Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard – Reviewed by Milly Adams

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This for me is the book of the decade.

 

Finding Gobi is hailed as a true story of a little dog and an incredible journey. Well, it is. But it’s so much more. In fact, for me it’s the book of the decade. Beautifully written, full of pace, tension and sensitivity,  it charts Dion Leonard’s journey from a single minded seasoned, and highly competitive, but solitary ultra-marathon runner, into an empathetic companionable rounded young man. A young man, moreover who becomes driven by far more than the need to win. He has to save Gobi, who has, in so many ways changed or even saved him.

This true story is about a man and a small stray dog, Gobi, adopts Leonard as the ultra-marathon runner participates in the gruelling 155 mile race across the Gobi Desert. Gobi extraordinarily keeps up with him, mile after mile, day after day,  in scorching heat until balked by a wide river..Dion  Leonard is a quarter of the way across the river when he realises that Gobi is not able to follow him into the fast flowing water. Does he drive on to keep up his time, or does he go back to help this little stray, who has chosen him? It’s not an easy decision but reluctantly Dion Leonard finds himself jeapardizing his chances of achieving a win. He turns around, collects Gobi and carries her across the torrent. And on they go, together. Soon the other runners are rooting for Gobi too, and many thousands on social media as well, not to mention the press.

By the end of the race Leonard knows he can’t leave Gobi here, to whatever fate might await her, He must bring her ‘home’ to Edinburgh.. His beloved wife supports him in this, as do those who have been following Gobi’s progress. Money is raised. But that’s not by any means the end, and it’s a spoiler to tell you more.

What I will tell you is that Dion Leonard had little interest beyond running, but not just running – winning. By the end running has been relegated into a part of his life and hope, resilience  and friendship have taken first place. All because of Gobi.

The book for me was unputdownable. It is a voyage of discovery, a coming to terms with his difficult past for Dion, a past that is seamlessly introduced and explored seamlessly throughout the book.

In Goby and Dion’s journey things go wrong, things go right, and the support of strangers is heart warming, not just for the reader, but for Leonard who at last begins to accept help and support, and to realise that others, apart from his wife, have his best interests at heart.

As I said, beautifully written and love triumphs but boy, does it have to be worked for.  I hadn’t realised that the Marathon des Sables and the Yukon were two of the hardest marathons as is mentioned in the book

My son did them.. One day Matt, an ordiinary  marathon runner, said, ‘Oh, forgot to tell you,  I’m off to run across a desert.’ He did, finished, and then a short time later he did the Yukon but came across another competitor in danger in the extreme cold and stayed overnight, to keep her stable, forfeiting his place. He returned the next year and finished. Therefore, yes I have an interest in  ultra-marathon running:  the concentration and training, but also the need to be aware and involved in the other competitors when need be. A bit like life really.

I also have dogs, but even if I hadn’t, this book would have hooked me. Two days straight reading, lump in throat, relief, lump in throat, relief…

This book should be required reading for schools, colleges and basically everyone. The message is:: keep going, keep hoping,  support others as well as yourself and accept support. Be aspirational but know how to be a open to others. Keep your moral compass, in other words.

Brilliant: in a world of derivative books, this is a diamond.

There is a child’s version too. This is your Christmas present list sorted for all ages.

 Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard Harper Nonfiction. 1st June 2017 hb £12.99

Finding Gobi. Young readers edition. pb  £5.98

Both available  in ebooks.

TheBruvs – Animated Comedy Series

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Why hasn’t there been a massively successful UK animated sitcom – in the style of US juggernauts The Simpsons or Family Guy?

That’s a question that got me thinking about 10 years ago. Just over two years ago I decided to try to do something about it. That is how TheBruvs.com was born.

Short, punchy comedy animations featuring a family of London villains trying to go straight in Essex – and failing, the films feature brothers Doug and Den, their dad, sister Janice, her son Jason and the lovely Chanterelle.

It’s my first proper venture into animation, although I was lucky enough to write a piece for Homer Simpson, no less, for a message to Simon Cowell on his This Is Your Life programme.

My background is news, current affairs, comedy and entertainment TV shows. Throw in projects with Jeremy Clarkson and some Top Gear credits and that makes up my CV – working with a lot of household names along the way.

But I wanted to do animation. I had the idea for The Bruvs and touted it round broadcasters and production companies. The costs and time involved with animation put all off.

