2025's roll call of exhibitors will feature some exciting new talent as well as more established authors and of course a few local writers groups who just love coming back to us.
Here's who we have signed up so far...
Ahmed Handy
When British Arab and “Southerner” Dr Ahmed Handy suddenly found himself working as a junior doctor in the Midlands (a part of the country with which he was wholly unfamiliar … and which was equally unfamiliar with people like him), he was faced with something of a culture shock.
But that was only the beginning of his bizarre junior doctor experience.
Through this humorous and heartfelt memoir, Dr Handy imparts his extensive collection of astounding and hilarious stories about the various quirky doctors and nurses he worked alongside, ranging from the mildly eccentric to the overtly sociopathic.
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From a Gynaecologist so petty he copyrighted his own consent forms, to an anally retentive Orthopaedic surgeon with practices so bewildering that the accompanying junior simply wrote a question mark in the patient’s notes, ‘Quacks’ is a memoir full of characters and experiences so outrageous they will make you gasp in shock and laugh out loud in equal measure.
The son of two Iraqi doctors, Ahmed Handy was born and raised in East Anglia. After graduating from medical school in London, fierce competition for training places forced him to relocate to the Midlands, where he began his training as a junior doctor. Five years later, he qualified as a General Practitioner, and he currently works as a GP and part-time medical educator in the East Midlands. He is married with a young son.
From a young age he has hugely enjoyed writing, and ‘Quacks’ is his first book
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556409015545
X/Twitter: https://x.com/drahmedhandy
Alistair Birch
The Girl from Berchtesgaden was written By Alistair Birch and Kim Rigby.
In early 1930s Germany, life for the Stiepermann family was simple yet idyllic. Artistic
Ingrid and her inventive brother Dieter loved the freedom of the Bavarian Alps, but
that was before the Jew haters surfaced in their society.
Fueled by Nazi ideologies, Stefan Weiss and his friends suppress and destroy
anyone who opposes their beliefs.
While one family battles for supremacy, another is torn apart.
Fleeing the tyranny, Ingrid, and her brother escape to London. Seemingly safe from
danger, can Ingrid save her family as war threatens?
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Alistair Birch is a thriller writer and occasional poet. In June 2024 came the release of a co-authored epic historical thriller, The Girl from Berchtesgaden. He followed this up with his spectacular psychological thriller, The Evil Within, set in eighties Oxfordshire. And then in spring 2025 came a two-action thriller set, Shadow Pursuit and Shadow Play.
All books are on Kindle Unlimited.
Outside of storytelling, his poems range from rather silly to tackling deeper mental health challenges.
He occasionally runs around his home village and has been known to complete the odd half or full marathon but this is all for fun and friendship rather than being super speedy.
https://www.alistairbirch.com/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Alistair-Birch/author/B08572RMYD
Carly Perkins-Turvey
Meet Barty the bear and some of his family and friends as he goes in search of the biscuits he loves!
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When Luna borrows a rubber tiger from the nursery and brings it home to join her on many adventures with her family for the entire bank holiday weekend!
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A wife and a mother of a three year old daughter and a 11 month old baby boy currently on maternity leave, with a huge love of teddy bears since a child (taking them everywhere until the age of 12!), a vivid imagination and penchant for creating stories based on what her toddler gets up to both in nursery and at home along with using my own imagination about what my teddy bears get up to but with meanings in the books, Bears Buddies - Barty is the first of my newest series which also teaches the meaning of forgiveness and sharing with a lot of biscuits involved!
A lover of animals (dogs) having previously both fostered and adopted along with having previously volunteered at an animal rescue, a huge gamer with a broad amount of games and an avid reader when her children allow. Based in Warwickshire.
Celia Tandy
What if you meet the right person at the wrong time?
Adam and Mordros spend one idyllic summer together in Cornwall. But at the end of the summer, Adam leaves and breaks his promise to stay in touch.
Fifteen years later, and Mordros still doesn't know why she lost the love of her life.
But life goes on and now she's in Broadsham organising her aunt's 70th birthday party. The last thing she expects is to bump into Adam again.
