Blackstaff Press

This unique book, by Robert Thompson and Brian Nelson, is the first complete account of the butterflies and moths of Northern Ireland – the species that live here, their habitats, the threats they face, the places to find them and the best ways to study them in the field. Written for the general naturalist, and especially for those who would like to develop their interest in these captivating and often beautiful insects, 'The Butterflies and Moths of Northern Ireland' gives an account of each of the almost five hundred species that have been recorded in Northern Ireland, including information on their status, habitat and flight period. Each species account is complemented by a distribution map and often by a photograph. The book also includes all-important conservation information, together with a gallery of habitats (featuring, among others, Rathlin Island, Peatlands Park and Murlough Bay) and a look back to the naturalists who have contributed so much to our knowledge of the Lepidoptera of Northern Ireland. Beautifully produced and lavishly illustrated, with text that is both authoritative and easy-to-read, this is an unmissable book for anyone who is interested in the natural world and its conservation. Butterflies and Moths of Northern Ireland is available from the Blackstaff Press orderline on 0845 1200 386 (from UK) or +44 (0) 113 399 4040 (ROI), priced Ł25.00 plus p&p.

Specially commissioned for this volume, the nineteen essays presented here record the highs and lows of a century of seismic change in Belfast’s history. From politics and governance to education and health, planning and architecture, population and transport, religious identities and conflict, and popular culture and literary life, the contributors chart the evolution and development of Belfast over the course of the last century. Broad and wide-ranging, the essays deal with the political, cultural, social and physical changes that impacted on the city, including the devastation of the blitz; the economic depression of the 1930s; segregation and population redistribution; the deindustrialisation of the city in the second half of the twentieth century; the troubles; and changes to the built fabric of the city, such as the redevelopment of the waterfront and the ongoing regeneration of the city centre. Lavishly illustrated with over three hundred photographs and maps, Enduring City paints a vivid and detailed picture of Belfast in the twentieth century and of the complex and sometimes conflicting ways in which it has been experienced, perceived and imagined by its citizens. Enduring City is partially funded by Belfast City Council and accompanies Irish Historic Towns Atlas, Belfast, parts I and II, which are being published by the Royal Irish Academy.

The hunt for Alina finds Henry and Shuff embroiled in a crazed and bloody world of pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers and Russian mafia. Thrilling, urgent and blackly comic, Jason Johnson’s new novel weaves together the lives of these desperate and compelling characters, taking the reader on a dark odyssey from post-ceasefire Belfast to post-Communist Romania. Author Jason Johnson explains, ‘Alina is a journey from Northern Ireland to Eastern Europe that goes very, very badly wrong. It’s not that Shuff and Henry find trouble on their trip, it’s more that they bring it on themselves.’ Johnson’s first book, the critically acclaimed Woundlicker (Blackstaff Press, 2005), earned him the title of ‘the Irish Irvine Welsh’. ‘Woundlicker brought Jason Johnson to the attention of the crime fiction world and earned him a cult following. I believe the sheer excitement and page-turning drama of Alina will further cement his reputation as one of our foremost up-and-coming Irish writers,’ said Blackstaff Press managing editor Patsy Horton. PRAISE FOR WOUNDLICKER ‘dark and gritty’, Sunday Times ‘searingly truthful, uniquely uncompromising’, Irish Book Review ‘poetry and prose from a top-class writer’, Sunday People ‘strangely moral…short and brutal…an unflinching confirmation that we are our own worst enemy’, Ireland on Sunday ‘A counterblast to sectarianism and peace process humbug…Johnson’s debut novel is a wrathful and indulgent, slick and witty “fuck you”. ’ Fortnight

In 1882, Evelyn is scolded by her mother, who declares, ‘It’s not difficult to get a suitable husband. Men wanted only to be flattered. Why would I not try? Why would I not do and speak just as she did? She had always known how to talk to a man.’

Over one hundred years later, Eve tries to come to terms with her own independence after a failed marriage.

The two women are brought together by a journal and their common struggles.

‘Novels and stories often begin with a single image. Sea Light grew from the image of a woman painting outside the shut door of a walled garden. I came upon her one day, some years ago, while taking a long walk on a cold, dark January day. She was tall, like Eve, and sat hunched over her easel. She seemed so unhappy I couldn’t get her out of my mind, and as I thought about her, wondering what had brought her here, to Ireland, in January, to the wall of the garden that she seemed to have been shut out, Eve’s life began to take shape,’ said author Jane Mullen.

‘Around the same time, I read The Real Charlotte and became interested in Edith Somerville, in her work and her life and the lives of other women who came of age during Victoria’s reign. In time, the two interests, the two stories, the two lives became intertwined, became one novel.’

And so the novel began.

Left reeling from a succession of family tragedies, American artist Eve Oliver retreats to Clonmere in the west of Ireland where, seven years earlier, she had lived with her husband while he researched the life of the nineteenth-century writer and painter, Evelyn Hope-Ross. But her husband’s biography has scandalised the Hope-Rosses, and Eve is cold-shouldered by the family.

Hurt and troubled, Eve turns to Evelyn’s journal to uncover the truth. As she reads she develops a strong sense of kinship with Evelyn, whose struggle to become independent resonates powerfully with her own.

Set in Ireland, London and Paris, Jane Mullen’s striking debut novel gracefully weaves the stories of two women from different centuries into a moving and absorbing drama.

Managing Editor Patsy Horton of Blackstaff Press said, ‘Ideas of freedom and choice have always been problematic for women, no matter what historical period they lived in. As Jane shows in Sea Light, contexts may change, but the territory of love, desire and personal freedom remains a challenging and enlightening one for women.’

Sea Light is available in bookshops, from the Blackstaff Press orderline 0845 1200 386 and online at www.blackstaffpress.com.

THE AUTHOR – JANE MULLEN grew up in Connecticut, USA, but now divides her time between Oxford, Mississippi, and Skibbereen, County Cork. She has Irish connections on both sides of the family. Jane has previously published a collection of short stories, A Complicated Situation, and has received several US writing awards for her short stories. Sea Light is her first novel.

Author navigates Hamiltons through turbulent times Anne Doughty’s well-loved characters live through key events in Ireland’s history

When Anne Doughty started writing about the Hamiltons in The Woman from Kerry, she didn’t expect, two novels later, to be bringing them through such challenging times.

