New Non-Fiction: February
Blog · Posted January 30, 2025
Our top picks in brand new non-fiction for February.
The Book of Garden Flowers by Angie Lewin & Christopher Stocks | 27th February | £16.99
The perfect armchair and gardening companion to the garden flowers of the British Isles.
Christopher Stocks tells the fascinating tales of nineteen cultivated flowers and their journeys from distant corners of the world to British gardens, illustrated by the painter and printmaker Angie Lewin in this charming companion guide. Revealing new stories behind some of our most familiar and unusual garden plants, this beautiful book explores the horticultural history and floral folklore of some of the nation’s favourite flowers.
The North Pole by Erling Kagge | 27th February | £22
Foot-stepping alongside Erling Kagge, who ventured to the North Pole in the spring of 1990, we hear the story of the North Pole as never told before. Blending memories from Kagge’s own trip with a thousand year epic history, The North Pole is an adventure story, a book about enacting hidden human dreams, about difficult fathers and their difficult sons, and a psychological record of what it means to keep putting one foot in front of the other in the face of adversity. It is for anyone who’s gazed out at the horizon – and wondered what happens if you just keep walking.
Love in Exile by Shon Faye | 6th February | £20
Shon Faye grew up quietly obsessed with the feeling that love was not for her. Not just romantic love: the secret fear of her own unworthiness penetrated every aspect and corner of her life. In Love in Exile, she shows love is much greater than the narrow ideals we have been taught to crave so desperately that we are willing to bend and break ourselves to fit them. Wise, funny, unsparing, and suffused with a radical clarity, this is a book of and for our times: for seeing and knowing love, in whatever form it takes, is the meaning of life itself.
Between Two Rivers by Moudhy Al-Rashid | 20th February | £25
Thousands of years ago, in a part of the world we now call ancient Mesopotamia, people began writing things down for the very first time. In Between Two Rivers, historian Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid reveals what these ancient people chose to record about their lives, allowing us to brush hands with them millennia later. We find a lullaby to soothe a baby, instructions for exorcising a ghost, countless receipts for beer, and the adorable, messy writing of preschoolers. Together, these fragments illuminate not just the history of Mesopotamia, but the story of how history was made.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad | 13th February | £16.99
As an immigrant, Omar El Akkad believed the West offered freedom and justice for all. Over the past twenty years he reported on the various Wars on Terror, Ferguson, climate change, Black Lives Matter protests, and more. He won awards for his journalism and his fiction. But now he comes to the conclusion that much of what the West promises is a lie. This powerful book is a chronicle of Omar’s painful realisation, a moral grappling with what it means – as a citizen, as a father – to carve out some sense of possibility during these devastating times. This is a book for those that have tired of moral emptiness. This is a book for everyone who wants something better.
A Training School For Elephants by Sophy Roberts | 20th February | £16.99
In 1879, King Leopold II of Belgium launched an ambitious plan to plunder Africa’s resources. The key to cracking open the continent, or so he thought, was its elephants — if only he could train them. Following in the footsteps of the four elephants used in this plan, Roberts pieces together the story of a long-forgotten expedition, in travels that take her to Belgium, Iraq, India, Tanzania and Congo. The storytelling brings to life a compelling cast of historic characters and modern voices, set against rich descriptions of the landscapes travelled. Roberts digs deep into historic records to reckon with our broken relationship with animals, revealing an extraordinary story of colonial greed, ineptitude, hypocrisy and folly.
The Prosecutor by Jack Fairweather | 27th February | £22
Jack Fairweather brings to life the remarkable story of Fritz Bauer, a gay German Jew who survived the Nazis and made it his mission to force his countrymen to confront their complicity in the genocide. In this deeply researched book, Fairweather draws on unpublished family papers, newly declassified German records, and exclusive interviews to immerse readers in the dark, unfamiliar world of postwar West Germany. In a time when the history of the Holocaust is taken for granted, The Prosecutor reveals the courtroom battles that were fought to establish its legacy and the personal cost of speaking out. The result is a searing portrait of a nation emerging from the ruins of fascism and one man’s courage in forcing his people––and the world––to face the truth.
Spring Unfurled by Angela Harding | 20th February | £12.99
Spring Unfurled is the first in a stunning seasonal quartet from beloved printmaker and illustrator Angela Harding. Taking in landscapes across the UK, from views from her home studio in Rutland to the Scottish wilderness, via the low-lying marshlands of Suffolk and the windswept hills of Yorkshire, the beautiful illustrations and evocative imagery of the prose make this the perfect book for nature lovers and art lovers everywhere Featuring many of Angela’s most beloved prints, alongside Angela’s observations and inspirations, this is a joyful celebration of nature and wildlife across the UK.
These are just some of the exciting new releases in non-fiction for this month. To keep up to date with more recommendations and new releases, keep an eye on our socials, or join our newsletter.