Lissa Evans

Discover the heartwarmingly witty new historical novel about changing sometimes reluctantly with the times in the aftermath of WW2 perfect for fans of Maggie O Farrell and Rachel Joyce A deeply pleasurable postwar tale Guardian Generous touching and romantic Clare Chambers One of our finest writers of literary entertainment Spectator Sometimes books that are this funny are easy to underestimate but Small Bomb at Dimperley is wiser than a good many ponderously serious tomes An absolute joy to read The Times It s 1945 and Corporal Valentine Vere Thissett aged 23 is on his way home But home is Dimperley built in the 1500s vast and dilapidated up to its eaves in debt and half full of fly blown taxidermy and dependent relatives the latter clinging to a way of life that has gone forever And worst of all following the death of his heroic older brother Valentine is now Sir Valentine and is responsible for the whole bloody place To Valentine it s a millstone to Zena Baxter who has never really had a home before being evacuated there with her small daughter it s a place of wonder and sentiment somewhere that she can t bear to leave But Zena has been living with a secret and the end of the war means she has to face a reckoning of her o

A nostalgic warm hearted memoir from one of the producers of the cult hit TV show Father Ted What a treat it brought the whole experience flooding back A feast for fans of the show or indeed anyone interested in the creative chaos of making television Graham NortonThree decades after it first appeared on screen Father Ted is still cherished quoted and endlessly re watched Its beloved main characters unforgettable lines and extraordinary visual jokes have given birth to a thousand gifs and t shirts and a million catchphrases Unforgettable to watch it was also unforgettable to work on Lissa Evans as producer of the second and third series spent three years hovering anxiously over every moment from the first glimpse of script to the last revolution of a runaway milk float round a specially built plywood roundabout There was no average Father Ted episode each of them was stuffed with challenges endless rain lustful rabbits clerics crashing through windows sheep doubles collapsing crosses and a never ending stream of eccentric priests and the work that went into its creation was often nearly as bizarre as what was happening on screen Picnic on Craggy Island is a hugely affectionate and anecdotal account of what lay behind some of those moments

1940. En una pequeña agencia de publicidad del Soho londinense, Catrin Cole escribe breves textos cantando las alabanzas de Vida Elastic y del colorante So-Bee-Fee para la salsa de carne. Pero la nacion esta en peligro, se necesitan todos los recursos y en el esfuerzo belico tambien hay lugar para quienes tienen habilidad con las palabras.A Catrin la recluta el mundo de las peliculas de propaganda. Tras una breve etapa promocionando las alegrias del colinabo para el Ministerio de Alimentacion, se ve escribiendo dialogos de Un miercoles corriente: una emocionante "historia veridica", aunque en gran parte inventada, sobre el rescateen las playas de Dunquerque en la que se incluye, ademas, un toque romantico. Y mientras las bombas caen sobre Londres, Catrin descubre que entre bastidores hay tanto dramatismo, tanto humor y tanta pasion como delante de las camaras...1940. En una pequeña agencia de publicidad del Soho londinense, Catrin Cole escribe breves textos cantando las alabanzas de Vida Elastic y del colorante So-Bee-Fee para la salsa de carne. Pero la nacion esta en peligro, se necesitan todos los recursos y en el esfuerzo belico tambien hay lugar para quienes tienen habilidad con las palabras.A Catrin la recluta el mundo de las peliculas de propaganda. Tras una breve etapa promocionando las alegrias del colinabo para el Ministerio de Alimentacion, se ve escribiendo dialogos de Un miercoles corriente: una emocionante "historia veridica", aunque en gran parte inventada, sobre el rescate en las playas de Dunquerque en la que se incluye, ademas, un toque romantico. Y mientras las bombas caen sobre Londres, Catrin descubre que entre bastidores hay tanto dramatismo, tanto humor y tanta pasion como delante de las camaras...

