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Whether youre just embarking on your career or already juggling the many demands of life as a creative freelancer, you need clear and targeted strategies for organising your finances, to eliminate confusion and minimise stress. This essential, practical guide shows you how to manage your money so you can focus on your creative work.Written by Jon Harris, a theatre producer turned specialist accountant with over thirty years experience in the creative and cultural industries, this book offers a tailored approach to tax and personal finance in straightforward and highly accessible terms.Inside, youll find clear guidance on:Tackling your taxes: keeping accurate records, what expenses you can claim, and how and when to prepare and submit your tax return Budgeting and planning: strategies for making your money work for you, with tips for balancing the books when youre just starting out Approaching major milestones: when to register for VAT, form a Partnership or Limited Company, and what to consider if youre producing your own work Building long-term security: making best use of pensions, mortgages, insurance, savings, benefits and more With handy checklists to ensure youve covered all the bases, a glossary of key terms, and dedicated online updates to keep you informed, this is your expert pocket mentor for staying financially afloat and in control at every stage of your professional life.The Compact Guides are pocket-sized introductions for actors and creatives, each tackling a key topic in a clear and comprehensive way. Written by industry professionals with extensive hands-on experience of their subject, they provide you with maximum information in minimum time.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most celebrated detective novels ever written. Blending classic Sherlock Holmes deduction with Gothic atmosphere and supernatural suspense, Arthur Conan Doyle crafts a gripping mystery set on the eerie moors of Devonshire. With its legendary cursed hound and unforgettable tension, this novel remains a high point of crime fiction and a timeless favorite among readers worldwide.

Oroonoko is a pioneering work of English literature and one of the earliest novels to address slavery with moral seriousness. Aphra Behn tells the tragic story of an African prince enslaved in the New World, blending romance, political commentary, and humanitarian concern. Courageous and influential, this work remains vital for its historical significance and ethical power.

A Montanha Mágica, de Thomas Mann, é um romance que narra a história de Hans Castorp, um jovem engenheiro alemão que vai visitar seu primo Joachim no sanatório de pacientes com tuberculose nos Alpes

"We are not the masters of the universe; we are merely its latest curious visitors."When the eccentric scientist Dr. Cavor invents "Cavorite"a miraculous substance that shields against the force of gravityhe and the opportunistic businessman Bedford embark on a perilous voyage to the Moon. Expecting a barren wasteland, they instead discover a hollow world teeming with life. Beneath the lunar surface lies the complex, subterranean empire of the Selenites: an insectoid race where every individual is biologically engineered for a specific social function. This masterpiece of early science fiction is a gripping adventure that quickly turns into a haunting reflection on human greed and the nature of civilization.The Master of Speculative Biology: Wells"Selenites" remain one of the most sophisticated alien races in literature. Unlike the humanoids of later sci-fi, the Selenites are a true "hive mind," with specialized castes ranging from giant-headed intellectuals to spindly laborers. Their society is a "utopia" of efficiency that serves as a chilling mirror to the industrialization of the human world.A Clash of Two Worlds: The novel thrives on the dynamic between its two protagonists: Cavor, the pure scientist driven by wonder, and Bedford, the gambler driven by the prospect of lunar gold. Their differing reactions to the Selenite civilizationawe versus feardrive the story toward a tragic and unforgettable climax that asks whether humanity is truly ready for contact with the stars.Experience the voyage that launched a thousand dreams. Purchase "The First Men in the Moon" today and explore the mysteries of the lunar depths.

"The mind of man is capable of anythingbecause everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future."Charles Marlow, a seafaring wanderer, takes a job as a steamboat captain for a Belgian trading company in the African interior. His mission: to find and retrieve Kurtz, a legendary ivory agent who has reportedly gone mad and established himself as a god-like figure among the local tribes. As Marlow steams deeper into the "lurk of the jungle," the physical journey becomes a psychological odyssey. He discovers that the true "darkness" lies not in the wilderness, but in the hearts of the "civilized" men who seek to conquer it.A Masterpiece of Modernism: Conrads prose is thick with atmosphere and moral ambiguity. He strips away the romanticism of Victorian adventure to reveal the hollow greed of the ivory trade. Through the enigmatic figure of Kurtz and his final, whispered cry"The horror! The horror!"the novella forces a confrontation with the darkness inherent in absolute power and the collapse of traditional morality.The Influence of an Icon: Few works have left such a permanent mark on culture, serving as the direct inspiration for the cinematic epic Apocalypse Now. Heart of Darkness remains a vital, controversial, and essential critique of imperialism and a timeless study of the human psyche under extreme pressure.Descend into the depths. Purchase "Heart of Darkness" today and confront the truth.