He's a lawyer now and involved in the village campaign to save the 250 year old Broadsham pear tree from developers. And when Mordros joins the protest, the pear tree's future suddenly becomes just as important as their own.​
The campaign to save the 250-year-old Cubbington pear tree was the inspiration behind the Broadsham pear tree’s story. I took liberties with the time frame but tried to keep faith with the spirit of the original campaign.​
I’m Celia and I write contemporary uplifting romances. My books are full of love, friendship, hope and second chances.
I live locally and love visiting the Cotswolds and having holidays in Cornwall. Both beautiful places are settings for my stories.
For half my working life, I worked in the legal world, but in my 40s I retrained to become a qualified teacher in post 16 education. I loved helping people improve their literacy skills so that they could get jobs or move onto higher education. I’m still passionate about making learning accessible to everyone.
In 2021, I took early retirement and began writing my first book. I love using my experiences in my stories.
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pear-Tree-Broadsham-Romance/dp/1068563702
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BROKEN-PIECES-US-CELIA-TANDY/dp/B0CH2P1K96
My Instagram: @celiatandybooks
My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551020454515#
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Coral Perfitt
There's another mystery for Frances Bell to solve with her family of sleuths. After a
mysterious boy enters their lives, Frances can’t help investigating. Everyone seems
to have a secret, so when her daughter Ann moves to the seaside with a young
family, she just wants a normal life with plenty of sea air. But the secrets continue,
while 1871 proves to be a deadly year in Seaham. Added to that, Ann has inherited her mother’s hatred of injustice, which brings them head-to-head with Augustus Thorn (aka the Wasp) and his dangerous grandfather. As the story develops, otherswant to get the better of the Thorns too. Can they all work together to bring them down?
Two generations; one desire for justice.
This is the second in a trilogy that follows three generations of amateur detectives unravelling mysteries, with the tenacious Frances Bell at the helm. There’s plenty of injustice to address in the nineteenth century, along with a lot of intrigue and danger, but it’s hard to keep the Bells and Youngs away when someone falls into misfortune! Amidst their adventures, love and friendship blossom.​
Coral has lived and worked in Warwickshire for many years, including eight years aboard a narrowboat—a lifestyle of adventure and independence that helped shape her storytelling. Now settled in a village near Banbury, she writes historical mystery and romance fiction, inspired by three generations of her 19th-century ancestors. She transforms them into amateur sleuths, leading them into intrigue and danger.
Her trilogy begins with The Same Side of the Moon and Written in Silver, with the third book currently under construction. Coral is an independent author.
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You can find her on Instagram @coral_perfitt_author,
or at her website: www.silverslatefiction.co.uk
Ian Williamson
London, 1969. Great Britain has flourished under National Socialist rule since its integration into the Third Reich after the Second Great War – a war Great Britain lost – and the nation is at peace. Or so it seems.
A psychedelic drug named Yonder has taken the working class population by storm, and has become a figurehead for a “silent protest” against the Nationalist Socialist regime. It is now the single greatest threat to social order, and must be stopped.
British-born Detective Sergeant John Highsmith – an officer in the Metropolitan Police’s Drug Enforcement Squad – is a member of the Task Force dedicated to achieving just this. But the job is not so straightforward, and when John is confronted with violence, torture, and death, only his stead-fast loyalty to National Socialism will protect him as he puts his life on the line – in the name of the Reich.
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A harrowing tale of what might have been, In the Name of the Reich examines how Nazi rule would have warped British society and a young man raised under it. It is uncompromising in its depiction, and aims to revolutionise this genre of fiction.
Ian M. Williamson graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2015 after studying History and Hispanic Studies, where his historical interests were based largely in 20th century world politics. These studies fostered a lifelong intrigue in what might have been, and provided an insightful basis for his work on an alternate history narrative.
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Miss Wedd
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Coming soon - pending publication
Joanne Barker
Laura has married hundreds of people. Now she’s starting to worry no one will marry her.
Following a string of disastrous relationships, Laura fears she’ll only ever walk down the aisle as a celebrant conducting the ceremony. On her 30th birthday, when her boyfriend of three weeks fails to turn up to the pub, she solemnly promises herself she’ll never be misled by a man again.
