{"title":"Valley Press","description":"\u003chr\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eValley Press is an independent publishing house based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Their interest lies primarily in poetry, but they remain open to writing of any genre, and to writers of any status, age or background. To date, VP has also published anthologies, non-fiction, humour and fiction, with plans to diversify further in future. The press was Highly Commended in the 2012 Lloyds TSB Enterprise Awards, making it one of the top thirty graduate businesses in the UK. Founded by Jamie McGarry, its first book was published in 2008.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 472px; height: 100px;\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\"\u003e\r\n\u003ctbody\u003e\r\n\u003ctr\u003e\r\n\u003ctd style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eValley Press\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWoodend\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Crescent\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScarborough\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNorth Yorkshire\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYO11 2PW\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e \u003c\/td\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehttp:\/\/www.valleypressuk.com\/\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\r\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\r\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\r\n\u003c\/table\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003chr\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"form","title":"Form","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eForm\u003c\/em\u003e is a beautifully produced, fiercely ambitious debut pamphlet from a completely new voice in British poetry. These fourteen poems document the emergence of a keen literary mind; unafraid to switch between piercing social commentary (often in the form of extended natural metaphors), tender reports on inter-family interactions (as in opening poem 'Explaining to Joshua Why Snowmen Have to Melt'), and what can best be described as sheer revelry in the joy of language.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Golden'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eHole of gold, apart from time\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eheld open by exotic matter.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eNo matter that the patter\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eof tiny feet\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eclosed the circle.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eLove you, Au,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eI do.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eEternally old hardened hoop.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eA cheer, a whoop then given back.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eRefuge in a toolbox.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eVisits copper cousins\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ein a dirty, dusty corner.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eStrange coldy coldness;\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003esince furnace forged, soon forgotten.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eBuried beneath an apple tree,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eplumps the second season’s fruit.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eSuperhero shiny ting!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn summer sunlight,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eswells the bosom of reflected pride.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlinded worms within.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eGoaded by fashion\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003einto empty reluctance,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eand limping on forever,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eto melt before\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ea million birthday candles. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCarl Potter\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Beverley, East Yorkshire, in 1984, and remained there until starting a degree in English and Creative Writing at Leeds Trinity University College. He has had a variety of jobs, including landscape gardener and chef, but has always written poetry and fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041217568,"sku":"9781908853035","price":4.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_press_-_form.jpeg?v=1752236429"},{"product_id":"love-letters-children-s-drawings","title":"Love Letters \u0026 Children's Drawings","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNorah Hanson is one of Hull's most important modern poets; a natural heir to the city's legendary literary heritage and reputation. Her first collection of poetry, \u003cem\u003eLove Letters \u0026amp; Children's Drawings\u003c\/em\u003e, delighted readers of all ages upon its publication in November 2011.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhether reflecting on the past, through derelict landmarks and absent friends, confronting present-day 'domestic dilemmas' with wit and good-humour, or looking to the future through the eyes (and extraordinary energies) of her grandchildren, Norah remains unswervingly honest, entertaining and inventive. \u003cem\u003eLove Letters \u0026amp; Children's Drawings\u003c\/em\u003e is poetry at its very best – constantly insightful, compelling, essential.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Speaks to the reader's heart... pure, practical and prophetic. A true poet.\"\u003cbr\u003eDeirdre McGarry\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Norah manages - perhaps because this book distils a lifetime of writing - to bring before us the tragedy of the human condition, making it sound beautiful and worth living through.\"\u003cbr\u003ePaul Sutherland\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Intelligent, compassionate and humane... a treasure trove.\" \u003cbr\u003eHelen Burke\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNorah Hanson \u003c\/strong\u003ewas born in Hull in 1937. She spent much of the war in Beverley, before returning to Hull in 1943. Since her retirement, Norah has devoted much of her time to writing poetry, which  has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies - including \u003cem\u003eDream Catcher\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eIota\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Hull Connection\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePatterns of Hope\u003c\/em\u003e. She has also had much competition success, including being shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and commended in the Yorkshire Open.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041218000,"sku":"9780956890467","price":7.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/love_letters.jpeg?v=1752236822"},{"product_id":"the-day-of-small-things-words-and-pictures-from-the-bridlington-romanian-project","title":"The Day of Small Things: Words and Pictures from the Bridlington Romanian Project","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Day of Small Things\u003c\/em\u003e is the second charity publication by   Valley Press; a collection of articles, photographs and   creative writing inspired by the Bridlington Romanian   Project, an organisation from East Yorkshire working in   particular to help the disenfranchised, poverty-stricken   citizens of a Romanian village called Odoreu.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs well as humbling articles on the project's work in   Romania, the book includes translated poems and prayers from   the Roma themselves, thirty-six full-colour pictures (many   taken by local photographers) and thirty pages of creative   writing by supporters of the project in Bridlington,   inspired by stories of volunteers and villagers working   together to improve the situation.  Fully-funded by generous donators, every penny made from   sales of the book goes towards providing more of the aid and   friendship which have achieved so much already, and will   continue for many years to come.