Her latest novel in the series, The Hawthorns Bloom in May, published by Blackstaff Press, is a continuation of the Hamilton family story begun in The Woman from Kerry (2003) and continued in The Hamiltons of Ballydown (2004).

‘What caught my imagination initially was realising the effect the sinking of the Titanic had upon millions of people worldwide,’ Doughty said. ‘Then it dawned on me that my characters, the Hamiltons of Ballydown, were going to have to face not only this enormous shock, the equivalent of September 11 or the tsunami of December 2004, but also the trauma of the First World War, the threat of civil war in Ireland and the Easter Rising.’

Hawthorns starts off in Ireland, 1912. Now in her fifties and a grandmother, Rose Hamilton has much to be thankful for in the steady love of her husband John and their relative prosperity. But she is concerned for her children: Sarah, recently widowed, is burdened with grief and worried by signs of trade union discontent in the Sinton family mills, Sam, married to cold, selfish Martha, is struggling to bring up his six children.

As world events – the sinking of the Titanic and the outbreak of the First World War – impinge on the family at Ballydown, Rose and Sarah face new challenges and tragedies in their daily lives. But it is the events in Ireland that make the greatest demand on both women when Sarah finds herself involved in the Easter Rising.

Blackstaff Managing Editor Patsy Horton said: ‘Like all of Anne's novels, The Hawthorns Bloom in May gives a unique insight into historical events and their impact on everyday lives. Anne's real talent lies in capturing the human dramas and emotions as they are played out against momentous historical events.’

Anne Doughty said: ‘This is not a gloomy novel. It is a story about people living at a hard time, doing their best to keep life up. Ultimately it is a story that celebrates, love, life and friendship, just in the same way as the Hamiltons and their friends the Sintons celebrate each year their having survived the Armagh Rail Disaster.’

A private event will take place today (May 3) in the Mayor’s Parlour, Palace Demesne, Armagh at 7pm. Any members of the media interested in the event should contact Cara Patterson at cara.patterson@armagh.gov.uk.

The Hawthorns Bloom in May is available in bookshops, from the Blackstaff Press orderline 0845 1200 386 and online at www.blackstaffpress.com.

THE AUTHOR – ANNE DOUGHTY was born and educated in Armagh, read Geography at Queens University, Belfast and did her fieldwork in the west of Ireland. Married to a historian, she has developed her interest in the ever-changing history of communities and in the lives of ordinary people. She is the author of A Few Late Roses (longlisted for the Irish Times literature prize), Stranger in the Place, Summer of the Hawthorn, On a Clear Day, Beyond the Green Hills, The Woman from Kerry and The Hamiltons of Ballydown, all of which have been bestsellers.

The perfect addition to Blackstaff’s Classic Collection, The House takes its place alongside other greats of Irish fiction, such as December Bride by Sam Hanna Bell and Call My Brother Back by Michael McLaverty.

Described by the Irish Literary Supplement as ‘one of the most memorable Irish novels’, The House tells the story of Cedric Stewart, who returns from post-World War I London to visit his dying father at the family home near Killiney, County Dublin. Divorced, and estranged from his Anglo-Irish parents with their ‘stiff Protestant notions’, he finds solace once more in Theresa, the Catholic housekeeper whom he has adored since he first knew the meaning of love.

Through flashbacks to his childhood and to previous visits to the house with which he has a love-hate relationship, Cedric tries to recover a sense of his own place in the world.

The House was launched at Leland’s local bookshop, The Book Nest in Sligo, at 6.30 pm on Thursday 30 March.

Blackstaff Press Managing Editor Patsy Horton said: ‘Blackstaff is renowned for publishing top-quality Irish fiction. We are delighted to bring The House back into print. Leland is an exceptional talent and has made a significant contribution to Irish literature.’

Leland Bardwell said: ‘The House is the title I am most often asked about as an author. People would ask me if it was available in shops and where they could find it. It’s wonderful to see it back on the shelves and I hope it brings enjoyment to new readers as well as to its old faithful ones.’

The House is available in bookshops, from the Blackstaff Press order line (0845 1200 386) and online at www.blackstaffpress.com.

THE AUTHOR – Leland Bardwell was born in 1928 and grew up in Leixlip, County Kildare. She was educated in Dublin and London. She has published five novels (Girl on a Bicycle, That London Winter, The House, There We Have Been and Mother to a Stranger) and one short story collection (Different Kinds of Love). Mother to a Stranger (Blackstaff Press, 2002) has been published to critical acclaim in Germany. She has also published collections of poetry, stage plays and radio plays. Leland lives in County Sligo.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS – Launched in Belfast in 1971 with a book of political cartoons, Blackstaff Press is now regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 750 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking. Blackstaff Press, a member of the Baird Group, provides an important platform for creative writers and artists, and its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Blackstaff books are produced to the highest standards by a prize-winning team of editors and designers, and a professional in-house marketing staff ensures effective sales distribution throughout the world.

Michael Foley, critically acclaimed novelist and poet, beguiled the crowd gathered at the Queen’s Visitors’ Centre on 30 March. Foley read from his latest collection, Autumn Beguiles the Fatalist, at a launch organised in association with the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry.

Fellow poets Michael Longley and Ciaran Carson were among those who turned up to hear Foley read from his long-awaited fourth collection.

Autumn Beguiles the Fatalist has been a labour of love for Foley, whose last collection, Insomnia in the Afternoon, was published in 1994. The poet commented:

‘Twelve years is a long time between collections, but I am really proud of what I have achieved with Autumn Beguiles the Fatalist. It is largely the culmination of long, hard toil, but the last section of the book was really inspired – it came to me so fast I could barely write it all down!’

Autumn Beguiles the Fatalist retains the qualities praised in Michael Foley’s earlier poetry – disconcerting candour, rhythmic vitality, mordant wit and readability.

Traversing the welter and squalor of London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and New York, celebrating afresh the familiar and mundane – bread, soap, matches and snails – Autumn Beguiles the Fatalist culminates in a powerful sequence of poems that look at age, mortality, loss, failure, disappointment and envy with unflinching honesty, wry humour and, ultimately, affirmation.

Blackstaff Managing Editor Patsy Horton said: ‘Autumn Beguiles the Fatalist has been twelve years in the making, and I am delighted to say it has been well worth the wait. There is a new maturity in Foley’s work – the poetry is more nuanced and more finely balanced while still retaining the richness, energy and philosophical probing that are his trademark.’

