Nevil Shute Norway Foundation

Newsletter dated December 2012

Letters to the Editor

From Chris & Penny Morton

This is a busy time of year, in the lead-up to Christmas, and we hope the North Americans had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Plans for TAS 2013, "The Rainbow Connection", are continuing; still fluid but beginning to gel.

In preparation, we hope everyone is re-reading "The Rainbow and the Rose", plus "King of the Wilderness" if available to them and, for the Aussies, "Billy Vincent; Bush Pilot", which our librarian Nancy Anderson has on hand. By UK Librarian -A copy is also available in the UK library.

Chris is continuing negotiations with QANTAS on behalf of the international travellers, so we'll have details on that soon. Hobart has been named by Lonely Planet as the world's seventh most desirable capitol city to visit, so why not make the effort to join us!

Plans for the two excursion days are coming together, presentation slots are filling up fast and we hope to have a "full house". John Anderson plans to initiate on-line registration booking in May/June of 2013, so mark your calendars!

Being aware of the financial and physical challenge of a trip of this magnitude, we are trying to make it a truly memorable experience for all, and encourage you to plan extra time to explore the many diverse delights this state has to offer.

We send warm Christmas wishes to all Shutists, plus a safe and happy year in 2013.

Until next time, Chris and Penny


From Alan Crawford

For those of us that have IPAD's I have found there are several of Shute's books on IBooks. I am currently rereading "The Chequer Board" which read for the first time over 40 years ago. I find reading on iPad easier then the old fashion kind because I always have it with me and can adjust the size of font to adapt to the conditions. Plus I can find mood music to match the book.


From John Anderson

BOOKS TO TAKE ON A TRIP

No doubt many readers will, like me, take a Nevil Shute book or two to read on a long trip. But what did Shute himself take to read on trips? Normally he tended to read periodicals and weeklies to keep himself informed and read few novels. However on two occasions we know what books he took to read. On the evening before he set out to fly on R.100 to Canada he dined well at his Club in London and afterwards read "The Water Gypsies" by A.P.Herbert, but didn't have time to finish what he called "this very good novel". Earlier that day he visited a bookshop in the Charing Cross Road and bought a copy of "Chance" by Joseph Conrad to read on the flight.

In June 1944, before embarking as an observer on the D-Day invasion, he bought a copy of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and a book of modern English poetry to take with him. On both occasions he was kept busy on these trips so the books might well have remained unopened in his cabin.

Footnote:- As well as the Conrad book, Shute also bought chocolate to take with him on R.100. This of course set the precedent for provision of "emergency chocolate" at Shute Conferences and mini-gatherings !


From Diane Lachance

This may have been reported before, and perhaps I missed it, but per chance that it hasn't I notice that both Nook and Kindle have Nevil Shute titles available for purchase and download. I became aware when a friend became interested but wanted to read from his Nook rather than a book. It was very convenient and we may have another enthusiastic follower once he has had a chance to read some of the titles I've suggested - how could he not?!


From Alison Jenner

Dear friends,

Please see this exciting message from Oren, planning a Balliol conference on Aldous Huxley next September.

I feel sure that some members will have something to say to the purpose.

I know Nevil Shute didn't connect himself with those in the literary milieu. But I think we can easily compare Shute and Huxley on their use of drugs as motifs in their books...

Has anyone got an email list of last year's conference delegates?

I'm happy to circulate if I can share that list...

Regards,

Alison

Begin forwarded message:

From: Oren Goldschmidt

Date: 7 November 2012 16:24:57 GMT

To: alisonjenner@yahoo.com

Dear Ms Jenner,

I am writing to you as an assistant organiser for the upcoming conference The Condemned Playground: Aldous Huxley and his Contemporaries to be held at Balliol College, Oxford, 1-4 September 2013. The conference is instigated by Prof. David Bradshaw and Dr. Seamus Perry.

While the conference is scheduled to coincide with Huxley's arrival at Oxford, it will be a major event intent on exploring the life and work of a range of writers. Indeed, we are particularly interested in stimulating debate on an entire generation of British writers and the connections between them. Nevil Shute will certainly be relevant to this debate.

I hope you will want to announce this event to your members. If some of your members are Shute scholars and would be interested in putting together a panel of papers on Shute which could be integrated into the conference then I and the other organisers would also be very happy to hear from them.

Please do let me know if any of this is of interest, and whether you have been able to share the call for papers with your members.

Best wishes,

Oren Goldsmith

DPhil Candidate in English

Jesus College, Oxford

The Condemned Playground: Aldous Huxley and his Contemporaries

Balliol College, Oxford, 1-4 September 2013

www.huxleyconference.org


From Simon Backshall

Just to let you know that Audible Books have released 3 new titles in November.

  • Most Secret
  • An Old Captivity
  • In the Wet.

I appreciate this may just be in the UK but thought other readers/listeners might be interested.

Editor: I have checked. These titles are also available to customers in the Netherlands.
From THE EDITOR

Usually we don't allow advertising via the Newsletter. However we have been informed that a full set of Heron editions of Nevil Shute novels is for sale in the UK. Any readers who might be interested in buying them should contact David Dawson-Taylor or John Anderson for the sellers contact details

This is the last newsletter for 2012, so from the Netherlands, where we have seen the first snow of this winter (just a little bit), I'm wishing you all a Happy Christmas, a good end to 2012 and a super start in 2013