Seventeen Going Under Short Stories

SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER

SHORT STORIES BY PETER WHITE

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA

Singer/songwriter SAM FENDER has become a musical phenomenon with his passionate songs about growing up in England's North-East.

New Zealand writer PETER WHITE was inspired by those special songs to create a collection of heart-warming short stories.

Seventeen Going Under is all about the trials and tribulations of growing up, with teenage anger and regret but also hope for the future. In Leave Fast, three young friends have to deal with the tragic death of their best mate and what to do with their lives. A chance meeting with a homeless guy changes one of them forever.

Spit of You centres on the complexities of family life, with a difficult father-son relationship contrasting with a wonderfully close bond between a nana and her grandson. The Dying Light is the heartwarming tale of a desperate young man determined to take his own life who finds a reason to live.

At the heart of Paradigms are the mental and physical effects of school bullying. Rhys Mackie is a beloved teacher who rails against it and does something about it. Will We Talk is a quirky tale of two young 20-somethings with different backgrounds who meet at the Lowlights Bar in North Shields but things don't quite go to plan.

In Mantra, Sophie Lyall believes looking out for life-changing windfalls, or trying to impress others, means you can miss the great things happening right now - and the gift of life that gets taken for granted. Angel in Lothian begins with the vibrant, imaginary dream sequence of a young schoolboy that continues throughout his troubled life.