COMP CLOSED ‘The Book of Phobias and Manias’ by Kate Summerscale

The History of the World in 99 Obsessions…

This week’s giveaway book is The Book of Phobias and Manias by Kate Summerscale – a thrilling compendium of our deepest fears and obsessions by the bestselling author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. We have three copies to be won. Here’s a short summary:

Ever been struck dumb when speaking in public? You might be suffering from glossophobia. Do your book-buying habits verge on bibliomania? Do you recoil in arachnophobic horror at the sight of a spider – or twitch with nomophobia when you misplace your mobile phone?

Our fears and compulsions often feel like part of our deepest selves – yet they're bound up in the currents of the world around us. This thrilling compendium of 99 phobias and manias – rare and familiar – delves into the obsessions that shape us all. Award-winning author Kate Summerscale takes us from the Middle Ages to the present day, using rich and riveting case studies to trace the links between the private and the public, the personal and the political.

‘Simply superb' – Alexandra Harris

‘Extraordinary' – Phillipa Gregory

‘As good as non-fiction could possibly get' – Victoria Hislop

‘Mesmerising' – Boyd Tonkin

If you’d like to add this book to your collection, simply tell us the thing YOU are most afraid of – and why. Our three favourite answers will win a copy of the book!

Entries close midday Monday 10 October 2022, Sydney/Melbourne time.

THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR YOUR ENTRIES! WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED BY EMAIL AND ANNOUNCED IN OUR NEWSLETTER.