Bøker av Lissa Evans

Three decades after it first appeared on screen, Father Ted is still cherished, quoted and endlessly re-watched. Its beloved main characters, unforgettable lines and extraordinary visual jokes have given birth to a thousand gifs and t-shirts and a million catchphrases. Unforgettable to watch, it was also unforgettable to work on. Lissa Evans, as producer of the second and third series, spent three years hovering anxiously over every moment, from the first glimpse of script to the last revolution of a runaway milk-float round a specially-built plywood roundabout. There was no 'average Father Ted episode' - each of them was stuffed with challenges; endless rain, lustful rabbits, clerics crashing through windows, sheep doubles, collapsing crosses and a never-ending stream of eccentric priests - and the work that went into its creation was often nearly as bizarre as what was happening on screen. Picnic on Craggy Island is a hugely affectionate and anecdotal account of what lay behind some of those moments of comic genius - so pull on your kagoule, spread out your blanket, unwrap the sandwiches (they're all egg) and enjoy the picnic...

It¿s 1945, there¿s a brand-new Labour government, and Valentine Vere-Thissett, aged 23, is returning home from an undistinguished war, spent in the ranks. But following the death of his heroic older brother, and to his horror, Valentine is now Sir Valentine, seventh Baronet and extremely reluctant heir to Dimperly Manor, a gigantic liability, devoid of income, sodden with debt and half-filled with stuffed animals and dependent relatives ¿ the latter intent on clinging to an impossibly outdated way of life.Despite Valentine¿s efforts, it takes an outsider to finally work out that Dimperly can only be saved when the inhabitants accept that the world has changed irrevocably, and that they must make at least a tiny attempt to change with it¿ Brilliantly plotted and deeply touching, The Big House is a both a love story and a sharply-observed portrait of era of seismic change, which will delight all those fans who have loved Old Baggage, V for Victory and Their Finest Hour and a Half.

1928. Matilda Simpkin is a woman with a thrilling past and an infuriatingly dull present. As a militant suffragette, she marched, smashed windows, heckled Winston Churchill, and was jailed five times. Now in middle age, the closest she gets to the excitement of her old life is the occasional lecture on the history of the movement, given to a lukewarm audience.But after being shocked to discover that an old comrade has embraced Fascism, Mattie realizes that there is a new cause and a fresh generation to fight for. Thus, the Amazons are formed, a club that gives girls a place to exercise their bodies and minds, igniting a much-needed interest in the world around them. It's a wild success until a new recruit sends Mattie's past crashing into her present, and every principle she has ever stood for is threatened.Old Baggage is a funny and bittersweet portrait of a woman who has never given up the fight and the young women who are just discovering it.

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, and Bill NighyIt is 1940. France has fallen, and only a narrow strip of sea lies between Great Britain and invasion. The war could go either way, and everyone must do their bit. Copywriter Catrin Cole is drafted into the Ministry of Information to help ?write women? into propaganda films?something the men aren't very good at.She is quickly seconded to the Ministry's latest endeavor: a heartwarming tale of plucky sisters who help rescue British soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk. It's all completely fabricated, of course, but what does that matter when the nation's morale is at stake? Since call-up has stripped the industry of its brightest and best, it is the callow, the jaded, and the utterly unsuitable who make up the numbers. In a nation under siege, they must all swallow their mutual distaste, ill will, and mistrust to unite for the common good, for King and Country, and?in one case?for better or worse. . . .

Allied victory is on its way, but it's bloody well dragging its feet. In a large house next to Hampstead Heath, Vee Sedge is just about scraping by, with a herd of lodgers to feed, and her young charge Noel ( almost fifteen ) to clothe and educate.

Now a major film starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin and Bill Nighy. It's 1940. In a small advertising agency in Soho, Catrin Cole writes snappy lines for Vida Elastic and So-Bee-Fee gravy browning. But the nation is in peril, all skills are transferable and there's a place in the war effort for those who have a knack with words. Catrin is conscripted into the world of propaganda films. After a short spell promoting the joy of swedes for the Ministry of Food, she finds herself writing dialogue for 'Just an Ordinary Wednesday', a heart-warming but largely fabricated 'true story' about rescue and romance on the beaches of Dunkirk. And as bombs start to fall on London, she discovers that there's just as much drama, comedy and passion behind the scenes as there is in front of the camera... Originally published as Their Finest Hour and a Half.

Magic, mystery and a very dangerous quest... The fantastically funny and fast-moving sequel to Small Change for Stuart.

Lissa Evans' first novel for children is a whirlwind of magic, laughter and friendship.

A hugely funny 'down the rabbit hole' adventure from the author of internationally bestselling 'Small Change for Stuart', which was shortlisted for both the Carnegie Medal and Costa Award.

When Noel Bostock - aged ten, no family - is evacuated from London to escape the Blitz, he winds up in St Albans with Vera Sedge - thiry-six, drowning in debts. Noel may have been moved to safety, but he isn't actually safe at all .

This distinct group find themselves thrown together in the wilds of Norfolk to 'do their bit' on the latest propaganda film - a heart-warming tale of derring do, of two sisters who set out in a leaking old wooden boat to rescue the brave men trapped at Dunkirk.