North London independent publisher TSLbooks has recently published books from two Harrow authors, one a novel and the other a collection of short stories.

The novel A Second Chance, by Anna Ryland, begins in 1997 when three Polish immigrants come to London and find themselves sharing a house in North West London.

Maja is an overqualified assistant librarian, Adam a hardworking, hard-drinking carpenter and Kuba, a London cabbie who has shelved his promising physiotherapy career.

They all have different reasons for leaving Poland and while in London experience the best and the worst of a society in which they are trying to find acceptance.

Anna, who has been working as a journalist for many years, was born in Warsaw and came to Britain in the 1980s. The stories of the main characters of the novel reflect her own experiences, as well as that of others she has met in Britain.

She says: “I felt that I had to tell the story of the immigrants of my generation which was very different to that of the present Polish immigrants to the UK. Since Poland’s entry to the European Union in May 2004, Poles coming to Britain can undertake legal employment in this country. Before 2004, ‘informal’ economic immigrants had very few rights in the UK, making them very vulnerable to exploitation.

“I think that this story may acquire a different dimension in view of Brexit. Time will show whether history will repeat itself and the experience of my generation will be shared by a future generation of immigrants.”

Jane Lockyer Willis, the author of Tea at the Opalaco, studied English and drama at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Her professional career has included acting in professional and amateur theatres, in BBC World Service plays and teaching.

She has written a number of plays, including Here we go round the Roundabout, Cocoa and Cuddles, Teddy Bear’s Picnic andf audio plays The Picnic, Princess on the Run and The Rectory Ghost, which have been broadcast by Shoestring Radio Theatre in San Francisco.

Jane describes her short story collection: “Tea at the Opalaco comprises 20 eclectic short stories to move and amuse. There is mystery, adventure, several tear jerkers and quite a few laughs. There are tea-rooms, picnics, spooky goings on, adventures and romantic encounters. These are tales that I have collated over the years and finally organised into a book.”

Information about these books can be found at: tslbooks.uk