Swift Press

A history of making art and making a living—of patrons, day jobs, side hustles and other adventures in funding a creative life, featuring writers, artists, composers and performers from the Renaissance to Late Capitalism. Many of us are drawn to a life in the arts but daunted by how to balance that ambition with the very real need to pay rent and put food on the table. It is impossible to become an accomplished painter, composer, or novelist without spending time experimenting, making false starts, absorbing criticism, reading, talking, and moping about the house. All this time must be purchased, one way or another. Is the history of art and ideas just a history of rich kids? The answer, of course, is no. From family money to jobs to colorful schemes, Mason Currey, author of the acclaimed Daily Rituals, explores both the well-worn and unlikely paths forward for the up-and-coming artist. Making Art and Making a Living is an entertaining and thought-provoking examination of the collision of creative ambitions with real-world necessities and of the messy, glorious, torturous compromises that gifted individuals have patched together when facing the eternal dilemma of an artistic life. Making Art and Making a Living by Mason Currey Have you ordered your copy yet? https://bit.ly/46BD6qM #masoncurrey #makingartandmakingaliving #bookstagram #newrelease #hardback

A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND THE TELEGRAPH, BLOOMBERG AND TIME 'BOOK OF THE YEAR' 'A taut, immersive chronicle of endurance' Time Magazine 'One of the most compelling and unflinching books you will ever read' Daily Telegraph On 7 October, 2023, Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Be’eri, shattering the peaceful life Eli Sharabi had built with his British wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel. Dragged barefoot out of his front door while his family watched in horror, Sharabi was plunged deep into the suffocating darkness of Gaza’s tunnels. As war raged above him, he endured a gruelling 491 days in captivity - all the while holding onto the hope that he would one day be reunited with his loved ones. In the first memoir by a released Israeli hostage, and the fastest-selling book in Israel’s history, Sharabi offers a searing firsthand account of survival under unimaginable conditions - starvation, isolation, physical beatings, and psychological abuse at the hands of his captors. Eli Sharabi’s story is one of hunger and heartache, of physical pain, longing, loneliness and a helplessness that threatens to destroy the soul. But it is also a story of strength, of resilience, and of the human spirit’s refusal to surrender. It is about the camaraderie forged in captivity, the quiet power of faith, and one man’s unrelenting decision to choose life, time and time again. Reminiscent of Elie Wiesel’s Night, Hostage is a profound witness to history, so that it shall be neither forgotten nor erased. Hostage by Eli Sharabi - coming soon in paperback. #paperbackrelease #hostage #elisharabi #bookstagram #sundaytimesbestseller

PREDICTION IS POWER BUT WHO HOLDS IT? ‘Read this before the algorithms decide you can’t!’ - Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and author of How to Stand Up to a Dictator ‘Véliz exposes the con of Silicon Valley’s coup to define the future’ - Christopher Wylie, Cambridge Analytica whistleblower and author of Mindf*ck Passionate, erudite and punchy’ Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective A great read that will make you think’ - Tim Wu, author of The Age of Extraction ‘A masterpiece… Delightfully written, refreshingly original, and masterfully argued… the most important book you will read for years’ - Roger McNamee, New York Times bestselling author of Zucked Today’s computer scientists play the same role as the oracles of the ancient world and the astrologers of the Middle Ages. Modern predictions not only advise on war, crop output, and marriages, but algorithms and statisticians also now determine whether we can get a loan, a job, an apartment, or an organ transplant. And when we cede ground to these predictions, we lose control of our own lives. In this powerful, refreshing new look at the many ways prediction shapes our everyday lives, University of Oxford professor Carissa Véliz explains how putting too much stock in others’ predictions makes us vulnerable to charlatans, con artists, dubious technology, and self-deception. Examining a wide range of subjects both personal and societal, including medicine, climate, technology, society, and others, Véliz uncovers a number of insights: predictions about humans tend to be self-fulfilling; more data doesn’t guarantee better outcomes; AI is more likely to increase risk than decrease it; and a free and robust society requires not more prediction, but better preparation. Véliz argues in this incisive and bracingly original book that the main promise of prediction is not knowledge of the future, but rather power over others. Prophecy is an invitation to defy those orders and live life on our own terms. Prophecy by Carissa Véliz is out today online and in all good bookstores. #newrelease #hardback #ai #prophecy #bookstagram