Michael is also in town for the Between the Lines Festival, 3–9 April and will take part in the opening launch festivities on Monday 3 April .

Autumn Beguiles the Fatalist is available in bookshops, from Blackstaff Press orderline 0845 1200 386 and online at www.blackstaffpress.com.

THE AUTHOR Michael Foley was born in Derry in 1947. He was joint editor of the Honest Ulsterman from 1970 to 1971 and contributed a regular satirical column, ‘The Wrassler’, to Fortnight magazine throughout the early 1970s. His first collection of poetry, True Life Love Stories, was published by Blackstaff Press in 1976, followed by The GO Situation in 1982 and Insomnia in the Afternoon in 1994. He has also published four novels and a collection of translations of French poetry. Michael Foley currently lives in London where he lectures in Information Technology at the University of Westminster.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS - Launched in Belfast in 1971 with a book of political cartoons, Blackstaff Press is now regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 750 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking. Blackstaff Press, a member of the Baird Group, provides an important platform for creative writers and artists, and its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Blackstaff books are produced to the highest standards by a prize-winning team of editors and designers, and a professional in-house marketing staff ensures effective sales distribution throughout the world.

Motorcycle road racing – the most extreme of extreme sports. Man and machine hurtling at 170mph between hedges and stone walls, balancing speed and risk at every corner.

But behind the adrenaline-charged race scene there’s another story: the long hours of the monotonous day job that pays for the racing; the longer nights in small, draughty sheds building the bikes; the banter of the paddock; the struggle to overcome the pain of crash injuries; the abject misery of defeat and the sheer joy of the podium.

In Ragged Edge, Stephen Davison, author of bestsellers Joey Dunlop: King of the Roads and Beautiful Danger, tells that story. In over 120 stunning full-colour photographs he gives a thrilling and personal insight into the road racing scene and the lives of the riders. He draws the reader into the world of current and former road racing stars like Joey and Robert Dunlop, David Jefferies and John McGuinness, Martin Finnegan and Ryan Farquhar, as well as lesser-known racers like Kenny McCrea and Dean Cooper. Through Davison’s photographs we share in their moments of bravery, disappointment, pain and triumph, and enjoy a roadside view of the incredible racing action they create in Ireland, the Isle of Man and Macau.

These photographs and the stories behind them are a compelling testament to the trust and intimacy that exists between Stephen Davison and the riders.

‘In thirty years of watching and photographing road racers, one thing remains a constant for me: a sense of wonder as to how they do it, how they can take themselves to limits the rest of us can never imagine. But I have also seen what it costs, and I have felt it myself. That the men and women of the sport have let my lens into their story is a tribute to their openness and realism. I hope that they feel that I have told it the way it is.’

‘The pull of the elemental battle of man and machine against the road in a test of speed and bravery is as old as the engine itself, but to compete against these odds has a cost and many have paid a very high price. Sometimes it’s a physical cost, paid in money or in pain. Sometimes its an emotional cost – and at times, right out on the ragged edge, it becomes a matter of life and death.’

This is Stephen’s second book with Blackstaff Press. Such was the success of Beautiful Danger (2003) that it was reprinted within weeks of its initial release.

Rachel McNicholl, editor of Blackstaff Press said: ‘Not only is Stephen Davison an amazing photographer, but he is a great visionary, brimful of ideas and enthusiasm, and I think this shows in the book. We are pleased to have been able to work with Stephen again on Ragged Edge, and we trust this raw and intimate portrait of the sport will bring much joy to road racing fans across Ireland and the UK.’

Ragged Edge is available in bookshops, from Blackstaff Press orderline 0845 1200 386 and online at www.blackstaffpress.com. THE AUTHOR - STEPHEN DAVISON is from Tardree in County Antrim and has been a motorcycle road racing fan since he attended his first race in 1974. He has been a photographer with Pacemaker Press International since 1994 and is the author of the bestselling Beautiful Danger (Blackstaff Press, 2003) and Joey Dunlop: King of the Roads (O’Brien Press, 2000). Hailed by MCN as ‘the world’s number one pure road racing lensman’, Davison is the recipient of various photographic awards, including Northern Ireland Sports Photographer of the Year and Northern Ireland Press Photographer of the Year.

Northern Ireland Office intelligence file leaked
Classified Woundlicker report unveiled at Belfast bookshop
A killer was unmasked at No Alibis bookshop last Thursday night when a top secret government report was made public.

The crowd at the Botanic Avenue shop heard how maverick misfit Fletcher Fee embarked upon an eleven-day spree of vengeance having been incensed by brutal attacks on ‘Wee Blondie’, his teenage neighbour, and by the senseless murder of his only friend, Karim.

His shocking, uncensored story is told in the debut novel Woundlicker the debut novel by local journalist Jason Johnson.

Johnson said: ‘Woundlicker is a secret, fictional government report about a trail of brutal murders in Northern Ireland.

‘The story is the recorded word of Fletcher Fee, a Belfast guy who goes off the rails and ends up plunging post-ceasefire Northern Ireland into a new kind of panic.

‘It's a story which I hope will strike a chord with many people in this city and across all of Ireland and the UK. It’s also a violent story, and one which has no heroes despite being set in a city where the murals on the walls suggest there are loads.

Published by Blackstaff Press, the novel, priced at Ł6.99, explores the deeds of a young man who has had enough and turns the tables on those who have damaged him.

‘Jason is a new and exciting voice in Irish literature. I was immediately struck by his strong narrative voice, sense of humour and experimental story telling, which combines a vivid imagination with gritty realism and an insider’s knowledge of post-ceasefire Belfast,’ commented Blackstaff Press editor Rachel McNicholl.

Woundlicker is available in bookshops, from Blackstaff Press orderline 0845 1200 386, +44 (0) 113 399 4040 or the website www.blackstaffpress.com.

THE AUTHOR JASON JOHNSON was born in Enniskillen in 1969 and has lived in Belfast, England and the USA. He has been a barman, a shoe salesman, a car washer, a supermarket employee, a waiter, a courier, a chair-ride operator, an apprentice stonemason and a painter and decorator. As a freelance journalist, he worked for the Irish News and Belfast Telegraph before taking the News Editor position at the Irish Sunday People, which he left in 2004. He lives in Belfast. He currently describes himself as a writer.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS Launched in Belfast in 1971 with a book of political cartoons, Blackstaff Press is now regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 750 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking. Blackstaff Press, a member of the Baird Group, provides an important platform for creative writers and artists, and its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Blackstaff books are produced to the highest standards by a prize-winning team of editors and designers, and a professional in-house marketing staff ensures effective sales distribution throughout the world.

