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Our Debut Novel in a Real Bookshop

We spotted within Ystwyth Books’ social media that G.I. James’s debut novel, Love and Happiness, was among this month’s selection of ‘New Books’. Ystwyth Books is apparently ‘the best bookshop in Wales’ – we think that stocking Love and Happiness can only bolster this claim. 📚

As this is the first of our offerings (that we know of) that is available in an actual real genuine bookshop – can’t lie, properly exciting – definitely a significant and exciting milestone in the evolution of M2M Books. Obviously, I parked my cool self, sprinted to the top end of town and snuck an inspiring peep. 🏃🏾

Both of M2M Books’ debut titles are available to order from Ystwyth Books and all other UK bookshops (plus Amazon). If you are overseas (or prefer reading Ebooks), for now, you can grab yourself the Kindle editions by following these links:

Love and Happiness Ebook
I Zig and I Zag Ebook

If you spot either of our books out there in the real world, please post to your social media and tag M2M Books or email us at info@m2mbooks.com – we cannot get enough of this sort of excitement! Also, cannot wait to read your reviews!

About Love and Happiness 📖

Don’t mess with Harri! This pacy debut novel by G.I. James revolves around the formidable Harriet Bush, a mixed-race adoptee growing up in the North West of England. As a child, with important truths concealed by adoption laws, Harri can only imagine where she came from – as an adult, she gets to fill in some crucial pieces.

Love and Happiness is a raw and poignant exploration of the destructive nature of adoption, the relentless pursuit of identity, and the struggle to find a place in a world that feels untrustworthy and unwelcoming. Will Harriet be able to reclaim her sense of self and find the affirming love she so desperately seeks, or will the shadows of her past consume her?

Buy Now

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I Zig and I Zag! an Introduction to Kenyan Poet Masaka Madeda 🇰🇪

After reading just a few stanza, M2M Books knew that we wanted to publish Masaka Madeda’s epic (100+ pages) poem, I Zig and I Zag! Eye-catching and idiosyncratic form, vast in its scope, told with a gentle, captivating voice, makes Masaka’s poem not only educating, resonating, and relevant, but also a feast for the eyes and a delight for the ears.

Last week, I asked Masaka how this poem came to be:

I Zig and I Zag! is beautifully produced in large glossy A4 format. Order your copy from all good UK bookshops or:

Buy from M2M Books
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Waterstones
Buy Kindle Edition

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Publication Day!

Yesterday, being the day before M2M Books Publication Day, felt a lot like the day before a well-prepared-for Christmas; calm, not a great deal to do, primarily wondering what critical issue we missed.

But time waits for no man, and here we are, today, officially publishers!

This means that you can now get your hands on M2M Books’ beautifully written and beautifully produced debut offerings from:

Ebook/Kindle editions:

Our official books launch event is being held at Irie’s Bar, Aberystwyth this evening (Thursday 25th September 7pm).

Hope you can join us.

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M2M Books Submissions and Publishing Program

In the Pipeline

With publication day (25th September) for our debut titles upon us, and with the storm of activity this has required all but subsided, it is time to focus on future offerings.

For some months, Cardiff-based writer, Theresa Mgadzah Jones, has been collaborating with M2M Books on three new titles for young children. For us, the importance of these texts cannot be overstated as books written for children from diverse backgrounds are rare, whilst children’s books written about diversity are not nearly so uncommon – these perspectives are not the same.

It is our purpose to address this publishing discrepancy for no better reason than many future writers from marginalised communities will begin their literary journey in childhood, as engaged readers. Therefore, publishing attractive and relatable reading material for children from diverse backgrounds underpins M2M Books’ overall mission of publishing for marginalised audiences. We hope to publish Theresa’s three new books in 2026.

M2M Books are also in the process of commissioning a revelatory nonfiction title – more details to come.

Submissions

The success of M2M Books will not only hang on sales, but also in establishing a regular publishing program. With this in mind, we are still actively seeking submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books that speak to marginalised audiences. Before submitting your work, please read these FAQs and guidelines. We look forward to reading your work.

Order our Books…

Our debut titles, I Zig and I Zag and Love and Happiness, can be ordered directly from M2M Books online here or picked up at our launch event on Thursday September 25th 2025 at Irie’s Bar, Aberystwyth.

