Bernard Ashley – författare

"Bernard Ashley's great gift is to turn what seems to be low-key realism into something much stronger and more resonant. It has something to do with empathy, compassion, an undimmed thirst for decency and justice."- Philip Pullman, author of His Dark MaterialsBreak in the Sun tells the story of Patsy, a young girl who runs away to Margate from Deptford, fleeing her abusive stepfather. It is a remarkably sensitive portrayal of growing up in tough circumstances, with the heroine portrayed not as a victim but as a survivor. First published in 1980, this book was instantly praised for its realistic portrayal of working-class children, and the following year it was serialised for the BBC as a gritty and rather controversial children's drama. The book and its adaptation are now regarded as standout pieces of children’s drama from the 1980s (director Roger Singleton-Turner would later work on the kids' TV series Grange Hill).

A homesick girl yearns for her old life in Goma in this touching and ultimately uplifting drama. Nadine doesn't like her new life. She doesn't speak the language, she can't understand what's going on, and more than anything, it's just not home. Especially since her father isn't here with them in the UK. But it just wasn't safe in Goma anymore, not with the uprising and the violence of the rebel soldiers. So Nadine tries to find something in her new life that will remind her of the happy memories of Africa. Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 7.

A strange tattoo triggers a surprising turn of events in this tense contemporary drama about art, love and the power of creativity, from master teen writer, Bernard Ashley. Sofia Drake wants a tattoo – a tattoo all of her own, where her parents won't see it. And when she's introduced to Sol Marks, a genius young tattooist, Sofia falls in love with his arty, original designs. But when Sofia's dad sees his daughter's new body art his reaction sets in motion a series of events no one could have anticipated. Particularly suitable for readers aged 13+ with a reading age of 8.

The holidays lie heavy on young Leonard Boameh. His schoolfriends live far away from his home town of Accra, his nana is no fun, and his dad - who's great - is away working most of the time. So Leonard decides to run away for a few hours, and when Nana isn't looking he takes the tro-tro bus to Elmina, a historic European fort built to imprison West African slaves shipped off to America. There are lots of rough kids begging there, and before Leonard knows what's happening, he is kidnapped by the meanest gang of all, who plan to use his angel-face to fleece the tourists. Leonard is now a slave, trying to escape from a living nightmare. Bernard Ashley's thought-provoking Ghanaian story, set in the sinister, poverty-driven underworld of gangland, leads to a taut, thrilling climax.This title is also available as an ebook, in either Kindle, ePub or Adobe ebook editions

Makis and his moher Sofia escape a devastating Greek earthquake which has claimed his father's life. North London is a ver different place - but Makis quickly wins a covetted place in the school football team. Unlike her son, Sofia, isolated by her grief and lack of English, sinks into depression. Makis has a brilliant idea to help her - using books from school he begins to teach her to read. But competing loyalites mean that sooner or later, something has to give ... and his hard-won reputation at school appears to be in ruins. “Bernard Ashley’s great gift is to turn what seems to be low-key realism into something much stronger and more resonant. It has something to do with empathy, compassion, an undimmed thirst for decency and justice.” Phillip Pullman