Advice for writers from writers
Check out this link to a Guardian article where famous writers give advice on writing.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one
Two of my favourites:
Roddy Doyle: Do not place a photograph of your favourite author on your desk, especially if the author is one of the famous ones who committed suicide.
PD James: Write what you need to write, not what is currently popular or what you think will sell.
Friday, 7 October 2011
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Sirocco Express reviewed by Gap-Year.com
www.gap-year.com, the website for people taking a travelling break from education or their career, has been kind enough to review my first novel, Sirocco Express. Here is what the Gap-Year.com reviewer had to say:
"Here’s an unusual travel tale. A young Nigerian student sets out from Lagos to travel by truck across the desert towards Europe.
Initially naïve, Adebayo soon realises that his “escorts” Odion and Dele are not quite what they seemed.
He has paid a fortune for a ride in a truck operated as a business by people smugglers transporting people desperate to escape the poverty of their various homelands. Adebayo is plunged into a brutal, callous and selfish world as the truck makes its way from Lagos through Benin, Mali and on northwards till, two days away from Marrakech Adebayo is attacked and abandoned by Dele and left for dead.
He is rescued and cared for by an elderly couple then, walking through forest for a week and sleeping rough, finally he makes it to the Spanish enclave of Ceuto, Morocco, - and the high, double security fence designed to prevent would-be migrants into Europe from reaching their destination.
We won’t spoil the ending – you’ll have to read it for yourselves if you want to find out whether Adebayo reaches his goal.
This is a vivid account of the extreme ordeal many migrants undergo in their search for a better, more secure life."
"Here’s an unusual travel tale. A young Nigerian student sets out from Lagos to travel by truck across the desert towards Europe.
Initially naïve, Adebayo soon realises that his “escorts” Odion and Dele are not quite what they seemed.
He has paid a fortune for a ride in a truck operated as a business by people smugglers transporting people desperate to escape the poverty of their various homelands. Adebayo is plunged into a brutal, callous and selfish world as the truck makes its way from Lagos through Benin, Mali and on northwards till, two days away from Marrakech Adebayo is attacked and abandoned by Dele and left for dead.
He is rescued and cared for by an elderly couple then, walking through forest for a week and sleeping rough, finally he makes it to the Spanish enclave of Ceuto, Morocco, - and the high, double security fence designed to prevent would-be migrants into Europe from reaching their destination.
We won’t spoil the ending – you’ll have to read it for yourselves if you want to find out whether Adebayo reaches his goal.
This is a vivid account of the extreme ordeal many migrants undergo in their search for a better, more secure life."
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Review of Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Golgol’s historical novel tells the story of a late sixteenth century Zaporozhian Cossack commander and his two sons. It is set in what is now Eastern Ukraine, an area that was then on the fringes of the Polish Empire. Taras Bulba, with the help of his sons, instigates a revolt against the Poles. Part of the old man’s motivation is to ensure the survival of a warrior tradition in his people, and, more particularly, his sons. The narrative is drenched in the blood that flows from this decision. The prose has a simple, mythic quality that lifts it above the specific time and place of the narrative. This short, but epic, story gives us an insight into the mythology of Russia.
We see the consequences of Taras Bulba’s obsession with his warrior’s craft, when, on a rare visit to his home, his wife begs to be allowed some more time with her sons. Bulba disregards her wishes, and the three set out on their campaign, leaving her weeping in their wake. In this scene, Gogol brilliantly encapsulates the irreconcilable tensions between a settled family life and his protagonist’s desire for military glory. The Cossack Brotherhood is an all-male society, unmoderated by the influence of women. Later, Bulba and his sons spend time in an extraordinary warrior encampment, where itinerant Cossacks can meet and swap stories of their latest campaigns. The battle scenes in Taras Bulba do not stint from showing the terrible savagery of the fighting. The cost of the Cossacks’ pride is a staggeringly high death toll for the Brotherhood.
A major theme of the book is the need to choose between love for a woman and loyalty to one’s comrades. One of Bulba’s sons falls in love with a Polish noblewoman and changes sides. Bulba’s merciless sense of honour compels him to take revenge on his own son.
The book also gives an insight into the marginalised lives of Eastern European Jews. Despite their vital role in commerce, they are spurned and persecuted by the Cossacks. Yet it is Yenkel, a Jewish trader, who leads Bulba, at great risk, to visit his second son, who has been captured by the Polish enemy.
I would recommend this book to anyone. The grand themes of the narrative transcend its historical and cultural setting. For those interested in the origins of the Russian character, it holds great riches.
