Aside from lurching from one mid-life crisis to the next, Carl J Ashley has successfully negotiated the transition from rather anonymous and somewhat bland thirtysomethings, to eagerly anticipated, fruitfully mysterious and potentially exciting fortysomethings.

By writing another book.

Notwithstanding a desire to travel, drink copious amounts of red wine and follow his beloved Manchester City FC, albeit not necessarily in that order, the Mancunian poet, writer and philosopher made this metamorphosis with no small upheaval.

It is no mere achievement that he has managed this transition without losing a complete grip of what remains of his sanity.

Following on from the successful online poetry page, entitled “Carl’s Corner”, this first book, written in 2012 and first published in 2016, entitled “The Fox and the Scorpion Meet Cold Turkey” is likely to be met with a mixed reception and focuses on several themes. Of prominence is his ongoing addiction battle, dealing with depression, and striving to be a good husband and father whilst having no money, being out of work, and struggling to make ends meet.

He also charts the meteoric progress of M.C.F.C. and his involvement with Clare Cricket, but people will most likely be able to relate to his encounters, and admire his ability to still find humour in his situation as an Englishman dislocated in rural Ireland and documenting a daily addiction diary in his struggle against the desires to drink wine and smoke weed!

Successful book launches took place in Ennis, Shannon, Sixmilebridge, Limerick and Galway, with guest speakers from backgrounds such as counselling, men’s mental health and established charities such as Samaritans.