Longlisted for the Baileys Women''s Prize for Fiction, 2015.When Noel Bostock aged ten, no family - is evacuated from London to escape the Blitz, he ends up living in St Albans with Vera Sedge - thirty-six and drowning in debts and dependents. Always desperate for money, shes unscrupulous about how she gets it.Noels mourning his godmother, Mattie, a former suffragette. Brought up to share her disdain for authority and eclectic approach to education, he has little in common with other children and even less with Vee, who hurtles impulsively from one self-made crisis to the next. The wars thrown up new opportunities for making money but what Vee needs (and what shes never had) is a cool head and the ability to make a plan.On her own, shes a disaster. With Noel, shes a team.Together they cook up an idea. Criss-crossing the bombed suburbs of London, Vee starts to make a profit and Noel begins to regain his interest in life.But there are plenty of other people making money out of the war and some of them are dangerous. Noel may have been moved to safety, but he isnt actually safe at all

En vísperas de los bombardeos alemanes sobre Londres, Noel Bostock -huérfano y con apenas diez años- es evacuado a Saint Albans con Vera Sedge, una mujer agobiada por la necesidad y las deudas. El pequeño Noel aun llora la muerte de su madrina Mattie, una sufragista que lo habia educado en el desden hacia la autoridad, y no tiene mucho en comun con otros niños de su edad. Por su parte, Vera -o Vee- no sale de un lio cuando ya se ha metido en otro, y aunque la guerra ha propiciado nuevas formulas de ganar dinero, lo que en realidad ella necesita es alguien con la cabeza fria y capaz de trazar un buen plan.Por si sola, Vera es un desastre; con Noel, parte de un equipo. Juntos recorreran la periferia bombardeada de Londres, mientras Vera comienza a hacer dinero y Noel a recuperar su interes por la vida. Sin embargo, son muchos los que procuran hacer fortuna en tiempos de guerra, y algunos de ellos son muy peligrosos. Noel ha sido evacuado a una zona mas segura, pero no por ello esta fuera de peligro...

Some people live life in the fast lane. Others have stalled and are waiting for assistance on the side of the road, sustained only by the piece of chewing gum they've just found in the glove compartment. Spencer, Fran and Iris have something in common. Or rather they have something missing in common. Each feels that life is passing them by - Spencer's lost his lover who bequeathed him a list of things to do; Fran shares a run-down house with her oddball brother; whilst Iris spends her time cleaning up after her two teenage sons. For Spencer, Fran and Iris, it's time to get a life - whether they want one or not, and whether they're ready for it or not ...

Discover the heartwarmingly witty new historical novel about changing (sometimes reluctantly) with the times in the aftermath of WW2, perfect for fans of Maggie OFarrell and Rachel Joyce.A deeply pleasurable postwar taleGuardianGenerous, touching and romantic Clare ChambersOne of our finest writers of literary entertainment SpectatorSometimes books that are this funny are easy to underestimate, but Small Bomb at Dimperley is wiser than a good many ponderously serious tomes. An absolute joy to readThe Times__________Its 1945, and Corporal Valentine Vere-Thissett, aged 23, is on his way home.But home is Dimperley, built in the 1500s, vast and dilapidated, up to its eaves in debt and half-full of fly-blown taxidermy and dependent relatives, the latter clinging to a way of life that has gone forever.And worst of all - following the death of his heroic older brother - Valentine is now Sir Valentine, and is responsible for the whole bloody place. To Valentine, its a millstone; to Zena Baxter, who has never really had a home before being evacuated there with her small daughter, its a place of wonder and sentiment, somewhere that she cant bear to leave.But Zena has been living with a secret, and the end of the war means she has to face a reckoning of her ownFunny, sharp and touching, Small Bomb at Dimperley is both a love story and a bittersweet portrait of an era of profound loss, and renewal.____________More praise for Small Bomb at DimperleyA future classic Woman&HomeThis is Lissa Evans at the peak of her mighty powersIndia KnightBrilliantly written, gloriously funny... a heart-warming read about learning to live again SunIncredibly assured and affecting... the perfect novel to be read in such dark times Graham NortonPerfectly pitched, funny tale, sprinkled with peppery observations and speckled with a poignant bitter-sweetness Daily Mail

Ed and his sister Roo are faced with the most boring half-term holiday in history: five days spent in the company of their elderly neighbour Miss Filey, and her ancient, smelly cat. But when they find a box of birthday candles in a cupboard in Miss Fileys house, their world is changed completely. These are no ordinary candles, every single one of them comes with a wish.Theres only one problem: some of those wishes actually belong to someone else . . .