We see the consequences of Taras Bulba’s obsession with his warrior’s craft, when, on a rare visit to his home, his wife begs to be allowed some more time with her sons. Bulba disregards her wishes, and the three set out on their campaign, leaving her weeping in their wake. In this scene, Gogol brilliantly encapsulates the irreconcilable tensions between a settled family life and his protagonist’s desire for military glory. The Cossack Brotherhood is an all-male society, unmoderated by the influence of women. Later, Bulba and his sons spend time in an extraordinary warrior encampment, where itinerant Cossacks can meet and swap stories of their latest campaigns. The battle scenes in Taras Bulba do not stint from showing the terrible savagery of the fighting. The cost of the Cossacks’ pride is a staggeringly high death toll for the Brotherhood.
A major theme of the book is the need to choose between love for a woman and loyalty to one’s comrades. One of Bulba’s sons falls in love with a Polish noblewoman and changes sides. Bulba’s merciless sense of honour compels him to take revenge on his own son.
The book also gives an insight into the marginalised lives of Eastern European Jews. Despite their vital role in commerce, they are spurned and persecuted by the Cossacks. Yet it is Yenkel, a Jewish trader, who leads Bulba, at great risk, to visit his second son, who has been captured by the Polish enemy.
I would recommend this book to anyone. The grand themes of the narrative transcend its historical and cultural setting. For those interested in the origins of the Russian character, it holds great riches.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Review of Stalingrad by Antony Beevor
Antony Beevor’s masterly account of one of the key battles of WWII combines the readability of a novel with the deep research of a professional historian. He looks at the battle from the perspectives of the Soviet high command, the German high command, and ordinary soldiers on both sides of the conflict. This is essentially a military history, so its main purpose is not to examine the moral questions behind Operation Barbarossa. Yet Beevor still leaves the reader with a deep distaste for the wicked decisions made by the German leadership in their desire to pursue a war of extermination, and for the callous way that the Soviet command squandered the lives of millions of Red Army soldiers. The strategic blunders on both sides are dissected with great precision. The Wehrmacht paid dearly for Hitler’s belief in his military destiny and habit of overriding the better judgement of its senior commanders. On the Soviet side, Stalin also made some catastrophic decisions in the run up to the siege at Stalingrad, resulting in many divisions of the Red Army being wiped out or captured.
Beevor is eloquent in describing the Soviet recovery at Stalingrad and their skilful exploitation of deep reserves in territory and manpower. The cynical calculations of the Soviet high command are also examined. For example, the 62nd Army, under General Vasily Chuikov, was left to fight for weeks in the killing ground on the west bank of the Volga, wholly unaware that a massive counteroffensive was being planned to relieve it. The knowledge of this potential relief might have taken the edge off a desperate Soviet resistance, so it was kept secret even from the commanders of the 62nd.
The Eastern Front has been called the worst war in history. After reading Beevor’s gripping account of these terrible events, it is difficult to argue with this conclusion. If you only ever read one book about the history of the Eastern Front, let it be this one.
Beevor is eloquent in describing the Soviet recovery at Stalingrad and their skilful exploitation of deep reserves in territory and manpower. The cynical calculations of the Soviet high command are also examined. For example, the 62nd Army, under General Vasily Chuikov, was left to fight for weeks in the killing ground on the west bank of the Volga, wholly unaware that a massive counteroffensive was being planned to relieve it. The knowledge of this potential relief might have taken the edge off a desperate Soviet resistance, so it was kept secret even from the commanders of the 62nd.
The Eastern Front has been called the worst war in history. After reading Beevor’s gripping account of these terrible events, it is difficult to argue with this conclusion. If you only ever read one book about the history of the Eastern Front, let it be this one.
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Another review for Sirocco Express
My first novel, Sirocco Express, received this five-star review on the Amazon UK site from reviewer, Xena. (Many thanks to Xena).
What are the causes of human migration? What drives people to leave their native countries? You may think it's the allure of a better life or political persecution. Think again. Think deeper. Open your mind. That's what this remarkable book prompts you to do. See the world on the other side of the `wall', but see it differently.
The book follows the story of a young Nigerian man, Adebayo, who has a comfortable life in his home country, who is not persecuted or wanted, yet he leaves his home one day and embarks on a perilous and arduous journey to Europe that may well claim his life. What has moved him to take such a drastic step? Would you risk your life unless you were really desperate?
Adebayo doesn't risk his life on a whim. He has very good reasons to do what he does. He is indeed desperate, but his despair is caused not by starvation or disease.
As with most of us, Adebayo can't stop thinking about his life and its place in the greater scheme of things. And what he comes to realise with horror is that the greater scheme has no place for him at all.
The average life has a monotonous pace. Very little of what we do has a meaning or long term effects. Almost nothing has any interest to anyone outside our households. When we speak, no one hears. Self-expression becomes almost pointless. `When will you understand that you are invisible,' Adebayo tells himself. `That ...no one has the slightest interest in what you think, or feel or do? You are as a grain of dust on the hide of an elephant.'