Images: Cover image and author photo available

For more information, review copies or to set up an interview with author Jason Johnson, please contact:
Abigail Vint
abigail.vint@blackstaffpress.com
+44 (0) 28 9073 0113
Publicity Department
Blackstaff Press
4c Heron Wharf,
Sydenham Business Park,
Belfast BT3 9LE

Blackstaff Press has re-issued Sam Hanna Bell’s classic novel December Bride.

The 2005 edition is based on the original edition of 1951, a photolithographic facsimile of which was published by Blackstaff Press in 1974 and reprinted many times.

In 2005 Blackstaff Press decided to re-issue the book in a new paperback format and with a new cover. The publishers also felt it was opportune to update punctuation and orthography, some of which was rather old-fashioned. In the process of proof-reading for this purpose, some minor inconsistencies were discovered, e.g. typographical errors in dialect words or minor discrepancies in ages given for characters at different stages of the story. These inconsistencies have now been amended in consultation with the executors of Sam Hanna Bell’s estate and with reference to the original manuscript of the book.

As this book is on some schools’ and higher education reading lists, we would recommend that the 2005 edition be used where possible in future to avoid any confusion.

Blackstaff Press has published an updated edition of Northern Protestants: An Unsettled People after increased demand for the widely acclaimed book.

‘We felt there was a need to update the original edition to reflect the changes that have occurred since it was first published. This is an extremely important piece of work, particularly at the present stage of the peace process in Northern Ireland,’ said Blackstaff Press editor Rachel McNicholl.

Author Susan McKay has written a new introduction covering events since 2000. Her analysis of the continuing upheavals within the Protestant community and unionist politics is a timely and thought-provoking contribution to current debates about the future of Northern Ireland.

‘When I wrote this book, half of the Northern Protestants had voted for the Good Friday Agreement, but it was already clear that many of them had serious misgivings’, Susan stated.

‘Since then, those who opposed the Agreement have won the argument in the unionist community. Northern Protestants have settled for the Reverend Ian Paisley – it remains to be seen what he intends to do with his victory. I think the book still provides important information which may help readers understand a community that still perplexes the wider world, and which still seems clearer about what it opposes than about what it wants.’

First published in 2000, Northern Protestants was an instant success and is widely recognised as a ground-breaking book. Meticulously researched, it is based on over sixty in-depth interviews through which Susan McKay presents an uncompromising and clear-eyed examination of her own people – the Protestants of Northern Ireland.

Northern Protestants will be available in local book shops July, through the Blackstaff orderline on 0845 1200 386 or +44 (0)113 or from the Blackstaff website, www.blackstaffpress.com.

Susan McKay's first book, a biography of child abuse survivor, Sophia McColgan, was published in 1998. Sophia's Story was critically acclaimed and became a bestseller. Susan’s latest book, Without Fear – A History of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, will be published in October 2005. She has won several major awards for her journalism, including Print Journalist of the Year in the ESB national media awards (2000) and the Amnesty awards (2001). Her work has been included in several anthologies, including the Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing. She currently writes for the Irish Times and the Irish News and was formerly Northern Editor of the Sunday Tribune. Her articles have also appeared in, among other publications, the Guardian and the Washington Post. She has made several TV documentaries and is a regular panellist on television and radio programmes. She was one of the founders of the Belfast Rape Crisis Centre, directed a centre for young unemployed people in Sligo and was a community worker in Fermanagh before becoming a journalist. Susan is from Derry and now lives in north County Dublin.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS Launched in Belfast in 1971 with a book of political cartoons, Blackstaff Press is now regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 750 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking. Blackstaff Press, a member of the Baird Group, provides an important platform for creative writers and artists, and its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Blackstaff books are produced to the highest standards by a prize-winning team of editors and designers, and a professional in-house marketing staff ensures effective sales distribution throughout the world.

PRESS RELEASE

For Release: 5 May 2005

RTE’s Tom McGurk launches ‘BBC Tuohy’ memoirs

Former broadcaster and presenter Denis Tuohy’s memoirs launched at the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival

Memoirs of well-known BBC and ITV broadcaster Denis Tuohy were launched last night in the Northern Whig in Belfast as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival.

Reflective, compassionate and spiced with much good humour, Wide-eyed in Medialand: A broadcaster’s journey is the story of Tuohy’s journey of discovery through the turbulent history of our times.

‘Denis is able to look back at his own life and his adventures as a reporter and broadcaster with the wisdom that comes with age and experience but without ever losing a sense of curiosity and wonder about the people and places he experienced all over the world,’ said Blackstaff Press Editor Rachel McNicholl. ‘It’s that sense of wonder and fun that keeps him young at heart and endears him to the reader, apart from the amazing stories he has to tell: the book ends with him embarking on a new adventure, moving back to Ireland from London after over forty years of a broadcasting career.’

Tuohy travelled widely to cover key events in world politics right through to the 1990s, and in the course of his career interviewed many of the world’s leading figures in politics and culture, including Micheal Mac Liammoir, Duke Ellington, Salvador Allende, Richard Burton, the Shah of Iran, Muhammad Ali, Seamus Heaney and Mary Robinson.

‘Denis was the last of the great gentleman broadcasters. We began in television in the 1960s when this was going to be the medium that changed the world,’ said RTE broadcaster Tom McGurk. ‘There are so many great stories from behind the scenes over the years and this book is a great collection of many of those stories. Congratulations, Denis.’

Tuohy, who now lives in West Cork, read to a crowd of over 50 people, telling a range of stories from his encounter with Richard Burton to his famous interview with Margaret Thatcher to his recent appearances in RTE’s Fair City.

‘Belfast is my home town and it’s where I began my broadcasting career. It’s wonderful to be back in the city celebrating the stories of my life throughout the years as part of the highly acclaimed Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival,’ said Tuohy.

Wide-eyed in Medialand: A broadcaster’s journey is available in local book shops, through the Blackstaff Press orderline on 0845 1200 386 or +44 (0) 113 399 4040, or through the Blackstaff Press website, www.blackstaffpress.com.

