HOLDSWORTH, Anna

ISBN 978-1-923386-72-3
PAPERBACK

Footloose & Fancy Free

 

Africa by Thumb 1968

This is a unique story about the perils and pleasures of two women travelling in North and East Africa last century, which would not be possible to repeat today.

In February 1968, Anna and her friend Prue set out to hitchhike from Casablanca to Cairo, 4,500 kms. Without benefit of the Internet, mobile phones, credit cards, ATMs, Lonely Planet guides or digital cameras, they bought a Map of Africa showing the major towns and roads and managed to navigate their way, not only across North Africa but down into East Africa and back up to the Mediterranean, a total of over 24,000 kms, by road, train, and paddle steamer but mostly by thumb.

Taking 9 months these very naïve and foolhardy Australian girls survived and loved the adventure, knowing nothing about the countries they were visiting which had just shaken off colonial shackles and were rarely visited by tourists. The girls had to wear djellabas much of the time to avoid the pokes, prods and provocation of the local men who were completely bewildered by their presence, as was everyone else they met on the way.

They escaped dangerous confrontations on lonely and isolated roads, survived a nasty car accident in Ethiopia, were stranded in the Nubian desert in 50°C and chased by wild elephants in Uganda but despite being vulnerable women in a predominately men’s world, they were also overwhelmed by the kindness and respect shown them by complete strangers who protected and cared for them along the way.

TRACY, Mark

ISBN 978-1-923443-96-9
PAPERBACK

ISBN 978-1-923443-95-2
EBOOK

Don’t Waste Time

A True Story of Love, Loss, and Legacy

The powerful memoir follows one family’s extraordinary twelve-year journey through three cancer battles – and the lasting impact of a young man named Levi. Born on Father’s Day in 2004, Levi lived with courage and heart, inspiring those around him with a message that would become his legacy: “Don’t Waste Time.”

More than just words, it was how Levi lived. Now, through DWT Lifestyle – a venture started in his honour – his message continues to move others to live fully, love deeply, and make every moment count.

Don’t Waste Time is a confronting, uplifting, and unforgettable reminder to embrace life, no matter how uncertain the road ahead.

CARTER, Jennifer M.T.

ISBN 978-1-923333-30-7
PAPERBACK

Blood and Blunders

 

The British in Afghanistan 1839 to 1842

Blood and Blunders tells the story of how ignorance, arrogance and greed destroyed the flower of a generation long before the tragedy of World War One.

The Honourable East India Company, the London-based trading company founded in 1600, could hardly have foreseen its remarkable success as it moved inexorably from commerce to conquest laying the foundations of Britain’s Indian Empire almost by accident. And, as everyone knows, the more you have, the more you must do to keep it. By the 1830s, a buffer was deemed necessary to counter Russia’s advance into Central Asia and prevent a move on British India from beyond the River Oxus. That buffer was Afghanistan. The British incursion at the end of 1838 replaced one Afghan ruler with another and has been termed The First Anglo-Afghan War; in effect it was little more than a shambles. Mismanaged and muddled diplomacy ensured the failure of what proved a totally dysfunctional campaign. Senior officers of the Royal army who last saw action with Wellington in 1815 commanded the so-called Army of the Indus; unable to adapt to local conditions as well as to each other, their petty jealousies and distrust of the local Company forces serving with them mar a bigger picture where individual feats of courage burn like beacons against the gloom of administrative incompetence.

Blood and Blunders gives a full picture of the Afghan experience at a time when the machinery of government called for unquestioning sacrifices from its operatives – and by extension, from their womenfolk and families, some of whom were present with the army. Throughout, tragedy and comedy march side by side and high politics as practised in London, Kabul and Calcutta lacks empathy for the Afghan people and is never far from farce.

Finally, Blood and Blunders throws fresh light on the disastrous Retreat from Kabul in January 1842 at the height of winter, and asks what is – and what is not – acceptable by way of retribution against people whose way of life is under threat.

PIKE, Arthur

ISBN 978-1-923443-03-7
PAPERBACK

Lessons Learned

 

Born in 1928, Arthur Pike’s life has been one of adventure, resilience, and deep family bonds. From an early childhood shaped by the Great Depression, his family sought refuge in Tahiti before settling on Tasmania’s remote Flinders and Partridge Islands. There, without electricity, they lived off the land and sea, forging an unbreakable connection with nature and each other.

