Words From The Wild

“Dedication to conservation is vital for our species to survive and we thank Mark for his contribution via his rare talent in poetry. Part of our awareness in ‘Demand Reduction’ campaigns is: visual art, theatre, music and dance, with words and motions displayed in fitting performances. In this case the ‘Words’ speak for themselves and hopefully will stir readers of this book into action.” Grant Fowlds, Conservationist, Author, Amakhala Founder
Mark Graham, the author of Words from the Wild, has written poetry in support of charities both in the UK and South Africa. This, his second book, is written in support of the Amakhala Foundation which provides conservation education to communities around the Amakhala Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, SA. Many of the poems are humorous; all, it is hoped, are educational. The book is intended to act as a vehicle to raise awareness of the plight of South African wildlife and wildlife in general.

World of 10 Adventures

Marlena, Christopher and friends are faced with many adventures and challenges, taking them to far-flung places from the usual to the unusual.

Follow them to the beach, pond, shoe shop, neighbours, Egypt and beyond.  

Read about their friends on a Russian doll holiday, the cloud family high up in the sky far from home, or delve deep into the ocean to join Inky and the Sea Band at the awards ceremony.    

Their adventures range from spending time with friends and family, being face to face with an ancient Egyptian god, to a visitor from a distant world.

There are all sorts of exciting discoveries to be made with strange and wonderful characters in exotic places.

World of Taroo: The Sabors

A rescue mission, an assassination attempt and the discovery of new incredible powers that lay within the magical stones.

The knight is about to step out when a horrible scream suddenly fills the cave room and the soldiers look around. The scream continues and it sounds like someone is in pain. The knight orders them to stand in line and be ready for combat. They don’t have to wait for long until they see something coming. A light is getting closer and so is the scream. The scream is so chilling that for the first time even the knight feels his hairs stand up on the neck. A woman, wearing almost nothing, with white shiny hair is walking towards them. The knight shouts to her to stop. Instead, she brings up her arms and the soldiers immediately bring up their shields. A strong wind suddenly flows within the room and seconds later a beam of ice streams out from her hands.

This is a story brought together by the complex mind of the writer who dreams and tries to offer others a glimpse of the world within him.

World War One - The Meakin Diaries - Sheffield in the Trenches

In 1915, the newlywed Frank Meakin signed up to the new Sheffield City Battalion and joined the fight for King and Country in the First World War. Although diaries were forbidden during active service, Frank rebelliously and comprehensively kept one throughout his whole service - from 1915 until he was discharged in 1918, 22 days before his Battalion disbanded. Through these diaries we can see the horrors of life on the Western Front first hand; from the Battle of the Somme and its aftermath, to the horrendous conditions in the trenches and the disillusionment of these young soldiers. This is a prosaic and fascinating insight into the Great War through the eyes of a survivor, brought to life 100 years on.

Wrangler the Anglerfish: Obeying Rules

Did you know that the ugliest, scariest fish in the sea has a “flashlight” at the end of a pole on top of her head? Wrangler the Anglerfish uses her light to help a group of fish friends, who disobeyed their parents, find their way back home.

Wrecked

Harrison King is convinced that he does not have a problem with alcohol, despite the fact people often tell him that he drinks too much and he often gets himself into awkward situations after a few drinks.
When his girlfriend leaves him because she thinks he is an alcoholic, Harrison sets out to prove to her and to everyone else, that he is completely non-dependent and that he is a highly functioning and responsible adult. He quickly realises that he might be drinking a little too regularly, but he is adamant that he is not an alcoholic.
Wrecked follows Harrison and his struggles with his career that he hates, his boss that he hates even more and his battle with his control over his consumption. Harrison drinks when he has a bad day at work, when he cannot decide what to do with his life, when he is stressed and as a way of dealing with social interactions.

As Harrison continues with his journal, he questions his life choices, tries to expand his social circle and put more effort into a plan for his future. But his drunken antics keep getting him into increasingly uncomfortable situations.

