As snappy as we seem to like our information these days, each year there are innumerable books of non-fiction that explore our world in great depth and thoughtfulness. These works can help us see the world in a new way, by exploring previously murky arenas of culture, or taking focus on themes that rarely get much breathing space. We have two such authors in The Pod today. Kassia St Clair, whose books have charted the curious histories of colour and fabric and Zahra Hankir, whose forthcoming book compiles essays by women reporting on conflict in the Arab world. What they have in common: selling the value of stories that had been pushed to the periphery – and experiencing the painstaking, nerve-wracking process of getting them published.