A launching party for “Tales From a Barren Rock” will be held at Enoteca restaurant, Tong Chong St, Quarry Bay, on Saturday, 25 May, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Everyone is welcome. Limited copies of the largely Sai Kung-created book will be available for sale. If you can’t get one at the party go to Bookazine, which ordered 100. Re catering, no one is shouting, so it will be BYO.
Nothing is set in concrete but co-editors Roger Medcalf and Rod Olsen may give brief talks on how the book came to be and a few of the authors may give short readings.
“Tales” is a collection of reminiscences on life in Hong Kong. David Newbery, a former Cathay Pacific captain, tells how he survived a bombing in Colombo then another one near his home in Sai Kung. Amanda White describes how she and a friend, Jane, came perilously close to prostitution when first in Hong Kong and Jane fell into it. Barry Smith reveals the story of a police team tasked with targeting brothels that became known as “The Hokey Pokey Squad”. Clinton Leeks, a former private secretary to the Governor, describes what it is really like inside Government House. Steve Reels writes about mayhem and mirth in the day to day running of a pool haul. Chris Emmett, a former police officer with two books published, tells the comical story of the day in a Magistrate’s Court when they somehow ended up with an extra defendant: “One Spare”. Former Cathay Captain Mark Esterhuizen describes the beauty of flying seemingly amidst the Aurora Borealis.
Roger, who dreamed up the concept for the book, says the 25 May party at Enoteca is looking like it is going to be a big success. Then he cautions: “Don’t forget the words of Terry Pratchett, ‘Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is a flamethrower’.”
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