BOOK LAUNCH etc.
The big event this month was the public launch of ‘Daily Prayers from the World’s Faiths’. This was on Thursday 19th at Holy Trinity Prince Consort Road, where I led the Sunday service every month for three years. Andrew Willson the chaplain at Imperial College, played a full part in advertising to students, though none actually came. In the end about a dozen people came, all of whom I knew. After my talk and discussion there was chat over wine and cheese. A pleasant and relatively stress-free event.
There was going to be a sister event onTuesday 24th at St Mary Abbots, Kensington, an Interfaith Symposium on Prayer. But at the last moment, i.e. Monday afternoon, the church was worried about having a Jewish speaker in the context of the Gaza war, and we cancelled it – or rather postponed it to January. The Hindu representative, a well-known inspirational speaker on leadership, had come from Nottingham, but we met up and had a delicious Indian meal at Dashoom.
I hope this postponement will allow us to get a wider group of participants, including a Muslim. I wrote to possible participants at the end of the month. Now waiting for replies.
When I have spoken to people about the book, I have had a positive response. For instance, I met the assistant chaplain to the National Theatre and he thought it could be very useful in the large multi-ethnic workforce (over 1,000) of the National Theatre.
THE GLITCH
However there was a major glitch. Chris Day had sent off the book to be published, 100 copies, with no price on the back. I have still sold a few, but they can’t go out as they are to bookshops or Amazon. But the Chinese ideogram for ‘Crisis’ is a combination of ‘Danger’ and ‘Opportunity’. So I have taken the opportunity to improve the first few introductory pages and put in another positive review.
And the pause has made me realise that November is not a good time to promote it – everyone is thinking about Christmas. Much better is January especially as the Church celebrates the feast of Epiphany, the coming the wise men, when it is natural to reflect on the relationship of Christianity to other faiths. The same goes for getting reviews in magazines. The upshot is that I intend to send specimen copies to bishops in January, but will try to get a sample book to local headteachers in November because of the section on ‘Christmas and other faiths’.
WEBSITES
I have a brand new website! revandybooks.org. With a new logo to go with it. Emma, my website administrator has done a great job. It means I can put edgy blogs on it like ‘God/NoGod?’ It now corresponds with my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X handles. There is a button which links directly to bibleinbrief.org for more biblical topics and my monthly newsletters. Try it and see if you like it.
Next target – improve the SEO’s.
OUT & ABOUT
October started with a week in Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon, with Linda and the two Peters, grandfather and grandson. It is such a beautiful place. with the iconic Burgh Island Hotel. I read a fascinating book ‘The Great White Palace’ about how it was brought back from the edge collapse to its present magnificence. I went for a solid five mile walk to an ancient village pub and had a lovely half hour’s swim in the sea.
Thereafter, London was our oyster. I went to a talk on the work of ‘Practical Action’, a very inventive charity working with poor communities in Africa and Latin America. I visited the Central Mosque in Regents Park, very impressive. And Linda and I visited Kew Gardens on the last Sunday before the clocks went back.
TIME’S WINGED CHARIOT
It is such shame that Time’s Wingéd Chariot does not have a reverse gear. Admittedly it meant Linda and I got our Covid and flu jabs free. At last, I got NHS hearing aids from Specsavers, much to Linda’s relief. I also started Physiotherapy exercises twice a week at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, which are excellent. But I would still like to have less discomfort when walking. Ah well.
TV & FILM
We did not see any films of note this month. But we did see some excellent TV, some of which were recorded earlier.
The star of the small screen is of course ‘Strictly’, which we watch religiously. Outstanding was the Paso Doble danced to Sibelius’ ‘Swan of Tuonela’ at the start of the programme on 28th. Do check it out if you have not seen it.
The new 4- part prison drama ‘Time’ is absolutely phenomenal, lifelike and upsetting.
Ones I watched late at night:
‘Charles I – Downfall of a King’ – the story of fifty astonishing days in 1641 when the British state fractured. I had no idea of the revolutionary atmosphere of that time.
Bali 2002 – the excellent ITV series of the awful terrorist attack on the party pub in Bali and the consequent search for those responsible.
100 days – The story of the battles in 1918 when Germany very nearly won the war and the Allies were saved by the bold plans of the Australian and Canadian commanders. Bitter fighting went on right up to the armistice on November 11th.
Finally I recorded but have still to watch, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. This was Russell T Davies amazing take on it in 2016, with Theseus as a fascist dictator and Hippolyta as his prisoner of war. You really do believe that Hermia could be executed for marrying the wrong man. It was done with all the CGI available to the Dr Who team. As the French would say, ‘Formidable!’. I have seen bits and am looking forward to watching it all.