Alumni books

We're proud of our alumni for their contributions to the literary world. Here is a selection of titles written by our alumni community.

If you'd like to see your book on this list, please email us at alumni@cardiff.ac.uk

A-Z by author

Mohab Abou-Elkawam (PhD 2015) - Nomads of a Global Industry: Seafarers and the Marine Environment: The Quest

Exploring how seafarers interact with the growing demand to protect the environment. Find out more on Amazon

J.J. Bhatt (PhD 1972) - Human Endeavor: Essence & Mission A Call for Global Awakening

Draws upon the historic foundation of wisdom that constitutes the global heritage. Find out more on Amazon

Gemma Clatworthy (BA 2007) - Awakening: Rise of Dragons

Amethyst is a half-dwarf jeweller and weaponsmith who just wants to improve sales in her shop in a popular Cardiff arcade. When her best friend gets kidnapped, she's dragged into a world of cults and dragons. Find out more on Amazon

Dr Elena Cooper (LLB 2001) - Art and Modern Copyright

The first in-depth and longitudinal study of the history of copyright protecting the visual arts, connecting copyright history to art history and copyright debates today. Find out more online

Professor David P Davies (MBBCh 1965) - In Search of the Physicians of Myddfai

In 1861 the book The Physicians of Myddvai; Meddyygon Myddfai  provided the Welsh reading public for the first time with a description of the Myddfai Tradition. 150 years further on the author returns to Myddfai to discover this tradition. Who were these doctors and how might they have acquired their medical knowledge? Discover more online

Frederick Dobb (BEng 1966) - 9001 for Design and Manufacture: A complete how-to guide for successful implementation and certification

Everything required to achieve ISO 9001 with the complete author’s working template manual, procedures and circa 70 forms to choose from. Frederick Dobb is a highly qualified expert and has carried out thousands of ISO 9001 audits and has successfully implemented numerous ISO 9001 management systems. Find out more at Amazon

Judith M. Fathallah (PhD 2014) - Emo: How Fans Defined a Subculture

A popular music phenomenon in the early 2000s, emo is short for “emotional hardcore” and refers to both a music genre and a youth scene notable for its androgynous style. Judith May Fathallah pushes beyond the stereotypes and social stigma to explore how online fandom has shaped the definition of emo, with significant implications both for millennial constructs of gender and for contemporary fan studies. Discover more online

John F. Francis (BA 2005, PhD 2010) - Feasts of Blood: The Forgotten History of Welsh Prize Fighting

Read about the history of Wales’ prize fighters and their colourful lives outside the ring, where violence with pugilists regularly involved drunken attacks on anybody who crossed their path – men, women, police – amassing extensive criminal records in the process. Dodging bullets in the USA, heroics in wars in South Africa and France, breaking out of jail, and their careers on stage in Shakespearean plays and in French nightclubs. Find out more on Amazon

Kevin Goodman (BA 1992) - The Diggum-Uppers: Body Snatching and Grave Robbing in the Black Country

People may think that body snatching and grave robbing were restricted to London and Edinburgh but it was also rife in the industrial part of the West Midlands: The Black Country. This book reveals the body snatchers and grave robbers of the area, the methods used to stop them, and the medical men who supported them. And the horrible truth of what happened when body snatching and grave robbing was outlawed. Find out more on Amazon

Jared Green (LLB 2004) - Famously Dead

Four friends from university. One dead celebrity. Three days in Las Vegas. One million pounds to spend. What could possibly go wrong? Jack, Charlie, Piers and Tom have all gone their separate ways since Cardiff University and life has dealt kinder hands to some than to others. Nevertheless, when Michael Jackson dies it signals the culmination of a game begun nearly two decades earlier and the friends must meet again, for the trip of a lifetime… Find out more on Amazon

Simon Hall (PGDip 1991) - The TV Detective

Television reporter Dan Groves is newly assigned to the crime beat, and in a state of angst about it. He needs a crash-course in police work; the solution is to shadow Detective Chief Inspector Adam Breen on a high-profile murder inquiry, which doesn't go down well with some members of the police force. Find out more on Amazon