Britain’s economy is stuck. In recent years, a succession of economic shocks has led to low growth, stagnant living standards and divided politics. As debt and taxes have risen to record levels, many worry that the UK economy is stuck in a low-growth trap with ruinous implications for future generations. @JeremyHuntMP was Chancellor during one of those shocks and successfully navigated the economy out of both inflation and recession. He argues that despite widespread pessimism, Britain still has a lot going for it – the third largest technology ecosystem in the world, a huge financial services sector, globally admired universities and respected institutions. What’s more, the solutions to our economic malaise are in plain sight if we are willing to learn from what works elsewhere. Can We Be Rich Again? sets out a credible case for optimism when it comes to the future of Britain’s economy, and a roadmap of how we might get there. 'A compelling recipe for growth from the man who pulled Britain back from the abyss in October 2022’ - Nick Macpherson, former Treasury Permanent Secretary 'The table on page 9 alone makes the book worth buying, and it should be stuck on the desks and walls of every Secretary of State and their Permanent Secretaries’ - Jim O’Neill 'Realistic, optimistic and rooted in Hunt’s experience of government, Can We Be Rich Again? is an uplifting counterweight to the usual gloom-mongering about the British economy. It’s a book by a man who understands government intimately, and knows that — and how — it can be done better’ - Emma Duncan, The Times columnist 'As a former chancellor, Jeremy Hunt knows very well the many economic challenges facing the UK. It is highly encouraging, therefore, that in this book he sets out a compelling vision of the UK as a low-tax, innovative, strongly-growing economy which can compete with the world’s best’ - David Smith, Sunday Times Economics Editor ‘A refreshingly optimistic plan for growth from someone who knows how things work on the inside’ - Paul Johnson Available to pre-order now. #JeremyHunt #Hardback #NonFiction #Bookstagram #Economics

Last year’s breakthrough. This year’s must‑read. A Times, Sunday Times, GQ, Financial Times and Bloomberg BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A big, bustling novel about love, friendship, money, ambition and the 21st century, packed with humour and intelligent observations ... I finished it tear-stained' Sunday Times 'Will have you hooked ... an ode to the enduring power of male friendship' The Times Best Summer Books 'My book of the summer' Janice Turner 'Thrilling' Guardian Longlisted for the FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year 2025 For the first time since university, James and Roland’s paths through life – one drawn in straight lines, the other squiggled and meandering – began to cross… James Drayton has always found things too easy. By the time he leaves university, he’s still searching for a challenge worthy of his ambitions, one that will fulfil the destiny he thinks awaits him. Roland Mackenzie, on the other hand, is an impulsive risk-taker, a charismatic drifter with boundless enthusiasm but a knack for derailing his own attempts to get started in life. When a chance encounter in a pub reunites these old acquaintances, it sets them on an unpredictable course through the upheavals of the 21st century, and triggers an unlikely alliance. Against the backdrop of the financial crash and its aftermath, they strive to create something that outlasts them, something that will matter. Drayton and Mackenzie is a stunningly ambitious, immediately engaging and ultimately deeply moving novel both about trying to make your mark on the world, and about how a friendship might be the most important thing in life. Coming soon in paperback. #newrelease #paperback #bookstagram #draytonandmackenzie

