Broken Castings

Thomas Hunt has grown old. As he revisits the scenes of his youth, memories are rekindled of his shy boyhood, the thriving engineering firm where he learned his craft, and the women - one in particular - who stirred his lust and captured his heart.

Flitting between past and present, Broken Castings is the poignant tale of one man's professional and personal life, from the post-war years through to the dawn of the 21st century. It is a story of the changes - often painful - that time inevitably brings, and a sad reflection on our increasingly consumer society.

Broken Castings
John Woolmer
Paperback 374 pages (2004)
ISBN 1-904754-91-0 U.K. £7.99
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Friendly Stories from Afar

In the days following World War Two, Judit Simanovszky grew up in Hungary, a country suffocating behind the Iron Curtain and dominated by Big Brother. However, her own small world was filled with the joy and colour of her vibrant, loving parents and eccentric neighbours, hilarious schoolday capers, visions of a brilliant future, and the anxious thrill of first love. Friendly Stories From Afar is a nostalgic and candid account of a childhood spent in Communist Hungary, where Big Brother penetrated many aspects of life, but couldn't reach the deepest recesses of a young girl's dreams.

Friendly Stories from Afar
Judit Simanovszky
Paperback (2004)
ISBN 1-904754-68-6 U.K. £5.99
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Diary of an Empire Child

The days of charabanc outings, liberty bodices and school desk inkwells may have long since disappeared, but those golden days and characters of the Empire spring vividly to life in this delightful collection of anecdotes. ‘Memory is made up of little vignettes which we hold in the mind, some of which may be shared with others.’
Cynthia Osborne was born into a middle class family in London. Her recollections span early schooldays, holidays, family life and relationships, encompassing social traditions that, once taken for granted, are in danger of being forgotten.
The Diary of an Empire Child is a joy to read and a treasure for future generations to reflect upon.

Diary of an Empire Child
Leah Hallowes
Paperback - 155 pages (2004)
ISBN 1904754-53-8 U.K. £6.99
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Boatmen and DJs

'I am Shirley Valentine yet again, slightly apprehensive, but travelling hopefully…'

When fortysomething Rosie temporarily leaves her stale and loveless marriage and sets off for Malta, island of dreams and soothing seas, she cannot foresee that her journey will lead not to escape, but to violence, rejection and the brink of madness.
After a horrific attack, she returns home traumatised to find her husband and so-called friends have closed ranks against her, and the British Welfare State concerned with anything but her welfare. Yet despite losing her home, being sectioned and enduring abusive relationships, Rosie fights on, a woman of rare courage who is still determined to find her place in the sun.

Boatmen and DJs
Rosie Rocket
Paperback - 121 pages (2004)
ISBN 1904754-53-8 U.K. £6.99
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Harry's Troubled Life

Harry's Story is that of a little boy of three whose life was turned upside down by a horrific accident. It tells of the abuse and torture he suffered at the hands of his mother and stepfather for more than a decade, the anguish he endured during his years in a care home, and how he narrowly escaped death several times - including a desperate suicide attempt.

It will remind people of how families, supposed to be havens of affection and security, can turn dangerously dysfunctional when a once-loved child sustains brain damage and suddenly becomes a burden and an embarrassment.

Yet this is also the tale of Harry's remarkable recovery: how he finally managed to pick up the pieces of his life, despite having everything taken away from him; how he regained his independence; and how a loving relationship brought him joy and the happy family life that had for so long eluded him.

Harry's Troubled Life
Joshua Hartzenberg
Paperback - 116 pages (2004)
ISBN 1904754-77-5 U.K. £5.99
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Looking Better Looking Back

‘Looking Better Looking Back’ is a beautifully written book that recalls with tender nostalgia life and time that has been increasingly stifled by an urbanised impersonal world. In describing the rural Essex village where he grew up, Colin Ridgewell recreates the scenes of his happy, creative boyhood, free from the tyranny of television and much more in tune with the cycles of nature. It is a valuable social history of a world that has largely disappeared.

Looking Better Looking Back
Colin W F Ridgewell
Paperback - 116 pages (2004)
ISBN 1904018-92-0 U.K. £9.99
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