Tollington Book Launch
Comedienne by VG Lee - 10th Anniversary Edition
The Full Heritage Experience by Maureen, Rosie and Helen Sandler

Cafe - Readings - Book Signings - Free Entry
Thursday, 7 April, 2011. 7pm

Join us in celebrating the launch of two delightful titles from independent publisher Tollington Press. Tollington Press publishes new writing by women with unique stories to tell. From poetry to memoir and from drama to short stories, Tollington brings you voices you might not hear elsewhere.

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The Comedienne by VG Lee (10th Anniversary Edition)

THE COMEDIENNE is the story of Joanie Littler, part-time gardener, aspiring stand-up comedienne. It traces her life from childhood, living in Birmingham with her mother and the bossy neighbour Mrs. Botolph, through Joan’s several relationships. There was Steff, who preferred ‘gentle sex’ and sad, droopy Rachel; Sandy Banks, who preferred her mum and her blazer collection; and the love of her life, Susan, who seemed to prefer almost anybody. This is the 10th anniversary edition of VG Lee’s first novel. In a new afterword, the author reveals how life imitated art when she embarked on a stand-up comedy career of her own.            

‘A light touch, a wonderful laconic style and spot-on humour made it a joy to read’
– Andrea Levy, author of Small Island

VG Lee is a popular lesbian author. At her readings, which she often combines with stand-up comedy, she attracts a regular and appreciative audience, with her witty and incisive material also charming those who are new to her writing. Shehas written three novels: The Comedienne, The Woman in Beige and Diary of a Provincial Lesbian; and in 2008 her first short story collection, As You Step Outside, was published by Tollington. In 2009, to celebrate her sixtieth year, she became a stand-up comedian and performed sixty gigs around the country. She took her one-woman show SHUSH! to the Edinburgh festival, and reached the finals of the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year 2010.

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The Full Heritage Experience by
Maureen Sandler, Helen Sandler and Rosie Sandler

In this collection of poems and very short stories, two generations of one family take us from the dairy to the diamond mine via the nearest Odeon, in the company of a Passover ghost, a Victorian bride… and a toddler on a quest for potato waffles.


‘Fascinatingly maps the journey of a family, the goings and comings, the past and the present. These three related writers offer the reader a fresh way of seeing.’ – Jackie Kay

‘Both sides of our family originally came to England from Russia and Poland around the turn of the last century, to escape persecution as Jews. It’s not surprising that ancestry, migration and acceptance are preoccupations for all of us, alongside themes of place, loss and the passing of time. We have all written about love… and disaster. And perhaps an outsider viewpoint and sense of humour come through here too.’
– from the foreword by the authors

Maureen Sandler and her husband Phil lived in south Manchester when their daughters Helen and Rosie were growing up and have since retired to an 18th-century cottage in Derbyshire. Maureen has been a member of Manchester Poets and their performing sub-group, The Metre Readers, as well as Wirksworth Writers and Scarthin Writers.

Helen Sandler lives in north London with her partner Jane. She has published two novels, Big Deal and The Touch Typist. In 2008 Helen set up Tollington Press to bring out new writing by women. She is a regular compere at Bar Wotever’s alternative cabaret nights.

Rosie Sandler lives with her husband Andrew and their two young sons, Robert and Thomas, in Essex, where she runs Maldon Art Trail. A founder member of The Skylarks writing group, Rosie is working on her first novel for adults, The Double Life of James Fitzpatrick, while seeking an agent for her supernatural children’s book, Rare Sight.

All three authors have been published in magazines and anthologies.

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