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041219144,"sku":"9780956251954","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/the_day_of_small_things_bbcd6a63-63b8-4c0e-83c2-6199a49d54f5.jpeg?v=1752236764"},{"product_id":"a-visit-to-the-art-gallery","title":"A Visit to the Art Gallery","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNigel Gerrans' eclectic spiritual poetry, first collected in 2009's \u003cem\u003eTenebrae\u003c\/em\u003e, has earned deserved plaudits for its intensity of feeling and richness of imagery and language. \u003cem\u003eA Visit to the Art Gallery\u003c\/em\u003e offers a new selection, drawing on the poet's remarkable life experience to present twenty-four dazzling portraits, landscapes and memories, composed over six decades and published here for the first time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis edition also includes a complete, revised text of \u003cem\u003eSong Sequence\u003c\/em\u003e, a twenty-six poem cycle intended for performance by four voices, as well as its sister work \u003cem\u003eChorale\u003c\/em\u003e, a dialogue where priest and poet debate their seemingly irreconcileable vocations. These are surrounded by the exhibitions in the 'art gallery' itself, each a breathless and stunning piece of art in its own right; together, a must-own volume by an extraordinary poetic talent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Thoughtful, caring and meaningful.\"\u003cbr\u003eBrian Wilcox\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An amazing diversity of topic and style... both intelligent and compassionate.\"\u003cbr\u003eRosie Larner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNigel Gerrans\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Surrey in 1931. He studied Modern Languages at Cambridge, after which he spent several years teaching in a school for cerebral palsied children. He later worked as a filmmaker for the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries, before taking ordination as a priest and serving as full-time Hospital Chaplain in a busy District General Hospital.He is now retired and lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041219308,"sku":"9780956251978","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/a_visit_to_the_art_gallery.jpeg?v=1752236602"},{"product_id":"tenebrae","title":"Tenebrae","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNigel Gerrans has been writing poetry for almost seventy years but, until his retirement, had never shown the results to anyone except a few close friends. Now, a selection of his thought-provoking and painstakingly-crafted poetry has been made available to a wider audience, who are finding his works as relevant and challenging as the day they were written.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePresented here in a carefully chosen sequence, readers can discover the power and variety of recurrent themes that have enriched Nigel's work since the beginning, with the many moods and forms offering a diverse view of what 'the spiritual' can involve. \u003cem\u003eTenebrae\u003c\/em\u003e is a chance for all of us to discover a gifted and previously unknown figure in 20th century poetry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTenebrae (‘darkness’) is the name given to the three evening services held before Easter Sunday. The term most probably came into use due to the candles that were extinguished during the singing of the psalms. The choir and congregation would then depart in darkness and silence.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNigel Gerrans\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Surrey in 1931. He studied Modern Languages at Cambridge, after which he spent several years teaching in a school for cerebral palsied children. He later worked as a filmmaker for the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries, before taking ordination as a priest and serving as full-time Hospital Chaplain in a busy District General Hospital. He is now retired and lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041219680,"sku":"9780956251923","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/tenebrae.jpeg?v=1752236602"},{"product_id":"lives-of-lilo","title":"Lives of Lilo","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eLives of Lilo\u003c\/em\u003e is the story of Lilo – a blue-and-red seaside accessory – blown from its beach-holidaying family towards the open sea, the wider world, on an adventure like no other. Lilo’s voyage is at the heart of a narrative which extends across hundreds of years, past and future, in an epic modern fable for children. Lilo’s direction (and survival) are decided purely by chance, along with the unprovoked kindness – or brutality – of humans and animals alike... yet Lilo cannot help but have an effect on the lives of all those it encounters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFelix Hodcroft’s first children’s novel (aimed at 11+ readers) is a work of extraordinary imagination, grounded in reality that will appeal to young readers and their parents alike.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFelix Hodcroft \u003c\/strong\u003ehas worked as a probation officer in Birmingham, Hull and East Yorkshire, and now lives in Scarborough. He is well-known in Yorkshire as one half of the spoken-word performance double-act ‘The Hull to Scarborough Line’, with fellow Valley Press author Sue Wilsea. His debut poetry collection, \u003cem\u003eLife After Life After Death\u003c\/em\u003e, was first published by Valley Press in 2010, since reprinted in a second edition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041226488,"sku":"9781908853134","price":9.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_press_-_lives_of_lilo_resized__1_1.jpeg?v=1752237428"},{"product_id":"front-lines-short-stories-on-modern-society-by-writers-under-25","title":"Front Lines: Short Stories on Modern Society by Writers Under 25","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eFront Lines\u003c\/em\u003e is a new anthology of short stories on the theme of ‘anti-conventionalism, anti-society, and young people’s anger at the world that has been left by the generations before us.’ Its six contributors are all under 25, the young people living on the front lines of Austerity Britain. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe selected stories are uncompromising and gripping, offering a fascinating insight into the minds of our creative, socially-engaged young people. They include tales of lost society and global warfare, as well as the moral instability and unscaleable summits that today’s young people must face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDan Formby \u003c\/strong\u003ewas born in Southport in 1990, and is studying English \u0026amp; Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFelice Howden\u003c\/strong\u003e graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2009, and now works in central London. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Mcloughlin\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Merseyside in 1990, and is currently studying at Leeds Trinity University College. His first collection of poetry, \u003cem\u003eEncore\u003c\/em\u003e, was published by Valley Press in May 2011. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNathan Ouriach\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Northampton. He has written for the magazines \u003cem\u003eShortlist\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGQ\u003c\/em\u003e, and lives in Herne Bay, Kent. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDavid Whelan\u003c\/strong\u003e lives in London, and currently blogs about literature, film and TV for the \u003cem\u003eHuffington Post\u003c\/em\u003e. His journalism has appeared in the \u003cem\u003eGuardian\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eTimes\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eIndependent\u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRyan Whittaker\u003c\/strong\u003e is currently completing a degree in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041226880,"sku":"9781908853103","price":7.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_press_-_front_lines_resized.jpeg?v=1752236821"},{"product_id":"journeying","title":"Journeying","description":"Originally published in 2012, this second edition of \u003ci\u003eJourneying\u003c\/i\u003e gives a new generation of poetry readers the chance to experience what is arguably the crowning achievement of Paul Sutherland's fifty-year writing career.  Here, 'journeying' is a state of mind, a destination in itself, and a physical reality. The process of moving from place to place is brought to life in compelling detail, along with moments of absolute stillness and clarity; connecting with nature, family and history (both global and personal) at the deepest level. Concluding with the 3000-word poem ‘Red Hawthorn-Hedged’, in which the themes of the book are together in a breathtaking finale, this is a book set to move and inspire all who travel between its covers.","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32858842005582,"sku":"9781912436507","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/original_4e0d0933-06e6-4559-8af4-1ca02c146857.jpg?v=1752237941"},{"product_id":"some-things-matter-63-sonnets","title":"Some Things Matter: 63 Sonnets","description":"\u003cp\u003eSince their first publication in 2012, \u003cstrong\u003eJames Nash’s\u003c\/strong\u003e sonnets have delighted thousands of poetry readers and listeners across the globe. Philosophical, satirical, warm and bittersweet, the sixty-three poem sequence spans the full breadth of the human experience; and can be enjoyed afresh in this second edition, which includes a handful of new sonnets, as heard on BBC Radio 3 in 2014.