Then Rob, a rival celebrant, arrives on the scene. Charismatic and dangerously competitive, Rob is just the kind of guy Laura needs to avoid. Yet, even as his actions threaten her career and might put her favourite wedding photographer, Jake, out of business, this new boy in town could steal her heart as well as her clients.
Will it all end in tears or can she find her own happy ever after?​
Joanne Barker is a self-published author, born and raised in the Warwickshire villages of Stockton and Napton and an alumni of Southam School. Her debut novel, The Joy of Jars, a second chance romance, loosely based on her own life as a single mum in Solihull, was shortlisted in a national writing competition in 2018. Joanne started her career as a Birmingham journalist before moving to public sector communications, working for the NHS, local councils, The NEC Group, and the civil service. After taking early retirement in March this year, she is pursuing her ambitions of writing more books, including her latest romance, Miss Wedd, becoming a celebrant conducting weddings and funerals and launching a self-publishing services startup, Penny Black Press, from her home in Worcestershire.
Ray Martin
Do you ever feel as if your home, career, partner, family and friends tie you down? What if you were to let go of just one of these? How about all of them? How could you direct yourself without your usual, predictable conditions, comforts, and familiar routines?
In 2005, shattered by divorce and the loss of my father, that became my challenge. I let go of being a successful business leader to embark on a journey of reinvention by taking a six-month sabbatical. However, life had another plan for me. My nomadic adventure unexpectedly lasted fourteen years.
In Life Without A Tie, you'll read how a random, unforeseen series of events helped me strengthen my inner guidance, deepen my humanity, and forge a new, authentic path. From London to Chiang Mai, New York, the Himalayas and beyond, we'll relive the journey together. I'll share the highs and lows, the tears and laughter, and the principles which guided me throughout. I've reflected on and captured the insights and wisdom gained in each step, and I've also included my six rules for happiness, which I hope may encourage you to discover your own.
Ray Martin, aka The Daily Explorer, is an entrepreneur and award-winning business leader. As a coach, mentor, facilitator, speaker, writer, and mindfulness teacher, he is a torchbearer for greater human consciousness. Ray is also a marathon runner and fundraiser. He’s on a mission to empower people to live authentically and to bring more joy and happiness into the world.
Life Without A Tie was written for people who feel or believe they are not walking their true path, or need a change in life to find their happiness. The book reveals, step-by-step, how Ray reinvented himself, and contains plenty of relatable stories, as well as a comprehensive set of self-reflection questions so that you can begin your own journey with energy and confidence.
Ray is keen to meet anyone who is on a quest to live true to themselves, both at the fair and throughout the UK.
Tony Lindsell
Balmanie
No mobile, no internet, no radio or TV reception, no stock in supermarkets, no SatNav, no landlines, and then … no electricity. The UK is throttled by a massive physical and cyber attack. All-encompassing disaster spreads from London across the country, with anarchy in its wake. A family flees north. Others join them on the
way as they fight to reach a safe haven on a Scottish island, but another threat awaits there. Balmanie is a contemporary dystopian thriller about the rapid disintegration of social mores in the face of an apocalyptic event. It deals with themes of survival, of bonds of family and friendship forged in adversity, of loyalty and pragmatism. It has been likened to Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Road’,
or Megan Hunter’s ‘The End We Start From’ (though written before the latter).
It can be read as a futuristic thriller or as an allegory for the potential effects of climate change. It is not for the faint-hearted, but, for those who can stomach it, it offers, if not redemption, at least a hint of a brighter future.
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Wolf
Wolf Albert, a nineteen-year-old Polish Jew, flees East as the Nazis advance across Poland in 1939. He escapes the death and destruction all around him, only to end up in the arms of Russia. A Siberian labour camp, freezing temperatures, hunger and sickness await him. Released, barely alive, in 1941 following Hitler’s invasion of Russia, he embarks on a journey through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and across the Caspian Sea to join up with General Anders’s rag-tag Polish army in Persia.
Posted to Scotland, it is the anti-semitism that he and his fellow Jewish soldiers face in their own country’s army that is to prove his greatest challenge. WOLF reads like a novel but is based on a true story, recorded in interviews with Wolf Albert by the Imperial War Museum. Where there are gaps in the timeline, Tony Lindsell has used other people’s accounts and wider research to bring the narrative to life.