‘Read this before the algorithms decide you can’t!’ - Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and author of How to Stand Up to a Dictator ‘Véliz exposes the con of Silicon Valley’s coup to define the future’ - Christopher Wylie, Cambridge Analytica whistleblower and author of Mindf*ck Passionate, erudite and punchy’ - Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective ‘Readable and rigorous, Prophecy uncovers how predictions have shaped our lives from ancient Greece to the new oracles of AI… this is essential reading for the times we live in’ - Anil Seth, author of Being You ‘A sharp new way to examine how people exercise power in our world’ - Karen Hao, New York Times bestselling author of Empire of AI ‘This is the sort of philosophy we must have’ - Timothy Snyder, New York Times bestselling author of On Tyranny A great read that will make you think’ - Tim Wu, author of The Age of Extraction ‘A masterpiece… Delightfully written, refreshingly original, and masterfully argued… the most important book you will read for years’ - Roger McNamee, New York Times bestselling author of Zucked In this powerful, refreshing new look at the many ways prediction shapes our everyday lives, University of Oxford professor Carissa Véliz explains how putting too much stock in others’ predictions makes us vulnerable to charlatans, con artists, dubious technology, and self-deception. Examining a wide range of subjects both personal and societal, including medicine, climate, technology, society, and others, Véliz uncovers a number of insights: predictions about humans tend to be self-fulfilling; more data doesn’t guarantee better outcomes; AI is more likely to increase risk than decrease it; and a free and robust society requires not more prediction, but better preparation. Véliz argues in this incisive and bracingly original book that the main promise of prediction is not knowledge of the future, but rather power over others. Prophecy is an invitation to defy those orders and live life on our own terms. Prophecy by Carissa Véliz - coming soon to a bookshop near you! #prophecy #newrelease #hardback #AI #nonfiction

In the summer of 1998, FBI agent Bob Hilland reluctantly picked up the phone to call the famous psychic John Edward. Bob didn’t expect much from the call, but what he never imagined was that the call would lead to a shattering of all his preconceived notions, a huge break in the cold case and an unlikely crime-solving partnership that spanned twenty-five years. 'An amazing story... You won’t want to put this book down' - John Miller, CNN Chief Law Enforcement Analyst, former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Storytelling at its best... As a lover of true crime, I was on the edge of my seat for all 300 plus pages. I read this in one sitting!' - Lisa Pulitzer, New York Times bestselling author 'For true crime fans, this is the Holy Grail' - K.C. Baker, senior crime writer for PEOPLE Magazine and reporter on ID/Investigation Discovery's true crime series, People Magazine Investigates 'Tough to put down and even tougher to forget' - Peter Edwards, author of A Gangster’s Life Available now in all good bookstores #ChasingEvil #RobertHilland #JohnEdwards #TrueCrime #Psychic #NonFiction

A history of making art and making a living—of patrons, day jobs, side hustles and other adventures in funding a creative life, featuring writers, artists, composers and performers from the Renaissance to Late Capitalism. Many of us are drawn to a life in the arts but daunted by how to balance that ambition with the very real need to pay rent and put food on the table. It is impossible to become an accomplished painter, composer, or novelist without spending time experimenting, making false starts, absorbing criticism, reading, talking, and moping about the house. All this time must be purchased, one way or another. Is the history of art and ideas just a history of rich kids? The answer, of course, is no. From family money to jobs to colorful schemes, Mason Currey, author of the acclaimed Daily Rituals, explores both the well-worn and unlikely paths forward for the up-and-coming artist. Making Art and Making a Living is an entertaining and thought-provoking examination of the collision of creative ambitions with real-world necessities and of the messy, glorious, torturous compromises that gifted individuals have patched together when facing the eternal dilemma of an artistic life. Making Art and Making a Living by Mason Currey is out today! Order your copy now: https://bit.ly/46BD6qM #masoncurrey #makingartandmakingaliving #bookstagram #newrelease #hardback