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Nash\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer and long-term resident of Leeds. His poems appear in Enitharmon’s \u003cem\u003eBranch-lines: Edward Thomas and Contemporary Poetry \u003c\/em\u003eanthology (2007), and his short stories in \u003cem\u003eFour Fathers\u003c\/em\u003e (Route, 2006). An ebook, \u003cem\u003eA Bit of an Ice Breaker: Selected and Uncollected Poems\u003c\/em\u003e, was published by Valley Press in April 2012.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041237380,"sku":"9781908853042","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_press_-_some_things_matter_2.jpeg?v=1752237298"},{"product_id":"wingbeats","title":"Wingbeats","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWingbeats - Words \u0026amp; Music for Two Operas Inspired by the East Riding of Yorkshire: Flight Paths \u0026amp; Amy's Last Dive\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWingbeats\u003c\/em\u003e is the result of a two-year cultural project, inspired by the wonder of flight, which brought together international and UK artists, school children, students and residents of Yorkshire’s East Riding to create two ambitious operas, performed in Leeds and Bridlington. \u003cem\u003eFlight Paths\u003c\/em\u003e (2011) is the story of a Leeds girl’s rollercoaster journey from Bempton Cliffs to Flamborough on a midsummer’s day, and how it turns her life around. \u003cem\u003eAmy’s Last Dive\u003c\/em\u003e (2012) was inspired by aviatrix Amy Johnson, the girl from Hull who flew around the world, took huge risks and made history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor this publication, Adam Strickson, lead artist for Wingbeats, has compiled a fascinating selection of material from the project: including seabird poems, excerpts from creative diaries and blogs, and the full texts for both operas. Each copy will come with a DVD, containing film and sound recordings for a complete multimedia experience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAdam Strickson\u003c\/strong\u003e is a poet, theatre writer and director. For thirteen years (until 2002), he was director of Chol Theatre in Huddersfield, and led projects throughout the north of England and in Bangladesh. He recently won the Yorkshire Prize in the Yorkshire Open Poetry Competition. He teaches Creative Writing at the University of Leeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041244928,"sku":"9781908853141","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_press_-_wingbeats_resized.jpeg?v=1752237784"},{"product_id":"a-family-behind-glass","title":"A Family Behind Glass","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMatthew Hedley Stoppard’s poetry has been compared to both Edward and Dylan Thomas, along with Simon Armitage and Paul Farley.\u003cem\u003e A Family Behind Glass\u003c\/em\u003e is set in a zone not unlike Farley’s \u003cem\u003eEdgelands\u003c\/em\u003e, sharply defining elements of both the urban and the pastoral.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe collection acts like a scrapbook of a 90s childhood: the rusting swing-sets, the Ladybird waistcoats. Stoppard’s attention then shifts to the here and now, and the realities of life as a father – “a double helix \/ that twists in both our blood” – presenting them, like the family behind glass, almost within touching distance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He weaves the everyday into wonderfully unravelling works of art.”\u003cbr\u003eJames Nash\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMatthew Hedley Stoppard\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Derbyshire in 1985. Widely published in magazines and anthologies, a recording of his poetry, \u003cem\u003eInsect Eucharist and Other Poems\u003c\/em\u003e, was released on vinyl in 2012. He now works as a journalist, and lives in Leeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041266800,"sku":"9781908853202","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/9781908853202.jpg?v=1752236966"},{"product_id":"a-sixty-watt-las-vegas","title":"A Sixty Watt Las Vegas","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Sixty-Watt Las Vegas\u003c\/em\u003e is the first full-length poetry collection from Mike Di Placido. The title, and much of the collection, is an affectionate dig at the expense of his home-town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eAs well as observations on the town and its culture, past and present, the collection features cameos from various literary figures of note (Dickens faces up to Pizza Hut, TS Eliot shows up at a coffee bar), and gentle, affecting observations on life as a poet and a new uncle.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e“An outstanding first collection.”\u003cbr\u003ePeter Sansom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I can’t remember when I enjoyed a book of poems so much – possibly [Ted Hughes’s] \u003cem\u003eSeason Songs\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003cbr\u003eKeith Sagar on \u003cem\u003eTheatre of Dreams\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMike Di Placido\u003c\/strong\u003e lives in Seamer, near Scarborough. An ex-professional footballer and England Youth International, Mike played across the globe, from York City to Australia and New Zealand, before turning to the literary life. His debut poetry pamphlet, \u003cem\u003eTheatre of Dreams\u003c\/em\u003e, was published by Smith\/Doorstop in 2009, taking its title from his magical trial with Manchester United in the early 1970s.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041277052,"sku":"9781908853264","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_-_a_sixty_watt_las_vegas_1.jpeg?v=1752236965"},{"product_id":"all-over-the-place-a-life","title":"All Over the Place: A Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eAll Over the Place: A Life\u003c\/em\u003e is the autobiography of Ron Southerton – a life both ordinary and remarkable. Ron joined the army in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, and served in Tripoli, Libya and Aden. Leaving the army as a Major, he became editor of an academic journal, before being head-hunted by a Swedish company responsible for industrial gas turbines, which eventually led him to a spell in Baghdad, Iraq. Ron then returned to the UK, finding success as a freelance translator in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRon’s story is a mixture of laughter and sorrow, quiet days and more adventurous moments – including the day he confronted Robert Maxwell in his Oxford office for overdue translation fees, the day he rode on the footplate of the Mallard at 99mph from Doncaster to King’s Cross, and the day he found himself on the east side of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRon Southerton\u003c\/strong\u003e is a retired Chartered Engineer, living in Scarborough. His recent translations include works by the Swedish humorist Albert Engström.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041277140,"sku":"9781908853257","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_-_all_over_the_place.jpeg?v=1752237277"},{"product_id":"vp50-five-years-fifty-books-the-best-of-valley-press","title":"VP50","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom humble, 'student hobby' beginnings in 2008, Valley Press has grown into a force to be reckoned with in UK poetry. Famed for its distinctive, no-two-the-same cover designs, plus writing that is frequently accessible \u003cem\u003eand\u003c\/em\u003e ambitious, the press is now home to some of the UK's most exciting poetic talents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis new anthology offers a valuable overview of VP's poetry output so far. Here are fifty poems, one from each poetry title, selected by readers of the much-loved weekly newsletter; then ordered and organised by founding editor Jamie McGarry. In these pages, comedy sits alongside tragedy, the surreal finds itself alongside piercingly-accurate life writing, and the only thing you can expect is the unexpected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth a 'greatest hits' and an introduction to dozens of new poetic voices, \u003cem\u003eVP50\u003c\/em\u003e is a tremendous starting point for any readers new to the press, and a must-buy for existing fans curious as to which poems 'made the cut'...