Geoff Hanlan (BScEcon 1977; BA 1999) - 2045 and After: Part One

Christopher Jones is thrown forward to May 8th 2045 in a time travel venture. This is the commencement of an exciting journey in two parts leading up to the year 2060. After his arrival in Cornwall he quickly becomes known as James Marsh. Find out more on Amazon

Khairul Azwan Harun (BSc 1999) - Khairul Azwan Harun My Personal Story & Collection of Articles

Currently, Azwan manages his own consultancy Progredior Consulting in KL, serving his corporate clients in policy research, strategic communication, stakeholder advocacy and political risk assessment. He strongly believes in regional engagement and empowering young people to eradicate extremism, and promotes bipartisan policy dialogue for sustainable development and climate reality. He also speaks enthusiastically about democracy and progressive nationalism. Find out more online.

Myles Hopper (BA 2010) - The Mindful Chef

Founded in 2015 in Devon by Myles Hopper and Giles Humphries, Mindful Chef is the UK’s favourite recipe box company, as voted by Trust Pilot. Myles, who is a personal trainer and nutritionist, and Giles work with a team of professional chefs to design and create delicious healthy recipes and deliver the ingredients to a thousand households nationwide each week. The Mindful Chef is their first book. Find out more on Amazon

Angela Hui (MA 2014) - Takeaway

An eye-opening memoir revealing the stories behind living and running a Chinese takeaway. Full of entertaining and surprising stories, Takeaway is a wonderfully warm and eye-opening memoir - at times funny, at others shocking - which reveals what goes on behind the scenes of one of Britain's most popular establishments. Find out more online.

Karen Ingram (BScEcon 1998) - Thrive Don’t Just Survive, the secret to a happy and profitable health and fitness business

Karen Ingram shares the secret of how you can combine your talent and passion for what you do with simple and effective business tools to make being in business a pleasure. She outlines some of the common pitfalls that trip up therapists and fitness trainers when starting a business and takes you through 5 clear steps to make your business healthy, happy and prosperous. Find out more on Amazon.

Hanan Issa (BA 2008), Durre Shahwar (PhD 2018-), Özgür Uyanık (PhD 2019-) - Just So You Know: Essays of Experience

A young woman weaves her experience of abuse into the folklore of her ancestors. A student addresses his OCD by writing letters to it. A Paralympic medallist reflects upon his journey into a challenging new lifestyle. From language politics to neurodivergence, cultural heritage to sexual identity, from immigration to race, these are insights shared with great care, sincerity, and often humour. Find out more online.

Deborah Jay (LLB 1984) - Napoleon's Other Wife: The Story of Marie-Louise, Duchess of Parma, the Lesser Known Wife of Napoleon Bona Parte

Revealing the woman obscured by the myth of Napoleon's love affair with Josephine. Find out more on Amazon

Sir Karl Jenkins (BMus 1966) - Still With The Music: My Autobiography

Music is a language that speaks to us all. But the music of Sir Karl Jenkins transcends boundaries of style and genre, of geography, language and nationality to communicate a message of peace that has profoundly moved millions around the world. Find out more on Amazon

Dr Esther Ramsay-Jones (BA 1998) - The Silly Thing: Shaping the Story of Life and Death

The Silly Thing is an account of a woman's acceptance of and struggle with living and dying with a grade 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer of the brain. It is told from the perspective of her daughter, Esther Ramsay-Jones, a psychotherapist and academic. Find out more online

Aditi Kotwal (MA 2009) - Draupadi in High Heels

Born into a well-known business family, Deeya is a high-flying, spoilt, rich girl who owns an elite fashion store. Her parents want her to get married and hold a swayamvar of sorts for her to select a husband. And she has a dilemma — to go with the extremely attractive and intriguing Karan or the dashing and outgoing Arjun. Find out more on Amazon