WOLF is a story not just of grit and survival but of an extraordinary five-year journey through an unimaginable world. It contains scenes of absolute horror and inhumanity as well as others of unconditional human kindness.
Back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth, Tony Lindsell was a journalist and ended up as Managing Editor of a small publishing company in London. Life then took him on a circuitous journey through the business world and returned him to the feet of the written word, this time the fictional
written word, forty years later. He has published two and a half works, possibly three and a half by the time of the Southam Book Festival. A very slim volume of short stories and poems entitled ‘Days in the Life’ was a first essay into self-publishing. This was followed by a dystopian novel ‘Balmanie’; and then by ‘Wolf’, a fictionalised biography based on a true story. ‘Counterbalance’ is a novel that he has very recently finished. It is the story of a man seeking atonement (title taken) for the death of his son in a drowning accident. ‘Counterbalance’ is currently being submitted to literary agents for mainstream publication.
​BALMANIE: Amazon.co.uk: LINDSELL, TONY: 9781713294580: Books
WOLF: Amazon.co.uk: LIndsell, Tony: 9798758862636: Books
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Willy Adam
The Romans are gone from a Britain under attack and destabilised. Into this void comes the brotherhood, the sons of Cunedda, invading from beyond the wall in the old north in an attempt to impose order once again. Establishing themselves across the country they repel settlers and raiders and try to bring back a sense of what has been lost.
Aurec Wyllt uses his esoteric knowledge to negotiate between the factions, but finds himself transported to a later time where Maelgwyn Gwynedd is the rising and dominant force, at war with this uncles and cousins and determined to become the overall leader of the old north west of Wales.
Murderers, tyrants and the thirst for revenge allow legends to be formed in the confusion, battles and madness of the times
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I’m now formally retired after working in design and publishing for many years. Prior to that, I designed and made furniture for homes and gardens.
I’ve been painting and drawing fairly prolifically in the last couple of years, particularly since joining Napton Art Group. Before that I’ve always painted when time has allowed.
Now that I have more time to write I’ve been concentrating on flash fiction, short stories and two novels: ‘Yoyo & Max: A dog’s journey through an apocalypse’ published by Tim Saunders Publishing, and The Afanc: The pursuit of power in post-Roman Britain.
https://willyadamartandauthor.weebly.com/
Jessica Cameron
CORPUS
At the top of his game, Steven Tawn ruled his corner, until the night he became just another statistic. Murdered in cold blood, his story should have ended there. But Steven isn’t done. Trapped between worlds, he’s determined to get revenge on the man who cut his life short.
His mother, Martha, refuses to let death take him away. Desperate and grieving, she turns to the occult—seances, ouija boards, anything to pull her son back. But as she cracks open the door to the other side something else stirs in the dark, and not every spirit wants to help.
As mother and son fight from opposite sides of the veil, they must overcome impossible obstacles—both supernatural and earthly—to get the justice they crave. But as the line between life and death blurs, the price of vengeance may be far greater than either of them ever imagined.
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IMPLANTED
Arnold Shack was just an ordinary man—until a single good deed turned his life into a waking nightmare.
Now trapped in a warped reality where nothing makes sense, Arnold must race against time to escape a darkness that’s closing in fast. His mind is unraveling, his grip on reality slipping, and something sinister is pulling him deeper with every step.
As the clock ticks down, Arnold fights to uncover the truth behind this twisted game unaware someone else is watching that clock too. Can he overcome the unseen forces threatening to push him into the abyss or will he succumb to insanity?
DRAGONBACK PEAKS - DELILAH CAMERON
Turning 13 is a thrilling time, but for Dylan, it’s more than that - it’s the start of something extraordinary. His parents give him an unusual present, one they say he'll treasure forever. What they don’t know is how truly special that gift will turn out to be.
Join Dylan and his friends as they’re swept into an epic adventure beyond their wildest dreams. In the magical realm of Dragonback Peaks, they’ll encounter mystical creatures, brave unknown dangers, and witness powers they never knew existed.