PRESS RELEASE

For Release: 22 April 2005

Motorcycles are the Way to Go

Award-winning journalist Geoff Hill celebrates the launch of his hilarious new book

The travelogue Way to Go: Two of the World’s Great Motorcycle Journeys by award-winning travel journalist Geoff Hill was launched at the Northern Whig last night.

Published by Blackstaff Press, Way to Go brings together two epic motorcycle journeys, from Delhi to Belfast on an Enfield, and from Chicago to LA on a Harley-Davidson.

‘Geoff is an incredibly talented writer who has the rare ability to combine sensitive and sharp observation with laugh-out-loud humour. Blackstaff is delighted to be publishing this wonderful madcap travelogue and to be bringing Geoff’s writing to an even wider audience,’ said Managing Editor Patsy Horton.

On display were the two original Enfield motorbikes that made the journey from Delhi to Belfast and a Road King Harley-Davidson similar to the one Geoff rode along Route 66, courtesy of Provincewide Harley-Davidson.

‘Little did I know when I first dreamed up the idea [of the journey] over a glass of wine too many that it would end up as a book,’ said Geoff Hill. ‘I'd like to thank my publishers, my agent, my wife, the cat and the man I saw buying a copy in a bookshop in Belfast the other day. Not to mention Colin Bateman, who liked it so much he said so on the cover. Even if he didn't come to the launch because he was launching his own book. I mean, how selfish can you get?"

Way to Go: Two of the World’s Great Motorcycle Journeys was published with the assistance of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and is available in book shops, through the Blackstaff Press orderline on 0845 1200 386 or +44 (0) 113 399 4040, or online at www.blackstaffpress.com.

THE AUTHOR

Geoff Hill is the features and travel editor of the News Letter in Belfast. He has either won or been shortlisted for a UK Travel Writer of the Year award eight times. He has won the 2004 UK Travel Writer of the Year by Croatian National Tourist Office. He is also a former Irish Travel Writer of the Year and a former Mexican Government European Travel Writer of the Year, although he’s still trying to work out exactly what that means. He writes about travel regularly for the Daily Telegraph and the Independent on Sunday.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS

Launched in Belfast in 1971 with a book of political cartoons, Blackstaff Press is now regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 750 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking. Blackstaff Press, a member of the Baird Group, provides an important platform for creative writers and artists, and its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Blackstaff books are produced to the highest standards by a prize-winning team of editors and designers, and a professional in-house marketing staff ensures effective sales distribution throughout the world.

Blackstaff Press today launched a new novel Pinhead Duffy by bestselling author Helena Close in coordination with World Book Day festivities. The launch event will be held at O’Mahony’s Booksellers in Limerick tonight starting at 7:00pm.

‘Pinhead Duffy is a wonderful book and we’re delighted to publishing it as part of the celebrations for World Book Day. Because the novel explores the pain and laughter that are part of growing up, we hope that the book will appeal to a wide audience and will inspire as many people as possible to get reading!’ said Managing Editor Patsy Horton.

Set in the Limerick of the 1970s, Pinhead Duffy is a moving, funny and multi-layered evocation of the lives of four boys on the brink of manhood.

Like his friends Dodge, Eyebrows and Pinhead, thirteen-year-old Sean ‘Nod’ Hickey is looking forward to a good summer. But it doesn’t turn out as any of the boys expect. The long hot days of swimming, hurling and great laughs like ‘the marble thing’ cannot gloss over the tensions that begin to surface as awakening sexuality and family pressures erupt into jealousy, aggression and revenge.

‘Heartfelt and heart warming, Pinhead Duffy is a glorious account of that last childhood summer when everything seems perfect, and before everything changes forever. Holden Caulfield comes to Limerick,’ said literary and broadcasting critic Mary Coll.

‘As an avid sports fan myself, and being from Limerick, where sport is revered, I couldn't write about teenage boys without including hurling and rugby,’ said author Helena Close. ‘Pinhead Duffy is a snapshot of growing up in Limerick in the 1970s. The main theme of the novel is an exploration of the psyche of boys and their struggle to become men.’

Pinhead Duffy, which has been submitted for the The Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award, is available in local book shops, through the Blackstaff Press orderline on 0845 1200 386 or +44 (0) 113 399 4040, or through the Blackstaff Press website, www.blackstaffpress.com.

THE AUTHOR

HELENA CLOSE was born in Cork in 1959 and moved to Limerick when she was four years old. A keen writer since childhood, she has worked in public relations and journalism but now writes full time. She is co-author, along with her lifelong friend Trisha Rainsford, of Hot Property (2003) and Gazumped! (2004), both written under the pen name Sarah O’Brien. They are currently working on two more books. Helena is an obsessive sports fan and is mad about rugby and Liverpool F.C. She lives in Limerick with her husband, three of her four children, her dog and a three-legged cat.

Blackstaff Press has released the paperback edition of The Hamiltons of Ballydown by well-loved local author Anne Doughty just in time for Mother’s Day.

The moving sequel to The Woman from Kerry, Anne’s new novel follows the Hamilton family in the closing years of the nineteenth century. Now living in their own home at Ballydown, John is a respected employee and friend of mill owner Hugh Sinton, and Rose has a new, much-valued friend in Elizabeth Sinton, Hugh’s sister.

The women’s close bond is a source of comfort and strength to both of them, and Rose has every reason to be happy with her lot, after years of hardship and poverty. As Rose and John watch their children, James, Sam, Hannah and their last-born, strong-willed Sarah, make their own choices and mistakes they must face both pain and joy as all their futures unfold.

‘The Hamiltons of Ballydown tells a fascinating story not just about the Hamiltons but also about the women of Ulster in the late 1800s,’ said Patsy Horton, Managing Editor of Blackstaff Press. ‘We are delighted to be publishing this book to coincide with Mother’s Day as the story itself is all about family life and the bond between mothers and their children.’

‘It seems to me that ordinary people don’t get much space in the history books,’ said author, Anne Doughty. ‘What I am so aware of is the courage it takes to keep life going in the face of hardship, during war, rebellion and disaster. I think women in particular rarely get the credit they deserve for what they achieve. I'm trying to write a different sort of history of Ulster to correct the balance.’

The book is available in local bookshops at the beginning of March, through the orderline at 0845 1200 386 (+44 0113 399 4040) or on our website at www.blackstaffpress.com.

