Publications

The Plimsoll Sensation: The Great Campaign to Save Lives At Sea (Abacus) by Nicolette Jones reissued, updated with a new foreword, on 8 February 2024 in celebration of the bicentenary of Samuel Plimsoll’s birth on 10 February 1824.

Writes of Passage: Words to Read Before You Turn 13

Selected with commentary by Nicolette Jones

“Nicolette Jones, children’s book critic for the Sunday Times, expertly selects more than 100 pieces of writing in a stunning collection certain to empower, inspire and entertain … the extracts span prose, poems, speeches and lyrics, each with astute commentary from Jones. The beautifully designed hardback has strong gift appeal.”

• Editor’s Choice by Fiona Noble, children’s books previews, The Bookseller

“This compendium … is warm, challenging, inclusive and exciting, rather than prescriptive. Featuring short, intriguing extracts from musicals, poems, speeches and books, Jones’s footnotes provide insights into context and invitations to discover more … A treat for bookish kids of 9+.”

• Imogen Russell Williams, The Guardian

“Jones has, between the lines of each carefully chosen piece of writing, created something new and deeply valuable – a message of support for those experiencing a transitional period of life that is both exciting and nerve wracking in equal parts.”

• Gemma McLaughlin, The National

“The children’s books critic picks out and comments on 100 extracts from Martin Luther King Jr to Lin Manuel Miranda to entertain and empowerl”

• i-news

“Writes of Passage is such a superb resource. I use this all the time with my classes and it’s an absolute joy. This is a fabulous book that is every bit as good as it looks.  A veritable treasure trove of inspiring and powerful words that have been beautifully curated and presented.”

•  Kevin Cobane, University of Birmingham School

Albert Einstein said: ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge,’ and this inspirational collection of wise and wonderful words is a must for any age. More than 100 poems, speeches, song lyrics and book extracts, from Martin Luther King to Mark Twain, are grouped into eight sections on subjects as diverse as childhood, happiness and sadness, kindness and courage — and every word is to be cherished.”

• Sally Morris, Mail Online

(Nosy Crow 5/5/2022)

 

The American Art Tapes: Voices of Twentieth Century Art

by John Jones and Nicolette Jones

(Tate Publishing 23/9/2021; Abrams US 14/12/2022)

“Reading the interviews, it is as if they are still here with us, and that they are enjoying conversing with someone they must have considered their equal in intelligence and sensibility.”

• Karine H, ArtMuseLondon.com https://artmuselondon.com/2021/09/23/the-american-art-tapes-voices-of-twentieth-century-art/

“I just love the intelligence of [John Jones’s] line of questioning and the richness of the answers elicited. We need more of this kind of depth and sincerity of questioning; reading the interviews is really making me feel palpably the comparative shallowness of a great deal of public speech these days.”

• Georgina Paul, Acting Principal, St Hilda’s College, Oxford

“I was delighted that the most wonderful interviewee was Saul Steinberg, whom I think is the best artist. Oldenburg, Man Ray, and Ad Reinhardt stand out for me.”

• Artist and John Jones’s former student Patrick Hughes (Reverspective.com)

 

 

 

Through the Looking Glasses: Stories About Seeing Clearly

(International anthology for the Glasses for Classes campaign)

Free to download. Compiled by Nicolette Jones

(Clearly 8/10/2020)

 

 

The Illustrators: Raymond Briggs by Nicolette Jones

(Thames & Hudson 1/10/2020)

“This short, delightful illustrated biography evokes the man and mind behind The Snowman and Briggs’ other light-of-touch, deep-of-feeling, timelessly appealing stories, in the context of English social history.”

•  Jackie Wullschlager, Best Art Books of 2020, Financial Times

“Nicolette Jones has written a beautiful book about [Raymond Briggs’s] life’s work.”

• Daisy Dunn, The Spectator https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-grumpy-genius-of-raymond-briggs

 

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

(Macmillan Collector’s Library 3/3/2020)

Afterword by Nicolette Jones

 

A Self Among the Crowd: Essays from the Royal Literary Fund’s Collected Series Selected by Gerry Cambridge

(Royal Literary Fund August 2019)

Essay by Nicolette Jones: Throwing Things Away: The Fascination of the Ephemeral (23/10/2017)

 

Tell Me the Truth About Life: A National Poetry Day Anthology Curated by Cerys Matthews (Michael O’Mara Books 12/9/2019)

Contribution by Nicolette Jones

 

Tales of Two Londons: Stories from a Fractured City Edited by Claire Armitstead

(Or Books and Kindle 28/3/2018 and paperback 9/5/19 Hachette)

Essay by Nicolette Jones: Folk Art in Times of Crisis

 

Five Children and It by E Nesbit

(Macmillan Collector’s Library 21/9/2017)

Afterword by Nicolette Jones

 

Bijan & Manije by Ali Seidbadabi and Marjan Varfaian

(Tiny Owl Books 1/8/2016)

Retold by Nicolette Jones

 

 

Britain’s Favourite Children’s Books: Top 50 children’s books of all time by Nicolette Jones

(Selection for Channel Four/Sunday Times online 20/12/2015)

 

 

100 modern children’s classics: 100 recent books for all ages by Nicolette Jones

(Online Sunday Times supplement 5/10/2014)

 

The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett

(Jane Nissen Books 1/9/2013)

Introductory note by Nicolette Jones

 

 

The Plimsoll Sensation: The Great Campaign to Save Lives at Sea by Nicolette Jones

(ebook 23/5/2013)

 

The Plimsoll Sensation: The Great Campaign to Save Lives At Sea by Nicolette Jones

(Paperback: Abacus 3/05/2007. Hardback: Little Brown 22/6/2006)

See home page for reviews

 

Blooming Books by Nicolette Jones and Raymond Briggs

(Jonathan Cape 2/10/2003)

“This is the ideal kind of book I should like to see about a favourite artist … Seeing it all gathered together like this, I am most impressed with the consistency of theme with Briggs’ world. The commentary, written by Nicolette Jones, makes the best use of this by organising the material not strictly chronologically but around a series of connections.”

– Eddie Campbell, The Comics Journal