Books published by Valley Press

This is a book for people who like to gorge on language; a meal too big for people who hate to throw away their food. It is about life's extremes - those times when you do things to excess, and those when you avoid doing anything at all. Sometimes political, sometimes sexual and always hungry, this visceral, arresting debut pamphlet marks the arrival of an unforgettable new 'mouth' in UK poetry.

In A Bench for Billie Holiday, James Nash tenderly retraces seventy years of life through seventy new sonnets. Whether lightly sketching moments of truth or revisiting his younger self with the benefit of insight and experience, he imbues each fourteen-line fragment with wit, wisdom and wonder.Looking back from various locations, each ideal for serious thought (whether the train, a bike or a sea-facing bench), he pieces together autobiographical shards of truth that reflect both the smallest details of his own life and the larger issues we face as a society, nation and species.A perfect follow-up to his beloved first volume of sonnets, Some Things Matter, this book adds new breadth and depth to the work of one of Yorkshire's most popular poets.

Raw Material is a new collection of short stories from one of Hull¿s foremost twenty-first century writers. Some of the characters in these tales are writers too ¿ others are murderers, some are both. One is Led Zeppelin¿s Robert Plant. Some may not be human; but that would be telling.¿Do not expect gentle bedtime stories from Sue Wilseäs latest collection. Rather, expect to grip your seat in anticipation ¿ of wonderful words that grip and explode and then tug earnestly at your inner self.¿¿ Val Wood¿This wise, beautiful collection explores themes of living and dying, succeeding and failing, loving and hating, creating and failing to create. The stories¿ narrators are a delight ¿ I was completely engrossed by this collection from start to finish.¿¿ Cassandra Parkin

A young couple wonder whether family life would be easier if they were cuttlefish. A father and daughter communicate through moths. A child embraces the power she has over creatures smaller than herself. A town finds itself at the mercy of a polar bear...In her debut pamphlet, Charlotte Eichler explores human relationships through our ambivalent interactions with the natural world. Navigating many literal and metaphorical islands along the way, her poems form an archipelago of ideas, taking us on an unforgettable journey from the Hebrides to the Norse heavens.

Norah Hanson is one of Hull's most important modern poets; a natural heir to the city's legendary literary heritage and reputation. Her first collection of poetry, Love Letters & Children's Drawings, delighted readers of all ages upon its publication in November 2011.Whether reflecting on the past, through derelict landmarks and absent friends, confronting present-day 'domestic dilemmas' with wit and good-humour, or looking to the future through the eyes (and extraordinary energies) of her grandchildren, Norah remains unswervingly honest, entertaining and inventive. Love Letters & Children's Drawings is poetry at its very best ¿ constantly insightful, compelling, essential."Speaks to the reader's heart... pure, practical and prophetic. A true poet."Deirdre McGarry"Norah manages - perhaps because this book distils a lifetime of writing - to bring before us the tragedy of the human condition, making it sound beautiful and worth living through."Paul Sutherland"Intelligent, compassionate and humane... a treasure trove." Helen BurkeNorah Hanson was born in Hull in 1937. She spent much of the war in Beverley, before returning to Hull in 1943. Since her retirement, Norah has devoted much of her time to writing poetry, which has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies - including Dream Catcher, Iota, The Hull Connection and Patterns of Hope. She has also had much competition success, including being shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and commended in the Yorkshire Open.

A unique collection of drawings, paintings and photographs made from the artist's own hair, telling a powerful story about the female experience.

Is it possible to disappear in a world where everyone is connected by technology? The unnamed everyman at the heart of illustrator Si Smith¿s debut graphic novel manages to leave his life behind after the death of his father, but escaping his own thoughts proves more problematic. As his outer world diminishes, his inner world takes over, emerging through ever more elaborate murals on the dank walls of the deserted inner-city office he calls home.With its multi-layered illustrations of contemporary Leeds, using real locations and real people, How to Disappear Completely provides an intriguing, previously uncharted landscape that bears repeated exploration. There¿s something new to discover with every reading, about art, theology, pop culture and music, and how they can each shed a little light in dark times and provide fleeting but crucial hints of hope.