"Mans soul has always been a battleground; now the battlefield is the atom itself."Written on the eve of WWI, this startlingly prophetic novel famously predicted the invention of "Atomic Bombs." Wells imagines a world where the discovery of a radioactive element, Carolinum, grants humanity limitless powerand the means for total destruction.The Nuclear Prophecy: Decades before the Manhattan Project, Wells described bombs dropped from "aeroplanes" that created "continuous" radioactive explosions, rendering cities uninhabitable.From Ruin to Utopia: After a devastating "Last War," survivors gather to dismantle nationalism and currency, forging a unified World State fueled by clean atomic energy.A Modern Warning: A profound meditation on whether human political structures can survive the immense power of our own technology.Witness the birth of the atomic age. Purchase "The World Set Free" today.

The Mysteries of Udolpho is one of the most influential Gothic novels ever written. Ann Radcliffe masterfully blends terror, romance, and atmospheric suspense through the story of Emily St. Aubert, trapped within a shadowy castle filled with secrets. Known for its haunting landscapes and psychological tension, this novel shaped the Gothic tradition and inspired countless later works. A cornerstone of Gothic fiction and romantic literature.

"He went to sleep a commoner and woke up the master of the world."In 1897, a man named Graham falls into a profound trance that lasts for 203 years. When he finally awakens in the year 2100, he discovers that his modest bank account has grown through the power of compound interest into the greatest fortune in history. He is now the "Sleeper," the legal owner of half the world. But while he slept, a shadowy "White Council" has ruled in his name, turning London into a tiered megacity of technological marvels and crushing inequality. Thrust into the heart of a violent revolution led by the charismatic Ostrog, Graham must decide if he is a savior, a puppet, or a tyrant.The Birth of the Megacity: Wells vision of the future is startlingly modern. He imagines a world of "Aeropiles" (flying machines), kinetic advertising, and a globalized economy. The London of 2100 is a city-state where the natural world has been paved over, and the population is controlled through sensory stimulation and the "Labour Company"a corporate entity that has effectively re-established slavery through debt.A Prophecy of Revolution: Unlike Wells more optimistic utopias, The Sleeper Awakes is a gritty exploration of power. It examines how populist movements can be co-opted by new dictators and how the "working man" is often traded from one master to another. Grahams journey from a bewildered Victorian to a revolutionary leader is a gripping study in the responsibility of wealth and the difficulty of true liberation.Witness the dawn of the corporate dystopia. Purchase "The Sleeper Awakes" today and see the future that H.G. Wells feared.

"The world was changed. The air was changed. The hearts of men were changed forever."Willie Leadford is a young man consumed by the bitterness of the English class system and the heartbreak of a lost love. As the world teeters on the brink of a devastating global war, a mysterious comet with a tail of glowing green gas brushes against the Earths atmosphere. But instead of destruction, the "Green Vapor" brings a profound psychological transformation. In an instant, the old world of jealousy, greed, and conflict is swept away, replaced by a clarity of thought that allows humanity to rebuild the world as a paradise of cooperation and reason.From Grime to Glory: The novel is unique in its structure, beginning as a dark, "Potteries" style drama of industrial Englandfilled with smog, social inequality, and personal vendettas. Wells meticulously paints the portrait of a "vile" old world to make the subsequent transformation all the more startling. It is a powerful exploration of how much of our "human nature" is actually a byproduct of our environment.A Radical Social Vision: In the Days of the Comet is perhaps Wells most provocative work, challenging traditional views on property, labor, and even romantic relationships. By removing the "fog" of irrational passion and prejudice from the human brain, Wells invites the reader to imagine a world where common sense is common practice and the "Great Change" starts within the individual soul.Witness the end of the old world and the dawn of the new. Purchase "In the Days of the Comet" today and see the world through the Green Glass.

