It’s January 1982, and Britain will soon be at war with Argentina. But that’s not why Terry’s life is falling apart. Forty-five and recently redundant from the only job he’s ever had, he and his wife Pat are forced to sell their home and move into a static caravan.

The only chink of light is the unlikely success of the White Hart darts team, but Terry’s teammates face problems of their own: Phil suspects his wife is having an affair, while Tom’s is depressed about their inability to conceive. Then Terry’s son reveals some surprising news, and Terry makes a visit to the doctor that leaves him with no choice but to consider what matters most in his life.

Slings and Arrows is a funny and moving novel about love, family, friendship – and darts.

Nick McLoughlin grew up in Derby, where his debut novel Slings and Arrows is set. He is an alumnus of the renowned Faber Writing Academy. After university, he trained to become a teacher but instead escaped to the French Alps to go skiing. He lives in a converted cowshed on the side of a mountain with his wife and two children.