Adebayo suffers from his own insignificance. And he is determined to make an impression on the wider world, to break free from the monotony of the everyday life. This journey is his cry for help, his desperate bid for freedom.
This brilliant book offers an undeniably unconventional, yet very convincing, take on the causes of migration. People migrate not simply because they seek a prosperous life. They do so because they seek a fulfilled life. It's not only deprivation that compels people to go to the extremes of suffering in order to change their abode. People migrate for the same reasons they conquer Everest, for the same reasons they create and invent - to overcome their own insignificance, to leave a mark on this world. In that, this book has a truly universal appeal. No matter who you are or what you strive for, you are bound to connect with Adebayo and admire his quest...
What are the causes of human migration? What drives people to leave their native countries? You may think it's the allure of a better life or political persecution. Think again. Think deeper. Open your mind. That's what this remarkable book prompts you to do. See the world on the other side of the `wall', but see it differently.
The book follows the story of a young Nigerian man, Adebayo, who has a comfortable life in his home country, who is not persecuted or wanted, yet he leaves his home one day and embarks on a perilous and arduous journey to Europe that may well claim his life. What has moved him to take such a drastic step? Would you risk your life unless you were really desperate?
Adebayo doesn't risk his life on a whim. He has very good reasons to do what he does. He is indeed desperate, but his despair is caused not by starvation or disease.
As with most of us, Adebayo can't stop thinking about his life and its place in the greater scheme of things. And what he comes to realise with horror is that the greater scheme has no place for him at all.
The average life has a monotonous pace. Very little of what we do has a meaning or long term effects. Almost nothing has any interest to anyone outside our households. When we speak, no one hears. Self-expression becomes almost pointless. `When will you understand that you are invisible,' Adebayo tells himself. `That ...no one has the slightest interest in what you think, or feel or do? You are as a grain of dust on the hide of an elephant.'
Adebayo suffers from his own insignificance. And he is determined to make an impression on the wider world, to break free from the monotony of the everyday life. This journey is his cry for help, his desperate bid for freedom.
This brilliant book offers an undeniably unconventional, yet very convincing, take on the causes of migration. People migrate not simply because they seek a prosperous life. They do so because they seek a fulfilled life. It's not only deprivation that compels people to go to the extremes of suffering in order to change their abode. People migrate for the same reasons they conquer Everest, for the same reasons they create and invent - to overcome their own insignificance, to leave a mark on this world. In that, this book has a truly universal appeal. No matter who you are or what you strive for, you are bound to connect with Adebayo and admire his quest...
Monday, 29 December 2008
Review of Things Fall Apart by Chinhua Achebe
In Things Fall Apart, Nigerian author, Chinhua Achebe, presents a vision of a society which existed in southern Nigeria before the arrival of British colonists in the 1890s. Polytheistic religion is deeply enmeshed in the social and cultural values of the Umoafia clan. Okonkwo, the main character, is a leading member of the clan. He embodies their prized virtues: strength, masculinity, hard work and proficiency as a warrior. Okonkwo is a proud and domineering man, who rules over his family as a feared patriarch. In Okonkwo, Achebe shows us that the pre-Christian Igbo had a sophisticated social system, which belies the anarchic vision of African society presented by western writers such as Joseph Conrad in Heart of Darkness. Yet Achebe is not at all sentimental about this pre-Christian society. He is unsparing in his depiction of the cruelty which Okonkwo inflicts on those around him in order to demonstrate his manhood.
The tragedy, which lies at the heart of Things Fall Apart, begins with the arrival of white missionaries. They find converts among the Umoafia, creating conflict with those who wish to retain the traditional ways. The introduction of Christianity is a cancer which rapidly destroys the fabric of the old society and subjugates Okonkwo's people to the mores and institutions introduced by the whites. This is more than Okonkwo can bear; eventually he kills himself.
In addition to its major message about the undervaluing of pre-colonial African societies in subsequent histories of the period, Things Fall Apart has much to say about the importance of kin relationships in preserving social stability. It also attacks the notion that qualities such as masculinity are fixed and unrelated to social expectations. The clash of cultures, which occurred in many parts of Africa during the colonial era, is brilliantly encapsulated in the struggle between the Umoafia and the white missionaries. Achebe is critical of the view that cultural identity is an immutable quality. People such as Okonkwo, who cannot adapt to changing times, are vanquished by new ideas and waves of migration.
Achebe's novel is rightly regarded as a classic of post-colonial African literature, and has made its way onto the reading lists of college courses worldwide. It is also a major bestseller, having sold over eight million copies.
It is recommended as a powerful insight into African history, told from the perspective of a society which existed before British colonists arrived in what is now Nigeria.
The tragedy, which lies at the heart of Things Fall Apart, begins with the arrival of white missionaries. They find converts among the Umoafia, creating conflict with those who wish to retain the traditional ways. The introduction of Christianity is a cancer which rapidly destroys the fabric of the old society and subjugates Okonkwo's people to the mores and institutions introduced by the whites. This is more than Okonkwo can bear; eventually he kills himself.
