Category: books

The Light Fantastics

A City Romance (also available for animation) Meet the Light Fantastics. This is Lady in Red. This is Green Go-to Guy. They live in two little spaces in a traffic light in the Big City, on a busy corner of Main Street and Crosstown Avenue. Lady in Red tells people to stop and wait before […]


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Rubato Reviewed

From the Balliol College Annual Record 2021 The Prisoner of Rubato Towers: Crazed Memories of Lockdown Life in the Plague Year Richard K. Heller (1966), Xerus Publishing, 2020 Seamus Perry (Professor of English Literature, Massey Fellow, and Tutor in English) Persons of my parents’ generation would sometimes say of a contemporary, ‘Well, he had a […]


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My new book: The Prisoner Of Rubato Towers

Xerus Publishing publishes The Prisoner Of Rubato Towers – Richard Heller’s crazed memories of lockdown life in the plague year. Publication date 21 September  Price £6.99 ISBN 978-1-8381654-0-6 Distribution: Vine House Distribution Ltd  vinehouseuk.co.uk • Nobel Literature prize judges re-convene • Donald Trump and Boris Johnson plunge further in polls • Amazon deafened by butterfly wings […]


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White On Green review in the Cricket Society Journal Autumn 2017

Generous and perceptive analysis by John Symons One year on from the Book-Of-The-Year shortlisted Wounded Tiger: A History Of Cricket In Pakistan, Richard Heller and Peter Oborne return to the topic with a new opus which aims to “celebrate the drama of Pakistan Cricket.” Now, patently, there is a connexion between the two books but […]


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A TALE OF TEN WICKETS is reprinted!

“It had always seemed unjust to Pat Hobby that his only lasting gift was for playing cricket. In fifteen years he had lost twenty-three writing jobs, four houses, two wives and many weekends, but he had never lost his outswinger. Pat Hobby could no longer create stories, or scenes, or characters, or dialogue. But the […]


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A TALE OF TEN WICKETS (more)

There were many things which Arthur Fraser used to hate about his job, but the worst of them was the lift. He worked in a tall building called Excelsior House. Both the building and its lifts were shared between two important enterprises. Floors 1 to 14 inclusive belonged to Megalopolitan Television. Floors 15 to 24 […]


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Rediscovered Brilliant Review of A TALE OF TEN WICKETS

A Tale Of Ten Wickets: 1995 Review by Mike Seabrook I found a back number from 1995 of the magazine Cricket Lore, with this generous review by the late Mike Seabrook, himself an author of fine cricket novels. I have edited out some publishing details, but no commentary. Cricket, as everyone knows, has an enormous […]


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British author converts Mitt Romney from Mormonism (shock)

  The event to fit this sensational headline has not yet occurred, But here is the text of a letter I sent to Mitt Romney to coincide with the publication of my pamphlet Hi! My Name’s Richard And I Am NOT A Mormon. Dear Mr Romney, I am enclosing an advance copy of my forthcoming […]


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Hey, Preacher, Leave Them Gay Kids Alone

Any attempt to change the sexual orientation of a child is futile and cruel and abusive – an outright ban is needed. By Richard Heller [published in politics.co.uk 23 April 2012] For over ten years the Christian organization Care (not to be confused with the international anti-poverty group of the same name) has supplied interns […]


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Some zingers from THE NETWORK

A few bits from my novel THE NETWORK (ISBN 978-0-9556740-1-3} “My family’s a battlefield, and I’m just a small hill which each side occupies to fire on the other.” “You haven’t seen my bad side. At full moon, I don’t recycle newspapers.” A teenager’s prayer: “Dear God, I don’t believe in you and I am […]


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MEMBEAR OF PARLIAMENT Harry Bear campaigning

Harry Bear setting off on the campaign trail: illustration Will Tubby


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MEMBEAR OF PARLIAMENT Harry Bear cricketer

    Bowling for the Lords and Commons (and aiding Chance to shine). A reminder of whose famous action?  Illustration: Will Tubby


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MEMBEAR OF PARLIAMENT a story for people aged 6 and more

“Something’s got to be done about it! When a young teddy bear discovers that his parents have no pension, that his girlfriend is overworked in hospital and that children cannot play cricket in Dudbury (Britain’s most boring town), he decides to become a Membear of Parliament… “Utterly charming” – Baroness Boothroyd OM, former Speaker of […]


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Songs from YOUR VERY OWN RICKY RUBATO

Blue Train Words and Music by Ricky Rubato I watched you fade away Through the steam Goodbye for ever, love, Goodbye dream. I’ve caught The Blue Train From Nothing to Nowhere, Full speed Through the night. Freight cars Full of spaces Only lit by Passing stars. I’m on The Blue Train With no destination, No […]


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THE NETWORK (my new novel)

“Cricket changes lives” “My family’s a battleground and I’m just a small hill which each side occupies to fire on the other.” Steve Helson, 16, is the young hero of Richard Heller’s new novel The Network. He’s not David Copperfield but he is up against it. He is the only child of a disintegrating marriage. […]


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YOUR VERY OWN RICKY RUBATO awardwinning screenplay and novella

An offbeat romance saves a little town from depression Ricky Rubato is a pianist and crooner. He once had a fine career but now he is playing it out in small towns that have seen better times – such as depression-hit Flattenburg. And even there, he’s only as a late substitute for the featured attraction, […]


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