"For a Utopia to be credible, it must be kineticnot a static state, but a hopeful stage in an infinite development."Unlike the rigid, stagnant utopias of the past, H.G. Wells presents a "Kinetic Utopia"a living, breathing world located on a planet identical to Earth but light-years ahead in social and technological evolution. Following two travelers who find themselves transported to this parallel world, Wells explores a global civilization governed by a World State, where poverty is abolished, technology serves humanity, and a voluntary nobility known as the "Samurai" maintains the moral fiber of the race. This is a brilliant exploration of how a planet-wide society could balance individual liberty with the common good.The "Samurai" Class: The most enduring concept of the novel is the Samuraia voluntary order of men and women who follow a strict Rule of life to qualify for leadership. They are not a hereditary caste but an intellectual and moral meritocracy. Wells uses this concept to solve the age-old problem of governance: how to ensure that those in power are disciplined, selfless, and dedicated to the progress of the species.A World of Motion: Wells argues that a modern utopia cannot be a walled city; it must encompass the entire globe. In this world, every citizen is tracked by a universal indexing system (a startlingly prophetic vision of modern data), ensuring that while people are free to travel and change professions, the state can provide for their needs and maintain social stability. It is a world where the "Five Freedoms" are guaranteed, and the focus of human life shifts from survival to self-actualization.Rediscover the dream of a better world. Purchase "A Modern Utopia" today and explore the frontiers of human possibility.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately..."In 1845, Henry David Thoreau moved into a small cabin he built himself on the shores of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. His goal was simple: to strip away the "superfluities" of modern life and discover what is essential. Walden is the extraordinary record of those two years, two months, and two days. Part memoir, part philosophical treatise, and part natural history, it serves as a powerful call to awaken from the "quiet desperation" of a consumer-driven society and reconnect with the rhythms of the natural world.The Economy of the Soul: Thoreau begins his journey with a radical audit of human needs. He meticulously tracks his expensesdown to the last cent spent on beans and nailsto prove that true freedom comes not from wealth, but from the reduction of ones requirements. By minimizing labor, he maximizes his "leisure" for thinking, reading, and observing the changing seasons.A Blueprint for Modern Mindfuless: Though written over 170 years ago, Waldens critique of a life spent working just to pay for "modern improvements" resonates more than ever. Thoreaus insights on the value of solitude, the beauty of the wild, and the necessity of individual conscience have inspired generations of environmentalists, social reformers, and seekers of a simpler path.Step away from the noise. Purchase "Walden" today and learn to live deep.

"To the Zulus, she was a goddess; to the Ghost Kings, she was a prize."Rachel Abbott, a young woman gifted with a strange, hypnotic power, finds herself a pawn in a deadly game between empires and spirits. As the brutal Zulu King Dingane seeks to use her for his own ends, Rachel and her protector, Richard Darrien, are drawn into the mysterious territory of the "Ghost Kings"a pale, reclusive tribe dwelling within a hidden valley of giant trees. Mixing historical grit with supernatural wonder, Haggard weaves a story of devotion and danger that explores the clash between the physical world and the world of visions.The Master of the Lost World: Haggard, the creator of Allan Quatermain and She, returns to his deep knowledge of Southern Africa to create a world that feels both grounded and magical. The novel features a haunting portrayal of Zulu history, including appearances by historical figures like Dingane, while introducing the eerie, arboreal society of the Ghost Kings themselves.A Heroine of Vision: Rachel Abbott is one of Haggards most unique protagonists. Her "Inkosazana-y-Zulu" (Lady of the Zulus) status is built on her psychic abilities, making her a bridge between cultures. Her struggle to maintain her humanity while being worshipped as a supernatural being provides the emotional heart of this grand adventure.Journey into the unknown. Purchase "The Ghost Kings" today and discover the secrets of the forest.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes presents a powerful set of stories that include some of the detectives most famous and emotionally charged cases, culminating in the legendary confrontation at the Reichenbach Falls. With brilliant plotting, memorable villains, and increasing dramatic intensity, this collection deepens the Sherlock Holmes mythos and solidifies Doyles mastery of detective storytelling.

DescriptionWendys world shatters when her best friend Sophia reveals a devastating secret: her ex-boyfriend Tyler has been circulating a photoshopped, nude version of a cherished travel photo, tarnishing her reputation across campus. Fueled by rage and betrayal, Wendy must navigate a web of lies and manipulation. As she uncovers Tylers true predatory naturefrom a calculated "romantic" getaway to twisted emotional blackmailWendy realizes a simple confrontation wont suffice. She must outsmart him, crafting a plan to reclaim her innocence and make him pay. This gripping story of revenge, resilience, and a womans fight for justice in the digital age will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and campus suspense.

DescriptionAurora and Luna had one lifestolen, brutalized, and ended in a remote mountain village. Now, reborn with memories of their torment, they return to the very hell that claimed them. Aurora, again the unwanted daughter, suffers under the cruel hand of Agatha. Luna, hidden in the body of the cherished son, watches from within. But this time, they are not powerless. Discovering a mysterious notebook in the old shed, Aurora learns its terrifying power: her written commands force their abusers to obey. With Luna as the enforcer of a relentless punishment system, the sisters weave a web of revenge from the inside. Every humiliating command, every forced, grotesque act brings Agatha and Brutus closer to their downfall. In a place where no one hears a scream, two sisters will make sure their tormentors feel every ounce of pain they once inflicted. A dark, gripping tale of supernatural revenge and sisterly bonds forged in fire.

