If you want to find out why the cases of the CLAMP School Detectives sound like challenges from Taskmaster, why almost everything in Magic Knight Rayearth is named after a car, why the British Museum illustrated their manga exhibit using the soft-core lesbian manga Miyuki-chan in Wonderland, or why the Cardcaptor Sakura Kinomoto’s best friend has more than a whiff of The Fast Show’s 13th Duke of Wybourne about her, this is the book for you.
Find out more at: https://ianwolf.org/
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In early 2020, Ian Wolf – manga critic in print and online, autistic comedic data specialist, and some time question writer for Richard Osman’s House of Games – decided that the best way to keep himself occupied while Britain was in Covid lockdown was to write a humorous book about his favorite manga artists – CLAMP... the women behind such works as Cardcaptor Sakura, xxxHOLiC, X and Magic Knight Rayearth.
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Buy the paperback online at MFC Retail. Buy the Kindle eBook online at Amazon. Rob Nichols, editor of the Fly Me To The Moon Boro Fanzine, presents a stirring and nostalgic collection of Boro fan stories. Cigar smoke, fried onions and bright green grass… what do you remember of your first Boro match? In the strange lockdown year of 2020, when football stopped and then had to close its doors to fans, Rob invited everyone he knows to look back in time and tell the story of their first Boro match experience. From Ayresome Park in 1947 to the Riverside Stadium in 2020, from old fans to young, famous sons of Middlesbrough and former fan-favourite players, these stories have one common theme, a love of Boro through rain and shine, and that shall never end… Paperback, pocket-size, 306 pages, RRP £9.99 ISBN 978-1-912218-98-1 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, November 2020
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Everyone thinks they can play golf. Will Nett is no different. How hard could it be? Get the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible. Having had one of his best worst ideas yet, Will Nett takes to the fairways in an attempt to master the most absurd of sports. Garishly outfitted, and armed with nothing more than a set of ladies’ clubs and a bad temper, he becomes immersed in the game, and all its infuriating foibles. Many a walk is spoiled as he chases the white ball through the gardens and washing lines of Hull, the vaudeville-steeped music halls of Victorian England, and the Arctic Circle. Join him on the first tee as he blunders from clubhouse to classroom and everywhere in‑between as he reaches for the pars… and misses. Paperback, 162 pages, RRP £9.99 ISBN 978-1-912218-73-8 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, December 2019
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This book invites readers to discover more about Jesus, and also something of a Quaker perspective on him. Having found the Quaker way one which has given his spiritual practice a new lease of life, Michael Wright commends it to others, whether Quakers or not. Paperback, 182 pages, RRP £9.99 ISBN 978-1-912218-57-8 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, July 2019
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eBook available on Kindle That Sounds Like Stevie! is a fascinating journey through the lesser-known musical adventures of the incomparable Stevie Wonder. Universally acknowledged as one of music’s most influential and successful artists, Stevie Wonder has enjoyed a career like no other. But how much do you know about his other work, that of songwriter, producer, arranger, vocalist, and highly sought after session musician for other people, and mostly on tunes unknown? In this astonishing collection, which is the result of years of painstaking research and determined digging, lifelong fan and chronicler of Stevie’s life Mick Hutchinson sheds light on the other side of his illustrious career. A must for Stevie fans who want to appreciate the extended work of a living legend, and his never-ending celebration of song. Paperback, 490 pages, RRP £20 ISBN 978-1-912218-41-7 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, May 2019
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Learn to read music with Stave the friendly spider, his musical web and his amazing band: Anton the red ant, Bella the beautiful butterfly, McCoo the cockatoo, Dray the dragon, Em the emu, Flop the frog and Gosher the grasshopper. A beautifully creative and imaginative way to introduce notes and music to children. A5 Paperback, 114 pages, RRP £19.99 ISBN 978-1-912218-17-2 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, December 2017
