Small, independent publisher of non-fiction books
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"Sometimes you just have to trust your intuitions and run with them." This was the case when, in the midst of researching and writing two books, I decided to launch into another, because it felt so right to do and an opportunity that otherwise might pass me by. Check out the story on my latest Wordswallah blog post.
https://www.wordswallah.com/2023/03/24/1942/
Though Ruth Vanita, Saleem Kidwai, and Akhil Katyal’s books were introductory texts for me, it was only when I read John Burbidge’s THE BOATMAN that I truly felt an instant connection with the story.
So says Indian writer Saurabh Sharma in his recent review of LGBTQIA+ publications, which he points out are “increasingly getting published, gaining visibility, and winning accolades”.
For more, go to…https://scroll.in/article/1044555/from-memoirs-to-fiction-from-essays-to-ya-queer-literature-offers-more-reading-options-than-ever
A highlight of this year’s Labor Day Long weekend was hearing local authors and assistants read from their books at the Decatur Community Library. Judging from their comments below, the variety of books, styles of writing, and modes of presentation were highly appreciated by the well-attended audience.
Presenters included Dean Nichols, Ric Redman, Mary Van Valkenburg with Gail Dupar, Sarah Jones reading for Lorraine McConaghy, John Burbidge with Bruce Robertson, Richard Bevan, and Bruce Barcott.
• An incredible day! I’ll never look at an amorphous mass of raw eggs the same again!
• Just when I think I know everything there is to know about my Decatur neighbors, you surprise and delight me.
• Can we hire Bruce and John as the tag team comedians? You two killed it!
• That was such a great event! So much creativity and talent on our island. Thank you to the fine authors who so graciously shared their books.
• Great to see so much talent on the island and to meet new people.
"Some might say I take E. M. Forster’s famous epigraph, ‘only connect’, too literally. But making connections between individuals, organisations, even countries – or remaking old ones – has become my passion. Six years in India taught me that personal relationships are paramount and can make a huge difference in the quality of one’s life, as well as in the public arena. Compiling a book of stories from my high school classmates confirmed this for me. And as my recent book of travel stories attests, seeking out 'the other' and affirming our common humanity has been an intrinsic part of my life."
Perth-born grad John Burbidge has visited more than 40 countries and lived in five. His homes have included a Chicago ghetto, an Australian Aboriginal community and Indian villages. Graduating from UWA in 1971, he joined an international NGO that pioneered people’s participation in community and organisational development. After playing many roles from facilitator to fundraiser to communications director, he left after 30 years to pursue his own writing.
He is the author of an acclaimed biography of Western Australian writer Gerald Glaskin, a memoir about coming out as a gay man in India, and a collection of entertaining travel stories from his peripatetic life. He lives with his husband in Washington state, USA. His new book 'More Than Halfway to Somewhere: Collected Gems of a World Traveler' is receiving glowing reviews (including some from The University of Western Australia's very own Sue Boyd and Terry Larder!). Find out more at Wordswallah Publishing and www.wordswallah.com
Two recent events on Decatur Island helped to raise the profile of Wordswallah Publishing.
A bake sale to support the island library featured MORE THAN HALFWAY TO SOMEWHERE, along with a donation of my Anzac cookies (of which I’ve now sold nearly 45,000.)
And an invitation to participate in an AUTHORS FORUM – with writers from a New York Times bestseller to publishers of children’s books – was an opportunity to share my journey as a writer and hear fascinating accounts from others.
MORE THAN HALFWAY TO SOMEWHERE just received a great review from Australian book blogger Lisa Hill (ANZ LitLovers LitBlog). With a following of 17,000 readers, she reviewed 163 books last year from all over the world. Said Lisa, “While I thoroughly enjoyed reading about [John’s] adventures, what I liked best was his afterword where he talks about cultures that value hospitality and really welcome visitors, not least because a guest can play many roles…A different conception of tourist, eh?” Read more at https://anzlitlovers.com/2021/05/18/more-than-halfway-to-somewhere-by-john-burbidge/.
