Rob Walton – författare

From tigers in a South London suburb to retired Victorian police inspectors investigating train based thefts, from collectors of poets at Shadwell to life-changing decisions in Canonbury, by way of an art installation that defies the boundaries of a gallery, Stations takes a sideways look through the windows of the Overground train, at life as it is, or might be, lived beside the rails: quirky, humorous and sometimes horrifying.

When Rob Walton went into lockdown, he didn’t know that he would also go into mourning. Here he writes about the life and death of his dad, and how sadness seeped into various aspects of his life.He also manages to find cheap laughs, digs at the government, celebrations of the young and old, unashamed sentimentality and suddenly disarming moments of tenderness.Walton’s lines are expressed neatly and sparely, yet hold such purity and poignancy beneath them that they stop you in your tracks. Jane Burns Walton is a master of musical, looping refrains as he gets closer and closer to the troubled heart of things, during this troubled year of Covid 19 and the death of a much loved father. Deborah Alma (The Emergency Poet)

A middle-grade book breaking all the rules, inviting readers to zig-zag across the page between the funny stories and the footnotes.Traditionally, once a book is published, the author’s role is over.* The book belongs to the reader after that, and it’s up to you to decide what the stories are about.Rob Walton is having none of it. He has insisted on popping up throughout this book with further thoughts and facts.** We, the publishers, recommend that you ignore his nonsense and focus exclusively on the stories.And what stories they are! If you like horses, chocolate and time capsules, or have a passing interest in libraries, supply teachers and Lincolnshire, this is absolutely the book for you. Well done for finding it, and we hope you enjoy it very much. Just remember: don’t read the footnotes!* As far as the text is concerned, anyway. We of course insist on them doing tv appearances, red carpets etc, to promote the book.** All incredibly true and triple-checked with various sources.