This is fascinating -- and worth publishing in the right magazine or online beyond GBC! A great post colonial tale. Congratulations on not allowing yourself to be deterred by that old curmudgeon. I hope you didn't follow all of his advice. Xxj
On Mon, 30 Jan 2023, 04:05 Mervyn Maciel, <[email protected]> wrote: > Looking for something to do during these cold dark days of winter,I > began going through some of the articles I'd written and would like to > share > the appended note with you all. > My apologies if any of you find this boring.! > > > Mervyn Maciel > > > > *How my BWANA KARANI nearly never happened &* > > > > > > > > *an acknowledgement of Sir Richard Turnbull’s patience* > > *and critical guidance during this literary journey-by Mervyn Maciel* > > > > > > I first wrote to Sir Richard about my “dream” of publishing my memoirs on > > 4th December, 1978 – a day after I’d met him and Lady Turnbull at > Westminster > > Cathedral in London where they were Guests of Honour of the Goan community > > at our annual celebration of the feast of our patron Saint Francis Xavier. > In my > > letter, I had also asked if he would agree to contribute the Foreword. > > > > While expressing his willingness to do so in a hand-written letter from his > > Henley-on-Thames home on 6th December, a comment (reproduced below) > > his response rather discouraged me, and led to the whole idea being > shelved for > > some five years. Here is the comment: > > *“don’t forget that writing is demandingly hard work* > > *and that it takes up a lot of time. As the great* > > *Doctor Johnson said, “you have to set yourself* > > *doggedly to it”* > > > > Despite this initial setback, the urge to write would not go away, and > five years > > later, in October 1983, having typed some 75 pages in draft form, I again > wrote > > and asked if he would be prepared to look through the rough draft. > > Once again, his hand-written reply on 22nd October, this time from > Jedburgh, said: > > *“I shall be happy to look at your draft, and have no doubt* > > *that you have made a great success of it. It is a fascinating story* > > *that you have to tell, and it will bring back to me any number* > > *of half-forgotten faces and scenes.”* > > > > The draft was accordingly despatched on 24th November 1983, and in his > type-written > > reply of 2nd January 1984, this is what he had to say: > > *“I hope that you will not find what I am about to say in this letter to > be too ferocious. If you do, please remember that I have read the > typescript as the preliminary sketch* > > *of a book that you hope to have published. Had it been just a draft of a > diary-with-comments that you proposed to have cyclostyled with the idea of > sending copies to your friends, I should have been very much more gentle in > my approach”* > > Here are some of his comments from that letter: > > “Presentation to you of “fatted sheep” by various headmen, p.47,55,57 &72. > > You may have to tone these incidents down a bit if you are aiming at > > a wide publication for, as I expect you know, any stick is good enough to > beat the > > Colonialist regime with; and there is a danger of your being accused of > using your > > official position to “extort” these gifts” > > > > On my proposal to donate part of my Royalties to help Marsabit tribesmen, > this is what he said in his letter of 12th January 1984: > > *My advice is first get your royalties, then reimburse yourself from them > for* > > *what you have spent; then find out how much Income Tax the Inland Revenue > people will be taking off you; after that, you will be able to consider > what can realistically be done with any cash that remains.”* > > > > In a further letter dated 27th October 1984, he says: > > *“I have finished working through the typescript of the draft you sent me > of “Bwana Karani”, and I am sorry to have to tell you that I have formed > the opinion that a great deal of revision will be needed before it can be > regarded as suitable for submission to a publisher.” * > > This 3-page type-written letter lists various points, among these, the > following: > > *“Americanisms: p.16. I know that this is a personal idiosyncrasy of mine, > but I regard Americanisms, such as the expression “there sure is” as a > barbarism. A more graceful way of putting it would be, “there is surely”* > > *p.17. You should replace “I guess” with “I imagine”* > > *p.27 & 28. “You should beware of being too critical of your colleagues, > lest you hurt * > > *their feelings unnecessarily”.* (this is regarding some comments I made > on some of my > > Goan colleagues, which personally, I didn’t think offensive!).Concludes > the same letter with these words: “*With apologies for what I know must > be a disappointing letter. I fear the outcome of all this is going to be a > good deal of more work for you; but the author’s lot has never been > anything but an arduous one.”* > > > > In a further letter of 11th November 1984, he writes: > > *Thank you for your letter of 3rd November, and my congratulations on your > generous acceptance of what must have seemed to you somewhat pernickety > criticisms. We now seem to be entering the last lap of this interesting but > arduous course.”* > > In a further hand-written letter dated 23rd March 1985, following Lady > Turnbull’s illness, > > He wrote:*”For our part, we have had one of the most worrying couple of > months I can remember. My wife has been quite seriously ill and in and out > of hospital with some obscure complaint that required fairly prolonged > treatment……etc.* > > *I have been devoting myself to household management and to invalid > cookery”* > > > > Several letters followed, and in a hand-written letter dated 25th June > 1985, he > > Commented, inter alia, on my use of the words “gunned down”. Here is > > what he had to say:*” I don’t much care for the expression “gunned down”* > > *in relation to David Dabasso. It is not in accordance with your usual > dignified style. Would not “assassinated” be more suitable?”* > > > > More letters followed, and as we were nearing the end of this work, he had > this to say in his hand-written letter of 2nd July 1985, after he’d sent > me the draft Foreword. “* p.5. I note that the passage on this page is a > repetition of the last para on page 4, so, remembering how sternly I > criticised you for repeating yourself, I have cut out the page 5 bit” then > adds:* > > *“I shall feel quite lost without “Bwana Karani” and speculation about the > Foreword to occupy my spare time.”* > > And in his hand-written letter of 25.10.85, this is what he wrote: > > *“Congratulations on the finished product. I had the pleasure of seeing in > fine print the pages over which you have been working with such patience > and determination for the past three or four years. Merlin Books have made > a really workmanlike job of the book – good clear print, well set out with > all the skill of the experienced craftsman; the photographs neatly > reproduced, and the whole, a volume which you and the publishers can be > justifiably proud of. And how happy and relieved you must be to realize > that the long task is over. All the same, its completion will leave a gap > in your life which will need a great deal of filling. My apologies at not > being able to get to the launching party. I so much hope that the Kenya > High Commissioner will rise to the occasion. The Goan Association will, I > am sure, come to your aid and do you proud with the music and oratory which > so happily distinguishes the Goan community. Best wishes for a splendid > launching.”* > > > > > > *Note: Some 20+ letters were exchanged during this time, not to mention * > > *several telephone calls.* > > > > > > *When I mentioned this to Peter Fullerton, Secretary of the Kenya* > > *Administration Club (UK)-Peter is a former District Commissioner* > > *and diplomat) – this is what he had to say:* > > > > *“Dear Mervyn,* > > > > *I’m so glad you weren’t deterred by Dick Turnbull; but the story* > > *Of how you nearly were would be worth telling – Peter”* > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > *** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. *** > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Goa Book Club" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CAL65L0vy4J30mOAgeaVL7s1wyFiF0ESWXw%3D2mifFL9Ugs-a9Vw%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CAL65L0vy4J30mOAgeaVL7s1wyFiF0ESWXw%3D2mifFL9Ugs-a9Vw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- *** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. *** --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Goa Book Club" group. 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