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Once “the face of Tyne Tees Television”, Paul Frost is now an old git. Of course this hasn’t always been the case. He’s been a teenage git, a young married git and a middle aged git. In chronological order he has been a farmhand, supermarket shelf stacker (sauces and pickles), shop assistant, debt collector, barman, doorman, student, newspaper journalist and columnist, BBC radio and TV presenter, ITN reporter, after dinner speaker, pilot, corporate film producer and director. This is his first and probably last attempt at getting anything published. He’d rather have a lie down. Where’s Me Glasses? is a humorous and rambling tome from a grumpy old git who still has the ability to laugh at life and all around him. Paperback, 124 pages, RRP £9.99 ISBN 978-1-908299-30-7 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, October 2012
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Thinking of writing a book? It’s not all chat shows, award ceremonies and copious amounts of booze – except for the copious amounts of booze. Join My Only Boro author Will Nett as he deals with his stratospheric new-found success – he was on local radio, y’know – and embarks upon ‘difficult second book phase’. Stuck for new subject matter, and holding down a series of menial jobs in order to collect new material, he becomes embroiled in a peculiar world of yo-yo dieting, backyard boxing bouts, and religious cults. It’s a wonder he has time for punch-ups on the streets of Paris, upsetting Eurovision song contest winners, and arranging a parking space for potential Prime Ministers… but could he turn any of it into a book? Paperback, 152 pages, RRP £9.99 ISBN 978-1-912218-37-0 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, June 2018
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This handbook presents a complete six week course on yama which is firmly rooted in the teachings of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra. It is a practical companion text and includes: • An accessible explanation of the yama sūtra. • Weekly asana sequences which relate to each of the yama. • A graduated plan for developing ujjāyī prāṇāyāma. • Thirty yama based mantra for meditation. • Six complete relaxation scripts. • More than thirty ‘off-the-mat’ practices which support understanding. • A comprehensive bibliography. • Recommended websites for easy access to high quality information and training. The course is designed so that readers can use the whole course or choose specific practices to bring fresh ideas to existing plans. Susan Lodge BA, PGCE, MA (Ed), BWY Dip, YFHF Cert is an experienced yoga teacher who has been practising yoga for almost twenty years. She has studied yoga with teachers in England and Spain, and teaches regularly in the North East of England and on yoga holidays in Turkey. In this series of books developed especially for yoga teachers, Susan presents fundamental principles which lie at the core of her teaching in an accessible and extremely useful format. Paperback, 88 pages, RRP £12.99 ISBN 978-1-908299-92-5 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, May 2016
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A Family History in Wales and the North East of England Diagonal Ties is a fascinating account of one family’s connections throughout the generations with both the North East of England and the South of Wales. Susan Lewis relates the tale of her search for ancestors with humour, an eye for detail and an intriguing insight into life during the times in which they lived. Starting with rural Welsh life in the 1700s, the story moves through the heart of the industrial revolution and on into the foundries of the North-East. Susan considers with poignancy and compassion how events including a war in South Africa, a riot in Llanelli, a general strike, and two world wars, affected the lives and fortunes of those concerned. The story spans the reigns of nine kings and queens as one person from each generation makes that diagonal journey that will determine whether he or she will live as a Welsh person or a North Easterner. Paperback, 200 pages, RRP £14.99 ISBN 978-1-908299-46-8 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, May 2013