Then I managed to persuade award winning animation director Eoin Clarke and sound and editing wizard Paul Richmond to come in on the project with me.

It is a passion project – which means persuading others to work on something with you on less than a shoestring.

We decided to have a go and put the films on YouTube. We also set up a website. And I had to get to grips with social media… setting up The Bruvs’ facebook, twitter, tumblr and instagram accounts.

Two years on and we have 17 films on YouTube – and 11 films running on the UKTV channel Dave and their on-demand service UKTVplay.

We have many more big ideas. I’m not saying we are anywhere near The Simpsons, American Dad or South Park but The Bruvs is growing and there has been a lot of positive feedback from round the world.

To have taken something – literally – from page to screen – is very rewarding. The instant feedback from the social media sites is also a great encouragement – on the most part. Our hope is to gradually lengthen the episodes and develop them and the characters into more of a sitcom style. We have many plans for all the characters.

Now we have music too – thanks to the very talented Stig Winslet and Pete Harbour – who have brought a new dimension to The Bruvs with songs about their antics. If something we come up with amuses us, we tend to put it into the films – subject to our budget and time constraints.

It’s still relatively early days, but The Bruvs are growing and are finding their feet on the world stage.

They have come a long way since they moved to Essex. It might be something in the water.

By Ian Brown

TV writer and producer / co-creator TheBruvs.com

THEBRUVS

CREDITS  

Writer : Ian Brown

Director : Eoin Clarke

Sound : Paul Richmond

Music : Stig Winslet, Pete Harbour

 

YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI5al_Dl4V0kh-dxBsbjyig

twitter / facebook : @TheBruvsTV

instagram: thebruvstv

 

Diary of a Freelance Working Mother: On Busybodies

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working mother , parenting, writer, Catherine BalavageIt was Jean Paul Sartre who said that hell is other people, but he did not get it quite right. What he should have said was that hell is other people and their opinions. Now if they can keep those opinions to themselves then it is happiness all-round. I spend large parts of my day not pointing out to someone how much of a jerk they are. An underrated and valuable skill, but one that seems in short supply when you have a child. I am going to do my best to make sure this weeks column is not an all-out rant, but I am going to put out a plea: please stop telling me how to raise my child.

There is a woman in my local area who seems nice enough, yet since my son was about nine months has asked me almost every single time she has seen me why he is not in nursery. Answer: because he is TWO-YEARS OLD. I have tried to explain to her his age and my personal reasons, but each time I am met with a lecture. Because, god forbid, a woman might want to raise her own child, right? Ditto for the fact I also got a long lecture from her on how my son was too old to be in a pram. ‘You are spoiling him’ she said. Never mind the fact that I am pregnant and he had just turned two, no, make him walk along the busy road and have no rest. That is definitely the answer.

Things like this happen all of the time. Some people will just critique. Ask you if your child can do something (competitive parents, they are just the worst), criticise their clothes/nails/cleanliness/hair, or ask a barrage of questions while pulling faces and making comments. Another bugbear is the busybodies who interfere and always think they know best. It does not matter that their children grew up decades ago and they lived in a separate place than you, they will always know exactly what to do in regards to nurseries and schools, as well as where you should take your child. The passing of time means nothing. Everything they did with their child, you in turn must do, because they know best.

I find with busybodies there is a number of things to do. One is smile and nod. Always best with strangers. The second is smile and say you do not agree, or make a joke of it. The best is to ask them nicely and politely to not interfere. The latter is always better with family. They will not stop if you do not tell them their behaviour is unacceptable. They may not even change then, but, trust me, you will feel better. In the meantime keep your head up, work on your sense of humour as it is the only thing that will get you through, and always stand up for yourself.

Please share any similar experience below, or just add your own comments. I would love to know what you think.

 

Frost Loves: Bidvine

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I don’t know about you, but I find searching for service professionals really stressful. The googling, the endless review reading, emailing numerous people, and calling them on the phone. Life is just too short and there should be an easier way to do it. Thankfully, there is. Frost has come across Bidvine.  Bidvine is a marketplace that connects local service professionals to customers. You can get everything from a cleaner to a wedding planner. Bidvine has people who will teach you how to salsa or cook, but it also has people who will assemble flat pack furniture and fix jobs around the house. As it says on the site: ‘your list of unfinished projects does not stand a chance.

