Cirrus@Austlit

'From ballerinas to boxers, the famous to humble heroes, this book tells of many who have helped make the Hunter Valley a vibrant, stimulating community. Rich or poor, soldiers, sailors, teachers, clergy, convicts, doctors, nurses and the couple next door: all these and many more are the People of the Valley.

These stories and poems explore the variety of figures, past and present, who have come to make this valley the place it is today. There are stories about descendants of the original inhabitants trying to live in a changing world, also of modern migrants struggling to adapt.

The writers are a diverse group both young and old, some in print for the first time, others well known names, including Sharyn Munro, Gail Hennessy, Jan Dean, Greg Ray, Jean Kent, Patrick Cullen and Zeny Giles

'Many people have feelings for the festive season which mingle celebration with poignant memories. This delightful anthology of memoirs, stories and poetry was selected by Karen Whitelaw and Don Cohen from work submitted by members and friends of Catchfire Press. The featured memoir by the patron of the Press, Marion Halligan, is especially evocative of the mixed emotions of mortals at this season. Other writers included are Angela Cockburn, Zeny Giles, David Kibble, Rina Robinson, Alice Sinclair, Margaret Steinberger, John Stokes, Jean Talbot, Norman Talbot, Ron Vickress and Margaret Watts.' (Publication summary)

'The winning and selected poems from Catchfire's first poetry competition were selected by Zeny Giles, Norman Talbot and Ron Vickress, and provided a final opportunity for poets to be considered for the major anthology.' (Publication summary)

'This delightful short story had been one of the prizewinners in the ABC Radio National Books and Writing competition in 1995. It not only evokes a Greek migrant response to the Hunter Valley wineries, from an amusingly unsympathetic perspective, but also includes an excellent recipe for the vine leaf rolls that the story focuses upon.' (Publication summary)

'Set in the day of creation on which the birds were created and decked out in their finery, this story tells how the last bird to turn up impudently attempts to wheedle colours and combinations out of the Great Earth Spirit, even though it has been offered only a choice of black or white.' (Publication summary)