The Keepers - Kirk, Pauline

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Résumé :
A powerfully imagined futuristic thriller. The Keepers conjures up a menacing twenty-second century England fragmented by civil war and a Great Devastation. The law of the land is in the hands of the Keepers who enforce peace and happiness at any cost. To want knowledge and freedom is treason. To rebel is the ultimate crime. This is the story of Esther, a member of a secret network of dissidents, who risks life and love to break free, for herself and for the future; of Callum, a powerful rebel who mysteriously appears and demands Esther's collaboration. Against a background of chilling hostility and suspicion, a fragile trust develops united by one aim: to overthrow the regime of the Keepers. Building up to a searing climax, this is an unputdownable novel about power, betrayal and a passion for freedom which ultimately transcends both. A powerfully imagined futuristic thriller, The Keepers conjures up a menacing twenty second century England fragmented by civil war and a Great Devastation. The law of the land is in the hand of the Keepers who enforce peace and happiness at any cost. To want knowledge and freedom is treason. To rebel is the ultimate crime. This is the story of Esther, a member of a secret network of dissidents who risk love and life to break free. Building up to a searing climax this is an unputdownable novel about power and betrayal and a passion for freedom which ultimately transcends both. - Virago A highly observant writer. Her characters have a life of their own right from the start... plenty of unease and all the tension of a Cold War spy thriller A menacing thriller set in the 21st century, and is a welcome addition to her prolific writing which ranges from poetry to biography and social history

Biographie:
Born in Birmingham, Pauline moved to York, having lived in Leeds, Reading, Benfleet (Essex), and Melbourne (Australia). She studied at the University of Nottingham, Sheffield University (managing to get married in the holidays) and Monash University in Melbourne where she also taught at the Methodists Ladies College (preparing girls for brilliant academic careers or marrying wealthy sheep farmers). In her free time she explored Victoria and New South Wales in a beat-up Holden with her husband.Returning to the UK, Pauline reared a family while working in adult and continuing education. Becoming adept at intellectual busking, she worked for the Workers' Education Association, the City Literary Institute, London and Reading Universities, and the Open University. She then spent over twenty happy years in Horsforth on the edge of Leeds with easy access to the Dales. It may have been dollars dollars dollars dollars freezing after Reading, but moving 'up North' was the best thing she did. She joined Pennine Poets and Aireings, and ultimately became editor of Fighting Cock Press.A 'New Beginnings Award' from Yorkshire Arts enabled her to give up her 'day job' and thoroughly enjoy doing an MA in Creative Writing (she now has two MAs, so officially can put MAMA on her business cards). She busks again, at whatever literary work comes her way. She has appeared at many Literature Festivals and venues such as the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the National Centre for Early Music. She judges short story and poetry competitions, and has led creative writing groups almost everywhere, working with children, adults and writers with mental health needs.Pauline is the author of three novels: Waters of Time, Century Hutchinson 1988; Ulverscroft 1991, and The Keepers, Virago (Little, Brown), 1996 and 1997. Border 7 was published by Stairwell Books in 2015. Pauline is also the P of PJ Quinn, the pen name adopted by Pauline and her daughter, Jo Summers, to author the DI Ambrose series of police procedurals set in the late 50s and early 60s.Eleven collections of her poetry have been published, and her poems, short stories and articles have appeared in many anthologies and journals and been broadcast on radio. Her most recent collection of poetry, Time Traveller, was published by Graft Poetry in 2017.Pauline loves singing, travel, art and doing illustrations.In 2018 she was a finalist for the 2018 York Culture Awards Excellence in Writing Award. Pauline's work on Poetic Justice was part of the submission for her nomination.