Left Field comments: From Stoppard to Livingstone

SIR TOM STOPPARD: “David Wilson has lived a life and a half. The broken world needed people like David; it still does.”
  

BRIAN ENO: “This is an excellent and inspiring book.”

KEN LIVINGSTONE: “David Shows us how political activism on the Left should be: engaged, informed and passionate.

CRAIG MURRAY: (Ex-UK ambassador)  “David's entire life has been dedicated to trying to make the world a better place.”

 

   

DOROTHY BYRNE: (Head of News & Current Affairs, Channel 4 TV) “What a life this man has led.”

AMIR AMIRANI: (Director of We Are Many) “This memoir of a very colourful life is both entertaining and illuminating.”

 

 

 

 

“Sometimes funny, often moving and occasionally tragic .. one of my top recent reads"

“'Left Field' 'is a thoughtful and gentle memoir. David’s obvious goodnature and ability to connect with people is demonstrated over and over.”

Walter Wolfgang: (Vice President of Labour CND)"Left Field illuminates the problems facing those committed to achieving a just & peaceful world.”

 

Haifa Zangana: (Iraqi novelist, poet and activist) “A memoir where the personal is entwined with activism and woven into a poetic multi-coloured tapestry.” 

more comments here  

Buy 'Left Field' here

Left Field

Destruction, death, hatred and war, but also hope, life, love and peace. A true story that takes you into a world of anti-war marchers and war criminals, celebrity musicians and shady art dealers. It moves from galloping horses in Argentina to ethnic cleansers in Bosnia. Music is never far away – Muddy Waters mojo to The Rolling Stones street fighting man. A major theme - music as healer. You will meet Pavarotti and Clapton, Brian Eno, Bono and Bowie. Published by Unbound and to be distributed by Penguin. For an advanced copy of "Left Field' click here

London Launch of 'Left Field' - 5 May @ Waterstones, central London. (by invitation)

Mostar launch - 18 June @ Pavarotti Music Centre, Mostar, BiH

Watch Brian Eno interview David Wilson here

David Wilson's journey as a lifelong rebel began when his father, one of the first Allied doctors into Bergen-Belsen, showed him photos of the camp --- This terrifying awakening to fascism led him to become one of the youngest members of CND and a lifetime of political activism --- After fleeing public school he became a gaucho, teacher, art agent, filmmaker, war crime witness, aid worker and playwright --- As co-founder of War Child, he helped set up a mobile bakery that fed the starving people of Mostar --- His connection with the Balkans had started with a tempestuous marriage to a Croatian, and ended with his becoming first director of the Pavarotti Music Centre in Bosnia, helping those traumatised by war through its music therapy programmes --- Patrons included Pavarotti, David Bowie, Brian Eno and Tom Stoppard --- During his tenure at the Centre he blew the whistle on financial misconduct in the charity which was exposed by The Guardian and Channel 4 TV --- More recently he has been Press Officer at the Stop the War Coalition in London --- Left Field will find its readers amongst those who agitated with him in the 60s. It will also be important to today's generation of hopeful young people who are organising for a better and fairer world.

Watch: slideshow - a life in pictures

Left Field now on sale

Left Field can now be pre-ordered from Amazon , 

also:   Penguin Books, Waterstones, and iTunes

What they say about 'Left Field'

Sir Tom Stoppard - 'David Wilson has lived a life and a half. I was proud to play a minor role in War Child, an organisation in which David was inspirational. The broken world needed people like David then; it still does and it always will.'

Brian Eno - 'This is an excellent and inspiring book. David is an adventurer and a freethinker, who, despite the best efforts of an education designed to equip him for obedient anonymity, somehow did something truly useful with his life. His stubborn and yet self-effacing commitment to his ideals carried him through many daunting situations, and his sense of humour kept him able to see the funny side.'

Dorothy Byrne, Head of Channel 4 TV News and Current Affairs - 'What a life this man has led.'

David Hencke, former Guardian journalist & senior reporter at Exaro - 'This is the work of a determined guy who is prepared to expose fraud and injustice wherever he finds it.'