In addition to its major message about the undervaluing of pre-colonial African societies in subsequent histories of the period, Things Fall Apart has much to say about the importance of kin relationships in preserving social stability. It also attacks the notion that qualities such as masculinity are fixed and unrelated to social expectations. The clash of cultures, which occurred in many parts of Africa during the colonial era, is brilliantly encapsulated in the struggle between the Umoafia and the white missionaries. Achebe is critical of the view that cultural identity is an immutable quality. People such as Okonkwo, who cannot adapt to changing times, are vanquished by new ideas and waves of migration.
Achebe's novel is rightly regarded as a classic of post-colonial African literature, and has made its way onto the reading lists of college courses worldwide. It is also a major bestseller, having sold over eight million copies.
It is recommended as a powerful insight into African history, told from the perspective of a society which existed before British colonists arrived in what is now Nigeria.
Friday, 19 December 2008
Review for Sirocco Express
Anne Brooke – the poet and novelist – has been kind enough to review my novel, Sirocco Express.
(Anne's writings, including her most recent novel, Maloney's Law, are featured on her website http://www.annebrooke.com/ and are available online with Amazon etc.).
Here is a copy of the five-star review that she posted on the Amazon UK site. Many thanks to Anne for her generous comments.
Sirocco Express is a powerful novel of journey, discovery and how to be human in an increasingly inhuman world. Adebayo, a young Nigerian, leaves his home in Lagos and embarks on an extraordinarily difficult journey to try to discover a better life in Europe. The journey is in marked contrast to the comforts and familiarity of home which are touched on very effectively in the first few chapters, although even so the themes of potential displacement and dis-content are never absent. I did find the final scenes between Adebayo and his father in this section, brief though they are, particularly moving.
Once established on his flight to the "good life", Adebayo finds himself in a shockingly unfamiliar world, accompanied by people smugglers and desperate companions, most of whom it would be wiser not to trust. In these circumstances, he must find his feet and try to carve out a place for himself. It is here that his instincts to do what is right bring him into dangerous conflict with the smugglers and make him what is essentially a marked man. The descriptions of the journey taken and of the people the migrants meet along the way are measured and clear, and it is especially interesting how the beauty of the landscape becomes bleak, coloured by the reasons for the journey itself.
On the way, there are moments of high drama, danger and death, placed alongside well-researched realism of how the people smuggling process actually operates. The final destination of Adebayo's travels, the ups and downs of his secret new life and the clever twist at the end are well worth the journey. Taken as a whole, the character of Adebayo in fact becomes a type of modern "Everyman" figure as his story, although unfamiliar in its detail to most of us in the West, contains elements of desire, search, vision and need common to us all. Indeed, with this in mind, there are also echoes of the novels of Paul Coelho in the way Sirocco Express is written: in short, it's one to read, one to ponder over and one to keep.
(Anne's writings, including her most recent novel, Maloney's Law, are featured on her website http://www.annebrooke.com/ and are available online with Amazon etc.).
Here is a copy of the five-star review that she posted on the Amazon UK site. Many thanks to Anne for her generous comments.
Sirocco Express is a powerful novel of journey, discovery and how to be human in an increasingly inhuman world. Adebayo, a young Nigerian, leaves his home in Lagos and embarks on an extraordinarily difficult journey to try to discover a better life in Europe. The journey is in marked contrast to the comforts and familiarity of home which are touched on very effectively in the first few chapters, although even so the themes of potential displacement and dis-content are never absent. I did find the final scenes between Adebayo and his father in this section, brief though they are, particularly moving.
Once established on his flight to the "good life", Adebayo finds himself in a shockingly unfamiliar world, accompanied by people smugglers and desperate companions, most of whom it would be wiser not to trust. In these circumstances, he must find his feet and try to carve out a place for himself. It is here that his instincts to do what is right bring him into dangerous conflict with the smugglers and make him what is essentially a marked man. The descriptions of the journey taken and of the people the migrants meet along the way are measured and clear, and it is especially interesting how the beauty of the landscape becomes bleak, coloured by the reasons for the journey itself.
On the way, there are moments of high drama, danger and death, placed alongside well-researched realism of how the people smuggling process actually operates. The final destination of Adebayo's travels, the ups and downs of his secret new life and the clever twist at the end are well worth the journey. Taken as a whole, the character of Adebayo in fact becomes a type of modern "Everyman" figure as his story, although unfamiliar in its detail to most of us in the West, contains elements of desire, search, vision and need common to us all. Indeed, with this in mind, there are also echoes of the novels of Paul Coelho in the way Sirocco Express is written: in short, it's one to read, one to ponder over and one to keep.
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