“The snake bite took me to the edge of my existence pretty much. I had met some kids at the temple, I had a pair of binoculars and they were really enjoying looking through them. It was sunset and by the time I was walking back to town, which wasn’t far, it was dark. I stepped on a snake and he got me good. It hurt a lot. I was lucky in that the owner of the hotel where I was staying, basically saved my life by getting me to a hospital in time and finding a hospital that would take me first of all. One didn’t want to because they thought I’d die and they didn’t want the admin hassle of getting the body back here. They said no which is an interesting lesson in what your life is worth. They couldn’t take me at the private hospital because they didn’t have the anti-venom. We needed to find a hospital that had it… Meanwhile the time is ticking by. Eventually we did, it was late in the day. I’d passed out and there was a Nun, Sister Rosa beside me and when I woke up she was still there praying. She had stayed with me and prayed all night. I woke up in the morning which was pretty nice. We went looking for her when I went back to India with my daughter Anna. That was a powerful experience that led to my first book, Beyond Snake Mountain, which was published in 1991 in India. It sold out and got some nice reviews.
In 1992 we found ourselves in Europe again. I was teaching English in Barcelona. We stayed for 9 months just before the Olympics there and by then Micky was pregnant. We returned to Denmark and Anna our first child was born in November 1992. We came back and lived in Sydney and 3 years later our second daughter Tessa was born. We lived in Leichhardt for a time and I was working from home. We didn’t have a lot of money. Family life was challenging so after some years, in ’97 we separated. Micky came up here with the girls and I didn’t at that point. I was concerned that I wouldn’t get a decent career going and I needed to do that. Shortly thereafter I entered publishing which I’m still in. It was a painful period for all of us. I would take my 4 weeks annual holiday one week at a time so I could see the girls during school hols. We decided we would have a joint holiday with the girls in Brisbane. Micky booked a hotel on the river and Anna organised the sleeping arrangements and guess what? Micky and I are in the double bed so of course, the next thing after a 4 year separation we were back together.
I had started a new job so I couldn’t leave. My family came down to the Central Coast for a few years where I worked in Sydney 4 days a week then home for 3 days. We planned to come back to the Northern Rivers because we all loved it. It felt like the right place for us so my boss at Finch Publishing let me bring my job up here. I ended up buying a company called Link Manuscript Assessment Service. I’ve been running it since 2007 and we’ve help many authors get published. I work from home now. I’ve gone back to writing, following the trip I took to India with Anna when she finished high school.
The book has just come out, Night train to Varanasi, published by Bad Apple Press and I’m really excited about it. It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate two great loves of my life which are India and my daughter and through her my family in general. India embodied life’s wonder to me and Anna embodies life’s preciousness to me. It’s really nice to have it out.
I’ll also be appearing at the Kyogle Writers Festival, not in the main program as I found out too late for that but they are running a series of side sessions called Front Up’s. I’ll be doing some signings of the book. I’ve had some events in the region which have been really supported. Lismore Library have been amazing. Lucy and Peter just went the extra mile. Book Warehouse have been supportive and are stocking the book.
As I said, I moved from Sydney to the Northern Rivers in 2005 – one of the best things I ever did. My family and I nestled into the soft, voluptuous undulations of this glorious region of the Great Southern Land, and have never looked back. It’s a special place, not only for its astonishing beauty, geography and biota. It’s a great climate too, barring the odd flood and sweltering summer, of course.
I like Lismore for many reasons. It’s real. It’s not about how you look or what you’ve got, it’s about who you are. It also has incredible diversity for its size. We have the Remembering and Healing ceremony each 24 April where people from more than 72 countries and 12 religious faiths attend. It’s amazing! This is part of its realness too: closer to the coast, where the big money kicks in, the demographic is a rather dull monoculture whereby everyone around you is much the same as you: white and wealthy, with the accompanying values and baggage. In contrast, Lismore comprises all levels of society, and great diversity of race, culture, lifestyle and gender/sexuality. We also have a lively artistic scene! In tune with the region’s recent history, our values are human – based on people, not profits. The vibe is warm and friendly, and the locals are a wonderfully accepting, non-judgmental bunch. The heart pumps with vigour, the soul is full of love. May it be ever so!”
In 1992 we found ourselves in Europe again. I was teaching English in Barcelona. We stayed for 9 months just before the Olympics there and by then Micky was pregnant. We returned to Denmark and Anna our first child was born in November 1992. We came back and lived in Sydney and 3 years later our second daughter Tessa was born. We lived in Leichhardt for a time and I was working from home. We didn’t have a lot of money. Family life was challenging so after some years, in ’97 we separated. Micky came up here with the girls and I didn’t at that point. I was concerned that I wouldn’t get a decent career going and I needed to do that. Shortly thereafter I entered publishing which I’m still in. It was a painful period for all of us. I would take my 4 weeks annual holiday one week at a time so I could see the girls during school hols. We decided we would have a joint holiday with the girls in Brisbane. Micky booked a hotel on the river and Anna organised the sleeping arrangements and guess what? Micky and I are in the double bed so of course, the next thing after a 4 year separation we were back together.
I had started a new job so I couldn’t leave. My family came down to the Central Coast for a few years where I worked in Sydney 4 days a week then home for 3 days. We planned to come back to the Northern Rivers because we all loved it. It felt like the right place for us so my boss at Finch Publishing let me bring my job up here. I ended up buying a company called Link Manuscript Assessment Service. I’ve been running it since 2007 and we’ve help many authors get published. I work from home now. I’ve gone back to writing, following the trip I took to India with Anna when she finished high school.
The book has just come out, Night train to Varanasi, published by Bad Apple Press and I’m really excited about it. It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate two great loves of my life which are India and my daughter and through her my family in general. India embodied life’s wonder to me and Anna embodies life’s preciousness to me. It’s really nice to have it out.
I’ll also be appearing at the Kyogle Writers Festival, not in the main program as I found out too late for that but they are running a series of side sessions called Front Up’s. I’ll be doing some signings of the book. I’ve had some events in the region which have been really supported. Lismore Library have been amazing. Lucy and Peter just went the extra mile. Book Warehouse have been supportive and are stocking the book.
As I said, I moved from Sydney to the Northern Rivers in 2005 – one of the best things I ever did. My family and I nestled into the soft, voluptuous undulations of this glorious region of the Great Southern Land, and have never looked back. It’s a special place, not only for its astonishing beauty, geography and biota. It’s a great climate too, barring the odd flood and sweltering summer, of course.
I like Lismore for many reasons. It’s real. It’s not about how you look or what you’ve got, it’s about who you are. It also has incredible diversity for its size. We have the Remembering and Healing ceremony each 24 April where people from more than 72 countries and 12 religious faiths attend. It’s amazing! This is part of its realness too: closer to the coast, where the big money kicks in, the demographic is a rather dull monoculture whereby everyone around you is much the same as you: white and wealthy, with the accompanying values and baggage. In contrast, Lismore comprises all levels of society, and great diversity of race, culture, lifestyle and gender/sexuality. We also have a lively artistic scene! In tune with the region’s recent history, our values are human – based on people, not profits. The vibe is warm and friendly, and the locals are a wonderfully accepting, non-judgmental bunch. The heart pumps with vigour, the soul is full of love. May it be ever so!”