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8 Businessupdate Isle of Man Examiner, March 2006 TOPIC Island-based authors put pen to paper for a variety of reasons — but few are able to make it a full-time occupation, as Sahar Ibrahim discovered. For the love of words ISLE OF MAN TO LONDON CITY CENTRE Via London City: 1 hour 30 mins Via Gatwick: 2 hours 30 mins EuroManx offer flights to London City Leaving the Isle of Man at 0800, 1335 and 1720 Returning 0945, 1520 and 1905 Isaw some trailers recently for films about writers. One was for The Tenants, a story of two men who live alone in different flats in the same building both deeply immersed in their unfinished novels. Ask the Dust was about a writer who dreams of wooing the world with his words. Lady In The Water, subtitled A Bedtime Story, tells the tale of a man who is a janitor by day and an author at night. These trailers sum up what most expect writers to be; individuals hunched over their desks, tapping away at typewriters. But the reality couldn’t be more different for most writers. The published Isle of Man authors featured in this article write for diverse reasons, but they are all passionate about putting pen to paper. Robert Kelly, author of Tales of the Tailless, TT Pioneers, Sir William Hillary and The Manx Lifeboats and part author of Chronicles of the 20th Century says that for him ‘writing has always been a compulsion. I always felt a need to write, it could be something in the genes.’ Though he has worked as a writer all his life, becoming a junior reporter at the age of 16, he has never viewed it as a job for him — but rather a way of life, a necessity. Mr Kelly enjoys writing and rarely a day goes by when he doesn’t turn to his keyboard. Presently he is undertaking the monumental task of writing a Manx history through a journalist’s eyes, as opposed to those of an academic. He firmly believes that technological advances have allowed him to write more. ‘Technology is opening up a huge future; I wish I was younger as one PHILLIP DEARDEN: ‘Manx tax has changed a lot, and the act of writing makes us understand it in detailed knowledge and this can only help us to deal with our clients especially those with more difficult problems.’ only has so much time. What I’m doing is important to me and getting it out and printed on to something even more so. ‘If you can open your mind, be receptive to ideas and think of things that people haven’t done then do it. Whether it gets published or not is immaterial, it makes me feel like I’m doing something worthwhile with my life.’ Not everyone plans to be an author. When Dennis Turner moved to the Island 14 years ago he became fascinated by it. He spent many hours in the Manx Museum library studying the Island, the people and its folklore. For his own amusement he has always written in rhyming verse creating tall stories for his grandchildren. Living in the Island inspired him to combine his hobby of writing in verse and fascination with all things Manx. His daughter suggested he get them published — results are Manx Myths & More and More Manx Myths. For the moment Mr Turner is quite happy writing for himself and is sure he won’t publish anything else in the near future. He has now turned his creative enery to watercolour painting. Mike Twist, a financial adviser and director of Island Financial Solutions had always wanted to write. Although his own business takes up a lot of his time, Mr Twist is apublished author. His novel Connections is the first in a trilogy. Writing in the genre of horror and thrillers he draws his ideas from ‘what-if scenarios’ that revel in chaos of the ordinary world. ‘I do have a big imagination, the other day while I was shaving I looked in the mirror and thought what if the reflection wasn’t doing what I was doing What would that be like’ A big Steven King fan, he grew up writing short stories and submitting them to e-magazines. The States, he says, has a huge appetite for horror. In the 90s, Mr Twist decided to develop his ideas into a book. He was an employee back then, which meant he didn’t have the pressures that come with being involved with running a business. Mr Twist wishes he could afford TO PAGE 9
Isle of Man Examiner, March 2006 Businessupdate 9 ‘‘When I finished my manuscript, I was quite naive. I sent it off to the publishers and thought that was it, they would do all the rest — well unless you are a big author they don’t! — MIKE TWIST FROM PAGE 8 more time to writing. He writes as much as he can, keeping paper and a pen by his bed — his biggest fear being he will lose his flow in the story so he keeps on top of it painstakingly. Mr Twist agrees that it is not always effortless. For him one of the hardest jobs is the proof reading. ‘When I finished my manuscript, I was quite naive. I sent it off to the publishers and thought that was it, they would do all the rest — well unless you are a big author they don’t! ‘As a new author I found it very difficult to able to scrap things that don’t work.’ Mr Twist’s audience is not restricted to the Island. His book Connections is sold on Amazon and an online review boosted sales of his novel in other parts of the world. With the second part of the trilogy due out later this year, Mr Twist is happy to continue to write ‘No one can work 24/7; time is passed well when I write and I love losing myself in the story.’ However, not everyone writes for its escapism quality. Phillip Dearden of PKF, a tax consultant and co-author of Tottel’s Taxation in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, says: ‘I’m sure lots of different types of people write different types of books, I haven’t got a hope in hell of writing a story.’ That said, he is a keen reader, favouring biographies and history over fiction. ‘I breathe tax — it’s what I do and that’s what I write about.’ Breathing isn’t the word for it, as he tells me: ‘Everyone here [at the company] does a 10-hour day in tax books, legislation and company law. ‘I enjoy meeting clients and the intellectual challenge of working through their problems. ‘It requires discipline and focus and the writing that I do helps promote what we do here as a company, promoting not only ourselves but also the Isle of Man. ‘Manx tax has changed a lot, and the act of writing makes us understand it in detailed knowledge and this can only help us to deal with our clients, especially those with more difficult problems.’ With a job that demands so much, he admits it isn’t easy and there can never be enough hours in the day, but publishing does help raise the company’s profile. The next edition of the book is well under way. ‘In the beginning I feel excitement and then it changes,’ as he opens up the book and shows me all the chapters that have yet to be considered and he makes his point ‘it starts to get a little harder. When it’s all over I feel relief.’ For him, online resource facilities have are a big plus. ‘Online resources affect tax and accountants, both of which have a great interest in the law.’ Opening a software program, he points out how easy it is to get references that he might need. ‘Not only is it quick and easy to use, but the digital revolution means our information is up to date and doesn’t take up as much room.’ Mr Dearden is adamant books will not disappear for a long time to come. ‘When I’m in a meeting, it’s easier just to open up the book — I prefer to read [as opposed to looking at a computer screen], but sometimes I need something a little faster and that’s where the program fits in.’ Mr. Dearden, together with the other authors, raises important points about how advances in technology have had an influence on their work. The e-revolution is having an increasingly bigger influence on writers and publishers. Colin Brown, director of The Manx Experience, a company that has specialised in publishing books based on the Isle of Man, agrees that the changes taking place since the mid-1950s have been great. ‘I was privileged to be involved in the switch from rotary newspaper printing to web-offset in the Island and to have been part of the introduction of phototypesetting which, in turn, has now been replaced with computerised origination,’ says Mr Brown. However, he does not believe that the transition will result in the demise of books. In fact, the move might even encourage people to write. ‘Now, with computerisation, it’s perfectly possible to produce books and magazines without approaching a printer — mind you, it’s easy to spot the “home-made” efforts!’ The advantages of the internet through e-books, blogging and e-magazines have undoubtedly made a change but for most writers and book lovers across the globe, the gratification can never be quite the same as reading a book for the first time.
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