Category Archives: Books

Books, Medical Education, Writing

Special Opportunity!


Clinical Press, the publishers of my book You don’t have to be a genius, have chosen a few of their favourite books (including mine!) for special promotion in the first week of May. The e-book will be available at a very reduced rate.

From May 1st, the following e-books from Clinical Press Ltd. will be available initially at just 99p (or 99cents in USA) by searching on the Amazon site:

You don’t have to be a genius by Diana Ashworth: Funny and moving and based on a true story. At the dawn of the permissive age Diana is a medical student in swinging London. A great read.

Splittage: brain hyping in the Dystopia; by M J Marazan. Dystopian science fiction in the style of the Golden Age of SF with hints of Asimov and Heinlein

The origin of the virus: Barnard, Quay and Dalgleish. The definitive account of how they produced a virus that killed millions  (Note: Amazon No. 1 Bestseller in Health Risk assessment)

The dog comes with the practice: Expanded 2nd Edition by Tom Baskett.  ‘This gentle volume reminds us that, at the core, medicine is about people.’  Medical autobiography…  ‘the medical equivalent of All creatures great and small.’ (Clinical Press book of the year 2023)

Losing Eldorado by Mark T Goddard: Two brothers searching for the soul of America (Note: Amazon No. 1 Hot new release in Music, No 1 Hot new release in US Travel)

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Books, weather

Knighton Rain Festival

Knighton Festival of books, art, music and, as it happened, weather took place this week-end.

I was invited to give a talk about my book set in Mid-Wales, Iolo’s Revenge. I have been preparing it nervously for months. We set off early and Bill had studied the map — Shropshire was enjoying the heaviest rainfall since Catherine’s friend Laura got married and the church was cut off by flood water and the bride had to wade across fields in wellies!

Knighton station was closed — all the town’s four trains per day were cancelled because the line along the Teme valley was inundated. Stranded, bedraggled, young people with rucksacks were wandering the steep, wet streets. The ladies in the town’s cafes doling out tea, sympathy and all-day-breakfasts.

I boomed out the extracts from my book over their wonderful sound system, it sounded quite good, even to me and the select collection of stoical festival faithful laughed in all the right places and showed their interest with lots of intelligent questions and comments. I really enjoyed it!

Proper use of the flood plain next to the river Clun in Shropshire near Clununford. We found a road home that was passable though many others were not!

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Books, History

Llanidloes — a microcosm of British History!

It’s satisfying to read history that you can fit into your own known world, that talks about the way national and international events affected people living in your own area, that mentions the streets and buildings that figure in your own town! It brings the history to life and should definitely be used in local schools where it will render history more relevant to students. But you don’t have to live in Mid-Wales to appreciate this intimate perspective on history — looking at events from the point of view of one small area can increase ones understanding dramatically and, in a world that focuses on centres of government and is skewed by other agendas, it is brilliant to realise that there are patriots, innovators, captains of industry, revolutionaries, artists, religious philosophers and politicians everywhere, in all communities. It seems Llanidloes is a microcosm for what happens in the whole world!

Published in 2010 by the Great Oak Bookshop, ISBN No. 978-0-9524653-1-7

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Books

Fowl!

Ideal gift for a football crazy grandchild.

A charming story written by Shaun McMahon, a Northamptonshire school teacher, suitable from about 6 years of age, younger if read to, and an equally good read for the adult reader. Suspend your preconceptions and go with the flow as Bert, a likeable young chicken follows his dream to be a footballer, aided and abetted by an eccentric farmer and his good mate Harry, a Shetland pony. Lots of challenges along the way with each chapter just right for a bedtime story. Made me think that we might have found the successor to Dick King-Smith.

Well written and deserves to do well — can’t wait for the film!

Fowl by Shaun McMahon, published by Matador ISBN 9 781838 595166 £7.99

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Art, Books, Entertaining, Literature, Wales, Welsh culture, Wendy Wigley

Champagne and Canapes

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Well…  Prosecco and nibbles — wonderful artichoke dip, goat’s cheese and black olives, smoked salmon sandwiches and little cheese scones topped with prosciutto followed by bite sized strawberry meringues.

That, according to my daughters, is how you do a book launch — but that seems to be what they would recommend in any number of situations (where did I go wrong!)

Anyway — it seemed to work. We launched Iolo’s Revenge locally on Saturday.

It was carnival day and the streets were decked with flags and the numerous pubs overflowed with revellers in fancy dress.  Having an artistic director of our own helped — Wendy, the artist who illustrated the book, and who goes to lots of private viewings of exhibitions, colluded with bunting, flowers and colourful napkins.  She also exhibited some of her original artworks that head every chapter.

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The previous night I had fallen from the kitchen work surface while retrieving a jug from a top shelf — the jug was smashed but I survived, stiffly, despite the numerous tellings-off.  Alan’s son, Daniel, saved the day, by putting out the chairs and remembering all the things I forgot in my percussed and anxious state — including the TV for the silent film show that had taken me weeks to prepare.

Takking to guests

There was a good turn out on the night — about 100! There I am, above, talking to some of them.  The readers: Libby, Alan and Gay did us proud.    The guests all laughed in the right places!

Guests

Books at launch

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Wendy posing with Su and Richard Wheeler,  of Logaston Press, taking a break from selling books, while I catch up with the signing!

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Copies of Iolo’s Revenge are obtainable from Logaston Press

 

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