John Colleary

Jimmy Gralton returns from New York and reopens his beloved community hall, only to meet opposition from the local parish.

A stand up comedian goes on a road trip in a last move to save his career.

Hector has been living on the motorways for years. His once comfortable family life has been replaced by a never-ending tour of service stations that offer him shelter, anonymity, washing facilities and food. The story follows his journey south from Scotland on his annual pilgrimage to a temporary Christmas shelter in London where he finds comfort, friendship and warmth. Over the course of his Homeric journey, Hector decides to reconnect with his long estranged past. As his previous life catches up with him, the story of how he came to be leading a marginal life begins to emerge.

In 1843, despite the fact that Dickens is a successful writer, the failure of his latest book puts his career at a crossroads, until the moment when, struggling with inspiration and confronting reality with his childhood memories, a new character is born in the depths of his troubled mind; an old, lonely, embittered man, so vivid, so human, that a whole world grows around him, a story so inspiring that changed the meaning of Christmas forever.

Stand-up comedian Kate thinks her life has no meaning and is not worth continuing. When she’s diagnosed with breast cancer, even the universe seems to agree with her. However, a close encounter with death – and four other women on the chemo ward – might just change her mind and even her life.

The pen is mightier than the ruler.