Alan London has published his debut collection of short stories, The Days of Wine and Horses, a work of fiction set in the Yorkshire Dales that draws on his childhood familiarity with riding yards and stables. Independently published on June 5, 2026, in hardcover and paperback, the book arrives at a time when rural life and equestrian culture face mounting economic pressures, making its celebration of a slower, gentler way of living both timely and poignant.
The collection follows the working lives of those engaged in the equestrian world through narratives centered on a small country riding school. London, who was born in the south of England but moved to Yorkshire as a child, grew up around the world of riding yards. Family expectations and economic necessity later led him into a settled profession, and for much of that time he held down two jobs at once. The routines, difficult horses, and rhythms of a small rural economy he observed during those years inform the stories, though London is clear that the characters and events are invented. The Days of Wine and Horses is a work of fiction, not autobiography.
Readers have compared the collection to James Herriot's beloved Yorkshire novels, a comparison London did not seek but has been glad to see. Like Herriot's work, the book finds warmth in ordinary rural life: quaint, often humorous, and steeped in nostalgia. The title comes from Ernest Dowson's 1896 poem "Vitae Summa Brevis," better known by its opening phrase, "the days of wine and roses." Dowson's meditation on transience and loss is adapted here to working life with horses, where the good years with a horse, like any meaningful period, prove fleeter than one might wish.
Rather than a plotted narrative, the collection presents a fond, often humorous look at daily stable life, yard routines, the challenges of animal management, and the small rural economy that sustains this way of living. It is a stroll back through a Yorkshire country life many readers will recognize or wish they had known. The book is available through major retailers, and readers interested in sampling the work can access a preview at https://read.amazon.com/sample/B0H4S9DFR7?clientId=share.
What makes this announcement particularly significant is London's decision to donate all proceeds from the book to Cancer Research, a cause that holds personal meaning for him and his late wife, Maureen. In a publishing landscape where debut authors often struggle for attention, London's commitment to channeling his work toward a larger purpose elevates the collection beyond mere nostalgia. It also underscores the potential of independent publishing to support charitable causes directly.
London now lives in Southern California, where the collection was written, but his formative years in the Dales left an indelible mark. The Days of Wine and Horses captures a way of life that is increasingly rare, and its success could encourage other writers to mine their own early experiences for stories that resonate. The book is published independently, with details available through Cambridge Publishing House. For readers seeking a gentle escape into a world of horses, stables, and rural community, London's debut offers a warm and worthy journey.
