POSITIVE RESPONSES TO FAREWELL CHAPELON
Now that I am working closely with Austin Macauley’s marketing
department following publication of my first novel ‘Farewell Chapelon’, they
gave me a package of suggestions for seeking publicity. One of those
suggestions was to make contact with my local library as a new author.
The library’s response was reassuringly positive. They
told me they have well established reading and creative writing groups and
asked me whether I would be willing to consider giving talks to them.
On a return visit to the library I handed over one of my
free copies of the novel (suitably signed) and 2 of the posters that were in
the box of goodies that were supplied by Austin Macauley. The library staff were
delighted. They are now trying to arrange for the purchase of more copies of
the book for their reading group and are anticipating an author talk at the
library as well. They have also asked me to engage with their planned
activities during Libraries Week on the 3 – 9 October 2022.
One of my other free copies of Farewell Chapelon was
posted to an old friend in Pakistan. Beneath my signature I commented that we
have both experienced a shipwreck! The gentleman concerned is the retired Chief
of Naval Staff. He was a Rear Admiral when we met and had only just been
assigned to the post of Head of Operations with Karachi Port Trust, when the
laden oil tanker Tasman Spirit grounded and started to break up and leak oil
into the harbour approaches. When the Port Trust and Government of Pakistan
asked for help from the United Nations, a colleague from the Norwegian Coastal
Administration and I were able to fly to Karachi at short notice and formed a
small technical mission to provide assistance and advice. Out of
that mission emerged lasting friendships. Meanwhile my friend in Pakistan
is having to wait his turn to read the book. His wife grabbed it first!
Below : – A difficult day in Karachi when the Tasman
Spirit was breaking up. Note the crude oil among the breaking waves.
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