Mandla Langa, author of The Lost Colours of the Chameleon, winner of 2009 Commonwealth Prize - 'David Wilson is a national treasure.'

*******

Watch Brian Eno's interview with David here.

LEFT FIELD talks, summer 2016
South Bank Centre, 2 July

contact: david at davidwilson.org.uk

Left Field cover

Russell Mills has created a great cover for Left Field. I am honoured that he has produced such an outstanding design, as effective as those I've admired on his covers for Don DeLillo and Milan Kundera. 

Left Field is to be published by Unbound in March 2016. Funding has exceeded 100%, but there is still time to pre-order a copy & have your name acknowledged. To be a book angel, click here.

Cover design: Russell Mills 

Brian Eno interview here

Sample chapter here   

                                                                                          www.davidwilson.org.uk

Who are 'Left Field's' publishers?

My publishers, Unbound, are leading the way with a radical model for book publishing. Their founders, John Mitchinson, Justin Pollard and Dan Kieran turned partly to the music industry for inspiration. At the same time, they looked back to a much older model. "Subscription publishing is extremely old when it comes to books," Pollard told The Guardian here. "It's how Johnson's dictionary was published, as well as a large number of 18th- and 19th-century novels." As their first author, they recruited ex-Python Terry Jones, who pitched 'Evil Machines', a collection of dark, surreal stories. Jones was followed by Tibor Fischer, Jonathan Meades, Kate Mosse. You can check out how the Unbound system works here. Of course you can then pre-order your copy of 'Left Field' here.

News: Unbound has agreed a joint- venture deal with the Cornerstone division of Penguin Random House to distribute trade editions of its titles.

LEFT FIELD - 

Brian Eno: "This is an excellent and inspiring book. David's stubborn and yet self-effacing commitment to his ideals carried him through many daunting situations, and his sense of humour kept him able to see the funny side."— Dorothy Byrne,Head of Channel 4 TV News and Documentaries: "What a life this man has led!"— Russell Mills: “You’ve done so much, achieved so much, that is for the good, the right, the just, that to be asked to undertake the cover design for you, which may be considered a minor thing in the great scheme of things, is for me a bloody major thing”.—Sir Tom Stoppard: "David Wilson has lived a life and a half … the broken world needed people like David then; it still does and always will."—David Hencke, former Guardian Westminster correspondent: "This is the work of a determined guy who is prepared to expose fraud and injustice wherever he finds it."—Eugene Skeef, percussionist and collaborator with Steve Biko in Black Consciousness Movement: "A must-read by my comrade and brother David Wilson. Please spread the word and encourage your friends to buy and read David's memoir.”—Orhan Maslo (Oha): "One of the key people of my life has finished his book and it will soon be out. There is a chapter that describes the times we spent together. What good times we had while giving spirit to the Pavarotti Music Centre. This steered me to who I am and what I do today. Thank you David"—Gianni Scotto, Assoc Professor, University of Florence: “I was so surprised to hear the most insightful and radical political analysis of the conflict speaking with you.”—Sebastian Balfour, Emeritus Professor, LSE: “A vivid account of a life fought for justice, full of indignation and tenderness.—Mandla Langa, author of The Lost Colours of the Chameleon, and winner of 2009 Commonwealth Prize: "David Wilson is a national treasure."—Ed Victor literary agency: “Your relationship with your elderly father is described in such beautiful style that it would not be out of place from a literary novel by an established and seasoned author. The same goes for your childhood years at boarding school ... The 'Balkan years', including the bits where you fall in love with a Croat and the adventures of the mobile bakery could be from a historical thriller. The whole 'War Child' section could be an expose about the problems and hidden lives of charities, especially when they become powerful.”

BRIAN ENO INTERVIEW

UNBOUND SITE FOR 'LEFT FIELD'

Oha, Eugene Skeef & Tiffany Hughes

On Left Field ...

Brian Eno: "This is an excellent and inspiring book. David's stubborn and yet self-effacing commitment to his ideals carried him through many daunting situations, and his sense of humour kept him able to see the funny side."

Dorothy Byrne, Head of Channel 4 TV News and Documentaries: "What a life this man has led!"

