Nevil Shute Norway Foundation

Newsletter April 2018
text only version

Letters to the Editor

FROM Laura Schneider lschneider@gm.slc.edu
 
NEVIL SHUTE SYMPOSIUM- April 13-15
The Nevil Shute Symposium takes place next week in Hanover, New Hampshire.  There has been a great response and there is still time to register. The weekend will be memorable and you will learn things about the life and work of Nevil Shute you never knew you did not know!  Go to 
nevilshute.org/USweekend.php 

for the Symposium Program and registration information.

Please contact me if you have any questions. See you in the Upper Valley!



FROM Joost Meulenbroek joost.meulenbroek@mac.com
After our first Dutch book discussion in the National Military Museum in Soesterberg, and the second one in Singraven in Denekamp, it is time for a third meeting.
This meeting will be held on April 22 next, in Restaurant De Thermiekbel (thermal bubble) on the glider airfield Terlet, between Arnhem and Apeldoorn.
We will discuss The Chequerboard, or 's Mensen Schaakspel as the Dutch title is. 
The meeting will be held on Sunday 22th April. We will arrive from noon and will have lunch at 13:00 hour. If the weather is good, we will lunch on the balcony, with a wonderful view over Terlet airfield and all the activity that is going on there.
After lunch we will discuss the book. Depending on the attendees, the discussion will be in Dutch or English. The participation to this meeting is free, but for the consumptions that you will have and the lunch.

The address is:
Restaurant De Thermiekbel
Apeldoornseweg 203
6816 SM Arnhem
The Netherlands
tel: +31 26 445 5450

If you want to come to this meeting, please let me know in advance.
(Until now 8 people have signed up)
joost.meulenbroek@mac.com
tel: +31 6 54 791 307


From Richard Thorn thornduo@meic.com
Dear fellow Shute enthusiasts.An update on the quiz that was included in the February Newsletter. At midday on 28th February 7 entries had been received, 5 of which were
correct.
The answers to the 5 questions were as follows:-

Q1. What is the first name of Theodore Honey's daughter?
A1. Elspeth (No Highway)
Q2. What is the first name of Alan Duncan's sister?
A2. Helen (Requiem for a Wren)
Q3. What is the first name of Peter Holmes' wife?
A3. Mary (On the Beach)
Q4. What is the first name of Keith Stewart's sister?
A4. Joanna or Jo (Trustee from the Toolroom)
Q5. What is the first name of John Turner's wife?
A5. Mollie (The Chequer Board)
The prizewinners were as follows:
Someone living in the UK: - No winner
Someone living in the USA:- J B Robert
Someone living in Australia: - M Jones
Someone living elsewhere in the world:- B Neezen

All winners have been notified and should now have received their prize.
Regards
Richard Thorn



From Gadepalli Subrahmanyam gsmani174@gmail.com

While the opportunity to interact with fellow Shutists is exciting, there are two difficulties for us - or for me  at least. 

First of course, the travel expenses, which are considerable from India to either America or
 England or Australia.
Second is the difficulty of pronunciation, though basically Queen's English, enunciation of each country is different. I spent a couple of six month spells in New Zealand, and every third word spoken by me or my new acquaintance had to be repeated. Of course the spoken language is easily acquired if there is continuity and more important, necessity.
Perhaps this is the reason, I prefer browsing through 'many times read' N.S. Books, alone.
All the best to participants that will be able to enjoy the sessions.


From Ralph A. Nickerson nickerson_botswana@yahoo.co.uk

Regarding the March Newsletter:

Mr. MacDougall:
    Well, what a coincidence! I am currently re-reading, in my usual rather slow way, "So Disdained", after a gap of at least 50 years. And lovely stuff it is too - for early Shute - and no worse for being a trifle John Buchan-esqe. I'd forgotten nearly all the details, which makes it no less pleasant to read again - except, oddly, some of Peter Moran's problems flying that big, strange machine from Sussex to N. Italy.
    Your information on Shute's time on the Isle of Grain, parachute flares and engine silencers I found of much interest; when one appreciates an author/authoress as much as I appreciate that Master story-teller NSN, such background all adds to the pleasure.  As does generally sharing with others the interest and pleasure of his tales. In a world rich with great writers, Shute has his niche - and may he never be "disdained".
    And you read your first Shute in 1944? Amazing! You must be of a venerable age indeed. My introduction was via "A Town Like Alice", being a 16th birthday present from a kindly Aunt; that was in 1958...
    That world of Moran and Lenden, now a long 90 years ago, is beginning to look a little quaint, even to us older codgers.  And yet, since I've myself had shortish spells employed on private estates in Hants and Sussex, I can vouch that the typical atmosphere on such an estate, as evoked by Shute is - spot on. As for the love interest in "Disdained", I confess I'm still romantic and daft enough to be touched by that between Moran and his Sheila (with a capital S!).
    All the best to you, Mr. M., to the memory of that Master of story-telling, and to those gathered world-wide who appreciate his legacy.


From Alison Jenner alisonjenner@yahoo.com
 
Dear Shutists, 
This enquirer suggests a book with the storyline:

“pacifist camping on English coast meets German invaders”

is a Shute novel. I’ve told her that it’s not a Shute plot but that I’ll ask newsletter members whether they recognise it as by another writer.

Begin forwarded message:
From: Mary Lee
Date: 1 April 2018

Subject: Remembered book
I am 80 years old. Started reading Shute, as did my mother, in my early teens. I remember one in which a pacifist camping on English coast meets German invaders. He is indifferent until one throws one of his books into  his campfire. Was this one of his stories? If so what was the title ?
 Thanks for your time,   MLLD

Editor: If you know, please let us know at newsletter@nevilshute.org. I'm sure that more of our members are interested.

FROM THE EDITOR Another month has passed. There are two events this month that you could attend. The Symposium in the USA and the book reading in the Netherlands. I will be at the Dutch event and am looking forward to that.

From the Netherlands where it is spring, see you all next month.