Bidvine is easy to use. You answer a few service-specific questions, your job request is then sent to a local trusted professional. Bidvine then put you in touch with the perfect person for the job. They share the answers that you provide to the service-specific questions, your general location, and then they pass along your phone number if you ask them to. They do not share your email. The professionals have reviews and the entire process is hassle free. I have been doing my best to tackle my ever-growing to do list and sites like Bidvine really help. It is a great business idea that has been well executed. Bidvine also have an app which is very handy. So you can slay your chores from your phone Frost loves…

 

https://www.bidvine.com

 

Business of Books: So Much to Give – Part 2: Jane Cable on how individual authors help charities

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Business of Books: So Much to Give – Part 2

Jane Cable on how individual authors help charities

Two weeks ago I wrote about how groups of authors help charities so now I’m going to turn my attention to the valuable input that individual writers can have, both in terms of time and money.

 

Although many authors band together to organise events others go it alone, using all their creativity to make it work. Historical novelist Victoria Cornwall helped her husband to raise funds for the local Cornish branch of Mind by running a slot car racing competition at a vintage vehicle show. To help attract families to the stand she gave away chocolates and bookmarks promoting her debut novel with Choclit. Did it help with book sales? “In truth, I have no idea,” she admits. “But we were raising money for a charity which supports adults with mental health problems so promoting my novel took a back seat.”

 

There are writers who donate all or part of their royalties to causes related to their books or close to their hearts. With the author only receiving a small slice of the price paid by the reader anyway, even amounts which sound quite small – like 10% or £1 a copy – are actually pretty generous gifts. Examples where the book fits the charity are Cassandra Grafton supporting the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation through her latest Austen inspired novel, and TV producer turned satirist Gloria Grayson donating to Mutts With Friends Dog Rescue because a dog is the star of her newly released book.

 

Indie author Emily Williams is so passionate about helping horse charities she is actually writing a young adult novel specifically to raise money. It’s an ambitious project and very much a work in progress, but she’s determined to succeed, even perfecting the art of making origami horses to feature on the cover.

 

Other writers give their time to mentor (psychological drama writer Amanda Reynolds volunteers for The WoMentoring Project) or give motivational talks; former soldier, police officer and crime writer Matt Johnson helps other veterans in this way and is a great example that with the right treatment PTSD can be controlled and overcome. Author and media doctor Carol Cooper will blog to support charities and waive her fees for articles to support good causes. For writers – and for many charities, time is as precious as cold, hard cash.

 

I would wager that most writers do something, however modest. Val Portelli (who writes as Voinks), typically plays down her own contributions: “The only things I’ve done are donate copies of my books as a prize for a fund raising campaign to keep a library open, send copies to a book shop struggling for stock after a devastating area flood, and donate some copies to an old people’s home where a friend worked as a carer.” That really doesn’t sound too much like ‘only’ to me.

 

But for some, the urge to help takes over their lives. Claire Louise Brown’s latest book has Inspired her to set up a charity to build a recuperation centre for veterans. “It’s early stages but hopefully one day what is in the book will be real and helping people every day,” she explains. Freelance writer and teacher Anne Hamilton made that dream real after she visited Bangladesh working for an NGO and wrote a travel memoir about it. This was the starting point for her involvement with Bhola’s Children, a charity which provides a home and school for orphaned and disabled children. She is a trustee and visits Bangladesh regularly. Find out more about the charity here: http://www.bholaschildren.org/.

 

 

 

The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr By Frances Maynard Book Review

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The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr

I really loved this book. It has a lead character with Asperger’s- which I think is a great thing- we need more stories told from different perspectives, and it is just funny and well written, but also sad. It is original and, sometimes, even a bit of a difficult read. Some people take advantage of Elvira and her differences. Even though the book can be sad sometimes it also is uplifting and draws you in. The characters are all brought vividly to life and the story goes along at a good pace. This book won a book competition I entered and I am not even slightly bitter that it won, it was well deserved. A must read.

Funny, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard is the perfect story for anyone who doesn’t quite fit in – and for everyone who chooses not to.

Elvira Carr is twenty-seven and neuro-atypical. Her father – who she suspects was in the secret service – has passed away and, after several Unfortunate Incidents growing up, she now spends most of her time at home with her overbearing mother. But when her mother has a stroke and is taken into care, Elvira is suddenly forced to look after herself or risk ending up in Sheltered Accommodation. Armed with her Seven Rules, which she puts together after online research, Elvira hopes to learn how to navigate a world that’s full of people she doesn’t understand. Not even the Seven Rules can help her, however, when she discovers that everything she thought she knew about her father was a lie, and is faced with solving a mystery she didn’t even know existed . . .

