Duckworth Books

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Duckworth Books

Publisher of stimulating non-fiction and historical fiction (est. 1898)
Instagram: duck_books Lawrence, Hilaire Belloc, Evelyn Waugh, and Beryl Bainbridge.

The UK's oldest general trade independent, Duckworth Publishers (also known as Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd) was founded by Gerald Duckworth in 1898. Duckworth has published numerous classic authors including Virginia Woolf, D.H. Under the imprint Duckworth Overlook, our list encompasses literary, commercial and the odd foray into genre and children's fiction, in addition to a range of non-fiction wi

th particular strengths in popular science, history and biography. Additionally, we hold the Ardis imprint, a list of classic Russian literature in translation, and are associated with The Overlook Press in New York. With a heritage stretching back more than a century, our most recent successes to sit alongside the greats of old include the worldwide phenomenon that is Max Brooks's zombie books, World War Z (now a Brad Pitt-helmed blockbuster) and The Zombie Survival Guide, JJ Connolly's cult gangster novel Layer Cake (also adapted for the big screen, starring Daniel Craig and marking Matthew Vaughn's directorial debut) and its sequel Viva La Madness (soon to be another hit film starring the inimitable Jason Statham), and Google's Director of Engineering Ray Kurzweil's futurist touchstones The Singularity is Near and How to Create a Mind, to name but a few.

2014 highlights include Elvis Has Left the Building, The Day the King Died by GQ Editor Dylan Jones, Still Reigning, Thoughts of a Queen by the Queen of Twitter, and Legends by Robert Littell, recently adapted into a TV series starring Sean Bean, The Poisoner by Stephen Bates tells the story of Dr William Palmer, Victorian England’s most notorious serial-killer, and Peter Tunstall’s The Last Escaper is the riveting tale of a WWII bomber who as a prisoner of war repeatedly attempted to escape his German captors. Follow our social media channels and website to stay up to date on new releases and more.

www.ducknet.co.uk

05/12/2025

The Sunday Times bestseller - signed copies of by now available

04/12/2025

🕷️You can now pre-order the exclusive special edition of Spider, Spider🕷️

Available while stock lasts 🙌

https://goldsborobooks.com/products/spider-spider 📚

✍️Signed by the author
⭐️Gold sprayed edged
📖Foiled front cover

It is a thing of beauty!

21/11/2025

This week we were thrilled to partner with Gliterary Lunches for the most wonderful event ✨

Priscilla Morris spoke beautifully about her phenomenal novel Black Butterflies, and a huge thank-you to for chairing the conversation so brilliantly.

We also had the pleasure of hearing the iconic Lynda La Plante share insights into her extraordinary career as one of the UK’s leading crime writers.

A gorgeous lunch, inspiring conversation and brilliant books — what more could we ask for? 📚💫

17/11/2025

🕷️✨ SPIDER, SPIDER is now available on NetGalley! ✨🕷️

Revenge takes root as poison blooms

Step into the sooty streets of Victorian London in L.C. Winter’s dark and dazzling debut, Spider, Spider.

📖 Reviewers and booksellers can now request their proof copy on NetGalley.
➡️ Spider, Spider by L.C. Winter 🕸️ Available to request now on NetGalley 🕯️ Publishing March 2026 with Duckworth Books

17/11/2025

We are so pleased to announce that our author Karen Bartlett will be attending the Wolverton Literary Festival.

You can catch her talking about her book The Escape From Kabul on Friday 6th February at 5:30pm at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Come along!

13/11/2025

Happy publication day to by Simon Phipps, a stunning collection of 200+ photographs featuring postmodern and Brutalist buildings found across Scotland, from the Highlands to the Lowlands.

Constructed in the dynamic, socially motivated period of post-war architecture, these buildings have since been repurposed, pulled down or left to decay. But others still serve their community.

Their popularity may have declined but recent decades have seen a new recognition of their ideals with equal emphasis on form, utility and function.

‘The future once lived here; now it’s damp, derelict and endangered. These buildings were never just about concrete and form – they were about ideas, about society, about a future that people believed they could shape. Scotland’s post-war architecture still tells that story, but you have to be willing to look past the neglect.’
SIMON PHIPPS, FROM THE AFTERWORD

‘Phipps’s work performs a vital service, giving an overlooked architectural style a much-needed boost – some of them have never looked so good’

31/10/2025

🎃🕷️ HALLOWEEN GIVEAWAY 🕷️🎃

Revenge takes root as poison blooms 🌿

This Halloween, something wickedly atmospheric is creeping your way… We’re giving away a proof copy of Spider, Spider by L.C. Winter, a pitch-black tale of revenge set in Victorian London, where witchy whispers, dark secrets, and vengeance intertwine.

