Recuperating from my recent setback, and wanting to fill the vacant moments, I am going through some of my 'saved papers' and among them found a Note I'd made over 30 years ago in relation to my first book. I hope this is not going to bore readers but I just want to share this in an effort to encourage anyone who has a story to tell -not to be discouraged by remarks or comments others make. Here's where the story begins:
I first wrote to Sir Richard Turnbull 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 the Guests of Honour of the Goan community at our annual celebration of the feast of our patron saint, St. Francis Xavier. In my letter, I'd asked if he would be wiling 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) he included rather discouraged me, and led to the whole idea being shelved for some five years. Here is his 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 seventy five 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 is too* *ferocious. If you do, please remember that I have read the transcript as* *the preliminary sketch of a book that you hope to have published. Had* *it been just a draft with comments that you hoped 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 comments from that letter: *"Presentation of fatted sheep" by various headmen -pages 47,55.57 &72.* *You may have to tone these incidents down a bit if yoou re 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 to get your royalties, then reimburse yourself* *from them for what you have spent; then find out how much the * *Income Tax 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 wrote: *" 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 necessary before it can be* *regarded as suitable for submission to a publisher.* This 3-page typed letter lists various points, among them: the following: *Americanisms p.16. I know that this is a personal idiosyncrasy of mine,* *but I regard Americanisms such as the expressions "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"* *pgs.27, 28: You should be aware of being too critical of your colleagues* *lest you hurt their feelings unnecessarily(* this is regarding some of the comments I made on some of my Goan colleagues, which personally, I didn't think offensive.!) He 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 congratultions of* *your generous acceptance of what must hve seemed somewhat * *pennickety criticisms. We now seem to be entering the lastlap of of* *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 hve had one of the most* *worrying couple of moinths I can remember. My wife has been quite * *seriously ill and in and out of hospital with some obscure cimplaint* *that required fairly prolonged treatment etc. I have been devoting* *myself to household management and invlid cookery".* Several letters followed, and again in hand-written letter dated 25th Jubne 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 Wabera. It is not in accordance with your usual dignified style. Would "assassinated"not be more suitable?"* More letters followed and ss 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. *" pg 5. I note that the passage on this page is a* *repetition on the last para on page 4, so remembering how sternly* *I criticised you for repeating yourself, I have cut out the page 5 bit,* but then adds: *I shall feel quite lost without Bwana Karani, and* *speculation about the Foreword to occupy my spare time"* And finally, in his hand-written letter of 25th October 1985, this is what he wrote "*Congratulations on the finished product. I had the pleasure of* *seeing in fine print the pages over which you hve 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 ssmr, its completion* *will leave a gap in your life which will need a great deal of filling.* *My apologies at not being able to be ble 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 distinguished the Goan community.* *Best wishes for a splendid launching."* My apologies if I have bored you all -but I just wanted to prove that once you have an idea, go ahead and pursue it and never be discouraged by initial criticisms. Mervyn Maciel
