Self-published authors supported by Arkbound
Alina Maiboga
Alina Maiboga is a Ukrainian psychologist born in Zaporizhzhia. She holds a degree in Medical Psychology and completed clinical training in psychiatric settings as part of her professional education. In Ukraine, she regularly appeared on television and provided psychological commentary for national media. She is also the author of “Discover the Psychologist in Yourself” and has been involved in various social initiatives supporting vulnerable communities. After the outbreak of war, she relocated to the United Kingdom, where she continues her academic and professional development.
Her writing explores trauma, independence, the search for meaning, and the inner architecture of the self. She lives in the UK with her husband and their two chihuahuas.
Author of 'The War Inside'
about ‘the war inside’
What happens when the world you know collapses overnight – and the only thing left untouched is your inner voice?
On February 24, 2022, the war began outside. But another war had already been unfolding within – a quieter, more intimate one: the war between fear and dignity, guilt and inner freedom.
From Ukraine to Poland, Turkey, Israel, Ireland and Scotland, The War Inside traces one woman’s journey through exile, depression, displacement, and reinvention. Sleeping in hotels and refugee camps, standing in line for humanitarian aid, losing status and certainty – and discovering that identity is not something that can be taken away.
This is not a political chronicle. It is a psychological and deeply personal account of survival. Of refusing victimhood. Of confronting shame, aggression, money, family wounds, and the fragile architecture of the self.
Raw, reflective, and unflinchingly honest, this book explores questions we rarely dare to ask:
Who am I without my home?
Who am I without my past?
And who am I when everything is stripped away?
If you have ever lost something that defined you – a country, a relationship, a version of yourself – this story will feel painfully familiar.
Because sometimes the hardest war is the one no one else can see.
mitra sanei
Mitra Sanei is an award-winning Iranian-British writer whose work draws on her experiences growing up in Iran before and after the Iranian Revolution. She was a journalist who worked as a film, art, and literature correspondent in Tehran, and has written plays, screenplays, and children’s stories, including After Those Days, Whispered Stories, and the prize-winning screenplay Forgotten Days. Her work has been staged and recognised in the UK, including selection at the Royal Court Theatre and longlisting for the BBC Trans Comedy Award. She lives in Wales, where she works in a BAFTA winning film company as a writer and script adviser.
Author of 'Forgotten Days'
about ‘forgotten days’
Mehtaran has built a quiet life in Britain, far removed from her past—until the sudden reappearance of Leila, the childhood friend she hasn’t seen in over twenty years.
The two girls grew up together in Iran, their friendship formed in innocence before being tested by the chaos of the Iranian Revolution. As teenagers, they became activists, a choice that led them into the brutal reality of the notorious Evin Prison—an experience that would shape their lives forever.
Now reunited, long-buried memories reappear, along with a devastating truth!
A gripping story of betrayal, resilience, and self-discovery, Forgotten Days takes readers on a journey through history, friendship, and the power of letting go.
Riman dlay
Riman Dlay is a British‑Indian writer whose storytelling is rooted in heritage, empathy and representation. She grew up in England inspired by the rich oral traditions of her Punjabi grandparents, who migrated to the UK after World War II. Although they never had the opportunity to learn to read or write, they carried whole worlds in their memories, sharing vivid tales of resilience, belonging and survival. Their bedtime stories shaped her love of storytelling and continue to influence her work today.
Riman holds a History degree from Goldsmiths, University of London and works professionally as a writer, crafting clear and engaging narratives across a wide range of projects.
Same Journey, Different Shoes is her debut children’s book, a magical adventure inspired by her heritage, her daughters and her passion for creating inclusive stories that help all children feel seen, valued and proud of who they are.
Author of 'Same Journey, Different Shoes'
about ‘Same Journey, Different Shoes’
Same Journey, Different Shoes is a heartfelt magical adventure about four friends who think they know everything about one another, until a half-term wander through Thorndon Woods reveals an ancient archway, four enchanted shoes and a powerful truth: everyone’s path is different…and that’s what makes us stronger.
Maya feels every worry deeply, especially when her mum’s “curfew voice” echoes in her head. Leo is quiet and observant, braver than he believes. Tabitha is the organised problem-solver who finds calm in chaos. Finally, Arjun is bold, funny and always the first to leap in, even when no one asked him to.
When the enchanted shoes choose them, the forest comes alive. Rivers shift without warning. Ice tunnels form beneath their feet. Walls demand teamwork and mysterious creatures watch them from the shadows.
Heartfelt, funny and full of magical peril, this is a story about courage, friendship and discovering that our differences aren’t barriers, they are strengths that carry us forward.
Georgia Mitchell and Elizabeth jenkyns
Author of 'On Balancing the Waves'
about ‘On balancing the waves’
‘Let’s get all the skeletons out of the closet and give them a good airing. Then we shall put them back again one by one.’
