From the author of Gillis Huckabee comes Sean Conway's powerful first collection of short stories. In storySouth Magazine's Million Writer's Award-nominated "Scratch," a divorced man tries to control a raging breakout of poison ivy while his personal life erupts violently out of control. In "Ashes, Ashes" an unemployed laborer is unable to look forward, so consumed by his role in devastating events of the past. And in "January Thaw" a single mother struggles to let go of the life she once envisioned for the uncharted path of her present when her recently-widowed father moves in with her and her young son.

Despite its title, The Slowpoke's Guide to Getting It Right is not, in fact, a guide. It is not a how-to book. If anything, these stories combine to form a how-not-to guide. Sean Conway's characters distract themselves from facing truths; they blame others for their own tragic decisions; they find themselves suddenly unprepared, face-to-face with life situations that they should have seen coming a mile away, but, like many of us, missed. Like many of us-perhaps even all of us-they're slowpokes.

Meet Gillis Huckabee, the shy, awkward protagonist of Sean Conway's new novel. When Gillis's mother dies unexpectedly in the opening chapter, his world suddenly turns topsy-turvy. Just weeks away from high school graduation, he finds himself desperately fighting to hold the rest of his family together. His already uninvolved father becomes even more uninvolved, making the tragic decision to remove himself, once and for all, from the family. In the aftermath, little sister Beth goes off to live with an aunt, while Gillis joins older brother Kerry down in Florida, where Kerry plays minor league baseball for the small-town Palm Bay Pilots. Now an invisible hot dog vendor in the same ballpark where his brother is fast becoming the team hero, Gillis struggles with his new place in the world. Mourning his mother, hating his father, ridden with guilt for having left his sister behind, and resentful that his brother has not missed a single beat, Gillis begins a rudderless journey that will ultimately take him into the depths of desperation.and back again.

Sean Conway was stuck in a life dead end of his own making when he heard about a round the world cycling race. He was immediately inspired - but it was a huge undertaking and he'd hardly been on a bike in years. Could he really cycle all the way round the world, solo and unsupported? Six months later, after completing a punishing training schedule and packing up everything he owned into boxes, Sean was in Greenwich Park on the start line of the adventure of a lifetime. Soon he was way ahead of schedule, averaging 180 miles per day, and on course to break the round the world cycling record. But then disaster struck, and Sean was forced to confront the possibility that he may not be able to complete the race... In the course of his 16,000-mile journey, Sean travelled the famous pan-American highway across the Atacama Desert, outran tornados, relied on fellow travellers to ferry water across the Australian outback, and inadvertently joined a cycle club in Mumbai. He learnt things about himself he didn't know and rediscovered a spirit of adventure that changed everything. This is a book about an amazing and sometimes incredibly difficult journey, but it's also a book about never giving up when there's an opportunity to follow your dreams.

'Rain pelted down on the back of my neck and saltwater rushed down my throat as I tried to breathe into a wave. A foghorn started booming from a lighthouse in the distance. For a moment I thought it was a rescue siren for me. Imagine if I got rescued on day two. That would be embarrassing.' In June 2013 Sean Conway set out from Land's End in his bid to be the first person to swim the length of Britain. It was a challenge so extreme that not only had it never been attempted before, but most of the sponsors Sean approached turned him down as they were worried that he would die trying. Landlocked Cheltenham - Sean's hometown - isn't really the ideal place to train for a long sea swim, and he only managed three miles in a local pool before setting off from Land's End. Once in the water Sean had to develop incredible mental strength to deal with the extreme cold and hours alone. He also needed to devise ways to take on the huge number of calories he needed to sustain him. On the support boat he and his three-man crew had to cope with storms, seasickness and living in close proximity for months. After taking a few jellyfish stings to the face, Sean decided to grow a huge beard to protect himself. The physical challenge was gruelling, but came with unexpected rewards. Sean swam with dolphins and seals and among stunning night-time phosphorescence. He had a unique view of the British coast, discovering tiny hidden coves and exploring shipwrecks. When there were problems with the support boat, Sean and his crew met many kindly people who were willing to come to their aid. From the first person to complete a British 'triathlon' - running, swimming and biking the length of Britain - this is Sean's remarkable and funny story about how anything is possible if you truly put your mind to it.