"Between the stars and the stone, lies the story of us."In this seminal collection, H.G. Wellsthe "Father of Science Fiction"takes readers on a journey across the spectrum of existence. From the primitive struggles of our ancestors in "A Story of the Stone Age" to the dystopian urban sprawl of "A Story of the Days to Come," Wells explores how environment and technology shape the human spirit. Featuring the chilling cosmic disaster of "The Star" and the mysterious Martian surveillance in "The Crystal Egg," these five stories serve as a profound meditation on humanitys fragile place in a vast, indifferent universe.The Origins of Mystery: In "The Crystal Egg," Wells returns to the themes of The War of the Worlds, suggesting that even as we go about our daily lives, we are being watched from across the void. In "The Star," he delivers one of the most powerful descriptions of a global cataclysm ever written, showing how a passing celestial body could rewrite the geography of Earth and the humility of man.The Future of the Machine: In the novella-length "A Story of the Days to Come," Wells predicts a world of moving sidewalks, synthesized food, and a rigid social hierarchy where the wealthy live in the sun and the poor toil in the subterranean depths. This vision of a "megacity" served as the direct inspiration for later masterpieces like Fritz Langs Metropolis.A Struggle for Survival: Wells reminds us that whether we are fighting a cave lion with a flint axe or battling a corporate monopoly in the year 2100, the core of the human experience remains the same: the drive to survive, to love, and to transcend our limitations.Travel across the eons. Purchase "Tales of Space and Time" today and witness the evolution of a genius.

"No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than mans..."From the first mysterious cylinder landing in Horsell Common to the total devastation of London, H.G. Wells crafts a harrowing first-person account of a world under siege. Armed with devastating Heat-Rays and suffocating Black Smoke, the Martian invaders move across the countryside in towering, three-legged fighting machines. The British militarythe greatest power of the ageis rendered helpless. As the narrator flees through a landscape transformed by the alien "Red Weed," the novel explores the primal terror of being hunted and the humbling realization that humanity is not the master of its own planet.The Biological Reality of Mars: Wells avoids the "little green men" tropes of later sci-fi. His Martians are biologically plausible creaturesvast, leathery heads with tentacles, evolved for a dying planet with low gravity. They do not eat; they inject the blood of living creatures directly into their veins. This chilling detail turns the invasion from a political conquest into a biological harvest.A Masterclass in Suspense and Satire: The War of the Worlds was a shocking critique of British Imperialism, forcing Victorian readers to experience the terror of being colonized by a superior force. Through the narrators encounters with the broken Curate and the delusional Artilleryman, Wells examines how human social structuresreligion, military pride, and logiccrumble under the weight of an existential threat.Experience the terror that stopped the world. Purchase "The War of the Worlds" today and witness the survival of the human spirit.

"I would strike the sun if it insulted me."Ishmael, a schoolmaster seeking adventure, signs onto the Pequod, a whaling ship departing from Nantucket. He soon learns that this is no ordinary commercial voyage. The ships commander, Captain Ahab, is consumed by a monomaniacal quest to destroy Moby Dickthe legendary white sperm whale that claimed his leg. As the ship traverses the globe, the crew becomes entangled in Ahabs descent into madness. Melville transforms a grueling sea adventure into a cosmic meditation on fate, God, and the nature of evil.A World of Symbols: The White Whale is more than an animal; it is a "pasteboard mask" for the mysteries of the universe. Through Ishmaels encyclopedic observations of "Cetology" (the study of whales) and the diverse, doomed crewfrom the noble savage Queequeg to the pragmatic StarbuckMelville explores the multifaceted layers of human belief and the crushing weight of the unknown.The Height of American Literature: Initially misunderstood in its time, Moby-Dick is now recognized as one of the greatest linguistic achievements in the English language. Its prose shifts from Shakespearean soliloquies to scientific treatise, creating a reading experience that is as vast and turbulent as the ocean itself.Set sail into the storm. Purchase "Moby-Dick" today and face the leviathan.

"I am all menand I am no man. I am the Invisible Man."In the dead of winter, a mysterious stranger arrives at a quiet inn in the village of Iping, his face swathed in bandages and his eyes hidden behind dark goggles. This is Griffin, a brilliant scientist who has discovered the secret to making human tissue transparent. But his breakthrough is his undoing. Trapped in a state of invisibility and hunted by a world that fears what it cannot see, Griffins initial dream of power curdles into a violent obsession. As he attempts to establish a "Reign of Terror," the story becomes a pulse-pounding race against a man who can strike from nowhere.The Anatomy of an Anti-Hero: Griffin is not your typical Victorian protagonist. He is irritable, brilliant, and increasingly sociopathic. Wells uses invisibility as a metaphor for the ultimate freedom from social accountability. Without a face to recognize or a body to imprison, Griffin believes he is above morality, leading to a chilling study of how absolute power (or the illusion of it) corrupts the soul.A Village Under Siege: The novel masterfully shifts from the "weird tale" atmosphere of the Iping countryside to a high-stakes manhunt across England. Through the characters of the bumbling tramp Thomas Marvel and the rational Dr. Kemp, Wells explores the societal reaction to the "invisible threat." The tension builds to a climactic confrontation that remains one of the most memorable endings in the history of science fiction.Witness the terror of the unseen. Purchase "The Invisible Man" today and confront the darkness of the human heart.