The journey of a lifetime awaits, and Dylan is about to learn just how far his new gift can take him.​​
Jessica Cameron was born in Surrey and has always been creative. She wrote Implanted after the birth of her first child. Now living in the West Midlands with her family, Jessica is a full-time artist, author and skydiver. Her varied interests and experiences shape her unique storytelling.
https://www.facebook.com/jessicacameronauthor/
https://jessicacameron.ampbk.com/ - implanted
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Jessica-Cameron/author/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Globe-Dragonback-Peaks-Delilah-Cameron/
Madalyn Morgan
London 1970…
The newly restored Young Albert Theatre is about to open. The project’s benefactors want to give the young, underprivileged men and women in London’s East End a chance to fulfil their potential through music and drama.
Its debut musical, Tribute, celebrates the life of Margot Dudley, her work with ENSA, and her rise to fame in The Prince Albert Theatre during the Blitz in World War II.
Two weeks before opening night, the sound system is stolen. While Natalie Goldman, part-owner of the Young Albert, organises a charity event to raise money to replace the system, Ena Green, nee Dudley, who is already investigating anonymous threats against one of the theatre’s staff, investigates the theft.
Can a catastrophic act that could cost the lives of six hundred people be stopped in time?​
Madalyn Morgan was brought up in Lutterworth, where she has returned after living in London for thirty-six years. She had a hairdressing salon in Rugby before going to drama college. Madalyn was an actress for thirty years, working in television, the West End, and Repertory Theatre. She has been a rock DJ, a radio journalist, and has written articles for music magazines, women’s magazines, and newspapers. She has eleven published novels – a wartime saga, a post-war spy series, and three detective novels. She has written a collection of short stories, poems, and nonfiction titled Scenes of My Life and is currently working on a memoir and a novel for publication in the spring of 2025. Madalyn’s books are available on
Amazon in Kindle, Kindle Unlimited and paperback formats. The first three are also audiobooks.
Jonas Lane
Dragon Chasers: The Knight School
A group of gifted and talented youngsters who are presented with the chance of a lifetime after being offered the opportunity of a free scholarship and a place at one of England’s finest and most exclusive - but reclusive - of school academies…
A primeval order who hide amongst us, studying us, watching our every move, waiting for the perfect opportunity to reveal themselves and strike terror into our hearts when we least expect it…
A secret society, tasked with defending all of humankind, protecting the Earth from an enemy who quietly lurk in the shadows, determined to stop them from rising again to reclaim a world they believe to rightfully be theirs once more…
An ancient text, supposedly written by the devil himself, one which could threaten all of our futures as well as our very existence…
And a legendary and epic war, one which has been waged for thousands of years, protecting all of humanity from a terrible truth of mythical proportions…
Here be dragons...
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Jonas Lane is an acclaimed author and educator who is never happier than when he’s telling a tall tale, whether it’s to his readers or the children he visits in schools or teaches daily. Jonas has written over fifteen books across several different genres, including the hugely popular Lord Thyme-Slipp series, regularly fusing historical fact with hysterical fiction.
Although predominantly classified as a children’s and YA author, Jonas Lane’s books appeal to all ages, his reading audience being those who are still young at heart and hungry for adventure.
Every novel Jonas has had published has been rated as 5-star by Amazon reviewers, as well as those using traditional reviewing methods. Not only that, but he has been published nationally alongside the likes of Dame Floella Benjamin, Brian Moses and Andrew Jennings in the highly popular Comprehension Ninja series and performed live reading sessions with other renowned authors such as Julia Jarman, Michelle Robinson, Lou Treleaven and Olaf Falafel.
Jonas looks forward to meeting readers old and new to chat about all things bookish at the Southam Book Festival.
To find out more about the wide range of titles the author has published, click here www.jonaslaneauthor.com/extracts
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Brian Pollitt - Bookbinder & Repairer.
Brian's passion is to breathe new life into books that are of personal value and have precious memories associated with them, as well as creating new books to capture new memories.
What books do you treasure? -Typically they are family bibles, granny's cook book, children's books, photo Albums.
​Such well-loved books are often damaged from use over the generations or just by accident. You may be afraid to use such books for fear of further damage but worry not - most can be returned to at least a safe-to-use functional condition and many can be restored to their former glory.
