… I’ve got a book festival to attend. The Portsoy Book Festival, to be precise. It was something I was invited to do months ago, but I did think of cancelling when tongue surgery left me with a voice that sounded a bit like something from a Muppet version of The Elephant Man. Happily, week by week, my speech is improving and I’m looking at that Portsoy date – 8th March – as a personal challenge. Just in case, though, I’ve made some calls to a few radio chums and asked them if I can borrow their voices for five minutes. I’ve asked them to record some extracts from The Red Light Zone, so if I get a bit tongue-tied on the day, I can hit the play button on my laptop and give myself and the audience a break. It’s times like this when you appreciate the support of your friends. Frankly I’ve been blown away with the messages of love and congratulations I received when I posted the latest news about my condition on Facebook this weekend. Great news it was too. No spread of the cancer to my lymph nodes, so no need for radiation therapy. In fact, the consultant confirmed, I am now officially cancer free. Imagine that! I was diagnosed on the 12th of December and officially cured on the 15th of February. How’s that for a super National Health Service?
So, it’s back to the keyboard now and continuing work on my next book. I’ll be revealing a bit about that at Portsoy and, thinking ahead, I did manage to record an extract from that before I went into hospital. There might even be a musical interlude of sorts too because, as part of my speech therapy, I’ve been singing Sinatra songs every morning to get my newly reconditioned tongue moving. Unsurprisingly, I don’t sound anything like ol’ Blue Eyes . Not yet, anyway. Give me another few weeks.
Be great to see you in Portsoy. If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.
Jeff's Zones 