Books by local authors

This page includes information about some of the books written by authors living in the Helensburgh area, available at Bookworms.

Sam Wilding’s The Magic Scales, The Second Gateway, and the latest, Return to Denthan comprise the Denthan trilogy of fantasy adventure stories, which feature a boy (who has asthma) on a quest for his father and includes a wizard in the shape of a goldfish...
£9.99 each (Olida Publishing)
Sam Wilding held author signing sessions on 11 October 2008 and 20 June 2009.

A new historical novel by Alexander Tait, Whisky in the Jar, centres on whisky distilling and smuggling around Loch Lomondside in the eighteenth century.
9780955878947 £9.99 (Olida Publishing)

Local author Brian Cairnduff and artist/illustrator Phil Burns have produced a series of three children's books which tell in rhyming verse the Adventures of Jack the Little Giant: at the Clock Tower, at the Seaside, and the Tartan Army.
£5.99 each (AnElephantCant Productions)

Four Decades Before Man Reached the Moon compiled by the Helensburgh Writing Circle comprises stories, articles and poems based on real life experiences covering the years 1925-1965 written by members and friends of the group.
0955809309 £7.50 (Helensburgh Writing Circle)

Writer Graham Hardie’s first collection of poems entitledLove’s Pathos and Edgar Alan Jones’ The Knight of the White Sun of Avalon, both evocatively illustrated by Katy Jones, are published by Ettrick Forest Press. They also publish several other poets including Robert Marsland (Rain Water and Earth, Fire, Air and Water. Graham and Bob visited Bookworms on 17 June 2009, when Graham also talked about Literature Scotland (see the links page).

Cardross author D.A. Nelson has written a fantasy adventure, DarkIsle, about a quest to free a dragon. Although intended for children, it is enjoyed also by adults!
£6.99 (Strident Pub Limited)

Suzy Johnston’s first book The Naked Birdwatcher, now in its second, extended edition, is a personal, compassionate, open and moving account of a life lived to the full while learning to live with her manic depression. She wrote this account to help others who have to face mental illness.
£10.00 (The Cairn)
The Snow Globe Journals is her second book and gives insight into the experience of psychosis: a journey through this disturbing condition and emerging through the other side.
£10.00 (The Cairn)

Her mother, Jean Johnston, has written an account from the perspective of the carer, To Walk on Eggshells. Now a campaigner on mental health issues, Jean had to learn from her own experience about how to help her daughter and what professional help is available.
£10.00 (The Cairn)

See the author visits page

Lomondside author Paul Henke is the author of the critically acclaimed series A Million Tears featuring the Griffiths family from the 1890s to the Second World War: A Million Tears, The Tears of War and Peace, Silent Tears and Tears Until Dawn. He is also the author of the action thrillers featuring Paul Hunter: Débâcle, Havoc, Chaos and Mayhem.

Local councillor and former naval officer Eric Thompson has brought out three books of verse, all illustrated with his own cartoons, and published by Camis Eskan Publishing.

The first, Colquhounsville-sur-Mer is a collection of humorous poems looking at the life and history of Helensburgh and the upper Clyde with a style described as ‘Burns meets McGonagall’.
£4.99

His second book, Democracy for Birds, is a collection of comic verse, tales and illustrations on the subject of birds ... not to mention cats, submarines and politics. Eric Thompson was winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Burns Bicentenary poetry prize in 1996.
£5.99 (Camis Eskan Publishing)

The third book is Love Songs for the Romantically Challenged and provides an amusing and at times bittersweet look at the romantic side of life.
£7.50

Poet Polly Clark’s latest collection of poems is available at Bookworms.

Emma Richards was the youngest contender and only woman in the 2002 Around Alone race. Her account of her voyage around the world, facing physical trials, solitude and occasional terror is told in Around Alone. Raised in Helensburgh, Emma was awarded the MBE in 2003.
£7.99 (Pan)

The Harper’s Quine is a mediaeval murder mystery set in Glasgow, by local author Pat McIntosh. The trail takes newly qualified lawyer, Gil Robinson, from the partly built Glasgow Cathedral to the Isle of Bute, in a well researched and tightly crafted novel.
Hardback: £16.99 (Constable & Robinson)
Paperback: £6.99

The next four books in the series, The Nicholas Feast, The Merchant’s Mark, St Mungo’s Robin and The Rough Collier, are now also available.

Red Sky At Night, by shepherd and storyteller John Barrington, was originally published in 1984, and was awarded a Scottish Arts Council Book Award. This account of a shepherd’s year in the hills overlooking Loch Katrine brings to life the countryside, wildlife and people of the region.
£8.99 (Luath Press)

His latest book, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs: An A-Z covers the National Park and surrounding area, explores the history and mythology of the places (and place-names), people and wildlife with lively and fascinating stories and a wealth of information.
£8.99 (Luath Press)

Also available at Bookworms is the autobiography of Douglas Young, The Adventures of an Itinerant Engineer, which recounts his life and travels in Africa and Asia. His adventures included encounters with scorpions, snakes, crocodiles, bears and locusts.
£8.99 (Blackie & Co)

Rex King-Clark’s book, Forward from Kohima: A Burma Diary, reproduces excerpts from his diary between November 1944 and May 1945 as the XIV Army advanced into Burma, meeting fierce opposition from the Japanese. Proceeds from the book go to regimental funds.
£14.00

Maxwell Gordon’s White Phantom Of The Loch recounts disasters such as ‘The White Lady of Inchcailleach’; the book owes its origin to the ‘yarns’ the Scouts used to tell around the campfire.

Jean Marshall has produced and illustrated a book of traditional songs, rhymes and lullabies, Dance to Your Daddy. It can be used to entertain and soothe youngsters and babies, and children can learn the music themselves.
£9.99

Now living in Italy, writer and artist Terry Lane is one of the original founders of Bookworms. His biography of Stephen Joseph, The Full Round provides insights into the life and theatrical legacy of the founder of Theatre in the Round. Illustrated with photographs. £15.00

Terry’s latest book, Side by Side, is a history of the Traverse Theatre.

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