A follow-up memoir to Paul Ferris’ critically acclaimed The Boy on the Shed for which he won virtually every major sports writing award. This is not a football book or even a sports book. It is a memoir about his survival from the most acute health problems though, by a true sportsman in every sense of the word.
Paul Ferris says: “I have tried to be as honest as I could in documenting the last few years I’ve spent dealing with prostate cancer. I hope that journey makes for a very interesting read. It is brutal, raw, honest and I think funny in places as well. I think it represents rare male honesty. To tell this story, took all of the courage that I possess. Prostate cancer is the second biggest killer of men in the UK. It is also one of the least understood cancers. This book will certainly alleviate some of that misunderstanding. It is not a ‘poor me’ book. Rather, it is simply an account of an ordinary man suffering from cancer, while experiencing the extraordinary success of becoming a published author…I believe anyone who purchased and enjoyed The Boy on the Shed, will appreciate The Magic in the Tin. Together, they tell my whole story.’
The text is a most remarkable achievement, beautifully written and not in any way self-pitying. It shows a positive viewpoint throughout and the final third is full of promise and humour.
Praise for The Boy on the Shed
‘Untimely death and tragedy has been as much the story of Ferris’s life as scoring for Newcastle. The Boy on the Shed is a stirring testament to the strength of the human condition and the power of ideas.’ — Paul Rowan, The Sunday Times
‘I finished it in two sittings and couldn’t put it down. What a remarkable piece of writing. Life, death, love, leaving home, motherly relationships, striving, all weaved into the football journey and every page I found myself relating to his experiences, some very personal. Very moving (had me several times) but also funny. So much more than a sporting memoir. You could take so much from it without an interest in football. I loved it.’ — Simon Bird, Daily Mirror
