Page 27 - ELG1807 July Issue 459

FEATURES & COMMENT

fable, about a poor man, Ranji, in India,
living at the very bottom level of society
and struggling to make a meagre living The Tyre (an extract)
gathering wood at the side of the road.
When a huge brand-new tyre falls from
a passing truck Ranji realises that if he can Ranji has encountered a
only sell it he could change his life. sadhu (a holy sage) who has
Certainly it was an appealing story, but told him how much his tyre
I had to be brutally honest: I knew there could be worth. However he
would be no market in the UK for a novella. also gives him a warning:
For some reason, the Brits just don’t read
that kind of thing. To even be considered The scrawny figure rose,
outlined by the brightness
Christian was so of the moon, and started to
open to new ideas, to my speak:

additions and to these “Don’t dream too much!
changes to his original Do not believe, my friend,
that doing without material
story. And slowly a French things is any obstacle to
joy! My pleasure to have
novella morphed into an met you is great, and yet
English novel I possess even less than
you! The wisdom of Buddha
led him to encourage his
for publication the story needed to be much followers to walk without
longer. thinking about anything,
We met up and talked it though and the as you did until today,
project started to grow. letting your mind wander
We discussed how we might re-structure and simply enjoying the
the story. We speculated about what pleasure of having good
might have happened in the past to bring legs to walk upon. I see your
the characters to this point. Some new excitement at the prospect
characters emerged, new sub-plots too. of being able to afford
Passages were cut and new ones added. possessions. But what you
I was fortunate that Christian was so open do not see, because you are
to new ideas, to my additions and to these already imagining how the
changes to his original story. And slowly a sale of the tyre can change
French novella morphed into an English your life, is that this could
novel. be the start of problems for
Both of us were thrilled with the result you. You will be afraid that
and even more delighted when Thistle it will be stolen. You will
Publishing, a small independent company, strive constantly to find a
agreed to publish it. buyer, you will feel acrimony
The launch party was held at Daunt and disillusionment. Until
job that I love – and one that takes me all Books in Chelsea at the end of June. now you were content
around the world on a regular basis. And so the next part of the story begins. with your life, but now
In fact, my ambitions to become a writer Getting a novel published in the first place your contentment will be
were a distant memory when, quite out of was hard enough but turning it into a overturned and upset.
the blue, I was contacted through LinkedIn successful one is perhaps even more of a Maybe one day you will
by a Frenchman, Christian Dubois, who I challenge. regret having stumbled
had taught at the business English school With thousands of novels published every upon this heavy lump of
back in the 1980s. year, I’ve quickly learnt that it’s not easy to rubber!”
He asked if I remembered him – and stand out from the crowd.
actually I did. He had left his job in the oil There have been some encouraging signs
industry, he told me, and, having always – the reviewers have all been very kind so
written for pleasure during his business far – but it is still too early to say what will
career, in retirement had been able to happen.
devote more time to it and was now a But one thing I do know: just as in The
successful published writer in his native Tyre, those chance meetings, those little
France. moments of serendipity, those twists and
He had, he told me, just written a novella turns of fate, really can change your life.
called Le Pneu, which he was keen to get But perhaps we never know quite how, until
translated into English with a view to a long time later.
getting it published.
Could I help him? He asked me to n The Tyre, by C J Dubois and E C Huntley
read what he had done so far and offer (pictured right) is available from Amazon
an opinion. The story captivated me or can be ordered from bookshops (ISBN:
immediately: a charming tale, almost a 9781786080646)
editorial@elgazette.com 27

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