Victor Gollancz has just reissued my trilogy 'The Navigator Kings' in an omnibus edition. This work, which contains an enormous amount of research, visiting Fiji, Tahiti, Aitutaki and (twice) Raratonga and talking to oral historians, as well as delving into books on Polynesian navigation and sailing techniques, I believe to be the best of my efforts. It is a strange conception, I admit. I do a geographical juggle, exchanging Britain for New Zealand, so that when the Polynesians finally invade 'the land of mists' their vessels land on the shores of Scotland (the main protagonist being a Celt). The story is jam-packed with Polynesian myth and legends, and indeed, folk lore. They have their giants, fairies and dwarves; their strange islands inhabited by strange beings; their fantastic voyages (some of which were real) and their gods, demi-gods and ancestral heroes. I'm very proud of the trilogy and hope it gives some enjoyment to readers. It gave me a lot of joy researching and writing it, learning about the peoples of Oceania and the way of life.

On a different subject completely, I'm not sure whether it's because I always (according to Annette) have my head in the clouds, or whether the years are telling on me, but I've had one or two aberrations lately. One I've spoken of before: we were in the car and Annette was telling me something which I had difficulty in hearing, so I automatically reached out for the car radio volume control so that I could hear her better. Two is more recent: I was watching a local team play football when one of them scored a goal. I stood for a few seconds waiting for the slow-motion replay. 

Yes indeed, I think my dependence on modern inventions is beginning to overwhelm my common sense.