Surrounded by a remorseless mother and seven sisters, each named in anticipation of his birth, a boy-child becomes the narrator of this story, presenting a generation of life in a rural Chinese community in twentieth century, populated by strong women and weak husbands, bandits and government bureaucrats, hen-murdering mid-wives and missionaries.

Charles Dickens and the House of Fallen Women vividly portrays the lot of the poor in mid-nineteenth century London and some of the people who were moved to help. Whatever his motives Charles Dickens was one of them.

The great play 'The Crucible' exposed the paranoia and suspicion that permeated American society during the Cold War. This collection of essays by Miller reveals the author's thinking, personal peril and despair at that crucial time.

Nevin Nollop left the islanders of Nollop with the treasured legacy of his pangram "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog". But as the letters begin to crumble on the monumental inscription, the island's council forbids the use of the lost letters and silence threatens Ella and her family.

In this series of interviews drawn from his BBC Radio 3 series, John Tusa talks to some of the leading creative minds of our times - including Howard Hodgkin, Edward Bond, Eve Arnold, Frank Auerbach and Muriel Spark. Two essays by John Tusa on creativity and on interviewing are also included.

'"Good story" means something worth telling that the world wants to hear. Finding this is your lonely task... but the love of a good story, of terrific characters and a world driven by your passion, courage and creative gifts is still not enough. Your goal must be a good story well told.' Robert McKee