If your book is too delicate or valuable to repair, then it can be protected by a made-to-measure box to protect it, be it a simple phase box or full on clam-shell box.
For books you want to keep in good condition, slip cases are great way to protect them.
You may have a collection of papers, photos or memorabilia that need collating into a dedicated binding to keep them together and protecting, or maybe a story you wrote as a child and would like it binding into a book – pretty much anything is possible if you have the imagination.
Bring your books along and Brian will examine the damage and explain what can be done to bring them back to life, whether it is a repair or designing a completely new binding to your requirements. He can also provide a guide to its value.
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There will also be some of Brian's most recent new bindings, including blank notebooks for sale. For the practical types, there will be some journal kits if you want to have a go at making one yourself.
Brian is a book repairer and restorer who focuses on books of personal value, rather than conservation of books with historical significance and high commercial value. This started off as a hobby some years ago after having some old family books passed to him. Having worked with a number of bookbinders to develop his skills, word of mouth has got around and now has enough work coming in to keep him out of mischief.
http://www.artisancrafts.co.uk/
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The artistic side Brian's work can be found on Facebook at The Book Works, which is intended as a celebration of the art and craft of bookbinding, fusing traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design and innovation to bring book structures that delight as well as deliver function.
Suzy Edney
Capulet Close - We all know someone who lives in this street.
Read the poignant, funny and sometimes surprising stories of the residents of Capulet Close. Julia receives unwelcome news from her ex-husband which prompts her to move on and change her career. Dave has always been secretive but goes to even greater lengths to guard his privacy. What might he be hiding? Meet lonely Freda as she dips her toe into the exciting, and unknown world of internet dating. James and Gary the young professionals from number 6 and generous, affectionate Valerie and her family from number 10. All come together along with the newest members of the close; Anne and Henry to raise money for a children's charity. Friendships are forged, secrets revealed and misunderstandings occur. No one really knows what goes on behind closed doors.
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Bikini Briefs
Some are happy, some are sad.
Some are funny, some are mad.
A collection of short stories for the beach
(or the train, or In the airport or on the plane!)
Introducing widowed Felicity who is getting back into the dating game after four years of widowhood.
Meet Louise who has found some letters hidden in a drawer proving to her that her husband is a cheat and a liar. Will she ever be able to forgive him?
Read about the couple who are reluctant guests at a Murder Mystery weekend. What surprises are in store for them?.
Suzy Edney is a retired teacher, an avid reader and has always loved to write. She used to write stories for her children when they were small and has always enjoyed writing rhymes and poems for family and friends to celebrate special occasions.
She joined The Rugby Café Writer’s last year which inspired her to blow the dust from the pages of her stories and turn them into a novel. Capulet Close is available on Amazon.
Recently she published ‘Bikini Briefs’ a collection of short stories marketed as ‘a holiday read.’
Suzy has a website.
JG Nolan
Jump!
Robbie Blair is a talented young schoolboy who dreams of being a professional football player when he grows up. He possesses the necessary skills but unfortunately is also set apart from the pack by his tendency to break bones – lots of them!
When Robbie breaks his leg for the third time during an important trial he is resigned to the grim reality that his footballing dream is finally over.
But, is it over?
JG Nolan was born and raised in a sleepy village in Shropshire and loved writing stories and playing football as a child.
He has been a teacher for many years, working mainly with children who have had difficult beginnings in life. He strongly believes in positive thinking and feels most things are achievable if you put your mind to it.
When his football mad son, Robbie, was much younger, he kept breaking bones and was told by the doctors that he should never play football again. It was during one of his many lengthy stays visiting Robbie in the local children’s hospital that the idea for 'Jump!' drifted into JG Nolan’s mind.
JG Nolan began to read the exploits of famous, maverick footballers from the past, to inspire his son and give him hope. Whilst doing this, he became more and more drawn to the tales of famous Celtic legends from the 1920s, whose names are still chanted in Parkhead to this day. It soon became clear to him- his first book would have to be set in Scotland.
JG Nolan’s research led him to discover the iconic, ethereal, Cathkin Park.
