Invisible crying tree

In the summer of 1992, Christopher Morgan, a farmer, joined a penfriend scheme whose aim was to give prisoners a window on the outside world.

He was allocated Tom Shannon, a lifer, inside for murder.

Their correspondence started haltingly, yet a strong and honest friendship developed between the two men who could hardly have been more different: one an educated liberal country man, the other a hardened con.

Never intended for publication, the spontaneity and authenticity of the letters in "Invisible Crying Tree" is all the more powerful and convincing.

Whilst portraying the grim realities of prison life in Britain today, they also reassure us that friendship and respect can prevail in the most unlikely circumstances.