There's an epidemic sweeping the nation Symptoms include: *Acute embarrassment at the mere notion of 'making a fuss' *Extreme awkwardness when faced with any social greeting beyond a brisk handshake *An unhealthy preoccupation with meteorology Doctors have also reported several cases of unnecessary apologising, an obsessive interest in correct queuing etiquette and dramatic sighing in the presence of loud teenagers on public transport. If you have experienced any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS. VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS are highly contagious. There is no known cure. Rob Temple's hilarious book reveals all the ways in which we are a nation of socially awkward but well-meaning oddballs, struggling to make it through every day without apologising to an inanimate object. Take comfort in misfortunes of others. You are not alone.

Have you ever... Got into a four-hour argument over what does and does not belong in a full English breakfast? Sat perfectly still in terrified silence until the unknown number stops ringing and goes away? Replied to the question 'Can I get you anything? Tea, coffee, water?' with 'Lovely, thanks'? ...then you may (still) be suffering from VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS. Rob Temple is back to guide you through the maze of idiosyncrasies, loveable foibles and - let's admit - outright eccentricities that define this sceptred isle. Featuring groundbreaking original research from his @soverybritish Twitter account (spoiler: 84% of Brits prefer milk in first), this book may not be a remedy for your incurable VBPs, but it will certainly provide amusement as you hide in the loo from an unexpected visitor.

Do you . . . Carry emergency teabags in your backpack? Quietly tut at badly formed 'queues'? Cleverly avoid blisters by wearing socks with your sandals? . . . then you may be suffering from (more) VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS. In this sequel to the original and quite-funny-if-you-like-that-sort-of-thing Very British Problems book, Rob Temple is taking us out of our comfort zone. We're going to that worrying place where crisps don't taste quite the same - and where ordering chips gets you . . . well, crisps. We're going abroad. Whether you're in Magaluf or the Maldives, indulging in après ski or Aperol, no one is immune to the raging superbug that is Very British Problems. Previously published as Very British Problems Abroad.

Have you ever . . . *Watched in horror as someone helps themselves to the last roast potato? *Broken out in hives at the suggestion that you 'Introduce yourself...' over Zoom? *Been extra dramatic while rubbing in the shop's hand sanitiser, so everyone knows how thoroughly decent you are? . . . then you may be suffering from VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS Very British Problems are sweeping the nation like never before. They are in our homes, in our Zoom calls, in the queue for the supermarket, in our schools, cafés, parks, rivers, cities, towns, villages, glove boxes, sock drawers . . Basically, they're inescapable. There is no vaccine. There is no cure. So there we have it, we're stuck with the malady of Britishness for the foreseeable. Nightmare, isn't it? Ah, well. Could be worse. Not quite sure how, though, off the top of my head. Any thoughts? PRAISE for VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS 'Hilarious' Daily Express 'Temple pays affectionate and comic homage to the sheer quirkiness of being British' Good Book Guide 'A corking Christmas stocking filler' Weekend Sport 'Had us guffawing into our Earl Grey tea' Bella

PRE-ORDER THE NEW VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS BOOK NOW! Or don't, you know, whatever you want - we don't mind. Very British Problems are what make us so, well, British. And what better place to get to the heart of these problems than, urm, Britain? Starting in Land's End and heading all the way up to John O'Groats, this A-Z tour of Britain covers everything from the national sports of apologising, queueing and bog-snorkelling to our national cuisine of chips, bread rolls and... chips in bread rolls. You'll take in sights such as Stonehenge (see the iconic prop from Spinal Tap in all its glory), Loch Ness (legend has it there is no monster) and Platform 9 3⁄4 (after a few hours waiting in a railway station, have your photo taken next to a brick wall) all whilst looking for somewhere decent to stop and eat your packed lunch. Britain is a maze of idiosyncrasies, loveable foibles and outright eccentricities and Rob Temple is here to reveal them in all their glory.

WATERSTONES' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023: PUZZLES AND HUMOUR The perfect quiz book to get you in the Christmassy mood, to play at the office Christmas lunch or to pop into a stocking. Q1: In Britain, it's estimated that 800 million of what traditional Christmas treat are eaten each year?* Q2: Which actor gives the voiceover at the beginning of Love Actually?* Q3: True or False: Queen Elizabeth II wore a Santa hat for her 1996 Christmas Day televised speech.* We Brits can't get enough of a quiz - and never has this been more true at Christmastime. So if you're stumped for office party small talk, trying to make it through Christmas dinner with the in-laws, or simply a quiz connoisseur after puzzles with some festive flair, you can't go wrong with the VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS CHRISTMAS QUIZ BOOK. Inside you'll find all sorts of tickly teasers, complex conundrums, worrisome word searches and much more on topics ranging from nostalgic Christmas adverts and beloved TV specials to toys through the ages and everyone's favourite holiday snacks. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a mince pie. *Answers: Buy the book and find out!

What does 'custard and jelly' mean in cockney rhyming slang? Which biscuit has half of its name on top of the cooker and the other half on the door? And 25 million of what drink are served by British Airways each year? We Brits can't get enough of a quiz. Stumped for office party chit-chat? Quiz. Midweek visit to the pub? Quiz. Stuck inside in pyjamas on a rainy night and in the mood to cause a big family argument? You got it - quiz. This book is correspondingly filled with questions on all things wonderfully and unequivocally British - you'll find all sorts of tickly teasers, complex conundrums, worrisome word searches and much more on topics ranging from our iconic weather to types of cake. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea and your favourite biscuit(s). *** ANSWERS: Telly, Hobnob, buy the book and find out! *** Praise for Very British Problems 'Had us guffawing into our Earl Grey tea' Bella 'My favourite twitter account at the moment is Very British Problems (@soverybritish) . . . it makes me laugh out loud' Tom Hiddleston 'Hilarious' Daily Express 'Temple pays affectionate and comic homage to the sheer quirkiness of being British' Good Book Guide

A revealing, honest and often comic coming-of-age story about growing up in 1970s Britain on the boundaries of race 'Full of charm' GUARDIAN 'An account of what being British means' i 'Captures a country in transition ... You can't fail to be moved' THE TIMES Kamal Ahmed's childhood was very 'British' in every way – except for the fact that he was brown. Half English, half Sudanese, he was raised at a time when being mixed-race meant being told to go home, even when you were born just down the road. This is his account of an upbringing of cricket and bucket-and-spade holidays, Angel Delight and the BBC - British to the core, yet always feeling foreign in the only home he had ever known. 'Ahmed grew up as a mixed-race kid in west London in the seventies, and his book charts the progress (sometimes slow and now without a few setbacks along the way) that our country has made on race issues since then. Brilliant' Rohan Silva, Evening Standard

'If you're looking to ease yourself back into normality after lockdown, Born to be Mild should be top of your reading list' Mail Online A funny, life-affirming memoir from the creator of social media empire Very British Problems, about how to start again when everything's gone wrong. By the time Rob Temple hit his thirties, he had become so afraid of the world that he couldn't leave the house. Depressed and anxious, he found himself drifting deeper into solitude. So Rob decided to make a plan - to embark on fifty 'mild' adventures, to be a little less Pooh Bear and a little more Bear Grylls. On a gentle journey that takes him beekeeping, bowling, and to a service station just off the M25, Rob starts to settle on a better balance - and soon discovers the joys of a life well lived. In this raw and honest memoir, Rob shares his year of gentle adventure and the lessons learnt along the way. Quiet and comforting, with a generous helping of British humour, Born to be Mild is a guide to living life unencumbered by mental illness, and a reminder to slow down and embrace your mild side.