David Lewis (BSc 1988) - Going Off Grid

A modern poetry collection focusing on digital capitalism, the negative influence of big tech and our addiction to data. Deeply concerned with the negative direction mankind is taking Lewis argues we need to steer ourselves back to a simpler, happier place in the more important offline world. His new work has been described as ‘The Waste Land for millennials’ by Welsh songwriter Andrew Davies. Find out more on Amazon

Alex Lockwood (BA 1998) - The Chernobyl Privileges

Inspired by real events, The Chernobyl Privileges is a searing psychological drama that depicts the traumatic experience of surviving disaster. Both heart-warming and tragic, it explores the consequences of decisions we are forced to make and that shape our lives. Find out more on Amazon

Ankur Mahajan (MSc 2009) - Life Beyond Bullets- Memoir of Life in rural Afghanistan and West Africa

As a young man, the author unfolds his profound and vibrant reflections of his luminous, candid, and intensely personal account of living in rural Afghanistan and various countries in West Africa. The book is a journey with thoughtful exploration addressing the cross-cultural, political, gender, economic, security, and religious issues of war zones and least developed nations as directly observed by the author. Find out more online

Dr Matt Morgan (MBBCh 2004, PhD 2015) - Critical

Dr Matt Morgan works as an intensive care doctor in Cardiff, caring for the sickest patients in the hospital. In his first book, Critical, he wants to take you on a tour around the intensive care unit, one of the most fast-paced, pressurised places in a modern day hospital. You’ll meet some of his most interesting and memorable cases. Through these stories, you will learn about the wonders of the human body and celebrate the incredible resilience of the human spirit. Some of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the local charity 2WishUponAStar helping families through sudden loss. Find out more on Amazon

Rosaleen Moriarty-Simmonds OBE (BSc 1985) - Four Fingers and Thirteen Toes

Rosaleen overcame horrendous injuries as a result of her mother being prescribed Thalidomide during pregnancy. Now she runs a successful Disability Equality Training Consultancy. Find out more on Amazon

Laurence Moroney (BSc 1991) - Space Cadets

Several years after humanity was pulled back from the brink of an all-out nuclear war, the United Nations built a Space Academy. It’s purpose: To ensure that we’d never again face extinction. Find out more on Amazon

Marvin Nyenyezi (LLB 2002) - International Student Pathfinder

International Student Pathfinder is an essential guide for overseas students at UK universities that will help them to maximise their university experience. It is packed with advice and practical tips on a range of topics like choosing your university, applying for internships and graduate jobs, and so much more. Find out more on Amazon

Jarlath O’Brien (BSc 1999) - Leading Better Behaviour: A Guide for School Leaders

In this companion to his other book titled Better Behaviour, Jarlath O’Brien combines insights from his own experience of improving behaviour in schools, research and policy in a practical guide to support current and aspiring school leaders. Find out more online

Jeni Oborn (BA 2004) - The Image of Survival

Nature-loving teenager Sophia Darcy survives cancer at age fifteen, relatively unscathed and with her whole life ahead of her. But as the years of remission add up, she increasingly struggles to find something to make her life meaningful - 'something impressive' to live up to her own high demands of how a cancer survivor should survive. Find out more on Amazon

James Orpwood (BSc 2002, PhD 2006) - A Quest For Fulfilment

A Quest For Fulfilment is a light-hearted yet truthful and inspiring insight into one man's journey - from mad keen angler and fisheries scientist - to finding professional and personal fulfilment in the mountains. Find out more on Amazon

Anthony Papadopoulos (MSc 1997) and Evi Plomaritou (MSc 1997) - Shipbroking and Chartering Practice

Now in its eighth edition, this classic text is a first point of reference for anyone looking to obtain an understanding of chartering and shipbroking practice. Find out more online

Richard Parks (Dental Surgery, 1997 - 2000) - Beyond the Horizon

Richard Parks has what must be one of contemporary sport's most extraordinary and inspirational stories. Beyond the Horizon is an amazing, inspiring, and exciting story for armchair adventurers, extreme sports and mountaineering fans alike. Find out more on Amazon

