Hi Nick,
Great to meet you.
You too Lydia .
I really enjoyed the book.
Thank you
Skerrid Mawr is an intriguing name for your location. Tell me more.
I wanted a unique name but something that reflected aspects of the
beautiful Welsh landscape.
I know that Mawr means ‘great’ or ‘large’ in Welsh, as in Merthyr
Mawr.
Was that location an influence?
Yes, I have been there on many occasions either running or with my
children who often rode their horses across the sands.
Some of the highest dunes in Britain are to be found there, which
provide spectacular views across the Bristol Channel.
Were you aware that Die Mauer - a homonym of Mawr, means The
Wall in German?
Yes I did . It is why the name was ideal for the book.
And Skerrid. Where did that derive from?
A combination really.
The Skirrid is one of three fantastic mountains that surround the
Monmouthshire market town of Abergavenny. Its Welsh meaning is
separation or split.
Whilst 'Sker' is actually a fantastic beach near Porthcawl.
The two fitted together well to make up 'Skerrid Mawr'
There are some lovely characters in the book, very relatable and
colourful. Are any of them you?
Thank you - No ( laughs )
Like many authors you draw upon life experiences and observations
to arrive at your characters.
Tam is an interesting choice as the protagonist. Traditionally English,
might I suggest, with her own set of issues.
How easy, as a man, was it to feel the emotions of a middle-aged woman?
Understanding anyone's emotions is part of being human, irrespective
of gender. Understanding your own emotions can be difficult at times,
can’t it?
For example, Tam is kind at heart and warm, yet has found it hard to
be happy in her own life. Raising two wonderful children whilst her
husband Felton is more married to his job and his own enjoyment, she
struggles to find her own wellbeing.
You touch on several liberating themes in the book. How important
were they to you?
Sport has always been in my blood.
With triathlon and horses being very much a part of my own life , I
became fascinated with the unheralded event known as Modern
Pentathlon .
The final element of which is showjumping , where competitors are
allocated a random horse that they have never met or ridden
before! Fascinating.
However, the benefits of participating in any sport at any level, both to
our physical and mental health, are there to be found by everyone.
And Germany?
Growing up with West Germany, East Germany and the Cold War
tensions during my youth, I recall watching my local football team play
Carl Zeiss Jena. It made me want to understand more about the
divide which, in 1989, was finally removed of course.
Naturism - tell me about your thoughts on this interesting subject
Naturism is still very much misunderstood in this country. Too many old,
pre-conceived views.
The subject still seems to be taboo in Britain- poorly portrayed in the media.
We are not as liberated and balanced on being naked as our European neighbours - like Germany, for example. You don't need to have 'the perfect body' to be a naturist.
Therefore, I hope that readers of 'Skerrid Mawr' might now understand and appreciate naturism and the benefits it could truly offer them .
Interesting that a male author should raise a subject like body issues,
something more akin to a female author I would suggest.
Explain that for me, if you will.
I daresay I am not the only male author to raise such issues.
In 'Skerrid Mawr', Tam has been made to feel bad, or ‘unproud’ of her
body for no good reason - other than by the lofty expectations of her
philandering husband and social media.
It's unusual though, wouldn’t you agree?
Not at all. I can think of other men able to empathetically write about
similar subjects - Alice Cooper wrote a very powerful song ‘Only
Women Bleed’ which deals with domestic violence for example, so
why not?
When and where will the book be available Nick?
From 31st August via Amazon.
It is available to pre-order immediately - just use the following link.
Thanks for you time today.
I wish you success with the book.
Your welcome, thank you Lydia
Yorumlar