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Book cover reveal: Friendship, Love & Truth

  • pritchardelaine
  • Sep 15
  • 2 min read
A black and white picture shows a small man in a convict suit and hat standing by a Daily Citizen newspaper board that carries the headline 'Rawlings To be Set Free'. There is a turquoise band across the bottom of the image with the author's name, Elaine Pritchard' in white type. At the op of the pictuure, in turqoise type face it says 'Friendship, Love & Truth' with the sub heading in a smaller font, 'The Vale Rawlings Story'.
The cover for the new Vale Rawlings book

We are delighted to reveal the cover for our book, Friendship, Love & Truth, The Vale Rawlings Story. The cover art has been designed by Tilley Bancroft, artist, animator, entrepreneur and founder of Making Trails.


The title of the book, Friendship Love & Truth, is inspired by a banner that Vale and his colleagues from the Burton upon Trent branch of the Workers' Union marched behind through the streets of the town in 1913. On the banner were embroidered the phrases, ‘Bear Ye One Another’s Burdens’ and ‘Friendship, Love and Truth’.  The latter phrase was a motto of the Oddfellows Order, a Friendly Society that still exists today.


Author Elaine Pritchard explained: "These three words seemed to me to be central to Vale’s story and his motivation. He maintained firm friendships throughout his life, sometimes with those who did not share his personal beliefs. He was motivated by his enduring love for his wife, which lasted until death parted them, and for his children and his siblings.


"The truth mattered to Vale and he was never afraid to stand up for what he believed to be right and challenge those in authority. He stuck doggedly to his version of events throughout his 1914 court case for allegedly assaulting a policeman on a picket line, and for the rest of his life. He never wavered from his beliefs as a conscientious objector throughout his challenging experiences during World War One. As one of his obituaries in 1940 declared, 'It may be said that his political views were of the extreme type, but he held his opinions with tenacity and sincerity'.”


Elaine's manuscript is currently with the publishers, Goldcrest Books, and we will be looking at a book launch in Burton upon Trent before Christmas 2025. Keep an eye on this website and on our Facebook Page for updates. All profits from book sales will go to YMCA Burton and SARAC.




 
 
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