For Belfast teenager, Michael Colgan, words haven’t always come easily. However this changes after he meets Anna, a Dutch schoolgirl, on holiday. During their romantic, care-free, pen-pal exchanges, full of tales of the present and hopes for the future, Michael gives no clue of his true life, at a time when the ‘troubles’ dominated Northern Ireland.

Anna is enchanted by Michael and his words, which include poems painting beautiful visions of idealistic Irish life as well as stories describing the warmth and humour of the people surrounding him.

What Michael doesn’t write about is the trauma he experiences, which leaves him all but invisible to his peers, silently suffering as the conflict rages around him. Little does he know the profound effect that his words will have on others…

Born in Belfast in 1962, Keith Reilly left to travel the world at 18, exploring Europe, India and South East Asia and meeting Dutch wife, Maryke, en route. Today they live in Dorset and have two grown up children. Keith focused on his career and became managing director of an international electronics firm. However, his creative side could not be ignored. Over the years he has published a number of artworks of Belfast and other cities, but more recently has turned to words for creative expression, from which emerged his debut novel, Ahoy for Joy.