ash books
growing stories, one word at a time
the wind road
Inspired by actual events, The Wind Road tells the story of the few men who survived the 1934 Gresford Colliery disaster, the hundreds who died, and the four-year-old girl who set them free.
In 1984, a young girl named Jemima, born over the abandoned mine tunnel, forms a bond with a ‘soot-man’ she sees each night in her dreams. In 1934, Wey Smith, a miner down Gresford, leaves a sandwich for a ghost-girl following him around in the dark. In 2014, an old man sits alone in a colliery cottage, haunted by the legend of Weyland the Smith and the men entombed below. Set during the build-up and aftermath of the disaster, we uncover their mysterious connection through time.
The Wind Road is a tale of magic, coal mining, and the meaning of myth in our lives.
Available spring 2026
‘It has something which all real writing must have: something indefinable but real.’
––Paul Kingsnorth, author of The Wake
‘I’m completely blown away by the depth and beauty of this novel. The touch remains light, but devastatingly effective. The prose style is so poetic, so evocative, and as crisp as an autumn morning. There’s not a word wasted, but every image, every symbol is resonant and rich.’
––Dr Stephen Carver, writer, editor and literary historian.
The Wind Road was a finalist in the Exeter Novel Prize, and was the recipient of an Arts Council/The Literary Consultancy award.
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ash books
growing stories, one word at a time
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