John ALLEN
Author
"I suppose I write because I have to"
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John ALLEN Author
"I suppose I write because I have to" |
British-born and raised in South Africa, John Allen live in France, where he continues his writing. Over the years he has lived in South Africa, the UK and US, and he is now based on the southern Brittany coast, just outside Vannes, in a typical French village that is quiet and very author-friendly. He writes fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, autobiographical, political history, historical romance and poetry. Four titles have been translated into French, with more to follow.
I love books, love the whole publishing world, and derive great pleasure from helping others get their books into good enough shape editorially to be published. It's just a way of life. I've been writing for nearly 40 years. It started with a thesis on the nature of man in college, which caused such a stir on campus that I thought it ought to be read by more people. Keep stirring, so to speak. It's been doing that ever since. John Allen |
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Non-partisan and hard-hitting, John Allen’s personal account of life in South Africa during the apartheid era will surprise many with its combination of intimate detail and grassroots insight. It contains revealing glimpses of the international media’s selective reporting, and gives an insider’s view of the country’s inhabitants, their cultural differences and manner of dealing with them. The book also touches on a number of external influences that so adversely affected the population and brought the country to the brink of revolution. Drawing from an abundance of experience, the author recalls—often with spirited humor—what living in apartheid South Africa really entailed, transporting the reader to every corner of the region as he maps out the historical parameters around which the nation was shaped. From early colonial discriminatory influence to the more recent groundbreaking reconciliation process, Allen provides the no-nonsense perspective so necessary for a balanced understanding of the country and its quandaries. He also turns the spotlight on other nations where apartheid, a system of government under which so many still live, has been practiced but never labeled. Unambiguous and challenging, Apartheid South Africa brings to public scrutiny one of the world’s toughest—and most enduring—problems. Although British-born, John Allen lived in South Africa from 1954 to 1990, a 36-year period during which the country experienced its most climactic—and sometimes terrible—events. Speaking from firsthand knowledge and with an intimate understanding of the situation, the author takes us beyond the media hype that so dominated Western television screens to answer some of the most vital questions concerning the apartheid era: .- Who originated the system of government the world grew to hate so much? .- Was South Africa the only ‘apartheid’ nation? .- Did economic sanctions have the desired effect? .- How did Washington’s domestic agenda affect US foreign policy? .- What was the West’s real motive in forcing the country to its knees? .- Why did Nelson Mandela’s release from prison exacerbate rather than diminish violence? Apartheid South Africa addresses these and a host of other issues, bringing to light little-known facts concerning historical detail and providing the reader with eyewitness accounts of day-to-day life in one of the most dangerous countries in the world. |
"My characters have to develop themselves”
| My characters have to develop themselves, because I never plan a story or map out a plot. So I leave the characters to do whatever they want to, and then work out what's happening. At times I'm astonished at the things they do. |
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With Brine John Allen has taken a glimpse into the future with our current rate of global warming. It is not a pretty picture! He creates a world wherein the film Waterworld starring Kevin Costner not only becomes a reality, but is a tame version of things to come. Not only is the globe in for a transformation, but mankind is in for a reality check. This concise fictional tale will grab you from the first sentence and make you stop and take notice of every little thing that you are doing. |
"There is no plan B." Ecologists and politicians agree that our generation has no "second chance" to solve the climate change crisis. What happens if they fail? A family's beachfront home is threatened by rising sea levels. Regular inundations force evacuation, but even a move to higher ground proves inadequate, and the couple takes to the water. Tide-riding has come of age. Writing of these events forty years later, the author traces his family's survival route. Climate change continues to take its toll: tsunamis, mass migration, the parting of the Americas, flooding of coastal cities and an increase in seismic activity are all hallmarks of the era. Why did world leaders view the ecology as secondary to the economy? Why the complacency over Arctic melt? Why were rising sea levels ignored? How will society react to ineffectual government? Is there hope in our changing world? Brine offers a uniquely personal look at the most pressing problem our civilization has ever faced. |
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When Hipper Crit is told by The Goodman to go to the Far Country, it sounds like an easy trip. But even with Don Caminus as his guide, he is soon diverted into a strange land where perception is everything: for better or for worse. From the Mountain Cabin to the Land of Altered Perspective, from the Great Cave to the Far Country, from Hipper Crit to Mandible Gnaw. Join Bandor and Rhindol as they struggle against the vile beast of the swampish lowlands, whose only purpose is to destroy those making the journey to the Far Country. Share their concern as they reason with the inhabitants of The Land, or simply appreciate the changes they undergo in order to live side by side with The Willing. Listen in on the High Council's deliberations as the Lord Greatheart attempts to muster support for his plans. The Council's purpose is to implement the will of The Goodman, but its members do so with limited knowledge, and when unexpected rebellion rises within the camp and one of their number is expelled from their company, the danger multiplies. Finally, enter the heart of the rebel himself, and walk with him to the edge of the precipice and beyond. |
"Don't wait for inspiration. Just write - it's amazing what gets done when we do something" |
John Allen http://www.amazon.com/John-Allen/e/B00525YOR8/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1309177737&sr=1-1 |
Galeria Virtual de Creadors de la Fundació Rodríguez-Amat |