\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041289632,"sku":"9781908853509","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_VP50_SECRET_TITLE.jpg?v=1752237938"},{"product_id":"under-a-holderness-sky","title":"Under a Holderness Sky","description":"\u003cp\u003eNorah Hanson’s much-anticipated second collection of poetry picks up where her first left off; returning to the streets of her native Hull, past and present, to look seventy years of history – and the human condition – squarely in the eye, unflinching, but never losing sight of the warmth and humour that infuses all her work.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Norah paints with the varied colours of life itself, displaying a mastery of emotional range that few can match; where moments of heart-aching poignancy are quickly followed by sparks of knowing, perfectly-aimed wit. If this book catches you in the right mood, you’ll shed tears at both, and feel much better for it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Norah manages – perhaps because this book distils a lifetime of writing – to bring before us the tragedy of the human condition, making it sound beautiful and worth living through.”\u003cbr\u003e– Paul Sutherland\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNorah Hanson\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Hull in 1937. Her poetry has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and commended in the Yorkshire Open. Her first collection, \u003cem\u003eLove Letters \u0026amp; Children’s Drawings\u003c\/em\u003e, was published by Valley Press in 2011 (ISBN 9780956890467).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041297364,"sku":"9781908853332","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/uhsky_cover_large_jpg_4a587912-2818-472c-b642-a97ec873609d.jpeg?v=1752236964"},{"product_id":"opera-di-cera","title":"Opera di Cera","description":"\u003cp\u003eTravel back to 18th century Florence, where the Museum of Physics and Natural History is creating its most famous waxwork, the anatomical Venus: a life-sized female figure who comes apart to reveal a foetus in the womb.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eOpera di Cera\u003c\/em\u003e combines Pygmalion myth and historical research to create a macabre romance that ends in triumph and tragedy. Immerse yourself in a sensual underworld of bodysnatching, dissection, bondage and greed, following the deformed porter, Cintio, on his rounds, while he collects body parts from the local orphanage and hospital for the wax workshop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf there is a niche for verse dramas aimed at those interested in medical history, this book is probably the only contender...\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKelley Swain \u003c\/strong\u003ewas born in Rhode Island, 1985. She is the author of \u003cem\u003eDarwin’s Microscope\u003c\/em\u003e (Flambard Press, 2009, ISBN: 9781906601034),\u003cem\u003e Atlantic\u003c\/em\u003e (Cinnamon Press, April 2014), editor of \u003cem\u003eThe Rules of Form: Sonnets and Slide Rules\u003c\/em\u003e (Whipple Museum, 2012, ISBN: 9780906271278) and\u003cem\u003e Pocket Horizon\u003c\/em\u003e (with Don Paterson: Valley Press, 2013, ISBN: 9781908853295). She is a freelance writer and educator in poetry, science, and the Medical Humanities. She lives in London. Find her on Twitter @thenakedmuse.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041307036,"sku":"9781908853363","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_press_-_opera_di_cera.jpeg?v=1752237268"},{"product_id":"love-and-eskimo-snow","title":"Love and Eskimo Snow","description":"\u003cp\u003eOur dictionaries tell us that \u003cem\u003elove\u003c\/em\u003e, the infamous noun, can be defined precisely as ‘a strong feeling of affection’. But that’s not Missy’s experience of love. For her, affection and passion play second fiddle to commitment and pledges. It’s not Elizabeth’s sense of the word, either; she’s got it pegged as intimacy and confidences.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Then there’s Claire, for whom love is bed, and Bea, who has spent a lifetime pondering the true meaning of love – right up until the fateful October morning on which this story starts. But is it ever possible to pick genuine, ‘true’ love out in an identity parade? Or is love more like the Sami Eskimo concept of snow: summed up only in two hundred different words, and never falling the same way twice?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Sarah Holt’s debut novel is chick-lit with a twist, romantic fiction taken to its post-modern conclusion: ingenious, imaginative, surprisingly informative, and above all, a terrific read.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSarah Holt \u003c\/strong\u003ewas born in Wythenshawe, 1984, and grew up in Manchester. A former journalist for the\u003cem\u003e Lincolnshire Echo\u003c\/em\u003e, she now lives in Hertfordshire, concentrating on fiction and travel writing – the latter has taken her to more than thirty countries, and led to articles published in \u003cem\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eGuardian\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041313464,"sku":"9781908853370","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_press_-_love_and_eskimo_snow_1.jpeg?v=1752237265"},{"product_id":"a-call-in-the-night","title":"A Call in the Night","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne of three pamphlets of award winning short stories published Grist Books, an anthology publisher supported by the University of Huddersfield.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eA dying man sits down to write a note to his infant son.\u003cbr\u003eA woman haunted by nightmares reaches for a helpline.\u003cbr\u003eA woman is stalked by a creep with a strange fetish.\u003cbr\u003eConjoined twins have very different ideas for their futures.\u003cbr\u003eIn Leimon's startling debut collection, the darkly comic is fused with the unexpected.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGabrielle Leimon \u003c\/strong\u003eis a Scottish born author and this is her first professionally published work. It is composed of stories written whilst studying at the University of Huddersfield. Gabrielle always wanted to write as it allows for a career of playing God, profanity and generally being praised for making stuff up.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041319480,"sku":"9780956309952","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/a_call_in_the_night_-_cover.jpeg?v=1752236601"},{"product_id":"escape-kit","title":"Escape Kit","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of three pamphlets of award winning short stories published Grist Books, an anthology publisher supported by the University of Huddersfield.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eBradley is a fourteen-year-old school boy who escapes his troubled home life to visit his grandparents in Stevenage. On the train there, he is held hostage by a deluded gunman who thinks he is an escaped PoW from WWII and that Bradley is a member of the Hitler Youth. Now Bradley must try and escape using his mobile phone. William Thirsk-Gaskill’s novella is a gripping and beautifully told tale of innocence and experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Thirsk-Gaskill \u003c\/strong\u003ehas had short stories published by Grist, The Fiction Desk, and 5 Minute Fiction. He is also a poet. His one-man show, Throwing Mother In The Skip, appeared at the 2013 Ilkley Literature Festival. His work deals with delusion, betrayal, loss, and self-discovery. His twitter name is @wthirskgaskill.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041319808,"sku":"9780956309945","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/escape_kit_-_cover.jpeg?v=1752236601"},{"product_id":"cowboy-genes","title":"Cowboy Genes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne of three pamphlets of award winning short stories published Grist Books, an anthology publisher supported by the University of Huddersfield.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eA woman who is recovering from surgery makes sense of her life by connecting to the harsh, stoic world of Westerns.\u003cbr\u003eA woman is visited by her brother who has just been released from a psychiatric institution.\u003cbr\u003eThree eccentric sisters come together when one is diagnosed with terminal cancer.\u003cbr\u003eTwo girls are fascinated by the local outsider who paints obscene pictures.\u003cbr\u003eAn artist suffers a terrible car accident and becomes obsessed with repeating the same sculptures.\u003cbr\u003eIn Wes Lee's beautiful lyrical debut collection of short fiction, the shadow of death looms.