The collapse of Unbound hasn’t just left a load of authors owed money, often significant sums of royalties, for books they sold. Some excellent books are now homeless through no fault of their own.
This post is to showcase a few of the books which are now looking for new publishers, or agents, or in some cases both - and all of which very much deserve to be out in the world - and in many cases they’ve also been backed by a large
If you like the sound of one or more of these, leave a comment below (it all helps!). Should you happen to work in publishing, please do share this post as widely as you can with your fellow agents and publishers. And if you happen to be an agent or a publisher yourself and like the sound of what you are reading, then send us a message1 and we can put you in touch with the person concerned.
With no further ado, then, let’s go.
The Philosopher Queens is a collection of essays on women in philosophy written by women in philosophy. This collection brings to centre stage twenty prominent women whose ideas have had a profound but, for the most part, uncredited impact on the world. It therefore corrects the dominant narrative of “great men” in the history of philosophy. The book has been translated into 11 languages, including Italian, German, Arabic, and Korean.
Rebecca Buxton is a Lecturer in Social and Political Philosophy at the University of Bristol. Her work focuses on migration and citizenship, as well as the history of women in philosophy. Lisa Whiting is a Senior Policy Advisor working for the UK Government in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Burning Down the House is a book taking a long hard look at England’s stately homes. Because they are not just a nice day out with a scone after, they’re also built on empire, sexism and a great deal of exploitation. And if we pay attention, the evidence is right there on display. Burning Down the House takes the reader to some of England’s best known stately homes for a tour with a difference. Oh, and it’s funny too.
Susannah Walker has been a curator, television producer and campaigner for gender equality in public spaces, alongside writing several books. Her memoir, The Life of Stuff, was shortlisted for the James Tait Black biography prize, while her most recent book, The Hard Way, about women, nature writing and walking the oldest roads, was published last year.
Singing Up the Sun is an illustrated celebration of folk music focusing on the strange and magical stories behind over forty traditional folk songs from the British Isles. Folk songs dating back as far as early medieval times and from far flung regional communities passed on from generation to generation, ever shifting and evolving along the way. Folk songs about the most human of experiences; love and loves lost, unrequited or doomed. Folk songs about labour and working the land, the songs of the common people. Folk songs that tell the passing of the year - the rituals and customs - about a land rich in folkloric celebrations and Pagan festivities. Magical songs of twisted animal metamorphosis, monstrous livestock, ominous birds portents of ill-fate, cunning trickster foxes and cursed sea creatures luring and smiting. Folk songs about Gods, devils, the earth and the stars and everything in between. And of course death. Oh death...
Mat Pringle is a Margate based Illustrator, Printmaker and Arts Educator. His artwork draws primarily from folklore but also from music, books and cinema. He works predominantly in linocut printmaking - specifically reduction linocut - contrasting fine detailed linework with simple but expressive colour palettes. He is a self-confessed record nerd.
The Replacement Girl is the story of Barbara Mullen, one of the great American models of the Forties and Fifties — an era defined by Christian Dior and Claire McCardell, by Mad Men and the rise of mass production. It’s an era now acknowledged as fashion’s greatest golden age, documented time and again in books on its designers, photographers, editors and writers. But the models who were central to that world in those decades, the women who appear on page after page of those books, are remembered today purely as images; their lives, and their stories, have gone largely ignored. So The Replacement Girl traces Barbara’s life alongside the lives of a generation who shaped the modelling profession as we now know it — and explores how, and why, history came to forget them.
John-Michael O’Sullivan is a writer, editor and designer. A graduate of University College Dublin, his work focuses on fashion history, photography and contemporary design — fields he has covered, in long-form features, for publications like Esquire, The Big Black Book, The Observer, The Guardian, Metal, Archivist, and Vogue India. As a brand archivist, he has worked with John Lobb, Sunspel, Crombie and Globe-Trotter. And from 2012-2019, he was features editor of the menswear biannual Article.
