Augur Press – förlag

The winds that bore your first vowels must have known,You were born for this...These are poems of innocence and repentance, of ecstasy and vocation. Against a rich natural and cultural backdrop, the poems explore the costs and rewards of transcendence. Drawing above all on the solace and inspiration of beauty, this collection issues a call to creative stewardship - of life, of land, and of language. That words may breathe now on the open pageThough lips have closed...Daniel Gustafsson, born in Sweden in 1983, is a bi-lingual poet and philosopher with a PhD from the University of York. He works in secondary education and divides his time between Yorkshire and his native land. www.poetgustafsson.wordpress.com

The main author of this book is a therapist of many years' experience. It is predominantly about sexual abuse of children with its long-term consequences and therapeutic aspects, but it is couched in the arena of broader social comment. It is in two parts: the first is presented as fiction, and the second is a number of relevant submissions and essays. The final essay was written by a psychiatrist - who is one of the editors.

I am a therapist of many years' experience. I have written this collection of essays, short stories and reflections as my contribution to helping any reader to see more clearly what is happening in daily life in his or her immediate surroundings. The subjects in this collection of writings are drawn from a broad range of human experience, and they touch the daily lives of most of us, whether or not this is apparent. In our society, we are mostly helped to see what we are meant to see. But each household, be it single person or more, has much that is hidden from view, and society itself (the collective version of the household) shares many tacitly-agreed 'blindnesses'. Those who comment openly upon secrets and blindnesses find that they have a mixed reception. "The Tale of the Emperor's New Clothes" is far from having lost its relevance, and of course, we all accept that the world is not flat! Much of our understanding of life is programmed in us by what we have seen and experienced around us when we were small.Unless we make considerable efforts to find ways in which we can view this original patterning in an objective light, we are likely to continue to enact the habits and belief systems which we absorbed during our early years. Such causal links might not be obvious to those who live life without looking sufficiently beneath the surface, and the consequence of becoming aware of them can at times provoke feelings of denial and shock. However, we must accept the fundamental truth that full or partial obscurity only serves to enhance the power of the links and their consequences.

My experience of World War II was in the Far East - South East Asia Command (SEAC), but these are not 'war poems' in the ordinary sense. They are thoughts and memories of the periphery rather than the centre of action, and reflections afterwards in subsequent years, some pertaining to other wars, bearing the stamp of futility, cynicism, sadness and a flicker of hope. I was a medical student when the war began in 1939, larking about with my friends, (see "A Cycle of Sonnets") but knowing that when we qualified we would be called up. After serving with an infantry battalion in coastal defence on the Isle of Wight, I was posted to a West African division and accompanied them into the jungles of Burma. This involved a fight against disease as well as the Japanese. When this was over, I sailed off with my African soldiers and returned them to their homes in the Gold Coast, now called Ghana. Before demobilisation I served for a short time in a prisoner-of-war camp in Scotland, attending to German prisoners. It was disconcerting to be back in civilian life. Peace was full of unease, and hardly seemed peaceful.The effect of the war on social life, and upon my reaction to it, was disturbing. Our culture had changed, and I felt not for the better. I was uneasy; and thinking moreover of the international unrest and subsequent wars, I wondered what it was all leading to. I still wonder.

Catherine Turvey is thirteen years old. She wrote her first poem when she was only seven. Apart from that poem, this collection of poetry was written between the ages of eleven and thirteen. The collection includes two poems that appear in the text of two short pieces of prose, and a further piece of prose. Catherine's view of her work: 'Creative writing is a wonderful way to express and deal with all sorts of emotions and feelings related to everyday life in the real world we live in. The words and flow of the poems carry with them the expression of deeper feelings that themselves can have no words. 'Many people have showed an interest in my poems, and have asked for copies to pass on to others. I learned that they gave people hope, encouragement and comfort, and because of this, I wanted my poems to be brought together in a book.'

This story takes place in a primary school in Scotland (where pupils attend for seven years, class P1 to class P7.) It is suitable for all readers aged eight and upwards. It is the last week of the summer term. The teacher of the primary 6 class has flu, and a supply teacher stands in for her. She turns out to be a wonderful teacher, and also she has some great ideas for the summer holidays. The 24 pupils in the class start to make plans for some projects...

