J. C. O’Neill is an author of modern Gothic fantasy and historical thrillers based in Sheffield, UK.

Jane has degrees in both Law and Medicine, and had the privilege of working in the British Health Service for over thirty-two years. She began writing modern Gothic fantasy books to entertain a much-loved relative following their diagnosis of cancer. She now uses her extensive life experiences in her writing and music, and hopes to amuse, entertain, and challenge.

Sarah Lustig is the author of the Westminster Mysteries series, which follow the adventures of Theo Duncan, the Prime Minister’s son, as he tries to solve mysteries that have baffled Parliament.

The first book in the series, Mystery in the Palace of Westminster, was awarded Highly Commended in the Selfies Children’s Book Award 2023 and it is a Wishing Shelf Book Awards finalist. The second book in the series, Body in the Thames, was also shortlisted for the Selfies Book Awards, 2025. The series finale, Murder at Speaker’s House, published in September 2026.

Sarah been a book editor for over 15 years and lives in Buckinghamshire, where she spends her time reading, writing and pottering on her balcony garden.

The Roaring Lion Newcastle is a fiercely independent publishing house amplifying subversive, sharp, and necessary voices in contemporary literature and culture. We publish work that disrupts, questions, and refuses the quiet.

Our team is small, radical, and fuelled by care and craft.

GILLES OF BEC AND THE CAGE FULL OF BIRDS by T D OWEN

An historical novel and mystery set in 12th century Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

The Cage Full of Birds is story of real people who lived and struggled in The Anarchy of twelfth century England; a stirring tale of self-discovery, the triumph of hope over doubt and, ultimately, of good over evil.

REVIEWS

‘I have been devouring A Cage Full of Birds! I love it, truly! The characters are so well drawn,
and Gilles shines through like a Candide.’

‘Such detail, characters, description, pace… brilliantly done.’

‘What a dance you’ve done there, so good. You made the landscape and period integral
to the reading experience, not just the characters and plot.’

‘The descriptive passages are very lyrical and beautifully evocative of their local settings.’

‘Great suspense building and humour too. I have laughed out loud at many places.’

TIM OWEN is an historian, author, public speaker, teacher and battlefield tour guide with a flair for the dramatic.

Established in 2017 and based at Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre, ignitionpress is an award-winning poetry pamphlet press with an international outlook which publishes original, arresting poetry from emerging poets.

The press won the Michael Marks Publishers’ Award in 2021, and six of our pamphlets have been shortlisted for the Michael Marks Poetry Award, with one winning the Michael Marks Environmental Poetry Pamphlet Award in 2026. Six of our pamphlets have also been Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice selections.

Chris publishes his fiction under the nom de plume Chris Foster Tolley, reserving Chris Walklett for his work on using music in education, particularly English Language Teaching.

Although Chris has been writing across various genres for years, Trip ’89 marks his debut novel. Born out of extra time brought on by lockdown, the idea began with a desire to explore a pivotal historical era and soak the narrative in the spirit of the times. Blending rigorous research with personal memories of the eighties – and particularly 1989, a landmark year by any standard – the narrative evolved over six years into Trip ’89: vibrant, rich in memorable characters, humour, and historical insight. What emerged has been described as possibly the world’s first ‘multimedia novel’, complemented as it is by explanatory notes, socio-culturally focused book club questions, and two curated playlists.

Alongside his fiction, Chris is widely recognized as a prominent figure in ELT, specializing in the use of music and songs in the classroom. Under his Teaching Tracks umbrella, he published the widely acclaimed, ‘timeless’ Top Ten series, dedicated to harnessing the power of songs, song lyrics, and music in language learning and education.

Through Tracks Publications, Chris unites his creative and educational work under a single vision: exploring how music, history and culture shape our lives. He will be exhibiting both his brand-new novel Trip ’89 as well as a selection of Teaching Tracks materials.