For generations of Oxfords residents, students and visitors, Boswells has been part of the city's charm. It was therefore an obvious subject for Oxford Inc, a group of writers who compile stories around a common theme. All sorts of people pass through the department store; they may look just like the rest of us but, underneath the surface, the authors reveal private lives with twists, joy and despair, all of which make for an entertaining read. There are stores here to make you laugh, some will make you cry, and others will make you think; together they present a collection which is a varied and delightful as Boswells, the famous old store which links them all. Boswells are donating a percentage of the profit from every copy they sell to their Charity of the Year.

Oxford's Cowley Road has a life of its own in which some remarkable individuals have contributed to its rich and diverse community. Among them is Mrs Icolyn Smith MBE. This is the story of her life from its simple beginnings in rural Jamaica, through the difficulties of raising a family in 1960s Britain, to the discovery of her mission to help hundreds - perhaps thousands of people whose lives have been shattered by events they could not control.