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2001-1/JULY 1, 2001Note: Addressees are on the mailing list for the Nevil Shute Norway Foundation Newsletter because at one time or another, they have communicated an interest in Nevil Shute Norway Foundation activities. Anyone not wanting to receive the newsletter should respond to the sender or to the Nevil Shute Norway Foundation Newsletter at newsletter@nevilshute.org, asking to be removed from the mailing list. AVE SHUTISTS: Welcome to the first edition of the new Nevil Shute Norway Foundation Newsletter! Our intention is to publish monthly, on or near the first of each month. We hope to inform, educate and entertain with news from the Foundation, letters to the editor, editorial comments, information on new Nevil Shute editions, new movies in the works, gatherings and plans for gatherings, etc. Shutists desiring to make their thoughts known through the newsletter are invited to write to newsletter@nevilshute.org All letters will be considered for publication in whole or in part. However, the newsletter editor (yours truly) reserves the right to edit, publish or discard any submissions, based on his best judgement, space available, etc. Preference will be given to questions and commentaries on Nevil Shute's work, the effect his work has had on Shutists' lives, and other topics thought to be of general interest to Shutists everywhere. We will also offer a free classified ad section, primarily, but not limited to, Nevil Shute books and associated items either for sale or being sought by potential buyers. FOUNDATION NEWS The biggie over the last few months, for those of you who have just come on board, has been the establishment of the new Nevil Shute Norway Foundation web site at www.nevilshute.org. John Henry, whose busy schedule has forced him to give up work on the previous Nevil Shute web site, has graciously agreed to let us use book reviews, biographical material, and other items from his site. Jack Calaway, a dedicated Shutist who attended both the Centennial and OZ2001, agreed to take over as Webmaster, and the new site was born. We are trying our best to make it user friendly and to provide a fixed reference point for NSN related information. Please check out the new site, and let us have your comments and suggestions. Other news has to do with the formalization of our relationship with the Nevil Shute Memorial Library in Alice Springs. Unfortunately, the library there has been a memorial to Nevil Shute in name only. There is no sign designating the library as anything other than the Alice Springs Public Library. They have an inadequate supply of Nevil Shute books. Until the Foundation took action to rectify the situation, they did not have a single Nevil Shute audio book. When Zia and I were on our recent fly-about in Australia, we visited the library and met their new Community Relations Officer, Ms. Julia Farrell. Ms. Farrell is most interested in upgrading the image of the library, and making it a suitable memorial for Nevil Shute. She told us that she would be happy to work with the Foundation toward that end. During our meetings, Ms. Farrell mentioned that audio books were among the most popular items in the library because of the vast distances that many of her patrons have to drive to get anywhere in the Outback. Yet, as popular as audio books are there, they did not have a single one by Nevil Shute. She said that if his books were available in audio book format, it might generate a surge in interest in his books, movies, etc. As a start, and with the generous support of one of the Foundation Board Members, we purchased a complete set of the 21 Nevil Shute books dramatized on audio tapes, and donated them to the library. We have also offered to supply them with additional reading copies of Nevil Shute books, should the need arise as a result of interest generated by the audio books. The next project in which we hope to become involved is the design and construction of a suitable memorial to Nevil Shute on the library grounds. Ms. Farrell has informed the Foundation that this project is in the discussion stages with the Alice Springs Town Council. OTHER NEWS FROM DOWN UNDER Until now, Shutists from OZ who were unable to obtain reading copies of Nevil's books locally were forced to either do without, purchase them from abroad, or order them from the Nevil Shute Lending Library in the US. Whether the books were purchased from abroad, or borrowed from the library in the US, the postage involved frequently exceeded the price of the books, and long delays were encountered, both in receiving and returning the books. Now, due to the collaborative efforts of Colin Ackehurst, Nancy Anderson, and the Foundation Library, a 'library branch office', has been opened in Australia! Today, Down Under Shutists can borrow books from the Australia Branch of the Library by writing Nancy at andplan@ozemail.com.au. As the demand for other items develops, we will attempt to equip the OZ Branch with manuscripts, video tapes, audio books, etc., so that their holdings will be equal to those in the US Library. NEWS OF UK2003 As many of you may remember, David Weir and Sandra Bower of the UK volunteered to take over the management of UK2003. To their surprise and benefit, and to our dismay, David was offered an attractive faculty position in France and he and Sandra have moved there - likely for the next two years or so. The down side of their good fortune is that they may well not be available to manage UK2003. Based on our experience with OZ2001, we are convinced that the convention managers should be living in the vicinity of the event location. Therefore, we are now searching for other volunteers who live in the UK to take on this important role. There are several prospects, but no decision has yet been made. If any of our British Shutists would be interested in either managing UK2003, or providing significant assistance to the event manager, please contact the Foundation at your earliest convenience. UK2003 is somewhere between eighteen months and two years hence, but it is never too early to begin planning. OTHER UK NEWS Following the successful opening of the OZ Library Branch, we are hoping to open a UK Branch of the Lending Library in the near future. Stay tuned for coming events! RECENT NEVIL SHUTE EDITIONS The Paper Tiger is pleased to announce the addition of Landfall to its series of Nevil Shute hardcover reprints. The series now consists of 5 titles which are hard to find in hard cover: Vinland the Good, Slide Rule, What Happened to the Corbetts, Ruined City, and now, Landfall. Purchased separately, the list price of this series is $184.75. The paper Tiger is now offering all five titles at the Special Sale Price of $99.95.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, NOTICES AND CLASSIFIED ADS As this is the first issue of the new Foundation Newsletter, there are as yet no letters to the editor, notices from readers, nor classified ads.
Regards to All from The Land of Enchantment,
Nevil Shute Norway Foundation ©2001-2024 All Rights Reserved
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