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWes Lee \u003c\/strong\u003eis a poet and short fiction writer from the north of England, currently living in Wellington, New Zealand. She was the 2010 recipient of The BNZ Katherine Mansfield Literary Award, New Zealand’s foremost award for the short story. Her writing has appeared in many of the major UK and NZ literary magazines; on BBC Radio and NZ’s BFM, and has been widely anthologised.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041319944,"sku":"9780956309938","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/cowboy_genes_-_cover.jpeg?v=1752236600"},{"product_id":"gatecrashing-europe","title":"Gatecrashing Europe","description":"\u003cb\u003eNew edition of the travel classic, in which wise-cracking Kris Mole visits every capital city on mainland Europe, without handling or spending any money.\u003c\/b\u003e  In 2007, Kris Mole flew one-way to Stockholm with a vow not to return home to England until he had visited every capital city in the mainland European Union. He set himself eight simple rules, most importantly A) that no money would be spent or handled during the journey, and B) no credit cards would be used either. Thus, the great Euro Freebie Challenge began: twenty-three cities to be visited, 6000 miles to be covered, without spending a single penny on the journey – to raise money, in fact, for Cancer Research UK.  The colourful story of this six-month trip was first told by the charismatic, wise-cracking author via a series of blogs, and followed by readers of \u003cem\u003eThe Daily Mail\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/em\u003e and the BBC website. Readers found Kris drawing on his formidable resourcefulness to acquire all of life’s necessities for free, resting wherever he could find a place, and travelling by foot, hitch-hiking, or stowing away on trains – experiencing, as you might expect, a wild eventful ride in the process. ","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":32518833799246,"sku":"9781912436248","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/original_1f3c738c-d968-4250-948b-174f7d55ead6.jpg?v=1752238073"},{"product_id":"here-s-looking-at-you-kid","title":"Here’s Looking at You Kid","description":"\u003cp\u003eThese ‘requested poems’ have been brought together for \u003cem\u003eHere’s Looking at You Kid\u003c\/em\u003e, the long-awaited follow-up to Helen’s much-loved first volume The Ruby Slippers. Readers will discover the secrets of ‘hospital lingo’, find out why dogs are so especially kind, learn how to handle mothers who are at ‘that difficult age between 81 and 81-and-a-half’, and the lurid details of ‘what they found in the poet’s stomach’. The collection also features the return of Helen’s charming notes on each poem, and an introduction by the author – ‘why I (still) write’.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041358028,"sku":"9781908853424","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_press_-_here_s_looking_at_you_kid.jpeg?v=1752237246"},{"product_id":"the-ringmaster-s-apprentice","title":"The Ringmaster’s Apprentice","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardwick’s\u003c\/strong\u003e world closely resembles our own until we look close and see a retired Elvis gardening in suburbia, Charlie Chaplin weaving between the stalled cars on the M25, and dragons’ grandchildren whispering under the bed.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a world where the ghosts of Bacchantes stir the sleep of cats, a mysterious woman struggles with her umbrella on every street corner, and flowers fall unexpectedly from a clear sky. Above all, it is a world of illumination, in which satori of sorts may be glimpsed in the most unlikely of places as you move almost imperceptibly across divides you didn’t notice, all the while watched over by the kaleidoscope eyes of \u003cem\u003eThe Ringmaster’s Apprentice\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Book","offer_id":1041358104,"sku":"9781908853431","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/valley_press_-_the_ringmasters_apprentice.jpeg?v=1752236957"},{"product_id":"all","title":"ALL","description":"\u003cp\u003e“In \u003cstrong\u003eRobert Powell’s \u003c\/strong\u003ewonderful new collection we have poems of wisdom and insight, poems which combine lambent descriptions of time and place, of a natural and a spiritual world, all haunted by a younger self. Powell’s ability to understand and convey the messiness, tragedies and beauties of life, demonstrate what a very fine poet he is. Full of startling observations, these are the thoughts and perceptions of a mature writer, gloriously mining free verse and more formal poetic forms to brilliant effect. I read in a kind of hushed awe.” - James Nash\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRobert Powell was born in Ottawa, Canada, in 1954, and now lives in York. He is the Director of Beam, an arts, architecture and education charity based in Wakefield. His first collection \u003cem\u003eHarvest of Light\u003c\/em\u003e was published in 2007 by Canada’s Stone Flower Press, and was adapted into a live performance for Ilkley Literature Festival in 2009. He was the winner of the 2012 Elmet Prize, and his poems have appeared in \u003cem\u003eOrbis\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Rialto\u003c\/em\u003e, as well as numerous Canadian journals.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":1070600840,"sku":"9781908853448","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_ALL.jpg?v=1752239757"},{"product_id":"seahouses","title":"Seahouses","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn his first collection of poetry, Richard Barnett turns a precise gaze and a musical sensibility on the worlds we inherit and the worlds we make for ourselves. In the award-winning title sequence, the sea sifts and rolls through the dreams of an old man asleep in a deckchair, conjuring a vision of England’s history and our human crossings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeahouses\u003c\/em\u003e is a distinctively English work of low modernism, cranky, eloquent, broken-hearted. It is a book for people who read Hill, but who wish he’d be less marmoreal; people who read Paterson \u0026amp; Robinson, but who wish they’d drop the pose sometimes \u0026amp; fucking well cheer up; people who are smart and musical and angry, but who don’t want to read yet another version of the \u003cem\u003eDuino Elegies\u003c\/em\u003e or ‘The Wood of Suicides’; people who love history, but hate National Trust Houses; people who read nature poetry, but who don’t hate cities; people who walk by the cliffs; people who’ve had their hearts broken, \u0026amp; who’ve broken someone else’s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRichard Barnett\u003c\/strong\u003e studied medicine in London before becoming a historian, and is now a freelance writer and broadcaster. His history books include \u003cem\u003eThe Sick Rose: Disease and the Art of Medical Illustration\u003c\/em\u003e (Thames \u0026amp; Hudson, 2014).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":1170816836,"sku":"9781908853462","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Seahouses.jpg?v=1752239753"},{"product_id":"life-class","title":"Life Class","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJo Reed\u003c\/strong\u003e’s second collection offers readers more of her trademark mix of memory, myth and magic; a window to a unique world where the unvarnished reality of OAP shopping trips (‘Finding the deepest trolleys, we fill our day’) sits alongside breath taking flights of imagination (‘a turtle sings, fathoms deep, a boy held safe upon her back.’)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe magic of\u003cem\u003e Life Class\u003c\/em\u003e is found in the single consciousness that connects the poems; be they set in the world of 1960s Soho, on the edge of an estuary, on a Greek island, or in the hearts and minds of Jo’s inimitable female protagonists (and the men they love - or more frequently, tolerate).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":1242518636,"sku":"9781908853493","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Life_Class.jpg?v=1752239506"},{"product_id":"the-boy-in-the-mirror","title":"The Boy in the Mirror","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“When you turn on the bathroom light your reflection \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003estares numbly back at you, gormless and vacant. You blink. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eYour eyes are yellow, as is your skin. You’ve lost weight: \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eyour pyjamas hang off your arms like the wilting leaves of \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003ea dying plant.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou stare at yourself in the mirror for several surreal \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eminutes. The thing before you is not you. But it is.