‘One thing I love more than a great book, is a great book that is being given a new life and Quartet are certainly on to something by introducing this fantastic book to a new audience – highly recommended from me…’ 

It Takes a Woman blog reviews Separation by Sally Emerson. You can read the full review here and get your copy of Separation here today.

During lockdown Quartet author Venetia Welby wrote a piece called Vanishing Attention Span for Garden Among Fires. This piece is now a part of a kindle anthology which is available here. All proceeds from sales of the anthology will go to Refuge charity. Mother of Darkness by Venetia Welby is available here.

‘When the Ottoman Empire imploded, at the end of World War I, the sisters Wardeh and Jamileh, in the city of Nazareth, continued to raise chickens.  World War II exploded and they started to grow flowers to sell to the monks.  The State of Israel was born in 1948, and the Bedouin barter of eggs for yogurt was in full swing, another bet by the smart sisters.  The Anglo-Palestinian tale Naim Attallah says little about the disputes between Israel and Palestine, but a lot about two women who, with perseverance, have kept themselves safe from the course of history.’

Above is an English translation of Veja’s review of the Portuguese edition of The Old Ladies of Nazareth by our chairman Naim Attallah, published by Matrix. You can read the review here and get your copy of the book in Portuguese here today or in English here.

Nice though it is to see an agreeable review in this week’s TLS for Memories by Naim Attallah, the final sniffy comment on misspelt surnames might have had more impact had they spelt Attallah correctly. Glasshouses and stones come to mind.

You can read the full TLS review here and get your copy of Memories by Naim Attallah here.

No Longer with Us by Naim Attallah has received three five star reviews on Amazon…

‘Intelligent interviews; enlightening answers’

Peter Lyons, 5.0 out of 5 stars, Fascinating   

  ‘A thoroughly prepared interviewer who impresses his subjects with his learning’

There’s still time to get your copy of No Longer with Us by Naim Attallah here.

‘ Not only did Attallah found *(sic)* Quartet, he also bankrolled The Literary Review and The Oldie…This then is the London demi-monde at its most louche… Amidst the heavy breathing and Bacchanalia, Attallah’s Namara empire produced much good work.’       

Rosemary Goring, Lit. Ed, The Herald. You can get your copy of Memories by Naim Attallah here.

‘Described as ‘ one of the most colourful personalities on London’s cultural scene over the past four decades’, the publisher, impresario, film producer and journalist has compiled this entertaining potpourri of anecdotes and vignettes. They are taken from his 15 books, together with contributions from the subjects themselves, bringing to life a world populated by everyone from Yehudi Menuhin to Nicholas Coleridge.’

Memories by Naim Attallah is Country Life’s book of the week. You can get your copy of Memories here today.

‘Related with a lightness of touch and waggish charm, there are plenty of amusing nuggets to be discovered in this memoir’

Tatler lists Memories by Naim Attallah as one of the best non-fiction titles for Spring. You can read the full review here and get your copy of Memories here.

‘Jacobs’ style of writing is interesting, bringing a biographical matter-of-factness to longer descriptive and historical passages, but then springing into life with the Astorians’ good-humoured banter. He also injects pathos where needed, especially in how he deals with Bertha and Estelle. A really nice final touch was the series of biographical notes like those movie credits that tell us what characters went on to do next. Pomeranski may be a nostalgic and affectionate tribute to the South London of author Gerald Jacobs’ youth, but it isn’t a sentimental one. Jacobs’ eponymous hero was a self-made man, and I very much enjoyed reading about him.’

Shiny New Books reviews Pomeranski by Gerald Jacobs. You can read the full review here and get your copy of Pomeranski here.

‘This is both a fascinating and brilliantly written book that harks back to the post-war days and it is at times really quite humorous but also a compelling read. The characters you will either like or you not it really is as simple as that. Look out for a cameo performance by Ruth Ellis. I really warmed to Pomeranski by Gerald Jacobs, this is from a bygone era and will bring back memories for anyone growing up in South London back in the 1950’s.’

The Last Word Book Review reviews Pomeranski by Gerald Jacobs. You can read the full review here and get your copy of the book here today.

‘Under the last Conservative Government, there was a harsh environment towards immigrants,leading to the Windrush scandal. I sat on the lessons-learned review which reported a few weeks ago (News, 20 March). The British public views human rights sometimes with cynicism, and it’s true that sometimes they’re applied by lawyers to try to trump sensible decisions by the Home Office. But they’re essential for the safety and well-being of the public.’

The Church Times interviews James Hanratty. You can read the full interview here and get your copy of the revised edition of The Making of an Immigration Judge here.