To enter (if you dare): 🕸️ Follow us  🕸️ Follow  🕸️ Comment below  🕸️ Share this post to your stories

One lucky winner will receive an early proof copy of Spider, Spider — the haunting debut from L.C. Winter out March 2026.

Winner announced next Friday (Nov 7th) Good luck 🖤

24/10/2025

Some more snaps from a very successful book tour📸📚

If you are in London or Manchester you may still be able to find signed copies of A Splintering in the following shops:

- House of Books and Friends (Manchester)
- Waterstones Deansgate (Manchester)
- Blackwells Manchester
- Battersea Bookshop
- Daunt Books (Marylebone)
- The Book Elephant
- Waterstones Gower Street
- Standfords Travel
- Brick Lane Bookshop

21/10/2025

👑 A Crown Stolen, an Empress Remembered
 This week, the Louvre Museum was shaken by a dramatic daylight heist: thieves entered the Galerie d’Apollon on 19 October and, in just a few minutes, made off with priceless 19th-century jewels, in the chaos, the crown of Eugénie de Montijo, last Empress of France, was dropped in the street, damaged, and left behind.

In light of this brazen theft, we’re reminded of why Eugénie’s story matters. Coming February 2026, The Last Empress of France – The Rebellious Life of Eugénie de Montijo by Petie Kladstrup and Evelyne Resnick offers readers a portrait of a woman whose life was as audacious as it was influential:

As famed for her skill at riding and fencing as she was for her astonishing beauty, Eugénie’s unconventional life began in the dying days of the Spanish empire. It would take her to the literary salons of Paris where she rubbed shoulders with George Sand and Stendhal; and, finally, to the throne of France itself as the wife of Napoléon III.

On the way she became a powerful advocate for those in need, fighting for institutional reform in children’s education and women’s health, and creating haute couture as we know it today, all while displaying a razor-sharp understanding of geopolitics. But the triumphs of her life were coupled with heartbreak and tragedy, and today her legacy is barely known.

Perhaps the theft of her crown will spark renewed curiosity, not just about her jewels, but about the remarkable woman who once wore it.

✨ The Last Empress of France — publishing February 2026.
 

15/10/2025

📚 This Weekend: Dur e Aziz Amna at Wimbledon Book Fest × Lahore! 📚

We’re thrilled that Dur e Aziz Amna, author of A Splintering, will join Aisha Hassan and Keshava Guha at Wimbledon Book Fest × Lahore this weekend for Stories from India & Pakistan.

Together, they’ll explore powerful new fiction set against backdrops of ecological collapse, political unrest, and resilience — in conversation with Saba Karim Khan.

🗓️ Sunday 19 October 2025, 1pm 📍 Merton Arts Space, Wimbledon Library 
Don’t miss this vibrant celebration of South Asian storytelling and cross-cultural connection.

14/10/2025

📚 25% OFF Duckworth Books at Waterstones! 📚

From Tuesday 14th October (00:01) to Friday 17th October (23:59), enjoy 25% off RRP on a selection of brilliant Duckworth titles, exclusively on the Waterstones website and app.

Simply enter OCTOBER25 at checkout to redeem the offer.

✨ Featured Duckworth titles include:
* The Last Empress of France
* Spider, Spider
* Bread and War
* In Green
* Conversations with an Executioner
* On Thin Ice
* I’ll Be the Monster
Don’t miss out — this special promotion runs for just four days!

Explore the offer at: http://waterstones.com//campaign/october-pre-order-offer

09/10/2025

📚 OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK! 📚

We’re thrilled to announce that Dead Behind the Eyes — the second book in Ian Moore’s gripping Loire Valley Mystery series — is now available in paperback!

When the decapitated body of a lonely man washes up on the River Loire, Lombard's investigation draws him into the world of eco-terrorism, bio-medical research, French aristocracy and a violent plan to save the planet.

We are also delighted to celebrate the paperback release by announcing the winners of the giveaway we have been running on our page! Huge congratulations to:

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1 Golden Court
London
TW91EU

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https://linktr.ee/duck_books

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Our Story

Duckworth publishes stories that matter through books of popular science, psychology, memoir, history and historical fiction. Founded by the family of Virginia Woolf in 1898, we have published incredible authors including D.H. Lawrence, Evelyn Waugh and Beryl Bainbridge, Oliver Sacks and Ray Kurzweil, to name just a few.

Twitter: @duckbooks W: www.duckworthbooks.co.uk E: [email protected]

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