Kirjahaku

Dave's third cycling adventure is another little gem for fans of amateur cycling memoirs. Following on from the success of his 'LEJOG' and 'Wales Trails' books his latest outing charts a week in the north of England where he tackles two iconic cycle routes: Hadrian's Cycleway and the Sea to Sea (C2C).In true Buddhist fashion Dave cycles clockwise across Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and Durham. Taking in ancient Roman sites, great modern cities and the beauty of the Pennines and Lake District. Once again he makes his journey come alive with witty comments, weird references and superb photographs.If you're thinking of doing a similar ride then this account will act not just as a guide but also highlight the pitfalls of a lack of planning, reliance on technology and disregard for the power of the British weather.A very funny book.

Dave Lewis' eight book is a new collection of contemporary poetry. 'Dave Lewis' new work opens with Henry Thoreau's famous quote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation". Very apt in our Twitter-twatter, X-Box-Factor age when apathy, indifference, and resignation is the norm and the - increasingly - lost generation slumber party away their lives wearing Onesies. This book of verse is polemical, confessional, a slap in the face wake-up call, and a much needed challenge to all "those up there" who should have, and could have made it better.' - John Evans 'At times witty, at times gritty, Dave Lewis has produced a fascinating collection on human connection. The humour is dark, the love is bright, the poetry is touching, taunting, spewing, galling, tender. Modern life is out there and engulfing but the passion for truth still lives. Roadkill overflows with personality, it's a roller-coaster ride, and to use the words of the poet "I'm smiling like Tenby".' - Eloise Williams

Colin Crankshaw is looking forward to a fresh start in life. After years watching his wife become, quite literally, twice the woman he married, his divorce has come through. No longer will Babs get to relish making his life a misery. He's moved into his new bachelor pad in Wimbledon; a new man has been born. The field is waiting and he intends to play it. But then it all goes wrong. He's mistaken for someone called Richard, a beautiful woman tries to kill him, twice, and he attracts the wrath of a billionaire, television celebrity. Before he knows it, he finds himself ensnared in the brutal race to be the first to conquer human time travel. And guess who the guinea pig for the deadly experiments is going to be? Colin! Not exactly the new beginning he was looking for...

Back in 2005 Dave and his friend Derek decided they needed a challenge and so what better than a little bike ride around the countryside. Read on...'When you're nearly forty years old, just recovering from glandular fever and double pneumonia what better way to celebrate your wedding than to leave your wife behind to cycle the length of Britain? An account of two friends, who got drunk one night and decided to pedal nearly 1000 miles for charity, proving that you don't need a state-of-the-art road bike, a skin-tight outfit with a TV sponsor written on the front or a made-to-measure ego - you just need a good mate, a beer mat's worth of planning, no training whatsoever and the will to do it.' More than just another cycling trip, this book is a funny and sometimes moving account of a few weeks in the summer of 2005 when coupled with various personal events life takes on a new and different perspective. This book will either inspire you to get on your bike or have you laughing all the way to the pub.

"This is a graphic and painfully honest account of a hardworking man, nearing fifty years old, struggling to come to terms with his own mortality. There is fear, there is unfairness, there is anger and finally resignation, but the glory of love and appreciation in the beauty of nature finally triumph in this remarkable psychological journey. This is poetry written while crawling naked over broken glass, a cutting observation of modern life."

Confined to his personal unit, petrified of the fresh air, Ardal Pollock is a loyal citizen of the fragmented State of England. A RAF drone pilot, he is one of the special few who, by using his Quarterback aircraft, kill, destroy and maim to keep the northern rebellion at bay. It is his life, the only life he knows. But things are changing; Ardal has to change too. Forced out of his home, he comes face to face with the rebels, his lifelong enemies. They will try to turn him. His loyalty will be tested as he embarks on a desperate journey, the Quarterback his constant companion, which will change him and the country forever.

'Ten Years On' is a celebration of the best poetry submitted to the international Welsh Poetry Competition between 2012-2016. A diverse look at the world we inhabit - alive, energetic, melodic, unrepentant and moving. This anthology is for all poets who truly feel. For the brave, the exuberant, the feisty, the outrageous and the rule breakers. A chance to revel in the moment and not be afraid. After 10 successful years and nearly 5,000 entries from all over the world the competition is now firmly established on the international literary calendar. This collection contains some formidable poetry, written by established poets as well as many new voices, all of whom were fearless enough to push back the boundaries. The book also includes the judges' comments by famous Welsh writers John Evans, Sally Spedding and Eloise Williams. 'Ten Years On' is a beautiful collection of bright, modern poetry - enjoy!

Dave Lewis offers multiple perspectives in this musical travelogue through a modern Wales and beyond. Honest, raw and mysterious. Just when you think you've worked it out, a twist, a turn, a sensuous push. This collection is finely honed. From the intimacy of family and friends to lovers and laughable locals, he is obviously well-travelled and a quality of authenticity shines through. The writer's eye for detail is finely observed and he is not afraid to experiment. The prose pieces are well crafted and show great range and the final poem in the collection is about as perfect as a poem can be - a masterpiece! A writer who teases and taunts us to dismiss him. I have no doubt that his work will go down in history as both avant-garde and revolutionary. No pretentious bullshit here, this is cutting edge stuff. The short story 'Onions' was runner up in the Rhys Davies Competition.

