Nicholas Drayson at Adelaide Writers’ Week 2010
Nicholas Drayson at Adelaide Writers' Week 2010
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One of the writers I really wanted to hear at the recent Adelaide Writers’ Week was Nicholas Drayson (pictured above).
He has worked as a journalist in Australia, Kenya and the United Kingdom. He was a professional student for many years and so he has a string of degrees in an interesting array of disciplines. He has worked in the Australian National Museum and some of his works can often be categorized as nature writing.
Just over a year ago I bought a copy of his gloriously humorous book, A guide to the birds of East Africa: a novel. With a title like that I just had to read it, not realising that, despite it being a romping good yarn, it is a love story, albeit with a twist or three, not to mention some mysteries. I reviewed this book here.
Love and the platypus
Until I listened to Nicholas at Writers’ Week I hadn’t realised that he had written several other novels, including Love and the Platypus and Confessing a murder. After his intriguing and highly entertaining address – he even sang a wonderful song about the bumble bee – I raced to the Book Tent and purchased his book Love and the platypus which I then proceeded to line up for him to sign. Katharine England, book reviewer for our local daily paper “The Advertiser”, was lined up behind me. I struck up a conversation with her, telling her that on the strength of her review of A guide I went to buy it. She had also chaired the session with Nicholas.
I can’t wait to have the time to read his other books.
Further reading:
Nicholas Drayson at Adelaide Writers' Week 2010
Nicholas Drayson at Adelaide Writers' Week 2010