Monday 23 July 2018

A New Edition


Welcome to the new Spanish edition of La Chica de Simon's Bay!
(The Girl from Simon's Bay)

The first notice I had of this publication was a parcel arriving at my front door with a set of pristine books. I love new books, don't you? They have a smell and a crispness to them that is almost edible. I hope I'll gain more Spanish readers with this edition, which is physically smaller than the original, and is usually popular at airports etc. Easier to cram into carry-on luggage.

And, talking of travelling...
With the current World Cup just ended, it is worth remembering that Spain won the World Cup in 2010 when it was held in South Africa. On the back of that win, Spanish tourist numbers to the country grew substantially, according to official figures. So perhaps the success of La Chica will entice a couple more to head down south? I have had many globe-trotting readers of the English version who've been in touch to say that they included Simon's Town, the setting for the novel, in their travels.
Will I hear increasing numbers of Spanish accents on the streets of Simon's Town? I hope so. After all, they can walk in the footsteps of Louise and David along St George's street, see the historic dockyard, spot the site of the old Royal Naval Hospital, or take a swim at Seaforth Beach like Louise did...

I reached out both hands to seize the oncoming water and fell forward.
Cold, green liquid gurgled into my mouth and just as it started to trickle into my ears, a pair of familiar hands grabbed me around the middle and pulled me clear.
"Lou!" my Pa hoisted me over his shoulder. "You can't swim before you can walk!"
"No quieras nadar antes de saber andar!"

I trust I'm doing my bit for tourism to the country!
Bienvenido!

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