Pip Payne (BA 2003) - The Slimming Foodie: Everyday meals made healthy, hearty and delicious

Based on the award-winning blog, The Slimming Foodie is all about delicious, hearty, home-cooked meals that can work for anyone who is on a slimming journey. Find out more on Amazon

Dr Anne Purbrick (PhD 2019) - Telling the Tale of Jaufre. Bringing a Thirteenth-Century Story to Twenty-First-Century Listeners, The Tale of Jaufre

These books adapt and investigate the medieval story The Tale of Jaufre – exploring its extensive history, as well as the revelations of telling the story to 21st century audiences. Discover more online

John Rickards (BEng 1999) - Winter’s End

They have the body of a slaughtered woman. They have a half-naked man standing over her. They have no idea how to make him talk. And so they call in ex-FBI interrogator Alex Rourke to the traumatized Maine town of Winter's End. But as Rourke probes the mind of the enigmatic 'Nicholas', he is forced to re-examine his own past. Find out more on Amazon

Dr Geraldine Rowe (BSc 1980) - It’s Our School, It’s Our Time: A Companion Guide to Whole-School Collaborative

This book outlines a whole-school approach to teacher–pupil collaboration, illustrating how aspects of social inequality can be addressed by involvement in the school community and active participation in decision-making from an early age. Find out more on Amazon

James Smythe (BA 2001; PhD 2008) - The Machine

Vic returned from war tormented by his nightmares. His once happy marriage to Beth all but disintegrated. A machine promised salvation, purging him of all memory. Now the machines are gone, declared too controversial, the side-effects too harmful. But within Beth’s flat is an ever-whirring black box. Find out more on Amazon

Sitpah Selvaratnam (LLB 1988) - The Arrest Of The Superyacht Equanimity

The true story of how the people of Malaysia got the superyacht Equanimity back from Jho Low. This is a story of the intriguing and complex circumstances that led to the historic arrest of the notorious luxury yacht Equanimity, which was embroiled in national fraud at the highest level of government. Find out more on Amazon

Rose Sgueglia (BA 2008, PGDip 2009) - The Real Leonardo Da Vinci

This biography investigates Leonardo and his different roles from anatomist to inventor, architect, painter, rumoured to be templar and scientific pioneer. Despite leaving several of his works incomplete, Leonardo managed to influence generations of artists and still today remains a highly regarded figure in both the artistic and scientific sector. Discover more online

Dr Rudolf Tjandra (MBA 1993) - Going East

This book provides fundamental thought from the author on 'what matters most' to run a successful business and to build a strong brand in the context of ASEAN market. Find out more on Amazon

Liz Unser (BPharm 1965) - Winter into Spring

Winter into Spring interweaves life struggles with musings on female friendship and practical Buddhist philosophy. It follows the story of a woman whose seemingly perfect life comes crashing down and her journey to self-discovery and letting go.  Find out more on Amazon

Dr Gareth Williams (EdD 2005) - The Richard Davey Chronicles (Needing Napoleon, Serving Shaka, Rescuing Richard)

This is a story of irresistible adventure that takes the reader from present-day Paris to the battle of Waterloo and beyond with a time travelling history teacher. Find out more on Amazon

Tony Woodcock (BMus 1974) - All the Best Parties

Tony Woodcock's "All the Best Parties" takes us into the scorching drama behind the music, the arias, the fabulous sets, celebrities and social glitter. From a pinnacle of artistic success and financial stability, the company begins to disintegrate. Read more on Amazon.

Tiffany Wright (MA 2004) - Somebody Else's Shoes

Frumpy, insecure, London real life journalist Mia is unfulfilled with her life. Gorgeous Natasha Logue is a celebrity fashion stylist with everything she could possibly want at her feet. But one day Mia and Natasha's worlds collide in a way neither could imagine possible and suddenly the shoes are on the other foot. Find out more on Amazon