Synchronised sprinting is a proposed Olympic team event of a given distance. Mates aim not to beat each other but to match their times, action and form. There’s a heat for each team. A third of the score is for speed; they can’t just slow down to make synchrony easier. A third goes to the smallest total deviation of their noses from the finish line. The last third is judged—for resemblance, smoothness and artistry in the sprints. This will require extensive practice once the best common time is found, which may change during the season as skills change. An objection is that the speed can’t be any faster than that of the slowest sprinter, so will unfairly favour large schools and Jamaica. But speed is only part of the score so can be beat. Another objection: top sprinters are unlikely to compete if it interferes with their singles prep. I suggest otherwise, that treating their running like a dance might make it more fluid and eventually faster than with pure relentless strain. Think of Muhammed Ali and Roger Federer. The spooner above is just a coined re-definition of the sport— an excuse to present this fun proposal.
Today we talk about Haywire Way Higher, a book by Anil published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Anil to get to know him better, what was the moment that brought him to the writing of his book Haywire Way Higher, as well as how he defines his writing style.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- What was the moment that prompted you to the writing of your book?
Spoonerisms have long been of interest and I developed a list of original (non-Google) examples. When I reviewed the collection, I realised I had enough to serve as the skeleton of a book, to be embellished with my usual silly essays and micro-stories.
- What characteristics your audience should have to appreciate your book?
An enjoyment of wordplay, puns, nonsense and frivolity. It might help to share or tolerate my liberal bias.
- How would you describe your writing style?
Piecemeal collections of researched wordplay humour based on constrained writing such as lipograms, e.g., whole novels without using the letter E. Constraints not only add fun and challenge to my writing but also frequently turn up ideas I’d have never thought of ‘sober’. Constraints I’ve used include Spoonerisms in the present work, monorhymes (uni-verses) in three volumes (two Silly Animal Rhymes and Stories and 101 Animal Universes), and surprising etymological relationships in two volumes of Strange Bedfellows.
- How did you choose the title of your book?
It was easily the most apt and cutest of my many Spoonerisms to describe this wacky collection aimed to take the reader higher with amusement.
- Are you working on a new writing project you can tell us about?
Yes, I’ve nearly finished a humour and wordplay book, a commercial satire posing as a catalogue of the many odd over-priced products available from Dr. Duck’s Dealy Deli (the title), a deli that grew into a huge superstore. Dr. Duck or Dock, its proprietor, is an arch-capitalist yet old buddy of the arch-liberal author Anil. It’s not a narrative but they and other recurring characters pepper the stories and essays of this and my previous books, giving them a degree of continuity. Included are Jo, an editor and fellow liberal, and Fred, Jo’s off and on boyfriend and a dole bludger like Anil but non-political. Ms. Dr. Duck and Dr. Duckling, their son, also appear occasionally. Dr. Duckling is a spoiled brat who represents a ‘nowhere’ youth of today. Ms. Dr. Duck is a baker and the deli’s bookkeeper. Muse, a spirit being and Anil’s closest friend, is revealed as the actual ‘ghost’ author of his books as well as being a sometime character in them.
Europe Books thanks the author Anil once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book Haywire Way Higher. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my dear reader, may this book amuse you, interest you and give you some food for thought to reflect upon.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is enjoy your reading!
Your editor!