What a wonderful way to celebrate our members who have had books published!
A large number of our u3a members, including the Chairs of the North West Region and South Lakes, enjoyed entertaining and informative talks by our 8 authors.
The books presented varied from an in-depth study of family history, researched over ten years; a spoof take on the traditional detective story, with a host of characters based in a village in France well known to the author; a deep exploration of the significance of Tibetan philosophy in self-determination, with fictional characters developing through the first two books of an intended trilogy.
Such creative approaches were matched by the humorous telling by one writer of how, at the age of ninety, his lifelong effort to master French resulted in him publishing an Introduction to French Grammar.
We had a writer singing her story and accompanying herself on guitar; we had a writer whose book about her Welsh grandmother was published by a Welsh company promoting Welsh language and biographies; an author who had lived, married and raised a family in Japan and now writes crime novels based on aspects of Japanese history and culture.
Poignantly, the wife of a member who died a few weeks earlier, presented his intriguing story of an 18th Century figure involved in the Caribbean slave trade which he had carefully researched and then developed into a fictional exploration of inner motives and possible ‘truths’.
It was an absorbing mix for members to hear, with the opportunity to then talk to the authors and look at their books on display. Such was the interest it’s hoped that another similar event can take place next year, with yet more talent revealed.
As one of our members said: “Thank you so much for arranging that fabulous book session this morning! Everyone spoke so well and it was all so interesting I wanted to read every single book.” One of our authors on the way home, encountered a woman who stopped her and said she’d attended our u3a writers’ gathering. She said she’d enjoyed it very much and that it was just the sort of happy and sociable meeting featuring interesting people and interesting ideas that we need in these polarized, divisive times.