Looking forward to listening to my friend, Ray Foulk, on the REUNION  talking about the Isle of Wight Festivals (1968-1970.)  Ray was one of my early Oxford Castaways . Editor Tim Metcalfe titled it ‘My Beautiful Careers.’ I was honoured to compere the launch of Ray’s book ‘Stealing Dylan from Woodstock’ in Blackwell Oxford. (Written with his daughter Caroline) His fellow Oxford Castaway, Weimin He, sketched the event . Ray has come to all my book launches and I appreciate his generous reviews. He is  a co – founder of the Oxford Indie Book Fair. You can meet him at the fair on Sunday November22 in the Examination Schools https://www.oxfordindiebookfair.co.uk

I wrote about his books  for The Oxford Times : Stealing Dylan OLE MAY

 

Ray and I first met on a screen writing course. Here are his reviews of my novels which  he awarded 5 out of 5 stars.
Everyone should read this book
22 March 2016 on Amazon.
I haven’t done much work today because I could not put this page-turner down. As I reached the end just one thought dominated: “Everyone should read this book”. The modern history of this huge chunk of humanity should be of interest to us all and Sylvia Vetta’s historical novel not only provides an account of that uniquely complex society, it does so in a remarkably entertaining, compassionate and economical way. No one I’ve ever come across has managed to tell the story of modern Chinese politics, arts and society in so accessible, imaginative and compelling a fashion. – Now I must try and catch up with my work. RAY FOULK

‘Sculpting the Elephant ‘ I loved it.

Tackling the difficulty of cross-cultural relationships is delicately nuanced. Not a clichéd view of the subject but written from the heart and of great personal experience. The backdrop of art and antiques is also appropriate, marrying the hero’s keen interest in Western modern pottery (Wedgewood’s Keith Murray’s sombre architectural forms) and the exotic vibrant colour and intricacies of art in India. All is set against the historical backdrop of the life and times of a ninetieth century Western explorer of the subcontinent contrasting with the contemporary adventures on the same trail. Warmly recommended.