The Autumn 2024 Drift + Focus non-fiction book box was curated around the theme WRONG. It was a fun subject to explore and took the pressure off proof-reading for typos in the magazine!
Book One
The Poison Line by Cara McGoogan
A brilliant book written by a young award-winning journalist and broadcaster. Despite the heavy hitting subject matter - the book explores the infected blood scandal - this is a gripping read that lights you up. A real tour de force of non-fiction writing.
Book Two
A Thread of Violence by Mark O'Connell
The second book in the Autumn box is a fascinating exploration of a crime committed in the early 1980s by a wealthy heir to a small Irish estate. Over the course of two years, O'Connell meets and talks to Malcom Macarthur in an attempt to understand his notorious crime. A clever and thought-provokiing book about the mysterious roots of violence and about the process of writing about someone else.
Reading Notes
Magazine
It was a bigger than usual magazine this quarter with 32 pages of wrong-related content including exclusive interviews with both authors and six pages of recommended further reading.
The Extras
Our Autumn box subscribers received three extra gifts this time, all linked to the theme.
First up, six organic cotton handkerchiefs in a fully recyclable silicone case, ready to be used, hygienically stored and then washed on a cold cycle once you're home, perfect for when things go wrong and you need a good cry.
These LastTissue packs (RRP £19) are made by LastObject, a Danish BCorp on a mission to disrupt the single use market. Over their lifetime, the cotton hankies in each pack eliminate the need for over 3,000 disposable tissues that would otherwise go into landfill.
We also sent a pack of eight Peace Postcards for Palestine, created by three friends, Dave, Nazia and Lauren, and printed by workers' co-operative printer, Calverts. The postcards are pre-printed on the back with a message to send to your MP calling for an arms embargo and immediate ceasefire and are intended to be shared with friends so they can also send them to their MPs. A small effort to right a terrible wrong happening in the world.
Follow the project on Instagram:
And as a final little extra, an eco-friendly piece of stationery from Japanese brand, STÁLOGY - an eraser to rub about any little mistakes or errors. Unlike most erasers, which are made from PVC, this one is manufactured from styrene-based elastomer which can be recycled for reprocessing.
Digital Library
As ever, the personalised welcome note included a QR code to take subscribers to this quarter's Digital Library, packed with playlists, podcasts and other great content that we couldn't put into the box.
And that was it for Autumn 2024, a delightfully tactile parcel of planet-friendly reading and gifts.
You can subscribe now to the Winter 2024 box, which dispatches in mid-December, in time to arrive before Christmas. The theme is FAMILY, making a perfect gift for the avid or lapsed readers in your life or as a treat for yourself. Orders close on November 30th.
Win the next box!
If you'd like a chance to win the Winter 2024 box completely free, join our mailing list and we'll enter you into our quarterly prize draw. (Prizes delivered to UK addresses only). Just fill in the box at the foot of the page.