After meeting Scottish actor Simon Weir, who has helped preserve the park for many years, the pieces of the jigsaw fell into place and 'Jump!' was born.​​​​​​​
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Sergar Creative - home of JG Nolan's Jump! series
Robert Cubitt
If you're searching for unforgettable adventure, compelling characters, and thrilling storytelling across genres, look no further. These five standout titles from Robert Cubitt offer something for every reader—whether you love military action, outer space escapades, deeply personal memoirs, or even a light-hearted swing at golf.
Start with Operation Absolom, where Steven Carter, a newly minted Commando, is stranded in enemy-occupied Norway during WWII. Surrounded by Nazis and the brutal winter, Carter must summon every ounce of courage to survive—and escape. Based on real events, this riveting first instalment in the Carter’s Commandos series is a gritty tribute to sacrifice and bravery.
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From the flightline to the frontlines of fiction, Robert (Bob) Cubitt’s path to becoming a full-time author has been anything but ordinary. A natural storyteller with a lifelong passion for writing,
Bob’s creative ambitions were often put on hold during a 23-year career in the Royal Air Force, followed by key roles in logistics with Royal Mail and the Ministry of Defence. But in 2012, he swapped planning operations for plotting novels, and hasn’t looked back since.
A prolific and versatile author, Bob writes across multiple genres, letting curiosity and creativity lead the way. His work ranges from gripping science fiction adventures to meticulously researched World War II histories, a testament to his love of both the imagined and the historical. Previously published by Ex-L-Ence Publishing, Bob is now proudly part of the Selfishgenie family, continuing to expand his impressive body of work.
When he’s not writing, Bob enjoys teeing off on the golf course, playing pub skittles with his local team, and cheering on his beloved Northampton Saints rugby club.
e-mail robert.cubitt@selfishgenie.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/robertocubitt?ref=bookmarks
Twitter @robert_cubitt
​The tension ramps up in Operation Tightrope, the second book in the series. When Major Warriner sends Carter and his men on a mysterious mission to the German-occupied island of Jersey, they face betrayal, confusion, and danger from every direction—including their supposed allies. This pulse-pounding tale of espionage, divided loyalties, and relentless pursuit keeps you guessing until the last page.
Shift gears and venture into the cosmos with The Magi, a fast-paced space opera with a sassy twist. Meet An Kohli, a tough-as-nails bounty hunter on a desperate quest to find the vanished Magi before an alien race called the Fell seizes total control. With irreverent humor, high-stakes action, and a galaxy teetering on the brink of chaos, this is sci-fi for fans of Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Hitchhiker’s Guide alike.
For a more grounded but equally gripping read, A Commando’s Story delivers the real-life tale of Robert Cubitt’s father, Bob, a No. 3 Commando who fought from the fjords of Norway to the deserts of North Africa. Told in Bob's own voice and accompanied by over 30 maps and photos, this memoir honors the quiet heroism of the generation that faced down tyranny with unshakeable resolve. It’s raw, honest, and unforgettable.
And finally, for a completely different kind of challenge, tee off with The A to Z of (Amateur) Golf. Whether you're a lifelong hacker or just thinking about picking up a club, this witty and informative guide is packed with golf lingo, trivia, history, and jokes. It’s not a how-to—thankfully!—but it’s the perfect companion for anyone who loves (or loves to complain about) the game.
From battlefield valor to intergalactic justice and everything in between, Robert Cubitt's books offer an exhilarating escape into worlds real and imagined. Whether you're drawn to courage, comedy, or cosmic drama, there’s a story here for you.
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John Horton
Alan and Peggy Horton were married in 1940. Within a few weeks Alan was on a ship bound by a circuitous route for Egypt, a journey of two months from Glasgow. From Egypt, Alan and his men were shipped to Crete where they suffered a catastrophic defeat; many on both sides were killed. Alan, with countless others, was taken as prisoner of war by cattle truck to Germany, and imprisoned until hostilities ceased.
This correspondence has been described by The Imperial War Museum as one of the most complete sets of letters they have ever seen written between husband and wife. They recount the story of life in wartime Britain, highlighting the pain and separation of war but enlivened by love and hope for a lonely young bride. They also outline the frustrations and boredom for fighting men, forced to sit idly as the war raged with only occasional snippets of news.