As the world hurtled toward war, Arthur’s life took unexpected turns—from leaving school early to work with a furniture maker, to following his passion for the sea and becoming a fisherman. Alongside his brothers, he braved the waters off Tasmania, navigating storms, rescues, and the evolution of an industry he loved. He built boats, built a life, and built a family—ten children, twenty-two grandchildren, and twentytwo great-grandchildren—all part of his remarkable journey.

Through heartwarming and harrowing stories, Lessons Learned paints a vivid portrait of a man who adapted to change while holding fast to the values of hard work, perseverance, and love for family. Rich with wisdom, humor, and nostalgia, this memoir is a celebration of a life well lived and a reminder of the lessons we gather along the way.

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STRATTON, Abigail

ISBN 978-1-923443-11-2
PAPERBACK

ISBN 978-1-923443-12-9
HARDCOVER

Life Through Art

Revive creative freedom, heal from trauma and embody spiritual wisdom

You don’t need to be a technically good artist to use art as a vehicle for healing or self-realisation. All you need is your preferred art medium and a willingness to move across the page in whatever way you’re called.

In Life Through Art, Abigail shares the personal experiences that guided her to embody an art healing modality. That is, a method of visual art where the individual relinquishes the urge to control the outcome on the page in lieu of liberating what their intuition seeks to express. It is a stream of consciousness approach to artmaking which promotes healing benefits beyond the satisfaction of executing a particular image.

Through original art, poetry and incisive self-reflection, the author explores the connection between being creative, healing from trauma, and becoming more aware of the spiritual world. This is offered as a guide for how we can use art healing to flow into a more fulfilling path.

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About the Author

Abigail is a writer, fascinated by the relationship between art and spiritual healing. Art-making is what helped her become more aware of the spiritual world and spiritual healing helped her connect even deeper with her intuitive art practice; She marries the two to unlock the beauty in every day.

She holds a Bachelor of Communications from University of Technology, Sydney as well as an Advanced Certificate of Energy Healing and a Teaching Certificate from the Ashati Institute of Energy Healing. Abigail published her first book; My Horse Is My Guide in 2024.

Visit abirose.net to learn more.

HARKNESS, Anthony

ISBN 978-1-923386-93-8
PAPERBACK

Just A South Sydney Lad

 

The Everyday Adventures Of A Maroubra Boy In 1950s and ’60s Australia

Against the backdrop of the sixties, when British music invaded Sydney streets and TV colonised loungerooms, a Maroubra boy took his Dad’s advice and ‘got on with it’…

Jump aboard the everyday adventures of a Maroubra boy in 1950s and ‘60s Australia where Sunday Mass, getting on the punt and sitting on the hill for the match of the day at the SCG was a holy trifecta.

And amidst a time when floggings by teachers, schools suspiciously burning down, headless chooks running about backyards and boxing gloves were part of a Maroubra childhood … this lad had plenty to get on with.

As he revisits the memories of his youth, Anthony will tell you exactly why he was glad to be a South Sydney lad!

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About the Author

Anthony Harkness was born in the same year Princess Elizabeth became Queen (1952) and grew up in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra – a child of the fifties and a teenager through the sixties. His school days moved from slate to sharpened pencils, from knibs and inkwells to fountain pens and finally the ubiquitous Bic biro – the last implement being regarded as the work of the devil by his teachers.

Anthony has been at various times a teacher, a senior school assistant principal, a rugby league coach, and a singer in two rock ‘n’ roll bands. He has degrees in Education, Economics and Theology which makes him well suited to explore the sweet mysteries of life on spreadsheets and/or metaphysical essays.

He has published in academic journals and written for community radio on the Sunshine Coast. He reached the national finals of ‘The Spoken Word’ poetry competition in 2021 with his original poem ‘Wine Wisdom’.

An anthology of poems is presently underway. ‘Just a South Sydney Lad’ is his first novel.

Contact:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.harkness.56
Instagram: @tony_harkness_writer