Impossible Owls: Essays from the Ends of the World

In Impossible Owls, we follow Brian Phillips on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska, which provides the opportunity for him to write with wit and insight about the incredible race itself, but also about adventure, freedom and journeys to the end of the map ('Out in the Great Alone'). He takes us into the heart of contemporary sumo wrestling, but we also learn about Japan, past and present, as well as his thoughts on depression and ritual suicide ('Sea of Crises'). There are pieces on Route 66 and alien abduction ('Lost Highway'), a genius Russian animator ('The Little Gray Wolf Will Come'), small-town America and The X-files ('In the Dark'), Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess of Cambridge ('Once and Future Queen: Notes on Royalty'), the father of conservation in India and man-eating tigers ('Man-Eaters'), and a mix of memoir and unconventional love story ('But Not Like Your Typical Love Story').

Phillips brings a unique voice to his subjects, providing a fresh perspective on the world around us. There is humour and pathos and wonderful observation in this eclectic collection, which showcases the incredible talent, curiosity and wide-ranging interests of one of the foremost exponents of the New Journalism working today.