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Minneapolis Reign: An Unofficial Guide to Prince’s Hometown NEW 2nd Edition Order now at www.minneapolisreign.com The sudden death of legendary rock musician Prince Rogers Nelson on April 21st 2016 sent shockwaves around the world. One year on, Stuart Willoughby, a fan from the north east of England, made a four thousand mile pilgrimage to Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis in an attempt to understand the life and work of this seminal artist. Arriving in the U.S. in the anniversary week of Prince’s passing, Stuart found himself on an incredible adventure that brought him closer to Prince than he ever could have imagined. Part travel guide and part biography, this is one Prince fan’s emotional account of an incredible journey he felt compelled to make in honour of his musical hero. “The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson is not affiliated, associated, or connected with Minneapolis Reign: An Unofficial Guide to Prince’s Hometown, nor has it endorsed, authenticated or sponsored Minneapolis Reign: An Unofficial Guide to Prince’s Hometown. Further, The Prince Estate has not licensed any of its intellectual property to Minneapolis Reign: An Unofficial Guide to Prince’s Hometown.” Paperback, RRP £14.99 ISBN 978-1-912218-40-0 Originally published by Sixth Element Publishing, November 2017 2nd Edition published by Sixth Element Publishing, October 2018
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Salvage, the long-awaited follow up to Jon May's first book, Divers, tells of his time with the truly extraordinary South China Sea Ocean Salvage And Towing Company,from dealing with the devastating consequences of a typhoon in the South China Sea, searching for missing explosives and going to the rescue of a shipwrecked crew, to hunting for lost pirate treasure, treating wounds from a shark attack and almost being lost at sea himself. Salvage has the dry, dark humour of professionals facing tough, life-changing decisions in the face of disaster and has a delicate balance of harsh reality and poignant reflection, giving further insight into the truly remarkable and adventurous lives of these men at sea. Paperback, 156 pages, RRP £9.99 ISBN 978-1-908299-72-7 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, July 2015
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Divers is the true story of Jon May, a dive medic, whose journey started with the Piper Alpha disaster, and took him from the North Sea to the Kuwait War, to Bombay, the South China Sea and Vietnam. It is a story shot through with the drama, gallows humour and suspense of one of the world’s most dangerous professions, carried out by an individual breed of men in some of Earth’s toughest corners. Jon was called upon to help rescue a skipper trapped below deck on a sinking ship, treat a latterday victim of mustard gas and encountered boat people who could have been mistaken for pirates. He learned never to expect any gratitude from a Bombay beggar and, in this book, tells of encounters with angry sea snakes as well as a phantom oilrig. It may sound like the stuff of fiction, but for knife-edged excitement, nothing beats the truth. Paperback, 208 pages, RRP £9.99 ISBN 978-1-908299-78-9 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, September 2015
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My Only Boro is not just about Middlesbrough Football Club, it’s not just a history book about the town and it’s not just a social commentary on a town once described as the worst place to live in Britain – it’s all this and more. “A must read for Boro fans, memories of the good old days that we long to return to, and all you non-footy fans will love it as well. It’s witty and fun to read, a real blast from the past.” Bernie Slaven, Boro Legend Paperback, 176 pages, RRP £8.99 ISBN 978-1-908299-22-2 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, December 2011
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A woman dedicated her life to a lie and now seeks understanding by travelling to the physical, mental and spiritual landscape that defines who she was, is, and will be. Go to the places you fear most and re-write the colours of your life. ‘Trail of Fears is a very powerful book. A captivating journey and story of belief, loss, exploration, adventure and liberation. The struggle of freeing oneself from a toxic worldview in the name of truth, integrity, and authenticity is truly inspiring.’ Jeremy Runnells, cesletter.org ‘This is one woman’s lyrical cry of anguish as she seeks to reclaim her battered spirit after years of subjugation in the Mormon cult. Told with haunting precision, this is a poetically visceral work that will stay with you.’ Lynn Picknett, co-author of The Templar Revelation ‘Trail of Fears is life writing at its best - brave, honest, exploratory. It is also a journey into the lost heart of America, into the underside of the fake and the sham, with a final escape into self-knowledge and freedom. Part memoir, part travelogue, Chamberlain writes with wry observation and clarity of purpose on every page.’ Dr Chris Thurgar-Dawson, Teesside University Paperback, 160 pages, RRP £9.99 ISBN 978-1-908299-97-0 Published by Sixth Element Publishing, November 2016
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In Something Changed, Matthew Williams navigates us through his journey with wit and wisdom, taking in divorce, dating and self-discovery while facing the dark spectre of depression.