This is the first book in a series of self-help fiction titles. By reading about the lives of fictional characters, the reader learns much about how to unravel present day problems. The understanding of stresses that began in childhood years casts light on why the characters are struggling with the difficulties that they are having now. Description on the back cover reads as follows: Newly unemployed, Miranda is feeling directionless and dejected. Then she encounters Kate, a former work colleague. Kate is now facing redundancy. Their friendship is rekindled, and as the two women share their problems and dilemmas, they begin to confide about experiences that have affected their lives. Miranda had helped to mother her two younger sisters when they were growing up, but they rarely contact her and she feels puzzled and hurt by this. It emerges that the impact upon Kate of her father's leaving when she was young has many facets. Inspired by memories of her Granny Ann, whose many stories delighted her, Miranda's creative self begins to emerge, and Kate's vision of her own future matures.Miranda and Kate gain confidence and optimism about self-employment, and their personal relationships begin to flourish.

This is the second book in a series of self-help fiction titles. By reading about the lives of fictional characters, the reader learns much about how to unravel present day problems. The understanding of stresses that began earlier in life casts light on why the characters are struggling with the difficulties that they are having now. Description on the back cover reads as follows: Victimised by the new office manager and worried about her mother's health, Lynne feels at a very low ebb. When she decides to be more open with her mother about her concerns, she is surprised to find that they both benefit. Lynne's mother is determined to help her daughter explore why she had lost interest in finding a partner for herself, and she approaches the subject sensitively. Thus supported, Lynne faces the challenge of preparing to look for a new relationship. Together Lynne and her mother take a number of positive steps that lead to change and enrichment of their lives.

That there is a link between psychiatric illness and creativity seems widely accepted, although not completely understood. The 'black dog' of clinical depression has kept me intermittent company since my early teens, and I have often written prolifically while recovering from periods of depressive illness. Once read, these poems will always be your companions. By turns they move and delight with their beauty, wit and depth of fellow-feeling. These are the real thing. Dr Iain McGilchrist Consultant Psychiatrist, The Priory Hospital Former Fellow in English Literature, Oxford University

Deep in the Cheshire countryside, Philip Thornton has created 'Field Fare' - a hotel with a special reputation for its game dishes. The building contains a secret, known only to Philip. Feeling lonely while her husband, Grant, is away, Teresa dines at 'Field Fare', and Philip entices her to sample a unique cordial. When Teresa confides about her experience to Carrie, her young herdresser, she learns that Carrie has had a similar encounter. Could there be more? Concerned, Teresa approaches her friend, Monica. Aided by Grant, they devise a plan...

The author documents her experience of the diagnosis and treatment by plastic surgery of the lentigo maligna melanoma which was in, above, and to the side of her left eyebrow. She also describes the first appearance and the development of brown markings which were the precursors of the lentigo maligna melanoma. The book directs the reader to www.lentigomalignamelanoma.info where there is a series of photographs with dates and descriptive captions. These images show the early brown markings, the lentigo maligna melanoma and stages of its treatment.

This book provides a fascinating, detailed account of the family background and social context in which the writer's eating disorder developed and manifested. However, this book covers much more than an account of the sufferer's lengthy struggle with anorexia nervosa and its many effects. The book is about the author's lifelong work to recover, and to understand the illness from a psychological and spiritual perspective. It also includes broader discussion of related social and ecological matters.

This is an eco-mystery, involving dolphin communication with humans. Stephen is an American journalist whose career has become aimless as he searches for a truly meaningful story. Suddenly his life is turned upside down as he receives a cryptic text sent by Jill, a glamorous war correspondent from his past. Now living quietly in a corner of Northern Scotland, Jill enjoys the company of dolphins near her cottage on the Moray coast. Possible romance is sidelined, as far more urgent events prompted Jill into the hurried contact with her one-time partner. She has stumbled upon a puzzle that could affect the future of the entire world. An ambassador dolphin called Spike has approached a young girl at eerie Chanonry Point. He has a crucial message for mankind, and needs Stephen and Jill to spread it worldwide to halt environmental catastrophe.