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn January 2011, aged 21, \u003cstrong\u003eTom Preston\u003c\/strong\u003e was diagnosed with stage 4 advanced aggressive lymphoma. His chances of survival were optimistically placed at around 40%. This short, autobiographical work tells the story of the fight in the months that followed – but this is no ordinary cancer memoir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Boy in the Mirror\u003c\/em\u003e is written in the second person – so the events in this book are happening to you, the reader, living through the hope, love, suffering, death and black comedy encountered by Tom during the battle to save himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"A raw account of his months of excrutiating pioneering treatment.\" \u003c\/em\u003e- The Sunday Times\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"This is ultimately a book about love, trust, and overcoming death-defying odds.\" - \u003c\/i\u003eThe Sun\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":4258060741,"sku":"9781908853530","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/penned_in_the_margins_-_boy_in_the_mirror.jpg?v=1752239504"},{"product_id":"the-finest-years-me","title":"The Finest Years \u0026 Me","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt is 1942, and the war is not going well for Britain. Winston Churchill faces enemies across the world, inside his own parliament, and within his very body and soul. His former ‘batman’ Jamie Melville, having left London in 1919 to build a life of his own, has been struck with a bitter tragedy. Glimpses of the man he used to be are becoming increasingly rare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt takes an unexpected proposal from the Minister of Information to return Jamie to London, to stand beside his old Colonel at his time of greatest need. From the murky underground corridors of Whitehall to Washington D.C. and the Oval Office itself, Jamie is at the centre of high-end decision making, intrigue, treachery and betrayal. Amidst it all, he encounters the beguiling Meredith Macaulay, who has Jamie ultimately questioning his own values.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was redemption that originally brought this odd couple together. Now, twenty-five years later, it is Jamie Melville who, in seeking his own personal salvation, unwittingly holds the key that will help to win the Allies victory – and deliver Winston, and Britain, to their finest hour.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":5843376197,"sku":"9781908853561","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_The_Finest_Years_and_Me.jpg?v=1752239745"},{"product_id":"the-learned-goose","title":"The Learned Goose","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Learned Goose\u003c\/em\u003e is a collection preoccupied with storytelling and the search for answers, often in surprising and ill-considered places. The learned goose was a genuine 18th century touring sensation: a goose that could predict the future, tell time and read you like a book. The learned goose is oxymoronic in nature; geese are considered silly creatures, regulars in fairytales and rich pickings for derogatory idioms and expressions, and yet here we are turning to a goose for answers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom reimagining historical petit récits to contemporary misgivings, \u003cem\u003eThe Learned Goose\u003c\/em\u003e is a compendium of voices. The collection is arranged into fairytale motifs: Taboo Tales, Tales without Magic and Tales of Rebirth; a reminder of why we turn to words for comfort.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":5972507845,"sku":"9781908853554","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/9781908853554.jpg?v=1752239743"},{"product_id":"history","title":"History","description":"In \u003cstrong\u003eDavid O’Hanlon\u003c\/strong\u003e’s first full-length collection, precise, piercing language illuminates tales from actual, mythical and personal history – making all three seem immediate, contemporary and universal. Readers will hear how ‘four unacquainted deaf men published near-identical essays deconstructing the assumed importance of sound’, find new ways of reading the stories of Orpheus, Sisypus, Tantalus et al., and learn of a young man’s twelve-year struggle to paint an authentic picture of the sky.","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":9466990533,"sku":"9781908853578","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_History.jpg?v=1752239502"},{"product_id":"mr-jolly","title":"Mr Jolly","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMr Jolly\u003c\/em\u003e is the first collection of short stories by \u003cstrong\u003eMichael Stewart\u003c\/strong\u003e, and contains some of the award-winning novelist’s most extraordinary writing to date. Each tale offers a unique, utterly compelling insight into the human condition, framed by a mind-bendingly original concept that no other writer working today could – or indeed would – have concocted. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders will meet a conformity-obsessed league of bald men, breaking into homes for an extended debate about the nature of freedom; discuss the nomenclature of the marshmallow with a man whose single goal in life is to witness them accidentally skewered on stiletto heels; and meet God, in perhaps the most frustrating (yet believable) depiction of the divine being in modern literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLast phone calls, alien abductions, murders and more are grounded in stories of struggling parents, baffled lovers and lost children (some of who may live permanently on\u003cbr\u003ethe number 606 bus). However long you live, and however much you read, you’ll never come across another book quite like this.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":9467657861,"sku":"9781908853608","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Mr_Jolly_FINAL.jpg?v=1752239742"},{"product_id":"reward-for-winter","title":"Reward for Winter","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Those who admire Di Slaney’s sophisticated and dextrous poems will be deeply grateful for this first full collection. Swinging to the rhythms of farm life, the book takes in a wide range of tones, from the humour of ‘How to knit a sheep’ to the transcendent lyricism of the collection’s title poem ... [it also] includes a highly original sequence about chickens and egg-laying. Beautifully-crafted and very moving.\" -Jonathan Edwards, poet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2005, Di Slaney abandoned her urban existence to become the custodian of an ancient farmhouse in Nottinghamshire, populating it with – at the last count – 150 animals, most of them rescued. \u003cem\u003eReward for Winter\u003c\/em\u003e tells that story on three levels: the earthy triumphs and tribulations of a novice smallholder; the history of Bilsthorpe from Viking settlement through Civil War to coal mining in the 1920s; and the quirky and affecting biography of one of the farm’s chickens.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The land, the generations who have tended it and Di’s animals are given voice, from the humorous ‘How to knit a sheep’ to the intimate, illuminating cycle focusing on a single chicken – learn, among other fascinating details, what dictates the colour of your breakfast egg. \u003cem\u003eReward for Winter\u003c\/em\u003e also explores Bilsthorpe’s hidden histories: lost landmarks Ingar’s Holt and Labour-in-Vain; an Elizabethan witch trial; a concealed Cavalier king and seventeenth-century adultery. This book stands as both a fascinating work of non-fiction and an elegant and accomplished volume of poems, offering the reader an escape hatch to the country and a lungful of bracing air.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":9493923461,"sku":"9781908853639","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Reward_for_Winter.jpg?v=1752239741"},{"product_id":"the-wild-gods","title":"The Wild Gods","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eThe Wild Gods\u003c\/em\u003e is the debut pamphlet from Danish-born, London-based poet \u003cstrong\u003eMalene Engelund\u003c\/strong\u003e. Meticulously constructed and honed over the last two years, these poems offer fresh approaches to works of art and their artists, owls and their feathers, horses and their bridles, where we all come from and where we are going…\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":9494200389,"sku":"9781908853622","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Wild_Gods.jpg?v=1752239220"},{"product_id":"he-tells-the-story","title":"Quick","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuick\u003c\/em\u003e is the first collection of poems by\u003cstrong\u003e Peter Spafford\u003c\/strong\u003e; a professional writer for more than twenty years, appearing in print here for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy day, Spafford writes scripts for theatre, radio, musical theatre and opera. His poems are, out of necessity, creatures of the night; all the pieces in this collection dodged the searchlights and crept under the wire in the last five years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey are drawn from family relationships, friendships, a love of language and from the varied settings of his work: in prisons, schools, museums, hospitals and on the streets. Most of them have a story at their heart; stories which can now be told.