The complete letters are now with the Imperial War Museum and several were recently included in their ‘Letters to loved ones’ produced for VE Day 80 earlier this year.​
On leaving school, John worked in agriculture. He later spent a year at agricultural college studying farm management before spending twelve years in Northern Nigeria working with the Anglican Church as an agriculturalist. Returning to this country, he studied development at Reading University and then joined Tearfund, a Christian relief and development organisation. He was Africa Manager for fourteen years and later helped to manage the response to the Boxing Day Tsunami. After a course in theology he was ordained in Coventry Cathedral in 2007. He served initially in a busy urban parish on the edge of
Coventry before working with a group of six rural parishes in South Warwickshire. He retired towards the end of 2019 and now lives in Warwickshire helping, part time, in another rural benefice. Retirement has provided a long awaited opportunity to turn his parents’ wartime letters into a book.
Northants Authors
Northants Authors was started by five writers, all of whom had self-published books.
Although each was very different, they shared the same problem: how to promote and sell their work.
Without the backing of a traditional publisher, books could not be distributed to the wider audience they sought.
They decided to try to do it together. So Northants Authors, a co-operative of authors living in Northamptonshire, was born.
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Pete Sherlock
‘We’re actually all rather terrible.’
On the cusp of the 1960s, when fourteen-year-old Ben moves into the ancestral home of his aunt and uncle, he is shocked by their wealth and glamour. Under the watchful eye of the Merryvale Mask, his sophisticated cousins teach him how to appreciate their languid opulence and draw him into the world of the elites. But five years later, when a woman’s body is found on the estate, his new life begins to crumble.
As the family is placed at the centre of a murder investigation, Ben starts to see their manipulative power in a harsher light. Placed on a collision course with his family, Ben faces a dilemma: how far is he willing to go to fit into their world?
Pete is the author of The Mask of Merryvale Manor (2024), his debut novel following the wonderfully flawed Drummond family. He’s an investigative journalist at the BBC in Birmingham, with a career spanning local newspapers in London, and he has won awards including a Wincott Award for data journalism and editorial innovation at the Drum Online Media Awards. He’s also a volunteer mentor for students interested in journalism and studied English Literature at the University of Birmingham.
Anthony Ferner
Small Wars in Madrid:
David Aguilera’s life is collapsing around him. After the catastrophic loss of the vessel under his command and a perilous trek across the Baltics to safety, he returns home to find himself unable to reconnect with his family. Frustrated by his inability to express what he is feeling, his wife Margalit moves out to stay with friends, taking their children with her.
As David anxiously awaits the official inquiry into his conduct, he turns to those who are most important to him – his closest friend and comrade Marce; his Catholic adoptive mother; his Jewish birth mother; and Margalit, herself Sephardi Jewish. Faced with the prospect of losing his family altogether, he must confront his conflicting identities and faiths and decide the man he wants to become.
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Inside the Bone Box:
A toxic marriage has consequences for everyone.
Nicholas Anderton is a highly respected neurosurgeon at the top of his field. But behind the successful façade all is not well. Tormented by a toxic marriage and haunted by past mistakes, Anderton has been eating to forget. His wife, meanwhile, has turned to drink.
There are sniggers behind closed doors – how can a surgeon be fat, they whisper; when mistakes are made and his old adversary Nash steps in to take advantage, Anderton knows that things are coming to a head…
Anthony is the author of Inside the Bone Box (2018) and Small Wars in Madrid (2024), both part of the Fairlight Moderns series. He began writing fiction in the 1990s and is a member of the Tindal Street Fiction Group in Birmingham. Anthony had an academic career in international business and has published widely in that field. He now lives in the Midlands with his family and enjoys skating and Spanish and Latin American literature.
https://www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/authors/long-fiction-author/anthony-ferner/
Southam Heritage Collection
Southam Heritage Collection research and publish local history books about and around Southam by different authors. These can be bought on line from our web site using our Sumupstore, or by calling into our Exhibition Room in Tithe Place on Southam High Street.
All proceeds from book sales go to support the work of this small heritage charity.
