Manderley Press

05/10/2025

Can you guess the colour of our next two cloth-bound titles?

Hint #1: the first is set on Broadway as a sister title to Helene Hanff’s ‘Letter from New York’…

Hint #2: the second is a forgotten dystopian sci fi feminist gem…

Happy Sunday reading, I’m off to meet my newest bubba cousin in Oxford. May your day be equally filled with books and gorgeous family too x

30/09/2025

The Sunday Times | a new review

Wow what a week! And the icing on the cake was this fabulous piece about our brand new book - The Strange House (and Midnight Adventure) - in the / .

With huge thanks to for bringing the story behind this story back to life with such panache.

There could be no better person to reexamine this early work by Raymond Briggs - not only has Nicolette has written a wonderful (and highly recommended by us) biography of the author, she is also a journalist, literary critic and broadcaster, and has been the children’s books reviewer of the Sunday Times for more than two decades.

I especially love how Nicolette underlines the point made by in his introduction to this book, regarding its importance in the history of children’s book illustration more generally:

“These two early stories are now period pieces … what makes [them] remarkable are the illustrations.”

It’s such an honour to play a small part in keeping the legacy of Raymond Briggs’s oeuvre alive, and if this recent press the book has attracted is anything to go by, then readers are also delighted by the chance to peek into the childhood of this national treasure.

With many thanks also to our fabulous publicist and also too - together they have made it possible to shout about our new book from the rooftops.

We have plenty of copies in stock, complete with an exclusive matching bookmark, so head over to manderleypress.com if you need a comforting autumnal read for yourself or a beautiful gift for a friend. We will send you out a copy, snuggly wrapped in tissue, just down the road from where Raymond Briggs grew up himself!

With warm wishes from South London,
Rebeka x

28/09/2025

Whoop!

New in at Teasel & Skylark Books is this rediscovered children's classic, The Strange House by Raymond Briggs, beloved author of The Snowman. This is a brand new edition of the 1961 story, written and illustrated by Briggs, and features a second story, Midnight Adventure, as well as a foreword by acclaimed illustrator, Chris Riddell.

The Strange House tells the story of two boys who trespass on a golf course only to find a hidden tunnel leading to a mysterious, large house. Beautifully illustrated throughout, both stories celebrate childhood adventure and exploration of the unknown - a real treat for readers of all ages.

📚
Discover Dorchester Dorchester: News and ViewsDorchester, Thomas Hardy Country Manderley Press

26/09/2025

Rebeka Russell set up her independent publishing imprint Manderley Press in 2021.

It specialises in literary classics featuring distinctive settings, taking its name from Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca (‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’)

A former editor at Thames & Hudson and the National Gallery, Rebeka grew up in Whitby, surrounded by historic houses and architecture.

She describes it as a muse to many wonderful authors new and old (think Bram Stoker, Elizabeth Gaskell, Storm Jameson, and Kate Atkinson).

Her 2026 release is Storm Jameson’s Whitby-inspired novel The Moon is Making. Rebeka talks about her background in publishing in conversation with the writer, broadcaster and academic, Dr Katherine Cooper, who has collaborated on the forthcoming book.

Tickets available via the website.

25/09/2025

STAFF PICK!
Tales of London Town by Joan Aiken
Introduced by
Illustrated by

Seeing a book you created face out on a shelf in one of your favourite bookshops, along with a bookseller recommendation applied to the front cover … well that’s a publisher’s dream come true!

With the hugest of thanks to in London for this staff pick recommendation (and to for capturing the magic).

This collection of magical otherworldly stories, set in an alternative London has been brought to life for anyone with a love for Joan Aiken’s very special story-telling. And for all those who look to the streets of London for literary inspiration. Check out the afterword by Joan’s daughter for extra special context!

In the meantime, I had to share some images of our matching (signed) art prints of the front cover and gift wrap too - all painted to PERFECTION by the wondrous (and all available over at our shop - link in profile above!).

Finally, here is the staff pick description - reproduced here mainly to make my publishing heart sing!

Rebeka x

STAFF PICK
TALES OF LONDON TOWN

Linked novellas by one of my favourite authors. I found this collection a real treat, featuring as it does pretty much all the things I love about Aiken’s writing. It is funny, imaginative, believable, features literary references, and is often genuinely scary with a strong gothic influence.

23/09/2025

A new day; a new review!

With huge thanks to at for this latest feature about our new book - The Strange House by Raymond Briggs.

We are over the moon to see the title reviewed there, and in such good company too (check out the other truly delightful books included in this fabulous round up, by stellar creatives .rundell and ).

The headline - “Raymond Briggs’s
forgotten classic is just as charming as The Snowman” is pure music to my ears. It’s hard to think of a better way to summarise and celebrate this beautiful rediscovered classic children’s adventure.

As always, with huge thanks to who is an utter dream to work with as well as being a publicity guru; to our endlessly creative, patient and talented designer Myfanwy at ; and finally to .delamere at for making our dreams come true and organising for this book to be brought back to life for a brand new generation of readers.

Rebeka x

22/09/2025

⚡️Flash Sale!⚡️

To celebrate the publication of our newest book - The Strange House by Raymond Briggs - we are offering a 20% discount across the whole website, ending on Tuesday evening, 23rd September, at 23.59.

Simply head over to manderleypress.com (there’s a link in the profile above) and add this discount code at checkout!

FLASHSALE20

Happy Monday dear readers,

Rebeka x

07/09/2025

Imagine writing a series of bestselling books as an independently successful Irish woman at the turn of the twentieth century … and then aged 36 your fiancé uses the plot lines from one of your novels to kill you for your inheritance…

The Fly on the Wheel by Katherine Cecil Thurston - read it and weep.

A passionate love story, brought back to life from the streets of Waterford by and (publisher still can’t believe her luck).

Here’s hoping your Sunday is slightly less dramatic in content…

Rebeka x

06/09/2025

Underfoot in Show Business - a brand new Manderley Press title!

We are delighted to officially announce the forthcoming publication of Underfoot in Show Business - a new edition of Helene Hanff’s rediscovered memoir inspired by her experiences as a young playwright on Broadway.*

This stunning book is introduced by best-selling author (a cousin of Helene’s) and illustrated by the acclaimed artist and screenwriter (who also designed our edition of Letter from New York** by Helene Hanff - the two books have been created as a matching pair).

The countless admirers of Helene Hanff ’s 84, Charing Cross Road and Letter from New York will welcome another literary jewel from the author’s pen (or should I say, typewriter?) - this time, a delightful account of her early days as a struggling writer on the edge of show business, written in her trademark whimsical style.

A favourite of the acclaimed novelist (and owner) Ann Patchett, Underfoot in Show Business captures the energy of mid-century Broadway, a subject that we hope will appeal to fans of New York City and theatre-lovers alike.

“Beautifully done … I cannot recommend this book too vigorously.”
- The Sunday Telegraph

This book will be officially published next February; and advance copies can be pre-ordered now, exclusively at manderleypress.com (link in bio above).

It will retail at £19.99 from publication, but we are offering it at £18.99 until then as a thank you for ordering with us directly.

Each book purchased from manderleypress.com is wrapped in a pretty striped paper bag, secured with a decorative sticker and includes a matching bookmark.

Have a fabulous (musical!) weekend,

Rebeka x

* scroll to the end to see the vintage cover of the original edition!

** the cloth spine of Letter from New York is a bright New-York-Taxi-Cab-Yellow; we’re wondering about a paler Primrose-Lemon-Yellow cloth spine for this new title. What do you think?