Praise for Sawing Fallen Logs: From the first eponymously titled poem, we realise that Dave Lewis's work possesses an energy and freshness that lifts his imagery and empathy way above the work of many less ambitious poets. The element of surprise in each poem, however short, is even more startling coming as it does from such uncluttered writing. Last lines are an example, while phrases such as 'trees as tall as ships', 'a severe lack of hares', 'the brittle grass of misunderstanding...' will surely enhance the readers' own perceptions of the world around them. This collection's structure too, works well under its five separate headings, and the diverse forms used in several poems adds visual variety. A wonderful read. Buy it! - Sally Spedding Dave Lewis is a vital voice of the Valleys, in touch with both the streets and the natural world. His free-flowing verse makes him a Welsh son of the Beats. - Mike Jenkins

Dave Lewis is a unique voice in the poetry world. This new Haiku collection is filled with a range of vivid, often quirky, word pictures. He is adept at making every word count and often goes his own original way, as in a favourite of mine, 'Consultant's waiting room / the plant in the window / dead...' who else would have the temerity to finish on that single-beat word, dead? His thought-provoking images and surprising last lines take your breath away and will remain with the reader for a long time. - Moira Andrew

"The poems are sharp, clear, and confident. He has a clarity only a real poet possesses." - Brian Patten"An epic collage of nature, history, adventure and grief that leaps off the page and thumps you in the chest. From Celtic mythology, to the African bush and 'The Matrix', through the lives of Ho Chi Minh, Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker, an abused porn star, a transgender cousin, to ex-lovers and close family this collection ebbs and flows as mesmerically as a river on its journey to the sea. A fluid and heartfelt abstraction that speaks loudly to the passion that should run through all of us." - Mark Davies"Dave Lewis's latest collection 'Scratching the Surface' is an engaging and diverse range of poems. It begins with the long, often rhythmic 'Rivers' which gifts the lines with a sort of onomatopoeic authority. It's almost a metaphor for what follows, a series of well-crafted poems driven by theme and form. There are start of line rhymes (You and I), prose verse (A Dream of Gawain), end of line rhyme (Christmas Dad) and every combination between. The subjects are varied, but this confident poet succeeds in melding them into a coherent and rewarding collection." - David J Costello"Once again Lewis explores mankind's relationship to his environment, whether that be natural, love, urban or wild. His writing is richly embedded at the confluence of place, space and identity and constantly challenges us to look at the landscape we inhabit and reflect upon it in new ways." - G. Rees"Scratching The Surface does far, far more than the title suggests as Lewis not only holds our whole world in his unswervingly brave hands, but also excavates its secrets and lies so cleverly spun for too long. His often hard-hitting poetry also shares intimate memories, which resonate with grace and passion, while fascinating author notes at the end, further enrich the reader's experience. This remarkable collection is surely his best, most profound yet, and those who've not yet: 'made the choice that benefits the planet and our place in it rather than continue along this narrow, selfish path to doom, ' will hopefully have pause for thought and be inspired. Bravo " - Sally Spedding

"This collection of modern, haiku-like moments is an absolute joy. Beautifully honest, these short, simple poems are extremely easy to read yet are constructed with great artistry and wisdom. Lewis's poetry is honest, relatable, eloquent yet quite breath taking. He possesses a rare vision and this collection will surely bring any reader to an enlightened state of self-awareness. Powerfully expressed he captures both universal human experience and many of those particular struggles that we face at some point in our lives.Lewis should be at the forefront of a poetry renaissance and this stunning work will breathe new life into the art form, communicating, as he does, complex emotions subtly weaved within razor-sharp observations - he distils life down to a bare minimum. A book to dip into over and over again and one which reveals more with each read." - Andrew Davies

The indispensable consumers' guide to the music of Led Zeppelin. An album by album, track by track, run-down of every song released by Led Zeppelin, from their classic first album to their best selling albums of the seventies and beyond. Also includes details of their remastered recordings, compilation albums, live albums and Led Zeppelin on DVD. Features include...*An album by album, track by track analysis *Information on when and where the music was recorded *A track index for easy reference *16 pages of colour pictures

This contemporary collection by one of Wales' most prolific poets focuses on digital capitalism, the negative influence of big tech and our addiction to data. Lewis is deeply concerned with the negative direction mankind is taking and cares passionately about helping to steer us all back to a far simpler, happier place in the far more important offline world. Death and depression, as well as love and nature, are also ever-present themes and the whole package is tightly woven together with some subtle, yet haunting, photographs. "An epic tour de force of modern poetry. The opening poem, (Diet), is reminiscent of T. S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' and this author's 'Roadkill', but this time focuses on digital capitalism. Lewis is primarily concerned with the madness and addiction pervading our online worlds while we neglect the more important offline. The title is a hope rather than a statement. "The book includes a handful of vignettes and reflections of the author's immediate locale edited in the style of Julia Margaret Cameron that provide an added texture and insight to the text. Another piece of top drawer writing by one of Wales's best poets." - Andrew Davies