Lewis Davies’ new collection of essays reveals a respect for hard graft and a deep empathy for people on the margins of society. The effortless prose shows an honest love of place, friendship, family … and fishing.

Two of the essays, Nuts and Bollocks and Pieces of Happiness, demonstrate the fascinating process of a writer writing about writing. Drawn from ten years’ experience in writing novels, short stories, plays, having to reviewbooks to keep the pennies rolling in, and the lucky bonuses like writing for the HTV Wales series Nuts and Bolts: Davies offers a humorous, insightful, occasionally less-than-glamorous insider’s perspective of the Welsh writing industry.