Tuesday, 25th August 2026
The Mizzy Mysteries: The Shadow on the Wreck by Claire Hatcher-Smith
Mizzy is spending half-term with cousins in St Jude’s-on-Sea: a seaside town struggling to accommodate an influx of refugees. When she sees a spooky shadow on a wrecked old fishing boat on the shore, she thinks she’s found her next mystery. But her cousins seem determined to keep her in the dark about their comings and goings to the wreck, and she’s left alone to help their old Greek-Cypriot grandfather Papou sort out his papers.
Then an anonymous postcard arrives for Papou, featuring a picture of the old wreck and the words WHAT REALLY HAPPENS? Mizzy must solve the mystery of the postcard sender and prove once again that she is the best detective in town.
Thursday, 27th August 2026
A Short History of the Gaza Strip by Anne Irfan
The world’s eyes are on the Gaza Strip. After more than a year of Israeli military bombardment, it is the scene of unimaginable destruction. It is also one of the most politically significant territories on the planet. Yet how many of us know anything of its history?
In this vital book, Anne Irfan, a leading historian of Palestine-Israel, examines six key moments that bring us to the present day. She begins with Israel’s expulsion of the Palestinian people in 1948, when Israel was established and the Gaza region was truncated to a tiny territory of just 141 square miles. Going on to detail Israel’s occupations of Gaza, the Palestinian national struggle and formation of the PLO, the first intifada, the creation of the Palestinian Authority and the rise of Hamas, Irfan argues that, collectively, these events help explain how we have arrived at the catastrophe of the 2020s and the genocidal violence unleashed by Israel in Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7.
Written with remarkable clarity, A Short History of the Gaza Strip draws on a decade of meticulous research, weaving in the voices and stories of Palestinians from farmers and teachers to poets and activists. It is an indispensable read for anyone seeking to deepen their knowledge of Palestine and the wider region. In Irfan’s words, ‘History matters, especially in Palestine’ – and never more so than today.
The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson
Annie MacLeod always knew she was different, growing up on a sailboat, navigating by stars and swimming with sea creatures, alongside her best friend, Evan. But when a tsunami hits, Annie is stranded on land; her entire world, and her eccentric identity, torn apart and upended.
In the wreckage, she rescues a wordless man named Walker, who emits a hum only she can hear. Their connection is instant. Walker’s touch gives Annie visions of the ocean’s hidden world, a life she’s never known but feels inexplicably drawn to. Yet even as she is pulled toward him, Evan – the steadfast love who has always been there – remains on dry land, offering stability and security. Annie is torn between Evan’s grounding presence and Walker’s magnetic secrets. But then, Walker vanishes, along with the answers Annie needs about who she really is.
Six years later, Annie has left the sea and buried the past – until Walker returns, pulling her back towards the ocean and the life she abandoned. The truth has roots more ancient than she ever could have known, and Annie must confront a choice that will test her heart and determine her future.
A fierce and entrancing debut novel of one woman caught between two worlds that won’t let her go.
