-5Children’s Books

‘There are few children’s writers as compelling as

Michael Morpurgo.’ Daily Express

Picture Books / HarperCollins Independent Thinking / Spring 2013

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independent thinking spring 2013

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