N.e. David – författare

When Michael Blake takes early retirement from the British Embassy in Cairo, he books a long-awaited birding trip. But halfway up the Nile he meets Lee Yong and things begin to change. Their tour guide Reda isn't all he seems either and when the Egyptian revolution kicks off, Blake finds himself embroiled in a tangled web of love and intrigue. Set against the background of the events of January 2011, Birds of the Nile is a powerful story of loss and self-discovery as three disparate characters, each with their own agenda, seek to come to terms with change. Part political thriller, part love story, Birds of the Nile is N.E.David's debut novel. Poignantly written, it reminds us of the complex nature of global cultural interaction and how, as individuals, we try to deal with it.

Frank is a reformed alcoholic. He lives at home with his mother, Elisabeth - at least, he did until she went into a nursing home suffering from dementia. He is devoted to her and conversely hates his estranged father, Geoffrey. So when elder sister Pat calls to tell him Dad is dying and wants to meet him, Frank is forced to face up to his demons. But what are they? And how did he acquire them? Every family has its secrets and Frank's is no exception. As much as he tries to forget, something happened a long time ago that has coloured his life ever since - and he can't live in peace until he confronts it. Seen from the perspective of four separate family members, The Burden examines an individual's contrasting relationships and the different emotions they inspire.

Alan Harrison is a perfectly ordinary, middle-class, middle-aged and happily married man. But when his wife, Susan, suddenly dies, his life starts to disintegrate. Rather than stay at home where the memory of his wife still haunts him, he decides to spend the summer in Sweden at the invitation of his in-laws. On the shores of Lake Malaren, he discovers fresh reasons for living and a contentment he had not previously thought possible. But unexpected guests arrive to disturb his new-found peace and he is forced to take unprecedented steps to recover it. Set against a backdrop of stunning Swedish scenery, MALAREN shows us the redemptive power of physical labour and male bonding as an unlikely hero struggles to overcome his challenges.