THE AUTHOR

ANNE DOUGHTY was born in Armagh, but spent many years in England before returning to Northern Ireland to live in Belfast. She is the author of A Few Late Roses (longlisted for the Irish Times literature prize), Stranger in the Place, Summer of the Hawthorn, On a Clear Day, Beyond the Green Hills and The Woman from Kerry, all of which have been bestsellers.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS

Launched in Belfast in 1971 with a book of political cartoons, Blackstaff Press is now regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 750 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking. Blackstaff Press, a member of the Baird Group, provides an important platform for creative writers and artists, and its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Blackstaff books are produced to the highest standards by a prize-winning team of editors and designers, and a professional in-house marketing staff ensures effective sales distribution throughout the world.

If you would like more information, an interview with Anne Doughty orcopies of the book for competition purposes, please contact Abigail Vint at abigail.vint@blackstaffpress.com or 028 9078 0113

‘A History of Ulster is the definitive guide to the complex history and politics of the province and this new updated edition makes the book available to a new generation of readers,’ said Managing Editor Patsy Horton. ‘Jonathan Bardon’s extensive research and his accessible and engaging style have proved a key factor in the public’s continued interest.’

The book covers a wide range of periods; from the Viking and Norman invasions to the turmoil of the troubles and the negotiations of the peace process.

First published in 1992, A History of Ulster was an instant success with historians and the wider reading public, and quickly became established as the definitive book on the subject. For this edition Jonathan Bardon has written an introductory chapter covering events since 1992. His description of the process that saw the region emerge from thirty years of brutal conflict and move haltingly towards peace is a fitting coda to this classic of Irish history.

Through compelling narrative and masterly use of contemporary sources, this major new history disentangles the past and captures Ulster in all its energy and obduracy.

A History of Ulster will be available in local book shops late February, through the Blackstaff orderline on 0845 1200 386 or from the Blackstaff website, www.blackstaffpress.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JONATHAN BARDON was born in Dublin and educated at the High School Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster, where he completed a Ph.D. in 1999. He teaches at the School of Modern History at Queen’s. His many publications include Belfast: An Illustrated History (Blackstaff Press, 1982), Belfast: A Century (Blackstaff Press, 1999), A Guide to Local History Sources at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Blackstaff Press, 2000) and Beyond the Studio: A History of BBC Northern Ireland (Blackstaff Press, 2000).

BLACKSTAFF PRESS

Launched in Belfast in 1971 with a book of political cartoons, Blackstaff Press is now regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 750 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking.

Blackstaff Press, a member of the Baird Group, provides an important platform for creative writers and artists, and its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Blackstaff books are produced to the highest standards by a prize-winning team of editors and designers, and a professional in-house marketing staff ensures effective sales distribution throughout the world.

On 19 January 2005 Blackstaff Press put on an evening of the arts in aid of the Tsunami Disaster Appeal at The John Hewitt bar on Donegall Street, Belfast.

The proceeds from donations on the door, sale of raffle tickets and donations from people who could not attend on the night totalled GBP 875, and this amount has been matched by the Baird Group of commpanies, of which Blackstaff Press is a member.

All moneys raised will go to schools and fishing communities in tsunami-affected parts of Thailand.

At present Blackstaff Press is establishing contact with schoolteachers and aid workers on the ground in order to make sure that the funds raised by everyone who has so generously contributed to the Appeal will be delivered as effectively and reliably as possible to the people in need when she and her partner, Fiacc O Brolchain, visit Thailand in February.

‘We were so pleased that our authors came together so quickly and at such short notice,’ said Blackstaff Press managing editor, Patsy Horton. ‘With our grassroots tradition, it’s very important for Blackstaff to make a difference at a local level for those affected by the tragedy of the tsunami.’

Blackstaff Press editor Rachel McNicholl, whose sister is a medical researcher working in Thailand, explains how the idea for the literary fundraising event came about:

‘My sister was sent to Phang Nga province with a team of medical and forensic experts and described to me her shock at what she saw--dead bodies, ruined schools, smashed up fishing piers and boats, orphaned children. Blackstaff Press was keen to do something to help. She suggested a specific school and village that I could bring aid to when I visit Thailand in February.’

‘I think it makes a difference if we can deliver 100% of the money raised to a specific community to help rebuild schools, fishing boats and piers. We'll be able to report back on how the community is getting on, and keep the people who've supported the Blackstaff Press effort informed via updates on our website. Having direct contact in Thailand makes it all more tangible. I feel it's a great opportunity to make a difference to these particular communities' efforts to rebuild their lives.'

A selection of Blackstaff Press 2005 authors generously agreed to read, recite or play some music on the night:

Poet Michael Longley read John Hewitt's poem 'The Ram's Horn' and recite a couple of pieces from his collection 'A Lake Without a Name', which will be published by Blackstaff as a fine edition, with illustrations by Jeffrey Morgan, in autumn 2005.

Novelist Anne Doughty read from her forthcoming 'The Hamiltons of Ballydown', the sequel to the popular 'The Woman from Kerry'.

Poet Ciaran Carson, who is also editor of 'The Yellow Nib', the new literary journal of the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry (appearing in April 2005), read a couple of his own poems. He and his wife, musician Deirdre Carson, also introduced each block of readings with a few tunes on flute and fiddle.

Former BBC and ITV reporter Denis Tuohy read from his memoirs, 'Wide-Eyed in Medialand: A broadcaster's journey', which will appear in April 2005.

Travel writer Geoff Hill spoke about his travels in Thailand, and referred to his epic motorcycle journeys as described in 'Way to Go: Two of the world's great motorcycle journeys', which will be published in April 2005.

A variety of prizes donated by The John Hewitt, Movie House Cinemas, Blackstaff Press, the Baird Group and a regular of The John Hewitt who could not attend on the night were raffled after the literary and musical part of the evening.

Anyone who could not attend the event on 19 January can still contribute in cash (collection box at The John Hewitt) or by sending a cheque (sterling or euros) to The Blackstaff Press Tsunami Appeal, 4c Heron Wharf, Sydenham Business Park, Belfast, BT3 9LE, Northern Ireland.

All donations 31 January, please, as funds will be delivered directly to Thailand in early February.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS

Launched in Belfast in 1971, Blackstaff Press is one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 800 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking. A member of the Baird Group, Blackstaff provides an important platform for creative writers and artists. Its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Paddy Hopkirk, one of Ireland’s best-loved rally drivers, stopped briefly this Wednesday to congratulate author and former rally driver Esler Crawford, on his latest book MAD FOR ROAD, co-written with motorsports journalist Alan ‘Plum’ Tyndall.