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":9739365637,"sku":"9781908853660","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Quick.jpg?v=1752239500"},{"product_id":"homecoming-1","title":"Homecoming","description":"By necessity, to come home is to look with fresh eyes at what is familiar. \u003cstrong\u003eJoanna Ezekiel\u003c\/strong\u003e’s exquisite second collection captures this experience with a combination of quiet observation and vivid sensuality. She draws on her British Jewish upbringing and Indian Jewish heritage to explore what it means to belong – to a family, to a country, to a culture – in poems that sing with warmth and generosity. Playful juxtapositions of characters and landscapes create a sense of the unexpected, and her treatment of the past is as subtle as her commentary on the present. Evocative and tender, \u003cem\u003eHomecoming\u003c\/em\u003e is a collection that invites the reader into an unfamiliar place and makes them feel at home.","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":17322398405,"sku":"9781908853653","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Homecoming.jpg?v=1752239499"},{"product_id":"shenanigans","title":"Shenanigans","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eShenanigans\u003c\/em\u003e is the highly anticipated second collection by award winning poet \u003cstrong\u003ePatrick Lodge\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the Irish sionnachuighim, meaning “I play the fox,” ‘shenanigans’ can be found throughout this cleverly crafted collection – in wry remark and delicate wordplay, in the interweaving of distinct landscapes and\u003cbr\u003evoices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt once familiar and strange, Lodge’s poems are rich in detail and narrative – astute observations that transport the reader to a whole new world with each turn of the page.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":17735839173,"sku":"9781908853707","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Shenanigans.jpg?v=1752239731"},{"product_id":"take-this-one-to-bed","title":"Take This One to Bed","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe poems in \u003cem\u003eTake This One to Bed \u003c\/em\u003eexplore the passions and tensions of how we live together – as neighbours, as families and as lovers – and as companions to our own various selves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere are stories of experience and imagination – of a man’s clothes taking on a life of their own, of a city overcome by an epidemic of weeping, of two goldfish in an emptying house: touching and enchanting tales that combine bittersweet comedy with an unflinching account of human nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the heart of this deeply affecting collection are poems that dwell on the domestic crises that define our lives, that tell ‘how our hurts come down… Hard and without warning’, and ask how we might come to live with them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTake This One to Bed \u003c\/em\u003eis a memorable, thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting response, in a poetry ‘made delightful by the elegance of Dunn’s art’ (Acumen).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":27107929225,"sku":"9781908853745","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Take_This_One_to_Bed.jpg?v=1752240839"},{"product_id":"sparks","title":"Sparks","description":"\u003cem\u003eSparks \u003c\/em\u003eis the third collection of passionate, poignant poetry from much-loved Hull-based author \u003cstrong\u003eNorah Hanson\u003c\/strong\u003e. The fiery wit and hard-won wisdom that characterised her previous collections are here, intact, with a new level of clarity and purpose adding weight to the words - without losing the warmth, wonder, and laugh-out-loud observational skills that have won Norah readers across the world. Now six-times a great-grandmother, the poet's life experience shines through each page. There are no riddles or literary exercises here; Norah's refreshingly (and deceptively) direct language seems to rise from the earth itself.","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":27698740361,"sku":"9781908853769","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Sparks.jpg?v=1752239726"},{"product_id":"madame-bildungsroman-s-optimistic-worldview","title":"Madame Bildungsroman's Optimistic Worldview","description":"In this collection of 'fragments, pensees and table-talk', \u003cb\u003eNora Chassler\u003c\/b\u003e turns her attention to the great questions of contemporary life and literature, aided by a papier-mƒch‚ mannequin named Madame Bildungsroman. Together, they exclaim visions and visitations, proclamations and protestations, fierce one-liners and bittersweet memories; each offering a unique insight into the mind of one of our most original writers.","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":38041847625,"sku":"9781908853820","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Madame_Bildungsroman.png?v=1752240295"},{"product_id":"mountain-stories","title":"Mountain Stories","description":"\u003cspan\u003eChina’s Qinling Mountains are as rich in legend as they are in wildlife. In these six tales from nationally bestselling author \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eYe Guangqin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, tigers, pandas, monkeys and bears live alongside the region’s equally various human residents – some striving to ‘keep apace with the times’, others struggling to save their way of life from the onslaught of nationwide change. Both have much to learn from each other.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeautifully highlighting the absurdity of everyday human interactions, and the potential for tragedy when the lives of animals become entangled with ours, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eMountain Stories\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a stunning, enthralling collection that will transport international readers to a rarely-seen part of our world; the perfect introduction to a major new voice in world literature.\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":38041852041,"sku":"9781908853813","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Mountain_Stories.png?v=1752240291"},{"product_id":"verse-matters","title":"Verse Matters","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eVerse Matters \u003c\/i\u003eharnesses the power of everyday stories, highlighting the strength and inspiration that comes from speaking out proudly in unsettled times. This anthology of poems and prose, edited by award-winning Sheffield-based writers \u003cb\u003eHelen Mort \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003eRachel Bower\u003c\/b\u003e, brings a diverse range of voices to the fore, from celebrated contemporary poets like \u003cb\u003eMalika Booker\u003c\/b\u003e,\u003cb\u003e Liz Berry\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eHollie McNish\u003c\/b\u003e to first-time published writers from home and abroad.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat brings them together is the extraordinary, ordinary tales they tell each other, and their determination to be heard.\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41557098441,"sku":"9781908853875","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Verse_Matters.jpg?v=1752240835"},{"product_id":"forever-now","title":"Forever, Now","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHelen Cadbury\u003c\/b\u003e's \u003ci\u003eForever,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e Now\u003c\/i\u003e charts the lives of extraordinary, ordinary humans, including the poet herself; but also those she has lived among, worked with, observed on buses and trains or discovered in the archives. Sometimes those true beginnings spiral into fiction, sometimes they remain autobiographical, as they tell moving and universal stories of love and loss, grief and new beginnings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmily Dickinson wrote that 'forever is comprised of nows'. This collection will affirm the sense that 'now' is the only thing we truly have – and reveal it as something to be celebrated and acknowledged, not least in this remarkable book, which offers Helen's devoted readership a chance to discover the full breadth of her compassion for characters and talent for telling their stories.