David Olusoga on The Kaiser’s Holocaust

In The Kaiser’s Holocaust, David Olusoga and Casper W. Erichsen give us the unknown story of the genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples in Germany’s forgotten African empire – an atrocity that foreshadowed the Nazi genocides. It’s an important book and a fascinating – and often grim – read. Here is David Olusoga introducing it, putting the events into a wider context.

Summer Reading Choices: Lucy Worsley

George Miller has been asking a few authors about their choice of holiday reading for 2010.

First up is Lucy Worsley, author of Courtiers: The Secret History of Kensington Palace.

Read an extract from When a Billion Chinese Jump

When a Billion Chinese Jump tells the story of China’s – and the world’s – greatest crisis. With filthy water, choking emissions and an unsustainable appetite for resources, China’s development has taken our planet to the environmental edge. Now it faces a stark choice that will affect us all: accept catastrophe or make radical change.

Reader reactions to The Crimson Petal and the White

Michel Faber explores the reactions of readers to his famous novel set in 1870s London.

A smart, accessible history of philosophy to inspire readers young and old

Download an extract from Luc Ferry’s refreshing take on the history of philosophy and its tumultuous relationship with religion.

It’s a Bad Day in Blackrock

Lives are shattered when three private school-educated, rugby-playing young men attack another young man outside a Dublin nightclub.

Watch author Kevin Power introduce his novel and discuss his writing process.

Explore The Lost City of Z!

David Grann discusses his ventures into the hazardous wild world of the Amazon to retrace the footsteps of the great Colonel Fawcett and his followers, in a bracing attempt to solve one of the greatest mysteries.

Independent Bookseller of the Month: The Book Case, Hebden Bridge

Every month we feature a different bookshop – we ask them to tell us what makes them special and what they like most about what they do. This month it’s the turn of The Book Case, in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

Does a story really ever end?

Carolyn Parkhurst on the central concept behind her latest novel The Nobodies Album, published last week.

Margaret Drabble: The Book That…

Margaret Drabble is one of England’s leading contemporary writers. Find out about the books that have made a lasting impression on her reading life.

Ten songs to tie into my life, by Mark Radcliffe

DJ Mark Radcliffe, whose book Thank You For the Days is out now in paperback, picks ten tracks to tie in to his life story – read about them here on Bookhugger and the watch the playlist on YouTube.

Arthur Ransome and the Crisis in Russia

Roland Chambers, author of The Last Englishman: The Double Life of Arthur Ransome, discusses the two volumes of Ransome’s Russian journalism brought back into print by Faber Finds.

My Secret Sister

This isn’t an ordinary love story. But then Grace isn’t an ordinary girl. Emma Henderson talks about the real life inspiration for her debut novel, Grace Williams Says it Loud.

Independent Bookseller of the Month: The Wivenhoe Bookshop, Essex

Every month we feature a different bookshop – we ask them to tell us what makes them special and what they like most about what they do. This month it’s the turn of the Wivenhoe Bookshop, near Colchester in Essex.

Deceptions, by Rebecca Frayn

Rebecca Frayn explains the genesis of her novel Deceptions, a thriller about family deceit, in this exclusive piece for Bookhugger.

Read an extract from Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

Fate takes many forms… When Henry receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulling into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey – named Beatrice and Virgil – and the epic journey they undertake together.

R. N. Morris on switching from thrillers to arias

R. N. Morris explains how he ended up as both a writer of historical crime novels – and the librettist for a new opera…

Independent Bookseller of the Month: The Main Street Trading Company, St Boswells

Every month we feature a different bookshop – we ask them to tell us what makes them special and what they like most about what they do. This month it’s the turn of the Main Street Trading Company of St Boswells, in the Scottish Borders.

Andrew O’Hagan: The Book That…

With his new novel (narrated by Marilyn Monroe’s dog) making quite a splash, we find out what books have made a lasting impression on Andrew O’Hagan.

Robert Williams on writing a first novel

Robert Williams is the author of Luke and Jon, an arresting debut about friendship, grief and love, and winner of the National Book Tokens’ NYP Prize.

The birth of The White Woman on a Green Bicycle, by Monique Roffey

Monique Roffey was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and educated in the UK – here she talks about the inspiration for her latest novel, recently shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction.

How to make the fabric of the universe

Libby Miller, a character in Scarlett Thomas’s new novel Our Tragic Universe, exclusively reveals a very special knitting pattern…