Our pick of the latest releases

Occupy

Noam Chomsky

Penguin, £5

As a leading public intellectual who grew up as an activist in the civil-rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s, Noam Chomsky hardly needs introduction. He's now in his 80s, but his support for social movements has not waned. Occupy brings together a series of talks by and conversations with those who have organised on behalf of the so-called 99 per cent – those excluded from and disadvantaged by the fusion of wealth and politics in the US. In the spirit of people power, this digestible pamphlet is dedicated to the 6,705 Occupy supporters who had been arrested at the time of its publication. Numbers have since risen as Occupy continues to spread from New York's Zuccotti Park to locations around the world, from the tents of protesters to the global conscience. Chomsky advocates intelligent activism by those who see the divorce between public policy and public opinion. He is both optimistic and realistic towards this "first major public response to 30 years of class war". SARAH McMONAGLE

Running with Fire

Mark Ryan

Robson Press, £9.99

The story of Harold Abrahams is particularly topical in the aftermath of the Olympic Games. As one of the greatest British Olympians, immortalised in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, he overcame many obstacles to become Britain's first 100m champion, in 1924. Ryan's book takes a sympathetic approach to Abrahams's unusual story, particularly the anti-Semitism he experienced, both at home and abroad, and the two love stories that framed his life. His athleticism and talent hid a real frailty and many insecurities, yet his later career as a journalist and broadcaster would be a balm that helped him create a legacy for subsequent sporting generations, especially in his role as president of the Amateur Athletic Federation. He was one of those who made athletics popular in Britain, an achievement requiring passion and sacrifice. SIOBHÁN KANE

The Dangerous Edge of Things

Freya McClements

Guildhall Press/Eve, £5.95

Freya McClements's debut collection of 10 short stories is set in Dublin, Derry, London and Oxford. Woven throughout is a sense of the characters' own wonder at the paths their lives have taken to the present moment. McClements leads us through their individual adventures and tragedies, great or small: a woman cares for her wartime groom as he slips away from her into the grip of dementia; another discovers that she wasn't the only romance in her lover's life, as she had supposed herself to be, when she sees three other flowers with her red rose on his coffin lid; a young couple inject some fizz into their evening by taking part in a life-drawing class as if strangers – one as pupil, one as model – before eagerly heading home to release their babysitter from duty. Each tale leads to a twist, a kink, a thorn in the soft bits of the lives of strangers unfurled before us. CLAIRE LOOBY

Bereft

Chris Womersley

Quercus, £7.99

It’s 1919, the Great War is over, and a returning soldier is wounded inside and out. Thanks to the war, Quinn Walker lives with nightmares, stomach pain, damaged hearing and a scarred face. Yet his greatest suffering comes from a childhood trauma: 10 years earlier, he witnessed the rape and murder of his beloved sister. Quinn throws away the military medal he won for bravery, yet he is a true hero. He rises above his injuries and fear, returns to

his "fly-speck town" in rural Australia and confronts his sister's killer. Most courageous of all, he allows himself to love another human being for the first time since his sister's death. This time it's a half-wild girl, left alone in the world, who needs his protection. Although the title and subject matter might put off some readers, Bereft is an inspiring read. Womersley's prose is clear, evocative and powerful; an utter joy. MARY FEELY

The Iliad

Homer, translated by Anthony Verity

Oxford University Press, £8.99

A prince steals a king's wife and takes her across the sea to his home. So begins the Trojan war, the subject of Homer's epic poem The Iliad, now reprinted by Oxford University Press. The narrative is plagued by scenes of war but also has moments of intense tenderness. Every one of Homer's characters is profoundly human, and even the gods are vulnerable to distasteful emotions such as jealousy and lust, while also providing comic relief from the trauma of the battlefield. The beautiful Helen is both sympathetic and bitter, due to Paris's cowardice, Hector strives to protect his shining city, while Achilles battles with his intractable resentment of his commander, King Agamemnon, whom he feels has emasculated him. It is this rage of Achilles that drives the epic onwards, as all of his actions have a detrimental effect on the outcome of the saga. But Achilles's anger is no defence against his pain, and it is his magnificent characterisation that makes Homer's epic unpredictably and achingly beautiful. NADIA ROGERS