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41557098825,"sku":"9781908853943","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Forever_Now.jpg?v=1752239700"},{"product_id":"quantum-theory-for-cats","title":"Quantum Theory for Cats","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter giving a voice to both of Schrödinger’s pets (grumpy, and largely conceptual), Ian Stuart shows us a touching scene after spontaneous tears in Waterstones, addresses some body parts which are not what they once were, then visits the lives (and deaths) of Shakespeare’s greatest characters after the final curtain fell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, there are funerals and regrets, a doppelganger gives the author something to aspire to, and we hear stories from the homeless, the bus pass holders, and the unborn. Moving gracefully between humour and tragedy, this is a long-overdue introduction to an intriguing new\u003cbr\u003e voice in UK poetry.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41557105033,"sku":"9781908853905","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Quantum_Theory_for_Cats.jpg?v=1752239210"},{"product_id":"gifts-the-mole-gave-me","title":"Gifts the Mole Gave Me","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eGifts the Mole Gave Me\u003c\/i\u003e is an unearthing of life, a rediscovery of self after loss, and a search for the pleasurable, velvet touch of the mole’s dark journey. It is a hymn to the wild places; to the sea, the sky and the mind, in which anxieties and griefs flit and hover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poems explore cycles of repetition, renewed attempts, vicious and virtuous circles – again and again, over and over, round and round. Things are tidal; ‘the pull of the moon in your blood’, the annual mark of a lost child’s birthday, the cyclical nature of a ‘madness’ worn around the neck like a locket.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMapping the veins and pathways of the body as surely as it does the dry stone walls and rural boundaries of the exterior, this is an accomplished and compelling collection which confirms its author’s place at the heart of UK poetry.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41557109129,"sku":"9781908853882","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Gifts_the_Mole_Gave_Me.jpg?v=1752240282"},{"product_id":"bone-ovation","title":"Bone Ovation","description":"Bird, beast or man, we each have the same element at our core: bones. While our forms may change, the bones always remain – and in this thrilling debut, the poet celebrates their beauty and structure though folk tales, philosophy, day dreams and night terrors. Aided by a host of characters including a girl who fell in love with a mountain, a woman who can only ever look at you sideways, and a man made of bees,\u003cb\u003e Caroline Hardaker\u003c\/b\u003e creates a dozen unforgettable worlds entirely her own.","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41557110665,"sku":"9781908853899","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Bone_Ovation.jpg?v=1752239210"},{"product_id":"this-is-not-a-stunt","title":"This is Not a Stunt","description":"In these poems, living with disability  or being trans are not tragedies to overcome but ways of being, with their own humour, romance, stories and mundanity. Embracing the ordinary (‘We’re middle-aged, of course. Life rolls on’) and the remarkable, \u003cb\u003eCath Nichols\u003c\/b\u003e revisits her childhood in New Zealand and her teenage years in Kent, before crossing several decades (and haircuts) on the gay scene in Manchester. At the heart of the collection is a sequence, ‘Bo(d)y-in-waiting’, a forthright and intimately observed narrative of Nichols’s partner as a trans teenager in an unwitting decade, thwarted and misunderstood at every turn by vacuous doctors and sceptical teachers. Readers will discover why ‘each body is a  act of becoming’, and be left with a new appreciation of what makes us human.","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41557126153,"sku":"9781908853868","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_This_is_Not_a_Stunt.jpg?v=1752240274"},{"product_id":"landfill","title":"Landfill","description":"If the history of civilisation has been a journey away from our rubbish, \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Wedgwood Clarke\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003ci\u003eLandfill\u003c\/i\u003e seeks to reverse that journey; to get us behind the chain-link fence of the dump and witness the sublime mess we’ve made of things. Clarke marvels at the ‘confessions of a people’, at archaeology in the making, with poems about old cookers, fridges, fluorescent tubes and heaps of plastic bottles. Out of their usual locations, these objects become strangely eloquent about the shape of our lives. Acknowledging that the beautiful view and decluttered house depend on the dump, Clarke responds here with neither cynicism nor sentiment; instead offering fresh perspective on a vital yet hidden part of our world.","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41579856521,"sku":"9781908853844","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/Valley_Press_-_Landfill.jpg?v=1752240833"},{"product_id":"trace-elements","title":"Trace Elements","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eTrace Elements\u003c\/i\u003e, his first collection in eight years, Nigel Forde takes us on a quintessentially English journey through life and memory, exploring love, landscape, music and those difficult moments we all share but few can put into words. Though there is great sadness along the way, it is beautifully balanced with fine humour – the yin and yang of a life well-lived.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis powerful collection of poems deals with the darker side of childhood and throws light on the sinuous intricacies of music; a subject notoriously difficult to write about, but tackled here in several illuminating sections. It is also, at its heart, a paean to the English landscape; its beauty, its mystery and its soul-soothing qualities.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":1971619987465,"sku":"9781908853912","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/original_162aad48-8e67-48f6-b070-541acf3ef91f.jpg?v=1752240832"},{"product_id":"how-old-dan-became-a-tree","title":"How Old Dan Became a Tree","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this boundary-breaking collection of short stories,\u003cb\u003e Yang Zhengguang\u003c\/b\u003e, the dark horse of contemporary Chinese literature, unflinchingly dissects the passions and sexual mores of the past. By his own admission, he aims to “unsettle” the reader with black humour and filmic vividness, enticing them into a world where vendettas, humiliation, grave-robbing and murder are an integral part of everyday life in a rural Chinese province untethered from reality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese stories, available in English for the first time, include the inspiration for the 2001 film How Harry Became a Tree, for which Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic relocated the action to 1920s Ireland; and for which Colm Meaney, starring alongside Cillian Murphy, won an Irish Film \u0026amp; Television Award for Best Actor. Now, this intriguing volume is set to introduce Yang Zhengguang’s unique view of 20th-century China to a whole new global audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":12234202644558,"sku":"9781908853967","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/jpg_rgb_0650h_73e9b22d-6e37-4275-9628-fd6d530e3785.jpg?v=1752240252"},{"product_id":"moon-milk","title":"Moon Milk","description":"\u003cp\u003eThrough pregnancy, birth and early childhood, \u003cb\u003eRachel Bower\u003c\/b\u003e’s poetry takes us on an unsentimental journey from womb to world. Along the way, she explores the largely unmapped territories of loss, bewilderment, shame, transformation and betrayal, and reclaims the intimate histories, mythologies and wisdom our bodies share.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis thought-provoking collection takes a frank, unflinching look at the joys and challenges of modern parenting, moving seamlessly between the mysterious, almost magical stages that make us what we are – people who create people.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Valley Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":12234203267150,"sku":"9781908853837","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0441\/7369\/products\/original_3.jpg?v=1752239208"}],"url":"https:\/\/inpressbooks.co.uk\/collections\/valley-press-1\/maithreyi-hughes.oembed","provider":"Inpress Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}