You can also secure your copies from Amazon, Waterstones, and all good bookshops.

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Nearly There…

Only two weeks until Publication Day! Our books are here, ready, and beautiful.

Now begins the tricky task of selling I Zig and I Zag and Love and Happiness. Lucky for M2M Books, we have an experienced and supportive distributor in The Books Council of Wales. So not only can you order our titles at m2mbooks.com, but also Amazon, Waterstones, and all good book retailers.

“An exciting collection of new voices. I Zig and I Zag weaves together varying styles and stories – there is truly something for everyone here!” 

Hanan Issa – National Poet of Wales

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Don’t Mess with Harri!

Cover of Love and Happiness by G.I. James, published by Margin to Margin Books, designed by Jasmine Violet Art

Every day is an exciting day in the run-up to publishing our first editions on September 25th. The cover and the internal files of our first novel, Love and Happiness, are currently with the printers and we are expecting a sample edition of our very first book within the next few days. Very exciting.

We are also finalising the typesetting and formatting of our first poetry anthology, I Zig and I Zag. It is a beautiful and wonderful work, supported by Books Council of Wales. Well done the poets. We expect the cover and internal files to be completed and with the printers by the end of next week.

Find out more and preorder these titles.

More info

We are in the process of commissioning three children’s books and a non-fiction title. We will get better at keeping you posted.

N.B. We are still seeking submissions of manuscripts aimed at marginalised audiences.

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M2M Books First Editions

Please excuse the radio silence – more graft in forming a publishing business than anticipated – but we’re getting there!

We hoped to be publishing our first three books this September, but were pipped at the post by an established publishing house for Alex Hubbard’s debut novel Storm. We wish Alex well with Storm – it’s a mighty good read!

However, we remain on schedule to publish two important texts

I Zig and I Zag – Poetry Anthology

Masaka Madeda, Eric Ngalle Charles, Brân Denning, Ciel Saludes, Luke A. Blaid, Rosamund McCullain, Mohammed Abdoel, Gareth Alun Roberts, Rakyah Assam, and GI James.

This poetry anthology, featuring thirteen poems by nine British poets, is followed by an epic poem by Kenyan poet Masaka Madeda. The two worlds are markedly distinct. The anthology’s opening presents poems from marginalised writers, interlacing darker myths, memories, and landscapes into lyrical explorations of identity, loss, and transformation. This stark contrast is further emphasised by the epic poem. Click to Preorder

Love and Happiness – a Novel by GI James

In the 1970s Cheshire, Harriet Bush, a mixed-race schoolgirl and adoptee, grapples with her identity, family secrets, and the tragic death of a schoolmate. This novel explores important social and cultural issues that are still relevant today, particularly those related to belonging. 

The story, told in an intriguing and captivating narrative, begins with Harriet’s childhood perspective and gradually hardens as we witness her journey into adulthood.  Shaped by her experiences as a mixed-race adoptee in a predominantly white environment, Harriet confronts themes including race and racism, adoption, alcohol abuse, end-of-life care, the challenges faced by mothers in the social care system, misogyny, and suicide. Click to Preorder

Open for Submissions

M2M Books remains open for submissions.

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A Happy New Year from M2M Books

(to Marginalised Writers in Particular)

Yeah I know, a touch late. But life has been meandering between chilling and digesting the first batch of manuscripts and poems submitted to M2M Books. If you have already sent us your writing, thank you, and you will be contacted within the next few weeks.

If you have not submitted, please do (Submission Guidelines). We want to see your writing, specifically:

Literary fiction – quality writing, novels, collections of short stories that will resonate with and appeal to marginalised audiences (predominantly UK).

Children’s books – we would love to publish (illustrated) children’s books for the diverse audiences found in all UK schools. In particular, we are looking for books that feature marginalised characters but with narratives that are not focussed on their diversity.

Poetry – definitely getting there with our planned poetry anthology but still want more poems. Get busy and please submit your contributions.

Prediction – 2025 is the year conversations shift away from marginalised writers and more towards marginalised audiences.

Any questions? I am at my desk.

Gareth James

Chief Reader info@m2mbooks.com