Coming of age in a world where mental health and its complications were misunderstood and misrepresented meant Georgia Mitchell often felt alone in her battle to seek ‘normality’. It is for this reason that she wrote On Balancing the Waves, an unflinchingly honest memoir of one woman’s journey to find equilibrium in a turbulent inner world. The refreshingly candid memoir hopes to serve as a reminder to those who feel like they are at rock bottom that their story might still just be in the process of being written. Despite facing multiple setbacks, Georgia reveals an inner strength and perseverance that is a testament to the power of trying again, finding pockets of joy in creativity, simplicity and human connection. This raw insight into the realities of the UK mental health services asks the reader to reconsider our prejudice, chronicling how acceptance and tolerance are the most powerful tools we have in the creation of a world where no one faces stigma for doing the bravest thing one can do – asking for help.
Emily Parr
Author of 'Whiz Banging Wheelchairs', Illustrations by Seyma Sarayildiz
Emily grew up as an able-bodied child in the Peak District, UK where she was very studious and active particularly enjoying sports and the outdoors. Having a disability and wheelchair were unimaginable to her younger self. Emily discovered she had a brain injury aged 21 and became disabled in multiple ways from then onwards. She is now a full-time wheelchair user and her disabilities are an ever-evolving story of their own, full of twists and turns. Through her stories, she aims to encourage young readers who experience disability to believe they can do all sorts of amazing things in their wheelchairs. The profits for Whizz-banging Wheelchairs will raise money for Able2B. 
about ‘whizz banging wheelchairs’
Whizz-Banging Wheelchairs is a book with three stories about children who use wheelchairs. In the stories, the main characters have a range of amazing experiences which let them know just how much they can achieve in their wheelchairs. This includes flying wheelchairs, rainbow palaces and cats flying helicopters, which could represent anything a child might want to want to do. Through her stories Emily is hoping she can inspire a young audience to believe they can do great things. Disability does not beed to be a barrier to achievement.
chris baker
Chris Baker speaks in schools, prisons and police campaigns about trauma, violence and what it takes to change. In partnership with Koestler Arts, this book is going back inside to help those who need it most. Every copy bought helps make that happen.
Author of 'Built Different'
about ‘built different’
Crime, Prison and Breaking the Cycle:
‘My dad taught me one lesson: if someone hits you, hit them back twice as hard. Then one night he was on the news. Nothing was the same after that.
Fights. Robberies. Drugs. Prison. I lost my right arm fleeing the police. It didn’t stop me. It made me worse.
A judge called me the most dangerous amputee in the country.
I was heading for a life sentence - above the ground of below it. Then someone believed in me. And slowly, everything started to change.
This is a true story of who I was, and who I decided to become.
If you think you’re too far gone - this book is for you.’
Ebenezer Ajewole
The Author, Ebenezer Ajewole, is a prolific writer and voracious reader. He holds a postgraduate diploma in Mass Communication and Political Science. He has concluded his Master's Programme in International Relations. His hobbies include: football, travelling, music, and writing.
Author of 'Royal Blood'
about ‘Royal Blood’
Despite efforts to halt racial discrimination in some parts of Nigeria, unfortunately, the practice is still evident and its effect devastating. Certain groups are denied the right to marriage, speak, socialise, develop, attain positions, etc. ‘Royal Blood’, a classical and intriguing fictional novel, captured the ugly side of racial discrimination and its effects.
The protagonist, Prince Adetona, a successful medical doctor, returned to Ifesowapo from England on the orders of his late father because he wanted him to succeed him as the king of his town.
His return to Ifesowapo kick-started his journey into a new world and a long walk to freeing his people from the shackles of racial discrimination. The intrigues, betrayal, and happy ending make the book a must-read.
eva lockwood
Eva Lockwood is a professional draglesque performer, artist, and eerily minded author of Graves & Poise. Their work has appeared all over the place, whether it be in small novellas such as ‘The Butterfly Woman’, or the art book ‘YAIS presents Homegrown’. They study Creative writing and Drama at the prestigious University of East Anglia. Eva has been raised by a witch, a mechanic and the ghost of her Godfather in the ghostly remnants of a Victorian funeral parlour in Suffolk, living by the haunting traditions of old. Being a queer, disabled performer, they have had to adapt almost as drastically as Vik has, having only come out stronger. They live through frills, thrills and fairies, beside madly minded cats and the eccentrics of the stage.
Author of 'Graves and Poise'
about ‘graves & poise’
Vik Starling is the King and Queen of crime, the crooked city poisoner, the casino siren. And yet, when new threats surface, his arrogance can only take him so far.
Viktor/Vitkoria Starling is the cross-dressing crook of Scelus after taking over his parents’ mafia. Cruel, spoiled and alone. His pedestal towers above all the rats and blades below, only now he’s given himself further to fall.
Vik must live as a destitute. With the help of an immigrant, a gambler and three reluctant assassins, he must fight tooth, nail and claw to reclaim what was his, and enact his delicious revenge.