Work In Progress at Triple Point Press . . .

Picnic in Regent’s Park

Adam Bethlehem

Picnic in Regent’s Park is the second part of our Tales from Regent’s Park series – a story in verse once again illustrated by Zuzanna Celej, in 12 double page spreads:

Charles Edward Fox and Frederica Porter-Mouse share a home in Regent’s Park.

In a quiet moment after Christmas dinner, Charles declares his love. Frederica accepts his proposal of marriage but wishes to meet her fiancé’s family before the wedding.

Younger mice are fearful of carnivorous foxes and will not allow their grandmother to face danger alone. The entire family travel to Yorkshire to seal the proposal.

“Come, my dear, take my hand,” Mouse leads Fox in a dance.
“We are joined by love and hope, much more than happy chance.”

Festive Feast (working title)

Adam Bethlehem

Festive Feast, the third in the Tales from Regent’s Park series. Charles and Frederica travel to Yorkshire by train
to celebrate with Ma and Pa Fox at a grand party, publishing in 2028.

The train departs from London, each carriage painted red.
Filled with post and parcels, for stations far ahead.

Honeymoon in Paris

Adam Bethlehem

Honeymoon in Paris will be the fourth in the series. Charles and Frederica are married. Foxes and mice travel to Paris to complete the celebration, publishing in 2029.

“A honeymoon in Paris,” Fox tells them of his plans.
“Paintings in Montmartre, Eiffel tower, Notre Dame.”

“Restaurants and fine dining, cheese and chocolate every day.”
“Rodin’s Thinker, Mona Lisa, pictures at Orsay.”

It Matters Not Who Lies On Top

a novel in three parts

Adam Bethlehem

1969: The story of Nicolas Copernicus Jones begins in the mists before conception.

The prospective father, Joshua Jones, is a principled man defined by a belief in progress that has been both effective and uncomfortable for those around him.

Varied interests in science and commerce have brought the family to a state of prominence in national life, even in the years before the parents embark on the search for an heir.

1982: A family holiday opens a boy’s eyes to great mysteries – biology, hidden lives and the kindness of strangers, sisterly secrets and the inevitability of sex.

“Any determined researcher might discover the name of a shipwrecked boat,” the old man takes his seat in the forest. “And herein lies an essential truth . . . A modernist fascination with facts has led the world along the path of simplicity but each woman or man will be defined by their enquiry. Make sure your demands are suitably grand. Perhaps, if you’re lucky, a solution might happen along the way.”

1995: Christmas at home with the traditions of a family argument.

Long past midnight, a dusting of snow covers every surface. Flakes drift on unseen currents in the air as a fox withdraws into bushes that fringe the empty garden. The kitchen is quiet, library empty . . . In the dining room, moonlight reflects on the polished surface of the table, thoughts gathering around him like a cloak.
Who are you, Nicolas Copernicus Jones?

Folk Tales from The Shamsi Collective