Author Peter Muller discusses novel writing at Stourbridge Library.

The secondary school I went to was in Stourbridge, in the West Midlands.  Given its location in the middle of the country - and that I originally hail from Worcestershire, I was the only person among my peers who decided to go to sea, training as a deck officer on merchant ships.  Why such a choice?

The school mentioned above had a combined cadet force and I joined the RAF Section, from where my fascination in navigation originated.  Looking back, my late father who was involved in some savage conflicts in World War 2 was probably keen to quietly direct me away from a career in one of the armed services, hence encouraging an interest I had in commercial shipping.  I had also become aware of the generous remuneration that merchant navy officers received!  Then there was the potential to becoming an air navigator on long-range civil airliners.  Advancing technology was soon to close that door though, while I was still training as a cadet.  Given my links with the town, Stourbridge Library were happy to host a visit from an author who had ties with the area.  The month before, I had dropped off posters and other material that had been supplied by Austin Macauley.

Although my presentation was in the afternoon of 19 September 2023, it was an early morning start from my home in Southampton, as I initially visited Lance Naylor, an old friend and one time teacher, who both comments on and encourages my writing.

The presentation at the library wasn’t particularly well attended.  Unfortunately the date chosen was not one on which the local reading group met.  However, over coffee that the library kindly provided, an interesting discussion followed.  One attendee is keen to become a novelist himself, working in the science fiction genre.  He has already used a professional proof reader, and I was also able to point him in the direction of the chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders (ciep), whose stand I had attended at the London Book Fair earlier this year.   The inevitable question was asked about why I wrote Farewell Chapelon?  The idea arose to highlight the breaches buoy.  When the equipment was withdrawn while I was a coastguard, it just quietly disappeared with barely a nod.  I hope my novel helps to redress that.  Where did the name pseudonym Peter Muller come from?  An easy answer; from two historic German relatives.  Then came questions about my seafaring career and looks of astonishment when I explained that it culminated in piloting the SRN4 Mk 3 hovercraft.  It was, and remains the largest and fastest amphibious craft in the world.

The time at Stourbridge Library passed too quickly.  There may be another visit in the future.  Then it was off to an hotel in Walsall where I was going to see some good friends, whilst trying to avoid too much of the rush hour traffic.

SKV.

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