MudlarkingFor thousands of years human beings have been losing their possessions and dumping their rubbish in the River Thames, making it the longest and most varied archaeological site in the world. For those in the know, the muddy stretches provide a tangible link with the past, a connection to the natural world, and an oasis of calm in a chaotic city. Lara Maiklem left the countryside for London in her twenties. At first enticed by the city, she soon found

Bird loves the towering tree that grows in the jungle

Who are we when we are not ourselves

In the town she finds a baffling Roman mystery and a dark secret involving the war years and the Resistance

not just for what they represent

Anastasia has been abducted and held hostage because Hisami has explosive information that his enemies have killed for and will kill for again

Kerry Hayes knows exactly who she is: a single mum

answering the questions everyone is asking around their breakfast tables

a series of explosions shook the Chernobyl nuclear reactor

barring very dramatic action

'Threads' deals with the meanings of intimacy

sloths have attracted a vast audience of admirers

who may surprise both students and critics alike