Paddy Hopkirk said, ‘Esler and Alan are long-time friends of mine and Esler is very modest about his photographic talents. I persuaded British Motor Club to employ him as their official photographer at the LeMans 24 Hour race back in the sixties, when I was driving an MG with Andrew Hedges. His pictures were the best they had ever seen. I am honoured to be included in such a fantastic book about Irish motorsport.’

He added: ‘Pictures capture a moment in history and become more valuable and interesting with age - it captures the passion of both drivers and fans alike.’

MAD FOR ROAD provides all car-rally fans with a tribute to the great drivers of Irish motorsport since the 1950s. With profiles on rally heroes including Paddy Hopkirk, Bertie Fisher, Rosemary Smith, Kenny McKinstry, Jimmy McRae, Austin McHale, Eugene Donnelly, Derek McGarrity, Andrew Nesbitt and many more, this colourful collection is a treat for anyone who has ever stood in a muddy field in the rain just to experience the exhilaration and speed of the machines.

The book is now available in shops and can also be ordered online at www.blackstaffpress.com or from our orderline at 0845 1200 386/+44 (0) 113 399 4040.

THE AUTHORS

ESLER CRAWFORD is one of Ireland’s leading commercial photographers. He was a regular rally competitor in the 1960s and 70s and won the Circuit of Ireland in 1963. He was also Ulster Champion Navigator for three successive years from 1965. Esler has previously published the bestselling The North from the Air with Blackstaff Press (2000).

ALAN ‘PLUM’ TYNDALL has worked in sports PR and journalism as well as independent TV production for many years. Tyndall Productions is probably best known for motorsports programme RPM (UTV). ‘Plum’ has been a rallying enthusiast for as long as he can remember and is a former Irish Production Saloon Car Racing Champion.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS

Launched in Belfast in 1971, Blackstaff Press is one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 800 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking. A member of the Baird Group, Blackstaff provides an important platform for creative writers and artists. Its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

NEW BOOK CAPTURES BELFAST’S UNIQUE WILDLIFE FOR THE FIRST TIME

17 November 2004

The wild creatures and plants that inhabit the city of Belfast will be highlighted for the first time in a unique new book launched tonight by Lord Mayor Tom Ekin at Malone House.

‘Wild Belfast: On Safari in the City’ is published by Blackstaff Press and is written by Robert Scott, Conservation and Education Officer with Belfast City Council.

With more than 300 illustrations and packed full of insights and information, the book takes the reader on a safari around Greater Belfast – from the inner city and domestic gardens through parks, meadows, wetlands, woodlands and coastal areas.

The Lord Mayor said: “This book tells the untold story of our great city’s wildlife, including the impressive range of birds, animals, trees and wild plants throughout Belfast.

“As well as education and informing us on a fascinating subject, the book can also bring to wider attention the need to protect wildlife and improve the habitats where they live. A greater awareness among the public of the amazing variety of species that live in and around Belfast will help preserve them for the future.

“This book will not only appeal to committed wildlife enthusiasts but also those for whom it is just a passing interest and, more importantly, to both children and adults alike.

Patsy Horton, Managing Editor of Blackstaff Press, said: “Wild Belfast: On Safari in the City takes us on an unforgettable journey around Belfast, including the picturesque Lagan Valley, the historical Bog Meadows and the magnificent hills that surround the city.

‘Blackstaff is very proud to be publishing ‘Wild Belfast’, a book that makes a unique contribution to our knowledge of the plants and animals that inhabit the city. We hope this book will inspire readers of all ages to discover wild Belfast for themselves.”

The book has been generously grant aided by Environment Heritage Service, a package that has enabled Belfast City Council to present free copies to every school, library and community centre in Belfast.

The Chief Executive of Environment Heritage Service Richard Rogers, and the Lord Mayor will formally present a copy to representatives from St Anne’s Primary and Strathearn Prep schools.

The book is now available in shops and can be ordered online at www.blackstaffpress.com or from Blackstaff’s orderline at 0845 1200 386/+44 (0) 113 399 4040.

RELEASE ENDS - ISSUED BY CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, BELFAST CITY COUNCIL

Blackstaff Press celebrated the publication of its latest sports photography book, Mad for Road by Esler Crawford and Alan ‘Plum’ Tyndall Tuesday 9 November 2004.

Top rally drivers joined the authors and a host of rally fans at Donnelly’s car dealership off the Boucher Road in Belfast to officially launch the book.

‘The book is a great tribute to the drivers who have put their heart and soul into rallying,” said rally driver Andrew Nesbitt. ‘Esler has captured the thrill of this sport with his camera and Alan’s immense knowledge adds a new dimension to the photographs. A great Christmas gift for anyone who loves rallying.’

With 170 stunning photographs by former rally driver Crawford and expert commentary by leading motorsports journalist ‘Plum’ Tyndall, Mad for Road takes you right to the heart of the action. This must-have book charts the careers of the drivers who have mastered the tarmac in Ireland, north and south, since the 1950s.

Patsy Horton, Managing Editor of Blackstaff Press, said: ‘We’re really proud of Mad for Road. There’s a huge rallying community out there, but this is the first book to really cover the personalities and events that have dominated the sport over the last 50 years. Esler and Alan have created a wonderful book that not only captures the sheer buzz of rallying but is also a fitting tribute to the drivers and to the thousands of fans that follow the sport.’

The book is now available in shops and can be ordered online at www.blackstaffpress.com or from our orderline at 0845 1200 386/+44 (0) 113 399 4040.

THE AUTHORS

ESLER CRAWFORD is one of Ireland’s leading commercial photographers. He was a regular rally comptetitor in the 1960s and 70s and won the Circuit of Ireland in 1963. He was also Ulster Champion Navigator for three successive years from 1965. Esler has previously published the bestselling The North from the Air with Blackstaff Press (2000).

ALAN ‘PLUM’ TYDNALL has worked in sports PR and journalism as well as independent TV production for many years. Tyndall Productions is probably best known for motorsports programme RPM (UTV). ‘Plum’ has been a rallying enthusiast for as long as he can remember and is a former Irish Production Saloon Car Racing Champion.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS

Jenny Bristow Light is an invitation to taste the good life with Jenny’s new 12 part UTV series starting on Thursday 11th November at 7.30pm. The series is accompanied by a new book from Blackstaff and has a new sponsor, Golden Namosa Tea.

