English Poverty

The poor die sooner. Blacks die sooner. And poor urban Blacks die sooner than almost all other Americans. David Ansell has spent nearly four decades as a doctor at hospitals serving some of the poorest communities in Chicago, and has witnessed firsthand the lives behind these devastating statistics. In

The Death Gap, he gives a grim survey of these realities, drawn from observations and stories of his patients.

O. Henry wove several stories together into this highly episodic narrative, taking his title and inspiration from Lewis Carroll's ballad of the walrus and the carpenter in Through the Looking-Glass. The stories are set in the fictional country of Anchuria in Central America, a banana republic where larceny is rampant and revolution lurking in every impoverished back alley. O. Henry offers a cutting satire of contemporary politics and prejudices.

A gritty and compelling family drama from the author of The Street. Perfect for fans of Kitty Neale.

It’s going to be a right old knee’s up…

The residents of the tough streets around Islington are heartbroken at the death of George the VI but...

In the underground tunnels below Grand Central Terminal, Lee Stringer - homeless and drug-addicted for 11 years - found a pencil to run through his crack pipe. One day he used it to write. Soon writing became a habit that won out over drugs, and before long Stringer had created one of the most powerful urban memoirs of our time. With humane wisdom and a biting wit, Stringer chronicles the unraveling of his seemingly secure existence as a marketing executive and his odyssey of survival on the streets of New York.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: A girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most. There's Hudson, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And Bree, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday - and a few stolen goods along the way. Elliot believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And Sonia worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

In this compelling new book, relying on original reporting from the most dangerous corners of Rio to the halls of power in Washington, DC, Dave Zirin examines how sports and politics are colliding in remarkable fashion in Brazil, opening up an international conversation on the culture, economics, and politics of sports.

Celebrated author Jim Harrison, whose robust, tender, and deeply felt books have made their mark on the American literary landscape, here delivers a collection of three novellas infused with all the wisdom and generous spirit that his readers have come to expect.

Joe Massengale grew up a poor African-American boy in Depression-era Texas, never imagining that he would one day be a successful businessman, race-horse owner, and father. In this book, Massengale distills his success into six learned principles: confidence, fortitude, persistence, pride, fearlessness, and focus.

Nikki Black finds herself homeless and wandering the streets of Los Angeles, when she begins to uncover a sinister cover-up that endangers herself and others.

Biltmore House, a palatial mansion being built by the Vanderbilts, American “royalty,” is in its final stages of construction in North Carolina. The country’s grandest example of privilege, it symbolizes the aspirations of its owner and the dreams of a girl, just as driven, who lives in its shadow. Kerry MacGregor’s future is derailed when, after two years in college in New York City, family obligations call her home to the beautiful Appalachians.

From the bottom to the top of our economy, capitalism is too blunt an instrument to tackle Britain's epidemic of inequality. Soaring rents, unfair taxation and a growing gig economy have brought about unprecedented economic shame: Amazon warehouse workers living in tents, nurses turning to foodbanks, London firemen commuting hundreds of miles to work. Even those higher up the ladder are losing their grip on the life they were promised.

Danny gets a terrible start in life and runs away from his drunken father when he thrashes him to within an inch of his life. But life on the streets is no better, and he falls into the clutches of evil men, finding that being big and strong for his age is no protection from the people who want to do him harm. Help comes in the form of Constable Jones, who is determined to help out the children who need it, and new friends Ron and Cassie, who are also runaways. Can Danny’s dream of a loving home ever be a reality?

Jonny has had a bad start in life and has been taken in by a neighbour after the death of his mother. Small for his age, he is prey to a band of local thugs, so he joins the boxing club and learns to defend himself. When a violent altercation ends in tragedy, Jonny runs away and meets a homeless young girl called Cassie, who has been living in an abandoned house - touched by her predicament, Jonny vows to look after her, whatever that takes. Cassie desperately needs love and a safe place to call home, and there are kind hearts who want to help.

Are you stuck in a cycle of putting things off, only to find that delay leads to missed opportunities, regret, and feelings of spiritual unrest? Delay to Decay is more than a book about time management—it’s a transformative journey into understanding the profound spiritual impact of procrastination.

Attention: Why do so many hardworking Black families struggle to build lasting wealth? Why does financial stability seem just out of reach, no matter how much we hustle? Why We Stay Broke exposes the hidden forces—both systemic and self-imposed—that keep our communities trapped in a cycle of poverty and paycheck-to-paycheck living. If you're tired of watching wealth slip through your fingers, this book will open your eyes to the mindset shifts, strategies, and financial moves that can break the cycle once and for all.

Read by the author, Dragged Up Proppa is the story of growing up working class in a forgotten England. 'Very compelling, beautifully written memoir of a time and England that no longer exists but remains just as important today as ever' – Sebastian Payne, author of Broken Heartlands Pip Fallow...

Anya Anderson doesn't just need a big break, she needs any break. Living on the streets doesn't leave a girl many options, so when she scores a gig reporting on the Seconds to Juliet tour, she jumps at the chance to earn enough money to sleep somewhere safe. And the paycheck will get bigger—and keep her off the streets for good—if she can dig up dirt on Will Fray, the irritatingly hot "shy guy" of the band.

Shortlisted for the first ever Booker Prize 'A masterpiece' - Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain 'An extraordinary novel' - Michael Magee, author of Close to Home 'It deserves its modern classic status' - The Times It’s the west of Scotland in the 1950s. New houses are going up. Factories...

I wrote this book Beyond Expectations: How I Rose from Poverty to Achieve Success to empower and inspire young people to work hard, do well at school, achieve success, and enjoy their lives. Find something you like, work hard at it, and you, too, can create a life beyond expectations! My story is one of success because I found a formula that not only worked for me, but can work for almost everyone.

"Funny, bursting with heart, goofy, wise, and did I mention– wildly wonderfully funny." —Jon Scieszka, First National Ambassador of Young People's Literature and Founder of Guys Read A hilarious and heartfelt young YA comedy about the misadventures of an aspiring young rapper as he navigates...