Yeti tales inspired by Chichester memories!

It comes from Rupert Bacon, age 65, who lives on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall.

“You may think, ‘Why does a man living in deepest darkest Cornwall set the story in Sussex?’ That’s quite simple; I was supposed to be born there. Being a fortnight late meant the family had moved to Kent but we soon returned such that all my childhood memories are of Sussex; Sidlesham to be precise. Not that for my teenage years we were elsewhere again. We’d moved up north to Wiltshire. We couldn’t keep away for long though and I lived out my 20s in Charlton nestled in the South Downs. My first jobs were all based in the Chichester area. All this means I have very fond memories of Sussex. It seemed fitting to base the story there as a sort of thank you to all the long-lost friends of those far distant days.

“It’s always hard to know why stories pop into my head. Occasionally they appear complete from start to finish. More often they have only a vague pattern of adventures and events forming. Once in a while I just get a title flash before me and then I do have to work at building something around it but even then the stories often write themselves.

“This one is, as the title suggests, about a yeti. I’ve always had a fascination with these elusive creatures and it just occurred to me that there must be a reason they never get properly seen even though their existence is irrefutable. This story is a vehicle for my ideas as to why they are invisible. Other than this nature study concept, I cannot say I consciously planned the book very thoroughly but then experience tells me it just isn’t a worthwhile expenditure of energy.

“Once my pen starts scrawling its way across my bundles of scrap paper, the characters take over and situations simply develop. The plots are out of my control. It is often the case that I end up having not the faintest idea as to how the story will end until the denouement appears, as if by magic, and I’m able to breathe a sigh of relief. As to appeal, who could resist a seven-foot tall hairy creature coming into their lives?

“I just felt the yeti species needed a bit of friendly publicity. Too many people in the past have made them out to be monsters – think abominable snowman as a name tag. That doesn’t sound a particularly kind sobriquet. Hopefully this book will do wonders for their public image.

“The book is described by the publishers as being suitable for children. That’s fair enough but I would narrow it down a bit to say middle-aged children. The younger end might struggle as I don’t tend to simplify grammar or steer clear of long words but there again, parents can always read to their young offspring. Older teenagers, on the other hand, might feel the plots and concepts are embarrassingly beneath them – they'll grow out of it. Oddly enough I hope the books will also appeal to grown-ups, especially those that love Sussex and are young at heart. My reasoning is that I myself am one of those strange people, at the age of 65, who prefer borrowing children’s books from the library rather than adult ones. The plots are so much more exciting than adult stories seeing as children’s authors seem to let their imaginations go and don’t let things like lack of logic, laws of science, and mere facts to get in the way of their plots.”