Michael Bartlett – författare

"Ultimately we're all alone ... I have a lot of friends but there are some things no friend can share" Solitude can mean freedom. Or it can mean being in a crowd and knowing how impossible it is to truly share another's thoughts. Original and compelling, this is an intimate study of the human experience of isolation. Unforgettable fiction from TV and radio scriptwriter Michael Bartlett (The Archers, BBC Radio Drama)

"I have long since ceased to be surprised at how often incidents in my village end up with someone in the river..." My Village in the Valley is a quiet unassuming place where, on the whole, very little happens. Until, that is, we all get together to tackle aggressive drivers, disputed footpaths, yapping hearthrugs and the ubiquitous village fete. In my Village in the Valley, nothing is ever simple ... Original comedy from TV and radio scriptwriter Michael Bartlett (The Archers, BBC Radio Drama)

Ghosts and vampires, zombies and werewolves. A mirror with danger at its heart. A child is delighted to discover she is a witch, and a village disappears under a fairy curse. Then a selkie finds her way back to the waves, before a blood moon rises, bringing its own secrets ... Full of the spooky and the gothic, fairy tales and poetry, this is a brilliant and intriguing collection where nothing and no one is as they seem. Bringing together authors from across the UK: featuring Penny Ayers, Michael Bartlett, Patrick Booth, Amaris Chase, Holly Anne Crawford, Ivor Daniel, Amanda Jane Davies, Daphne Denley, J. J. Drover, Harriet Hitchen, Rebecca McDowall, Jane Phillips, Angela Reddaway, Joe Robson, Margaret Royall, with illustrations by Lorna Gray

Stars and planets, vast skies and new horizons. A distant future with secrets in its past. A house sitter intercepts a message from a lost craft, while a tree holds the key to an alien invasion. Then a curlew rises from a starlit reedbed, before a child dreams of the moon landings, and a robot uncovers a lie which may just change everything ... Full of mystery and adventure, true memories and poetry, this is a brilliant and far-ranging collection about our present and future relationship with space

"Who the hell are you?"  "They call me The Hunter and I've been hunting you, Mister Hoskins."  In a world where unscrupulous businessmen, rogues and thieves operate across borders and beyond the reach of the Law, the hope for justice lies with a brilliant former agent known only by a codename:  The Hunter.  When a job goes wrong and an international conspiracy threatens all our lives, the Hunter's team must move quickly.  There is a traitor at the heart of the British Government. And there is only one person who can stop him ...  Where do you turn when the Law catches flies but lets hornets go free? **Reader Reviews**'A real page turner! I loved this book, right from the off I was hooked.' - Five stars 'Give yourself a treat by opening the pages on this unusual but utterly compelling thriller' - Five stars 'Gripping from start to finish, once picked up, difficult to put down.' - Five stars'A book that must brighten the day for so many of us' - Five stars'Recommended to my Facebook book club ... It's left me wanting the next installment. I do hope the will be another!' - Five starsPraise for Michael Bartlett'Some of the best stories are quests ... This is a book to make everyone think twice about easy assumption' --Simon Brett, author

Nothing much ever happens in my Village in the Valley. We drift along peacefully ... A casual visitor to my Village in the Valley could be forgiven for thinking it is a gentle and quiet little country backwater. But appearances can be deceptive. Particularly when we all get together to tackle the annual village pantomime, an antiquated turret clock, and tyranny with gnomes. Return to My Village in the Valley, where nothing is ever simple ... The brilliant sequel to laugh out loud comedy My Village in the Valley **READER REVIEWS**'Generous, funny and utterly engaging' - Five Stars 'Absolutely one of the best laugh out loud books you can treat yourself to ...' - Goodreads Reviewer 'Who said country life was boring? A great read' - Five stars 'Funny, gentle and wise' - Five stars 'Highly recommended' - Five stars

A misunderstanding can drive a family apart, but it can also draw them together again. A dispersed family.  A family that has not met together in one place for many years.  George Redmond, growing old and aware that time is running out; Dorothy, a wife and mother whose mind has emptied of all the memories her husband still treasures; Steve and Linda, on opposing sides and unable to reconnect; Rebecca living abroad; and Gary, the youngest, who is a mystery to them all.  This family gathering is more than a chance to lay the past to rest. In fact, the next twenty-four hours may just change everything ...  The poignant and tender story about love, loss and the threads that make a family, from the renowned radio scriptwriter PRAISE FOR MICHAEL BARTLETT  'Absorbing' - Five stars'Absorbing and written with charm and insightfulness' - Five stars'Utterly engaging' - Five stars'It feels totally true and is just what we all need' - Five stars'Difficult to put down' - Five stars'An addictive, entertaining, 'can't put it down' read ... explores human frailties and behaviour with a psychological but understandable depth' - Five stars'A "read in one go" book' - Five stars"Some of the best stories are quests ... This is a book to make everyone think twice about easy assumptions" - SIMON BRETT'Highly recommended' - Five stars

A man looks back on his life so far and finds he can chart each moment by the presence of a cat. Old friends at a twenty-year reunion confidently tell different versions of the same tales. A boy remembers playing with lead farmyard animals. While in another time, a soldier at Troy tries to explain a very dubious battle plan. As we grow older, we treasure our memories, but how real are they? Brilliant, funny and sometimes evoking Michael Bartlett's life and long career in radio and television, each of the people within these pages has a story to tell ...'Memories they may be but that does not make them true ...' A powerful, humorous and thoroughly surprising exploration of the past we treasure**Praise for Michael Bartlett**'A beautiful read. Made me smile and bought a tear to my eye''Gentle and wise''Poignant''Definitely a book to recommend to others''Utterly engaging''Difficult to put down''It feels totally true and is just what we all need''Some of the best stories are quests ... This is a book to make everyone think twice about easy assumptions' author SIMON BRETT

Not for the first time Martin wondered whether agreeing to his mother’s last request was the best decision he had ever made When Mrs Braddle dies, her son is determined to fulfil her very unusual request. But his sister doesn’t approve – ‘We’re not a weird family, Martin’ – the chairman of the heritage railway line is letting off steam, and Martin isn’t used to facing his problems head-on. If he is going to carry out his mother’s last wishes, he’ll have to stop running. Enter a pessimistic friend, a train mad vicar, an engine driver and the widow of his former employer. With their help, this plan might just work … One man’s funny, touching and unpredictable journey through life, love and reconnection.  *Praise for Michael Bartlett*‘Wonderfully revealing and insightful’‘A totally absorbing read’‘Utterly gripping’‘A beautiful read. Made me smile’     ‘Definitely a book to recommend to others’‘Difficult to put down’ About the author: Michael Bartlett has been a regular writer for hit programmes for radio and television, and he has also written numerous original plays which have been staged for radio, TV and theatre across the UK. He lives with his wife in Norfolk. He is the author of many novels and short story collections.