Stories And Dreams

"A child and parent journey through life together--always remembering that even if the other is far away they can meet in their dreams"--

The dazzling collection of stories from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Late in the Day. **WINNER OF THE EDGE HILL SHORT STORY PRIZE** Two sisters quarrel over an inheritance and a new baby. A housekeeper caring for a helpless old man uncovers secrets from his past. A young girl accepts a lift in a car with a group of strangers. An old friend brings bad news to a dinner party. In these gripping and unsettling stories, the ordinary is made extraordinary and the real things that happen to people turn out to be every bit as mysterious as their dreams. ‘These well-turned, exceptionally nuanced pieces are solidly evocative of place, period...and sensory detail’ Sunday Times ‘Few writers give me such consistent pleasure’ Zadie Smith

A child's imagination takes him on a wild journey as he sleeps soundly at night. He meets lions in the jungle, swims alongside sea creatures, and soars through the sky on the back of a silvery dragon. This magical tale will delight all ages.

Juggling soccer, school, friends and family leaves John with little time for anything else. One day at the local community center, following the sound of drums, he stumbles into an Indigenous dance class. Before he knows what's happening, John finds himself stumbling through beginner classes with a bunch of little girls, skipping soccer practice and letting his other responsibilities slide. When he attends a powwow and witnesses a powerful performance, he realizes that he wants to be a dancer more than anything. But the nearest class for boys is at the Native Cultural Center in the city, and he still hasn't told his family or friends about his new passion. If he wants to dance, he will have to stop hiding. Between the mocking of his teammates and the hostility of the boys in his dance class, John must find a way to balance and embrace both the Irish and Cree sides of his heritage.

A magical concoction of the mischievous, tender, whimsical, and debauched real-life adventures of Alan Cumming, told in his own words and pictures. Described by the New York Times as “a bawdy countercultural sprite” and named one of the most fun people in show business by Time magazine, Alan Cumming is a genuine quadruple threat—an internationally acclaimed, award-winning star of stage, television, and film, as well as a New York Times best-selling author whose real-life vivacity, wit, and charm shine through every page of his third book, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams. In these forty-five picture essays, Cumming recounts his real-life adventures (and often, misadventures), illustrated by his own equally entertaining photographs. From an awkward bonding session with Elizabeth Taylor to poignant stories about his family and friends to some harsh words of wisdom imparted by Oprah that make up the title of this collection, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams is as eclectic, enchanting, and alive as its author.

Originally published: London: Usborne Publishing Ltd, 2021.

In this mix of history, journalism, political analysis, and first-person accounts, former chief coroner and Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell, renowned criminologist Neil Boyd, and investigative journalist Lori Culbert, offer a portrait of one of North America’s poorest, most drug-challenged neighbourhoods: Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. A Thousand Dreams raises provocative questions about the challenges confronting not only Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside but also all of North America’s major cities and offers concrete, urgently needed solutions, including: Continued support for Insite, the safe injection site Decriminalization of prostitution and drugs The transfer of addiction services to the Health Ministry, allowing detox into the medical system More government-funded SROs and more affordable social housing