Stuart Horten, ten years old and small for his age, is about to have the strangest ADVENTURE of his life.After moving to the boring town of Beeton, he finds himself swept up in an INCREDIBLE QUEST to find his great-uncles lost legacy: a magicians workshop stuffed with trickery and MAGIC. There are clues to follow, unbearable neighbours to avoid and PUZZLES to solve, but what starts as FUN ends up as DANGER, and Stuart begins to realise that he cant finish the task on his own . . .

Youre called Fidge and youre nearly eleven. Youve been hurled into a strange world. You have three companions: two are unbelievably weird and the third is your awful cousin Graham. You have to solve a series of nearly impossible clues. You need to deal with a cruel dictator and three thousand Wimbley Woos (yes, you read that sentence correctly).And the whole situation - the whole, entire thing - is your fault.Wed Wabbit is an adventure story about friendship, danger and the terror of never being able to get back home again. And its funny. Its seriously funny.

Stuart Horten (aged ten, but looks younger) is now the owner of a Magicians Workshop - a treasure trove of illusions and the gateway to seven magical adventures. Except that without his great-uncles last will and testament, Stuart cant actually prove the workshop is his.Can he solve the puzzles and find the will before its too late? Or will the looming danger and increasing risks ruin his friendships for good?

A book to be treasured and returned to again and againThe IndependentFunny, moving and utterly life-enhancingDaily Mail___SHORTLISTED FOR HWA Crown Awards 2021Its late 1944. Hitlers rockets are slamming down on London with vicious regularity and its the coldest winter in living memory. Allied victory is on its way, but its bloody well dragging its feet.In a large house next to Hampstead Heath, Vee Sedge is just about scraping by, with a herd of lodgers to feed, and her young charge Noel ( almost fifteen ) to clothe and educate. When she witnesses a road accident and finds herself in court, the repercussions are both unexpectedly marvellous and potentially disastrous - disastrous because Vee is not actually the person shes pretending to be, and neither is Noel.The end of the war wont just mean peace, but discovery...With caustic wit and artful storytelling, Lissa Evans elegantly summons a time when the world could finally hope to emerge from the chaos of war.___Readers love V for Victory:The characters stay in the memory and heart.Its pitch perfect - funny, sad, moving, compellingFull of warmth, wit and wisdom, an absolute joy

As featured on BBC Radio 4 Good Reads The work of a novelist in her primeDaily TelegraphWise and wittySarah Hughes, ObserverEssential . . . Evans is a brilliant storytellerStylistA timely, bittersweet comic novelGuardianA thoughtful, funny, companionable novelSunday Times_______________________________What do you do next, after youve changed the world?It is 1928. Matilda Simpkin, rooting through a cupboard, comes across a small wooden club - an old possession of hers, unseen for more than a decade.Mattie is a woman with a thrilling past and a chafingly uneventful present. During the Womens Suffrage Campaign she was a militant. Jailed five times, she marched, sang, gave speeches, smashed windows and heckled Winston Churchill, and nothing - nothing - since then has had the same depth, the same excitement.Now in middle age, she is still looking for a fresh mould into which to pour her energies. Giving the wooden club a thoughtful twirl, she is struck by an idea - but what starts as a brilliantly idealistic plan is derailed by a connection with Matties militant past, one which begins to threaten every principle that she stands for.Old Baggage is a funny and bittersweet portrait of a woman who has never, never given up the fight.

