Phil Butler

I can't stop telling stories, so I've tried my hand at writing books, the first of which is The Living Time. It was popular amongst some family members, reducing them to tears. It provides a rich seam of tales from the past for my budding career as a novelist.

I have finished editing the manuscript of my first novel about forbidden love. It is a gay romance and historical drama, set in the particularly turbulent decade of 1910-1920, in London, Fontainebleau in France, Whangārei and Auckland in New Zealand, with stopovers in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.

It is with the publisher, Mary Egan Publishing, after going through countless edits. The author, Rosetta Allan, and Mary Egan assessed it. Both gave it a tick. The author, Nikki Crutchley, edited it, and finally, I did too. The title of the book is Something About These Men. It is a great read. Women will love it, especially the women in the story who stand tall. Men who enjoy the company of men will relate to the story of love. Readers who want to read about the colonial world will be surprised by the revelations. Finally, all readers, no matter their persuasion, will discover what it is to live in a world that provides very little oxygen and regards you as an abomination.

 

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The Living Time and The World Beyond

The Living Time is a yarn about families that have contributed to my DNA. It is about an emerging middle class in NZ living first in Hokitika and then Wellington in the 1890's and early 1900's. War comes visiting and kills brothers, cousins and sons. Their stories are tragic and very public. The yarn also focuses on the women in the families - strong personalities limited primarily by society's expectations and norms. The twist in the book is that at the end of each chapter the ancestors meet in The World Beyond and review what is written about them. There is a copy of the book in the Westland Libray and the National Library. A taste of what is in it can be found on www.westcoast.recollect.co.nz - search on the name Greville ( my maternal grandmothers name) and start with the Album The Greville Girls.