Write of Passage

Gerald Wainwright is a self-obsessed narcissist, but never-the-less a world-renowned author who is murdered — and that’s just the beginning of his problems! Waking in a celestial half-way station, he needs to complete a series of tasks. These are designed to teach him some serious life lessons while at the same time helping others to find solutions for their own current crises thereby setting them on the road to fulfilling and happy lives. Helped along the way by his supervisor, Mr Smith, Jerry learns things he never knew about himself — nor wanted to know— but will it be enough for him to finally become the man he was always meant to be and in turn to earn his own ‘Write of Passage’?

Writing in Wet Cement

All these years later, nightmares of that marriage wrack my sleep. Heart pounding, I am cowering, running, trying to escape. My whimpers awaken the man now beside me, who loves me with only sweetness, kindness and laughter. He cradles me, dragging me back from the past into the joy and safety of my current life. I stare into the darkness of the night and memories. I wonder, not why did that marriage fail, but why did I allow it to last so long? To the outside world, it looked perfect. Only my mother and closest friends knew the inside reality of my life and how I was caught in the velvet trap of psychological abuse. Jayne Lisbeth was a privileged child, yet death and loss tore apart her world from an early age. The explosion of the free love and feminist movements of the 60s and 70s provided a renaissance, which slipped away during her marriage and motherhood in the 80s. Then, discovering her mother's past secrets illuminated the connections between their generations. Through that she found the courage to escape and create a new future. In deeply personal ways, Ms. Lisbeth reveals the depths of pain and elevation of joy by sharing her most intimate life experiences through sensually evocative words and painterly writing. Writing in Wet Cement is a tale which resonates with all women.

X Ray Vision

Ray’s small world is about to get a whole lot bigger. With his busy, regimented routines and affinity for drawing, his autism and Tourette's syndrome don’t bother him.

What really starts troubling Ray is what goes on behind closed doors? What hides within four walls? And what lurks beneath the river?

How will he cope seeing things differently?

Yaad, the Girl With No History

It’s 1987. Namo, the politically active bookseller, is preparing to save his marriage after his wife left to stay at her mum’s after an argument. Nazdar is at home, preparing for her wedding which will be taking place in her home village the next day. Friba, the pregnant Peshmerga, is on her way to the city’s hospital, together with her husband. They don’t know one another, but destiny will bring them together.

Sarwar Joanroy follows the fates of these people from the moment their daily lives are interrupted and they end up in the desert.

The novel is a journey through the black pages of the history of the Kurds in Iraq, before the invasion of the United States. Yaad, the girl with no history makes you face the facts about what Saddam Hussein’s regime did to the country and its citizens. It makes you understand why this country is still in turmoil, even today. Sarwar Joanroy based the events in his book on true events, some of which he experienced himself.

Yaad, the girl with no history is a story that is as moving as it is fascinating and educational.

Yasibear and His Worldly Adventures

Teddy bears don’t experience life, do they?

Desperately wanting that teddy bear from a toyshop, Yasin begs his grandmother to buy it for him. There is something special about that one.

The day before his Uncle Sean goes travelling, Yasin gives the bear to him as a gift and decides to name him Yasibear! And this is where the story begins…

Can teddy bears experience life? Yasibear can!

Yasibear Travels to Mexico

Fresh from their globetrotting adventure, Yasibear and Uncle Sean are ready to go travelling again but to somewhere new. Desperate for Yasibear to show his ability to talk, Uncle Sean tries his best to encourage Yasibear, but it just won’t happen. What will it take? Another travelling expedition. The destination… Mexico!

Alongside Aunty Kerry, Uncle Sean, Yasin and Yasibear go on an amazing adventure to the gorgeous country of Mexico. They encounter dolphins, flamingos, iguanas and much more but is this enough to make Yasibear talk in public?

This charming story demonstrates that if you are nice to people and have belief, then the best time of your life awaits you.

Join Yasibear, Yasin, Uncle Sean, and Aunty Kerry in their glorious, cultural journey across the enchanting country of Mexico.