Johnny wallman
Born in Manchester, England in 1962 I have been writing from an early age. My first book, an anthology of short stories and poems called Somewhere Else was first published in 2004. Described as 'a collection of memories and dreams, of love and hope' stories include Avalon Mountain, Stella and The Corner Shop.
Colours from a desert, published in 2006 is a collection of fourteen poems recalling my six years living in Israel and time serving in the Israeli army between 1983 and 1989 before returning to the UK.
Burned by the sunlight, published in 2008 is described as 'a collection of beautiful, moving and angry short stories and poems'. Stories include 'Spring Vale', a nostalgic look back at my early teen years, 'The Search, a moving account for the search for my birth parents and 'Single Life' an irreverent look at single life without the stress of a partner.
In 2004 I moved to Annan in SW Scotland where I opened Avalon bed and breakfast for writers. In 2008 I published Avalon Writers Bed & Breakfast. While especially for writers many others visited the b&b from the friendly to the rude, criminals to the downright eccentric. These are the stories of some of those guests.
Zahal; A Love Story was finally completed and published in 2016 some thirty years after the events related in the novel, my national service in the Israeli army. The Middle-East is a political and moral minefield. I have no constructive solutions to the issues and the novel provides little clarity but does hopefully set out many of the issues and the complexity of living day to day with them.
Poems scattered throughout various anthologies were collected and published together in Almost Naked in the summer of 2016.
Travel Bucket List 2019 was published in February 2020. I decided to spend 2019, each month, taking trips to places I had always wanted to visit. From the poignant visit to my uncle's World War One grave in France to Saint Exupery Airport in Lyon, named after the author of 'The Little Prince', my favourite book. From Basel to Blackpool to Bondi, Bancourt to Berlin, Krakow to Kfar Blum to Canberra and Melbourne, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Amsterdam, Annan Scotland. These trips, covering over 35,000 miles, became my travel bucket list. In addition to these trips the year was filled with memorable events from VIP Manchester City hospitality to Pink Floyd cover band concerts, Alzheimer’s charity walk and more. With fantastic experiences and memories. I hope that through my stories, you can feel the highs and lows, the deep emotions. Along with the tales of my experiences are travel tips should you too decide to visit the destinations.
S*A*D*A : A Nightmare in Retail was published in Spring 2020. Both a funny yet tough look at retail and supermarket work. With over forty years experience in retail, having worked in a family business and for a major supermarket chain the book spills the beans on what really goes on in your local supermarket opening a can of worms regarding the present state of retailing and a worrying future ahead. A must read for both retail workers and customers alike.
Between The Rainbow and The Clouds, published April 2020 is a collection of twenty-three poems and short stories, an autobiographical look back at my life. Each story is accompanied by a relevant poem written at the time. The stories appear in chronological order, from birth to adoption, growing up, religion, armed service, love won and lost, the birth of my children and grandchildren and being unceremoniously dragged into middle-age.
Meeting The Little Prince, published in June 2020 is everything you wanted to know concerning the novel The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry but couldn't be bothered looking up on the internet.
The Final Whistle : Footballers of WW1 was published in November 2020. During the Great War over half a million young men, in the prime of their lives, were lost. Included in those were sportsmen, including footballers, who gave up their careers to serve their country. They exchanged their kits for army uniforms, the roar of their fans for the noise of the battlefield. They served as equals with their fans on the battlefield, and fell as equals. This book tells the story of some of those brave men, on the pitch and on the battlefield. For these brave men this was their Final Whistle.
Drawings Of Sheep, published in July 2021 is the full collection of over 150 heartfelt and poignant poems written between 1983 and 2020. The collection covers the period of my leaving England to settle in Israel in April 1984, my life and loves in Israel and the Israeli army until my return to Manchester in September 1989 and my life and loves in England after my return. Also included are poems written during my three month visit to America in the Winter of 1987 and poems relating to my adoption, search for and reunion with my birth mother in 2008.
For further information I can be contacted at jswallman@gmail.com, please subject your email author so as to avoid accidental deletion.