Free Loaves on Fridays is an anthology of stories, poems, reflections and letters by 100 care-experienced authors aged 13-68. Headlines written about this misunderstood community often entrench negative ideas and dominate the narrative, leaving survivors with nothing but crumbs. This anthology is an opportunity to redirect the dialogue; rather than being about (but crucially without) in court reports, care files and assessments, those who really get it have their say for once. Proceeds to Article 39 and the Together Trust.
Rebekah Pierre is a care-experienced author, registered social worker campaigner, as well as the Deputy Director of Article 39 - a small charity which fights for the rights of children in institutional settings. She has written extensively about the care system,in publications such as The Guardian, Independent, and Radio 4.
The Book of Bera trilogy is a gripping epic story of a young woman's courage, fighting old and new gods in the savage beauty of the Ice-Rimmed Sea.
"A lovingly detailed Norse land that Wilde brings to startling life.” The Guardian; “Wilde is a beautiful writer (who) captures the sea extraordinarily.” Kate Mosse
Suzie Wilde gained an MA with Distinction and teaches writing. Sea Paths was her debut novel, the first book in the Bera series.
It’s All In The Mind: The Life and Legacy of Larry Stephens is the remarkable true story of a WWII Commando who transformed British comedy. Larry Stephens’ promising career as a jazz pianist was interrupted by the war, and after serving as an officer with the commandos he moved to London and struck up a friendship with Tony Hancock, becoming the sole writer of Hancock’s stage material. Hancock introduced him to Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan and Michael Bentine and together they created The Goon Show, arguably the world’s most influential comedy programme. Using unrivalled access to Stephens’ personal archive of letters, photographs and artwork, plus interviews with his many notable friends, family members, comrades and colleagues, It’s All in the Mind is the biography of a multi-talented man whose short life had such an enduring impact.
Julie Warren was formerly the Communications and Community Manager for a High Street bank in The City of London and the winner of a Chairman’s Award for Community and Diversity. After having a Shirley Valentine moment she spent a number of years living in Greece meaning she is now able to both cook and pronounce kolokythokeftedes. She is Larry Stephens’ first cousin once removed.
20 GOTO 10 is a book of numbers that describe the many facets of computing history, focusing on the golden age of old computers and retro games and consoles of the 1980s and 90s. It covers the hardware, software, and social history of the era, showing how they’re linked through numbers such as 48K, C15, and 35899. It is both a love letter and historical account on the technology that shaped our own.
Steven Goodwin has been involved in computing, science and technology from an early age – he wrote his first code at the age of eight and built his first synthesizer while still in his teens. Since then he's been a software developer, CTO, and start-up consultant. As a science communicator he's written 6 books, 60+ articles, and has worked as a keynote speaker, industry thought leader, and mentor. His interests outside of computers, also involve computers!
Unscripted: Libby is a obsessed with a Hollywood actor she’s never met. For years, she’s let that fantasy guide her choices — her career, her dreams, even her sense of self. But when a chance encounter puts her closer than ever to the life she imagined, she’s forced to confront the truth: Who is she without the script she’s been clinging to?
Unscripted is a smart, emotionally layered novel about celebrity obsession, creative ambition, and the messy beauty of growing into your real self. Perfect for fans of Funny You Should Ask, Nora Goes Off Script, and The Idea of You, this is a love story — just not the one you’re expecting.
Claire Handscombe is a London-based author, former bookseller, and publishing professional. She’s the author of Unscripted and Girl, Unstrung, and editor of Walk With Us: How The West Wing Changed Our Lives. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and spent a decade in the U.S., where she developed a fondness for American pop culture and fictional heartthrobs.
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This is mildly fiddly on here, but click on the author link above and you should then have an option to send a message.
Hi Susannah, many thanks for sharing this article. I'm the publisher at The Westbourne Press, and would be very interested to read Burning Down the House, which sounds incredible, if the rights are still free? I'm at lynn@saqibooks.com. Thank you. (I'm really sorry that this has happened to you. Two of my colleagues were Unbound authors - it can be very painful and difficult to go through this. I hope you're getting the support that you need.) Very best, Lynn
Very interesting. I may have to look for Singing Up The Sun. I'll bet it has a story about Hal and Tow, which our Morris team used to sing on May Day. 🌷🌹🌺🪻🔔