A history of making art and making a living—of patrons, day jobs, side hustles and other adventures in funding a creative life, featuring writers, artists, composers and performers from the Renaissance to Late Capitalism. Many of us are drawn to a life in the arts but daunted by how to balance that ambition with the very real need to pay rent and put food on the table. It is impossible to become an accomplished painter, composer, or novelist without spending time experimenting, making false starts, absorbing criticism, reading, talking, and moping about the house. All this time must be purchased, one way or another. Is the history of art and ideas just a history of rich kids? The answer, of course, is no. From family money to jobs to colorful schemes, Mason Currey, author of the acclaimed Daily Rituals, explores both the well-worn and unlikely paths forward for the up-and-coming artist. Making Art and Making a Living is an entertaining and thought-provoking examination of the collision of creative ambitions with real-world necessities and of the messy, glorious, torturous compromises that gifted individuals have patched together when facing the eternal dilemma of an artistic life. 'A riveting, incisive, and instructive book' - Suleika Jaouad Making Art and Making a Living by Mason Currey is out April 9th! Pre-order your copy now: https://bit.ly/46BD6qM #masoncurrey #makingartandmakingaliving #bookstagram #newrelease #hardback

On 13 March 1996 a gunman walked into the gym hall of a primary school in Dunblane armed with four legally owned handguns and in less than four minutes fired 105 bullets, killing 16 young children, their teacher and injuring many more. It was a crime that first shocked the world then changed the nation. Based on original archival research and exclusive interviews with parents, politicians and police, One Morning in March tells for the first time the incredible and powerful true story of how, in their darkest hour, a band of parents used their grief as fuel in a fight to forever ban handguns in Britain, and create the tightest gun laws in the world. Available now in all good bookstores and online. #OneMorningInMarch #Dunblane #StephenMcGinty #NonFiction #Bookstagram

‘Anyone who cares about the girls and young women in their lives should read GIRLS®’ @jonathanhaidt LOOK PAST WHAT YOU'RE BEING TOLD AND SEE WHAT YOU'RE BEING SOLD A bold and timely investigation into how it feels to grow up in a world where every anxiety of girlhood has been commodified GIRLS®: Gen Z and the Commodification of Everything is a passionate, provocative and deeply personal journey into the pressures shaping young lives today. Freya India shows that age-old anxieties of girlhood are now being amplified by modern life and exploited like never before. While previous generations of women were relentlessly sold products and procedures, we have become the product. We display our lives on Instagram, advertise ourselves on dating apps and package ourselves into personal brands, making anxiety feel overwhelming and unmanageable. We have transformed from girls into GIRLS®, from people into products. Each chapter of GIRLS® focuses on a common anxiety in adolescent girls’ lives, from insecurities about our faces and bodies, to our reputation and social status, to our friendships and romantic relationships. Along the way, India traces how rapidly culture and technology have evolved over the past decade. This isn’t just a book for girls. For young women, it offers a nostalgic, if unsettling, reflection on the world they’ve grown up in and reassurance that they’re not alone in their struggles. For younger girls, it provides context for where these challenges began and warns where they might be headed. And, for parents, teachers and older generations, it serves as a reminder that these issues have never been so intense. GIRLS® concludes with a message of hope, reminding readers how to reclaim their privacy, defend their dignity, and, above all, return to being people instead of products. Available now in all good bookstores and online. #Girls #GenZ #FreyaIndia #Bookstagram #NewRelease

For over a century, the Middle East has been riven by conflict driven by Jewish and Arab nationalism. They came about at the same point in history with claims over the same territory. Their encounter has evolved into one of the most enduring and divisive geopolitical issues of the modern era – one defined by its complexity and its extremism and unfolding against a backdrop of 24-hour rolling news and social-media outrage. A Forever War: Israel, Palestine and the Struggles for Statehood reflects on the key questions: How did this state of affairs come about? And will it be a forever war? At a time when so much coverage is based on prejudice, fear and ignorance, Colin Shindler, Emeritus Professor of Israel Studies at SOAS, presents an authoritative view of this tragic conflict and dissects the current situation. Tracing the religious, political and historical motivations of both sides throughout many decades of turmoil and upheaval, A Forever War is the concise and non-partisan overview of the conflict that is so sorely needed. Available now in all good bookstores and online. #AForeverWar #Israel #Palestine #NewRelease #Bookstagram