The latest post on my blog, MUSINGS FROM A WRITER'S LIFE, concerns the importance of cover design in book publishing and challenges I've faced in choosing a cover. The two editions of THE BOATMAN (Indian and Australian) illustrate this. Read more at https://www.wordswallah.com/2021/05/13/do-judge-a-book-by-its-cover/
This week’s Zoom session based on John Burbidge’s book MORE THAN HALFWAY TO SOMEWHERE was an engaging and lively affair. Sponsored by the Institute of Cultural Affairs ‘Global Schedule of Events’, it attracted 27 people from five countries. Host Nancy Trask (picture below) interviewed John then split participants into groups in which they shared stories of how their lives had been changed by exposure to other cultures. Said ICA Program Coordinator Karen Snyder, “It was a great example of having a conversation about a book and engaging the group in their life experience in relation to the group topic!”
Encouraged by initial reader response, we are scheduling a Zoom session sponsored by the Institute of Cultural Affairs that will include:
• an interview with John Burbidge by host Nancy Trask
• sharing of participants’ travel stories, and
• a discussion on how we have been changed by living and working in other cultures.
Participants are urged to read the book beforehand. Print and e-book editions are available from Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and other retailers worldwide. John has copies for sale within the US if preferred. For further details, visit www.wordswallah.com.
The event is scheduled for April 26th at 7:00 pm CST in North America, and the following day in the Asia-Pacific region. If there is sufficient interest from people in other time zones, a second session could be scheduled.
To participate, email Nancy at [email protected] and she will send you a Zoom link.
I was privileged to participate last week in a Zoom session with THE LUNCH BUNCH, a group of ICA colleagues mostly from the Seattle area. Host Nancy Lanphear (pictured) introduced me by reading the amusing "Back Story to the Front Cover” of MORE THAN HALFWAY TO SOMEWHERE. I read an excerpt from “You Are Not Indian, Isn’t It?”, followed by questions and comments from the group. It was great chance to share the book with an appreciative audience, setting the stage for a larger collegial exchange in the near future. Stay tuned for details.
A few more images from this enthralling desert odyssey...
A number of people have asked me about the cover of my latest book, MORE THAN HALFWAY TO SOMEWHERE, so here's the story behind the title:
In 2013 my husband and I were hiking in the Mojanda Lakes in Ecuador. We’d been walking all day, hadn’t seen a soul, and with only a handwritten map we weren’t sure exactly where we were.
The afternoon was fast disappearing and we still had a way to go.
Then we arrived at a three-way intersection and found a sign detached from its post. It puzzled us. Were we 6.3 km into a 9.5 km section of the trail or did we still have 6.3 km to go? What would we find when we got there? And in which direction was the sign meant to be pointing?
Despite our perplexity and growing anxiety, we were able to laugh at our situation. Traveling is full of surprises and a little humor helps. When choosing a title for this book, we were reminded of this occasion and decided to honor it with MORE THAN HALFWAY TO SOMEWHERE.
Wordswallah Publishing is proud to announce the release of its latest book, MORE THAN HALFWAY TO SOMEWHERE by John Burbidge.
Its 12 stories from a lifetime of travel by a writer who embraces the unknown and engages with local people will amaze, inform and entertain. Captivating photos to begin each chapter, a map of story locations, and an afterword of reflections on lessons learned add value to this charming book.
Now available in paperback and as an e-book through the global print and distribution services of IngramSpark. Order here:
https://www.wordswallah.com/books-2/
I'm excited to release my new author website www.wordswallah.com, courtesy of graphic designer Bob Lanphear. It traces my journey as a writer and showcases books I've written and edited.
Best viewed in desktop, laptop or tablet in landscape mode.
I welcome your feedback.
Graphic designer Bob Lanphear used his exquisite skills to create this wonderful logo for Wordswallah Publishing, blending the ancient South Asian roots of its name with a clean, contemporary style. So lucky to work with Bob. Highly recommend him. Check out his website: http://lanpheardesign.com/
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