This funny, heart-warming and beautifully crafted novel is a must-read. Daily MailA beautifully written, minutely observed and researched, evocative and very funny tale.GuardianNow a major film starring Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy ___In a mans world, its up to Catrin Cole to lift the spirits of a nation...Its 1940. In a small advertising agency in Soho, Catrin writes snappy lines for Vida Elastic and So-Bee-Fee gravy browning. But the country is in peril, all skills are transferable and theres a place in the war effort for those who have a knack with words.Catrin is conscripted into the world of propaganda films. After a short spell promoting the joy of swedes for the Ministry of Food, she finds herself writing dialogue alongside scriptwriter Tom Buckley, for a heart-warming but not-quite-true story of rescue and romance on the beaches of Dunkirk.And as bombs start to fall on London, she discovers that theres just as much drama, comedy and love behind the scenes as there is in front of the camera . . . ___Readers are falling in love with Their Finest: ***** Delightful . . . Full of memorable characters and snappy dialogue ***** Leaves a wonderful warm glow . . . I loved every minute of this story ***** Funny, touching, and beautifully researched . . . so evocative Lissa Evans new book V For Victory is OUT NOW

Bloody funny, bloody moving - bloody buy it! - Meera SyalSome people live life in the fast lane. Others have stalled and are waiting for assistance on the side of the road, sustained only by the piece of chewing gum theyve just found in the glove compartment.Spencers ex-lover has died, leaving him a lizard and a list of things to do before the end of the year.Spencers friend Fran shares a house and a mortgage with her brother and his girlfriend, a woman with delicate wrists and a bloated cat.Frans neighbour Iris is slave to the three men in her life: an aging father who likes the phone and two teenage sons who cannot fathom the washing machine.Maybe its not about living life in the fast lane. Its about learning to live at all. Spencers List is a wonderfully funny tale of life lived on the edge - of reason, of failure and of (just possibly) a brighter future.Featuring an extract of the next book by Lissa Evans, V FOR VICTORY

Evans is very funny . . . the Tom Sharpe for the next generationSunday ExpressSome are born odd, some achieve oddness and some are just in the wrong place at the wrong timeNetta Lee had always felt like the odd one out growing up. But when, as an adult, she returns to the Midlands to help her family move house, it becomes apparent that perhaps she isnt the unusual one after all. A brother with a penchant for rubbish collection, a mother who seems to think shes running the Bolshoi Ballet rather than the local junior dance school and a hoard of questionably competent friends challenge Nettas ordered world. Perhaps the life and the people she tried so hard to leave behind are not as distant as she thought.

Spencer, Fran and Iris have something in common: the feeling that life is passing them by. Spencers lost his lover, who bequeathed him a list of things to do; Fran shares a run-down house with her oddball brother; whilst Iris spends her time cleaning up after her two teenage sons...SPENCERS LIST is a wonderfully funny tale of life lived on the edge - of reason, of failure and of (just possibly) a brighter future.Bloody funny, bloody moving, bloody buy it Meera Syal

1940. En una pequeña agencia de publicidad del Soho londinense, Catrin Cole escribe breves textos cantando las alabanzas de Vida Elastic y del colorante So-Bee-Fee para la salsa de carne. Pero la nacion esta en peligro, se necesitan todos los recursos y en el esfuerzo belico tambien hay lugar para quienes tienen habilidad con las palabras.A Catrin la recluta el mundo de las peliculas de propaganda. Tras una breve etapa promocionando las alegrias del colinabo para el Ministerio de Alimentacion, se ve escribiendo dialogos de Un miercoles corriente: una emocionante "historia veridica", aunque en gran parte inventada, sobre el rescate en las playas de Dunquerque en la que se incluye, ademas, un toque romantico. Y mientras las bombas caen sobre Londres, Catrin descubre que entre bastidores hay tanto dramatismo, tanto humor y tanta pasion como delante de las camaras...

I am fourteen years old and Im called MacKenzie Bly. Its a good name, isnt it? Unfortunately, I just made it up, Im actually called Philip Stephens which, if there was ever a competition for the worlds most boring name, would be a clear winner. We didnt want to call you something that would mean youd get teased is what Mum B says.But given that Im the size of a vending machine, hate sport, live with my Mums, one of whom teaches biology at my school, and dont live with my Dad who plays air guitar, has ginger plaits down to his waist and writes random notes on Rizlas instead of using a diary, they might as well have called me Fattus Butticus for all the difference it would have made.Oh, and my best friend Sy has just moved to New Zealand.Life is terrible.I hope you enjoy reading this.