The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is available here.

 

Selina Siak Chin Yoke On Becoming a Writer

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I began writing out of desperation and a cherished dream. While recovering from breast cancer, I went into a chemo-induced depression without realising it. I had no idea what was wrong, only that the ground beneath me seemed to have collapsed. Months passed. When I still found no equilibrium, I went to see a counsellor at the cancer charity, MacMillan, who suggested a bout of creative writing.

Not long afterward, I recalled a dream I’d once had – of writing a novel loosely inspired by my great-grandmother who I had never met. Stories were re-hashed endlessly in my family about this formidable woman who, despite being uneducated, started a business at a time when few women in Malaya did so. She always seemed larger than life – a true role model in a profoundly patriarchal culture.

I began my writing project by doing research. I knew that what I wanted to write was a novel based on real historical events, possibly even on events which my own family had experienced.

Armed with the detailed outline of a story, I planned a trip to Malaysia. I pored through newspapers in the National Archives and interviewed anyone who would talk to me about the old days. Some who gave their time were family members: aunts, uncles and cousins, but a few were people I barely knew. Amazingly, I came across people who had actually met my great-grandmother. Their anecdotes provided a wonderful tapestry which fuelled my imagination further.

Spurred on by Malaysia’s heat and its panoply of aromas, sounds and colour, I began writing the first draft of The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds, my first novel. The story follows the life of a mixed-race woman during a time of rapid change in Malaya. It is a complex and rich story about cultural identity, set in my hometown, Ipoh. As I described the modernisation of the town and how the protagonist tries to retain her cultural traditions in her rapidly Westernising world, I realised I was telling not only her story but the story of her country, Malaya.

In this way, the Malayan Series was born. My new novel, When the Future Comes Too Soon, follows on from the first book, but the two can be read independently and are very different. In this second novel Malaya is at war. There is a new protagonist, Mei Foong (the daughter-in-law of the heroine in the first book), who is thrown into a world gone mad. Somehow, she must find ways to keep her family alive. How she goes about this and what happens to her and her family lie at the emotional heart of the novel.

Their story is as much about betrayal, in its many forms, as it is about survival and love and what courage means. Sometimes, it takes extreme circumstances for people to discover what they’re made of. This is the case for Mei Foong, who finds her inner steel through war and suffering.

Selina Siak Chin Yoke’s When the Future Comes Too Soon is published byhen the Future Comes Too Soon and out now

 

 

Why Your Child Should Have a Double Bed

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So the time has come. We have to buy our little one a bed. An exciting but emotional time for any parent. But what bed to buy? There are a lot of beautiful childrens double beds and buying one for your child may seem like an extravagance, or a waste of space. Children are small so do they really need one? Well I sleep on a king size bed and I think if you have the space it is a great idea. Here is why…

Space

I mean this in two ways. One: your child with have plenty of it and will probably sleep better. They can turn without falling over. My son has spent a lot of time in our king size bed, I don’t think a single would cut it. The other thing is: sleepovers! Yes the double bed may take up more space initially, but it means your child can share the bed with one of his friends or a cousin. No more having to buy futons or sleeping bags. Never mind storing these things. It is much better than getting them to snuggle down in the wardrobe.

Long-Lasting

Sometimes I feel like nothing grows faster than children. You blink and then they are half your size. Blink again and then they are taller than you. Yes, children grow at an alarming rate. It is better to head off growth spurts, and save all of that time researching and buying, when the piece of furniture will probably just be too small quickly and need replaced. Buying a double bed for your child means it will last, and it will save you money too. Win win. They can sleep in it until they are teenagers, and, hopefully, until it is time to move out. Cry.

All Grown-Up

Another good reason to get a child a double bed is because it will make them feel like a grown up. Yes, it is a luxury, but one that will pay off in spades. It is always a good idea to make a child feel like a mini adult. Another good idea is to get them involved with choosing the bed. Children love to feel involved and it is a grown-up purchase. Another possible benefit is that it might make them excited about going to bed in their brand new bed that they picked themselves.  Possibly a long shot, but we can live in hope.