‘Who knew a book about snow could be so interesting? Longlisted for this year's Wainwright Prize, this terrific natural history by an award-winning Swedish environmentalist looks at how we got from the first snowfall 2.4 billion years ago to it being an ever-rarer weather event.’ – I news

Selected as one of the Financial Times Best Books on the Environment.

‘Amazing anecdotes … thrilling and moving.’ Nature

'Snö is full of character, as condensed with detail as firn (compacted, heavy, old snow) and as beautifully constructed as a snowflake.' Times Literary Supplement

Snow. A single word, for an infinite variety of water formulations, frozen in air. The study of snow is physics, chemistry, meteorology, anthropology, geography, poetry and art. It is hope – annually renewed. And it is history, too.

Earth saw its first snowfall 2.4 billion years ago. The world's oldest skis, made by hand five thousand four hundred years old, pre-date the pyramids of ancient Egypt. To humanity, snow has variously been an ally and an adversary; an inspiration to countless artists and a place of breathtaking tragedy and survival. But it’s always been there. And now it is melting.

In 1927, the snow was already more than nine metres deep on Japan's Mount Ibuki when a remarkable 230cm fell in 24 hours, bringing about the greatest depth of snow - 11.82m - ever recorded. Yet it is a fact today that, ironically not only has this mountain's resort been forced to close due to lack of snow, most people in the world have never been near snow: never felt the soft crunch of snow underfoot, never held snow to see it melt in their hands, let alone stood on a pair of skis.

As the seasons lose their rhythm, and whole landscapes risk vanishing, shrinking too our planet's ability to reflect sunlight, Swedish environmentalist Sverker Sörlin urges that we take the time to look - really look - at what it is we’re losing, in all its multifaceted wonder. And to question, what comes next?

'Part a love letter to snow, part a goodbye, Snö is extraordinary.' Sally Coulthard - Author of The Secret World of Twilight: A Natural History of Dusk & Dawn

'Arresting facts and extraordinary insights. Sverker Sörlin is a scholar and writer at the height of his creative powers.' Klaus Dodds, Professor of Geopolitics, Royal Holloway, University of London

An endless source of fascination, space is both alluring and mysterious, a place of wonder and terror. Space Journal is a visual celebration of our perception of the cosmos across centuries and cultures. In drawings and diagrams, plans, charts, and paintings, a great range of scientists and dreamers each tell their own story of an element of space exploration. Their visions were largely based in the scientific understanding of their time, but as it turns out, many of the principles remain.

Moving beyond a collection of space snapshots, this book benefits from the unmatched insights of journalist and collector Dallas Campbell, who weaves together priceless memorabilia, revolutionary experiments, and spectacular scenes to map both real and potential encounters with the unknown throughout history. From Galileo’s shopping list to speeches annotated in President John F. Kennedy’s own hand, from The War of the Worlds to Space Invaders, Campbell’s lavishly illustrated orbit sets out the radical thinkers and creatives who envisioned us leaving our planet—or having guests stop by—and in some cases, made it happen.

"It is difficult to leaf through this book without saying ‘wow’ over and over, which means this is definitely top of the Christmas reading list." - Embroidery Magazine

"For anyone involved with textile arts, fashion, design, or art—from makers to collectors, from students to museum curators—this book is an absolute must-have. A feast for the eyes, a source of inspiration, and a reminder of how art, craft, and imagination are intertwined." — NL Magazine

Stephen Ellcock's Book of Textiles is a unique collaboration between bestselling author Stephen Ellcock and textile expert Karun Thakar. Together, they share an inspiring vision of the world through the medium of textiles, leading the reader on a journey into the splendours of nature and the infinite complexities of the human condition.

A social-media sensation, Ellcock is widely known for his online curation of artworks, while Thakar owns one of the world’s most important and varied textile collections. Through a spellbinding selection of more than 200 of the most significant, extraordinary and distinctive pieces in Thakar’s collection, these pages cover everything from fashion, costume and adornment to pattern and design, rituals and magic, pure abstraction and the sublime.

Combining Ellcock’s singular vision with Thakar’s expert eye, Stephen Ellcock's Book of Textiles is a ground-breaking compendium of wonders and a must-read for anybody with an interest in art and visual culture, as well as textile devotees, experts and enthusiasts.