Jenny said; “I’ve always believed if you eat well, you feel well. This philosophy is at the heart of my new television series and book. Jenny Bristow Light is all about getting the best from our food. The recipes are designed to help us choose and cook foods that will make us feel great. Throughout the series we use an abundance of fruit, vegetables, fish, cereals, pulses, grains and herbs to ensure we get the nourishment we need.”

Alan Bremner, Director of Television, UTV, said; “As concerns about diet reach an all-time high, Jenny Bristow Light is taking a lighter approach to food and cooking. There are over 90 mouthwatering recipes that are designed to bring out the goodness in the foods we eat. Jenny Bristow Light is a must for anyone who enjoys food and cares about what they eat.

“Jenny regularly attracts around a quarter of a million viewers so we are confident that Jenny Bristow Light will have something for everyone. Jenny will be bringing a healthier touch to some old favourites together with handy tips on food and health but she won’t be forgetting those all important treats!”

Patsy Horton, Managing Editor of Blackstaff Press, said; “Jenny Bristow Light is the fourth book in our Jenny Bristow series and we’ve developed a sparkling new look and format to suit Jenny’s healthy approach to food and cooking. Fresh, colourful and lavishly illustrated, this new book is easy to use and packed with handy tips on diet, health and wellbeing. Jenny’s done a terrific job of creating recipes that are packed full of goodness, taste delicious and help us to feel great. This is a great opportunity for everyone to taste the good life!”

Naomi Waite, Marketing Manager for Golden Namosa commented: “We are pleased to sponsor Jenny Bristow Light as we feel it is an ideal association for Golden Namosa as Northern Ireland’s connoisseur’s tea.”

To experience a taste of the good life watch Jenny Bristow Light on UTV on Thursday 11th November at 7.30pm.

The book is available from all good bookstores priced Ł9.99 stg / €13.99, directly from UTV by calling 0845 2470000 or online at u.tv.

- Ends - For further information and photographs, please contact UTV Press Office Tel +4428 9026 2187

Blackstaff Press officially launched a new edition of Rhyming Weavers for specially invited guests on Wednesday, 13 October at a launch ceremony in the Linen Hall Library.

The book was launched by Dr Ivan Herbison of Queen’s University Belfast, an expert in Ulster-Scots literature, language and culture and a descendant of one of the rhyming weavers, David Herbison, the bard of Dunclug.

Music was provided by members of the Ulster Scots Folk Orchestra and Dr Herbison read poems from the Rhyming Weavers collection as part of the celebration. A number of academics and dignitaries attended, including George Holmes Director of Culture at the Ulster Scots Agency, Councillor Nelson McCausland and award-winning poet Michael Longley.

‘Thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Scots Agency, we have been able to bring this very important book back into print. Rhyming Weavers brings to life a vital and vibrant part of our Ulster-Scots heritage,’ said Patsy Horton, managing editor of Blackstaff Press.

First published in 1974, John Hewitt’s Rhyming Weavers is both a study and a celebration of the lives and work of these country poets.

Hewitt’s extended introduction provides an accessible account of the context in which the poets wrote and is complemented by a select anthology that includes poems by well-known local bards such as David Herbison, James Orr and Samuel Thomson.

Reissued now, thirty years later, with a new foreword by Tom Paulin, Rhyming Weavers remains a seminal work, making an important contribution to Ulster-Scots writing and to debates about language and identity in these islands.

THE AUTHOR

Born in 1907, John Hewitt was a prominent cultural activist and one of the foremost Irish poets of his generation. He died in 1987.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS

Launched in Belfast in 1971 with a book of political cartoons, Blackstaff Press is now regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost publishers. Over 750 titles have been published, covering a wide range of subjects from history and politics to fiction, sport and cooking.

A member of the Baird Group, Blackstaff provides an important platform for creative writers and artists, and its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Blackstaff books are produced to the highest standards by a prize-winning team of editors and designers, and a professional in-house marketing staff ensures effective sales distribution throughout the world.

Abigail Vint at Blackstaff Press on
TEL: 028 9073 0113
FAX: 028 9046 6237
info@blackstaffpress.com

Blackstaff Press has released a new edition of The Sinking of the Kenhane Head, the first book that well-known Irish writer Sam McAughtry ever wrote.

‘This is a terrific memoir and I’m delighted were bringing it back into print,’ said Patsy Horton, managing editor for Blackstaff Press. ‘The book has lost none of the power, humour and raw emotion that made it such a great success when we first published it way back in 1977.’

The Sinking of the Kenbane Head is Sam McAughtry’s tribute to his much-loved brother, Mart, who died when his ship, the Kenbane Head, was sunk by the German battleship Admiral Scheer on 5 November 1940. His death, though tragic and terrible, was unremarkable, for thousands died as he did, as merchant seamen in the cold grey waters of the Atlantic.

This powerful and poignant memoir traces the threads that led to Mart’s death, weaving together a tough, funny and intimate account of life in the McAughtry home in Belfast’s Tiger’s Bay with a controversial re-telling of the events leading up to the famous naval encounter in which Mart would meet his death.

‘It’s wonderful that Blackstaff has decided to reprint this very personal story,’ said Sam McAughtry. ‘It’s quite nostalgic to look back at my first published book. I do hope a new generation of readers will enjoy it.’

The book is now available in shops and can be ordered online at www.blackstaffpress.com or from our orderline at 0845 1200 386/+44 (0) 113 399 4040

THE AUTHOR

SAM McAUGHTRY was born in Belfast in 1923. During the Second World War, he was an officer navigator with the RAF. He is a trade union activist and well-known journalist, scriptwriter and presenter in broadcasting. Since the 1977 publication of The Sinking of the Kenbane Head, numerous novels and short story collections have appeared. His bestselling memoir, On the Outside Looking In, was published by Blackstaff in 2003.

BLACKSTAFF PRESS

Blackstaff Press, a member of the Baird Group, provides an important platform for creative writers and artists, and its contribution to cultural life is recognised in the generous assistance it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Blackstaff books are produced to the highest standards by a prize-winning team of editors and designers, and a professional in-house marketing staff ensures effective sales distribution throughout the world.

If you would like more information about this book, or require extra copies for review or competition purposes, please contact:

Abigail Vint at Blackstaff Press on

TEL: 028 9073 0113
FAX: 028 9046 6237
info@blackstaffpress.com