Sir Tom Stoppard: "David Wilson has lived a life and a half … the broken world needed people like David then; it still does and always will."

David Hencke, former Guardian Westminster correspondent and part of Exaro team, presently exposing paedophilia in high places: "This is the work of a determined guy who is prepared to expose fraud and injustice wherever he finds it."

Eugene Skeef, percussionist and collaborator with Steve Biko in SA Black Consciousness Movement: "A must-read by my comrade and brother David Wilson. Please spread the word and encourage your friends to buy and read David's memoir.”

Orhan Maslo (Oha): "One of the key people of my life has finished his book and it will soon be out. There is a chapter that describes the times we spent together. What good times we had while giving spirit to the Pavarotti Music Centre. This was after my orphanage times and steered me to who I am and what I do today. Thank you David"

Manuela Beste, the first person to read draft of book: “This is surely going to be your core readership - the 1960's generation who grew up with you, agitated like you, still hold true to these struggles like you and today's new generation of angry, frustrated, hopeful young people who are organising for a better and fairer world ...I found the book interesting, moving, thought-provoking, instructive. It thoroughly held my attention .. I wish I could think in visual metaphors like you."

Gianni Scotto, Assoc Professor, University of Florence: “I was so surprised to hear the most insightful and radical political analysis of the conflict speaking with you.”

Sebastian Balfour, Emeritus Professor, LSE: “A vivid account of a life fought for justice, full of indignation and tenderness.

Mandla Langa, author of The Lost Colours of the Chameleon, and winner of 2009 Commonwealth Prize: "David Wilson is a national treasure."

Ed Victor literary agency: “Your relationship with your elderly father is described in such beautiful style that it would not be out of place from a literary novel by an established and seasoned author. The same goes for your childhood years at boarding school ... The 'Balkan years', including the bits where you fall in love with a Croat and the adventures of the mobile bakery could be from a historical thriller. The whole 'War Child' section could be an expose about the problems and hidden lives of charities, especially when they become powerful.”

(photo: Oha & Eugene with Tiffany Hughes, Mostar 1998)

Buy your copy of Left Field here

Stoppard, Margolyes and Eno have all bought this book

Tom Stoppard, Miriam Margolyes and Brian Eno have all bought their advance copies of "Left Field". Check out information on this memoir at Unbound and then why not join them?

What they are saying about Left Field

Brian Eno- "This is an excellent and inspiring book. David's stubborn and yet self-effacing commitment to his ideals carried him through many daunting situations, and his sense of humour kept him able to see the funny side."

Sir Tom Stoppard- "David Wilson has lived a life and a half … the broken world needed people like David then; it still does and always will."

Dorothy Byrne, Head of Channel 4 TV News and Documentaries - "What a life this man has led!"

Mandla Langa, author of The Lost Colours of the Chameleon, and winner of 2009 Commonwealth Prize - "David Wilson is a national treasure,"

David Hencke, former Guardian Westminster correspondent and part of Exaro team, presently exposing paedophilia in high places - "This is the work of a determined guy who is prepared to expose fraud and injustice wherever he finds it."

Eugene Skeef, "A must-read by my comrade and brother David Wilson. Please spread the word and encourage your friends to buy and read David's memoir.”

Orhan Maslo (Oha), "One of the key people of my life has finished his book and it will soon be out. There is a chapter that describes the times we spent together. What good times we had while giving spirit to the Pavarotti Music Centre. This was after my orphanage times and steered me to who I am and what I do today. Thank you David"

Manuela Beste, the first person to read draft MS, “This is surely going to be your core readership - the 1960's generation who grew up with you, agitated like you, still hold true to these struggles like you and today's new generation of angry, frustrated, hopeful young people who are organising for a better and fairer world ...I found the book interesting, moving, thought-provoking, instructive. It thoroughly held my attention .. I wish I could think in visual metaphors like you."

Sebastian Balfour, Emeritus Professor, LSE,

"A vivid account of a life fought for justice, full

of indignation and tenderness."

***********

Click this link to see video, read more about Left Field & pledge support http://unbound.co.uk/books/left-field

Click this link to see video interview with Brian Eno. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwslPeklwTo