The Jewel of Barthimia, Athena’s Descendants

Some of us are born slow and some of us are born precocious and there can be no doubt which side of the scale Callum Epsley Clegg was born on. It has been a real pleasure to help him with his first novel The Jewel of Barthimia, a 70,000-word tale of young people and ancient Greek gods. Callum is thirteen years old.

Sport and Literature

The fifth YouCaxton Self-Publishing Literary Lecture ‘Writing the Game: Sport in Fiction’ will take place in the YouCaxton shop on 26 February at 6.30 pm. Jeff Hill, Emeritus Professor of History at De Montfort University, takes a particular interest in 19th and 20th century history with an emphasis on social/cultural developments in leisure. (He is currently working on a book on British popular politics and popular culture c.1880-1930s.) His chief interest in fictional literature is in its value as a source to the historian and his approach is that of an historian rather a literary critic.

We are used, nowadays, to sport on television, Jeff Hill asks if it can inspire decent literature – or should it be booted into touch because it’s too frivolous and superficial? And why has sport figured more in American creative writing than in British? Jeff Hill raises these and similar questions with reference to the work of Philip Roth, John Updike, Bernard Malamud, David Storey, Joseph O’Neill and other contemporary novelists – seeing their work as both literature and as historical source material.

Professor J

Can Christianity survive Darwin?

The fourth YouCaxton lecture is scheduled for Tuesday 8th January, 6.30 pm, at the YouCaxton Shop in Bishop’s Castle. The Reverend Adrian Bailey, a vicar and chaplain of Gobowen Orthopaedic Hospital, will be discussing the impact of Darwin’s thought on modern Christian belief.

Adrian Bailey will be considering how Darwin’s publication of The Origin of Species in 1859 challenged traditional belief in a perfect Earth created by God a few thousand years ago with Adam and Eve as its flawed human beneficiaries. If Christians accepted Darwin’s theories they were obliged to accept that God’s way of creating life and humanity was the harshest and most painful imaginable. This conflicted with their belief in a good and loving God.

Adrian Bailey will be examining Christian responses to this dilemma including how some Christians have been driven to prefer alternative ‘scientific’ explanations which question current theories in biology, cosmology and geology and attempt to put Adam and Eve back in the frame. He tackles these issues head on. Can Christianity survive Darwin? Yes, he says, but only if you radically re-think it …

Sir Michael Leighton’s On the Marches

Sir Michael Leighton’s latest book of poems, On the Marches, produced by YouCaxton and edited by Mike Willmott of Shrewsbury Words (descendent of the great John Wilmot Earl of Rochester and a poet himself ) was launched recently at Loton Park, the family home near the Breidden Hills in West Shropshire. The poems are in the form of a collection of responses to the Shropshire countryside which Sir Michael  loves. The launch was fascinating and YouCaxton were there in full tog, chatting up the handmaids – or possibly the footmen.

Beat the Bullies

We’re very pleased to be involved in the publication of the Herman Homunculus Workbook Series, a clever and useful series of children’s books by Dr. Lynda Shaw, a specialist psychologist. The series is designed to help young people understand how their mental and physical well being is affected by their experiences.

Beat The Bullies Use Your Brain is the first book in the series and will be available shortly. It looks at how children can overcome the agony of bullying in the playground, using a fictional format and ‘brain box’ questions to reinforce its message.

The young reader embarks on a remarkable journey through the brain, encountering neurons and synapses and learning something of the complexities which make us feel sad or happy – a journey of self-discovery. Dr.  Shaw’s intention in writing these books is to help children, their parents and teachers to recognise and cope with problems such as bullying before the problems develop into isolation and dangerous lowering of self esteem and self worth.

Bressbee the Ice king

Rebecca Walter’s novel Bressbee the Ice King is being launched at a stables in North Shropshire, 21 September. Rebecca came to us at the last minute having been let down by her printer and we managed to turn the book around in the space of two weeks (we were not involved in editorial or design). This makes us unpleasantly proud of our own efficiency but, smugness notwithstanding, Bob will be attending the launch and will read a short passage to the assembled multitude.

Myth and Memory

The poet Nigel Sustins will be launching his latest books Myth and Memory, an ambitious series of poems on historical themes around the South Shropshire hills, on Tuesday 25 September at 6.30 at the YouCaxton shop 23 High Street, Bishop’s Castle.  Come and hear Nigel read one or  two of his poems and partake of a glass of wine if you are able.

Spain, a short history

We will shortly be publishing Spain, an amazingly short history by Bob Fowke as a Kindle book. The reviews for this book were complimentary and sales through Spanish supermarkets have ensured that the first edition has almost sold out. The books in this series were designed to be read on the plane so they would seem to be ideal material for e-publishing. We’ll see.

Reviews:
‘This splendid little book should be read by every expat … the perfect flight companion,’ Everything Spain.
‘Read them on the plane for all you need to know’, Sunday Times.
‘The ideal entry point for young (or old) minds,’ Everything France.
‘Great for both kids and adults.’ Sunday Times Travel Magazine.