Several years ago, I began working on an idea for a book about my life as a writer and journalist in Spain. The book, I imagined, would include all of the people I had interviewed during the last 20 years or so, along with those whom I had met who had made an impression in some way. I quickly decided that this would be far too big a task, as the list of interesting individuals was vast to say the least, and so I had to rethink the project.
I then began searching through the archives of the SUR in English for
interesting interviews I had conducted for the newspaper, along with other files I
had dusted off after many years of sitting dormant in my studio.
I soon realised that the book would focus on the expat artistic scene of
the Costa del Sol and set about compiling a suitable list of candidates to be
included. This proved much harder than I first imagined, not because there was
a lack of interesting people, but because there had been so many.
After almost three years of working on the project, I am pleased to
announce that this book – A Cohort of Creative Bohemians and other interesting
individuals – is now complete and set to be released in the next week
or so.
The book reveals not only my own life and career in Málaga, but also the lives and achievements of the variety of interesting people I have interviewed, or who have crossed my path, in that time. During my career as a writer in Spain I have had the pleasure of meeting so many exceptional people who have arrived on the Costa del Sol to concentrate on their art. Many find the freedom and relaxed lifestyle, the colours and aromas, not to mention the wealth of cultural tradition that is to be found here, the perfect ingredients to inspire their work.
One of the aspects
of working for the newspaper that appeals to me most is the fact that I get to
interview so many interesting people. One thing I have learnt over the years is
that everybody has a story to tell, and what I sometimes think may be a
potentially ordinary, or even boring, meeting has quite often caught me off
guard.
I have been
fortunate with the variety of people I have had the opportunity to interview,
as these include authors, musicians, priests, archaeologists, actors, artists,
historians, photographers, designers, and people who have done extraordinary
things, including a few who, in doing so, committed a prosecutable offence.
Although I occasionally get the opportunity to interview celebrated musicians and artistes who are visiting the coast, it has been with the local expat sector that I have had some of the most enjoyable liaisons.
The Costa del Sol is home to numerous expat musicians, singers and composers, some of whom have been at the forefront of the British music scene (or claim to have been), and others who have spent their lives on the boundaries of it.
Of course, the list of
interesting individuals is endless and does not solely include musicians (nor
does the book), and one of the problems I had when compiling this book was
knowing where to stop.
Sadly,
one of the things that struck me whilst doing the final edit of this book was
the amount of people contained in its pages who are no longer with us. I had
met so many of these people as a journalist who was interested in their
life-stories, and many of them went on to become close and trusted friends.
I hope that in some way, recording their stories in
this book, (and the stories of those of you who are, thankfully, still with us
today) will become a testament to their achievements and the contributions they
have made to the cultural scene in the province of Málaga. They have all left
footprints on the sands of time, whether this is for their artistic talents,
for their selfless drive to help others, or because they simply had a great
story to tell.
I am grateful that my work has brought me into contact
with all of these fabulous people, for it is they who have made my work so
enjoyable over the years, and it is they who have made this book possible.
Comments
Post a Comment