I am not a professional editor but have published 7 books and

attended many literary festivals, meeting fellow writers and sharing

experiences.

During my years as a country vet in Underberg, Kelvin asked me to

do some work on his cattle. Afterwards we had coffee and he showed

me two pieces of writing he had done. When I’d finished, my coffee was

cold. And I was stunned.

One sheaf was inarguably the finest piece of travel journalism I

have ever read! He had gone into the family’s farm kitchen in East

Griqualand. His mum and dad were enjoying their customary morning

cuppa. “Dad, please could I take the Land Rover for a while? I’d like to

drive to Ethiopia.” The pages were filled with wonderful descriptions

of, and emotions generated by, this the Dark Continent. Humour

abounded. His raw style added to the character of his trip. A tasteful

description of his dalliance with a pretty young American hitch-hiker

between Livingstone and Nairobi. And of course his eye for the wonders

of nature.

The other, a shorter piece of writing, described an experience he

had had during his spell in London – included in this book – after

his Scottish professional rugby season. He described with (and I can’t

find, even with the use of a Thesaurus, the ideal word) “incredible

skill?” his “trip” under the influence of some or other drug. THC LSD

perhaps. Gobsmacked is a hackneyed word today. But by jingo those two

pages left me truly gobsmacked; not only of his experience, but by the

masterful literary skill in describing it.

I urged him to write, write and write. His accidents and medications,

he said, had slowed his mental acuity and writing something serious

was out of his capabilities. Then, years later, he presented me with a few

chapters of this, his proposed autobiography. I was thrilled to be invited

to “give it a going-over.” What I read was good, very darned good.

Kelvin’s book covers some hitherto avoided published subjects of life

in the last quarter of the 20th century, and of the current millennium.

We are both bloody-minded fellows so have decided to give this book a

go – as the rugby boys say – “balls to the wall!”

Firstly are the changes that a previously-advantaged white-skinned

boy with only black-skinned childhood mates experienced while having

to adapt to the “New Democratic South Africa”. The book shows,

during his years abroad, his accepting black-skinned people as equals.

There is a plethora of writings from our hitherto disadvantaged South

African countrymen, so from the “other side of the fence” this version is

important.

In a full chapter towards the back of his book, Kelvin writes his

feelings about what he sees as the political tragedies this his beloved

country have undergone – and still are undergoing– under the ANCgone-

wrong.

His unabridged descriptions of a) his love life in his rumbustious

years as a testosterone-filled Adonis, and b) his spells in rehabilitation

clinics and hospitals are stunning in their humility and honesty.

He covers a season of his life when intrigue shrouds his rubbing

shoulders with friends-of-friends and he hints at perhaps uncovering a

plot to assassinate one of Africa’s most hated tyrants. Intriguing indeed.

Far too many editors destroy the guts of a manuscript by applying

“proper” grammar and removing crude terms, descriptions, and

damning admissions. These editors attempt to stamp their own

disposition on a book. I refuse to do this because such arrogance

destroys the writer’s character, and Kelvin’s character is – in my humble

opinion – what this most unusual book is all about! Mmm, yes, unique!

Tod Collins

Underberg; August 2021