20th anniversary of the Pavarotti Music Centre

 

September 2017 will be the 20th anniversary of the setting up of the Pavarotti Music Centre. It will also mark the 10th anniversary of Pavarotti's death. As first director of the PMC, I am hoping that we will mark the date with an affirmation of his words when he said:

' If music is central to a person’s life, it can be something very special and life-affirming. The Music Centre was built for the children – I can only hope that making music helps in the healing process and that it will bring joy to the children of Mostar for many, many years to come.’ 

Watch this space 

Kentish Towner and Left Field

My article about War Child now online at Kentish Towner And the audio version of Left Field is now available as audio version on Amazon, iTunes and Audible

Pavarotti Music Centre, Mostar. 30 years on

Last week was a good one for me with the publication of my Guardian whistleblower article. This week will be good because I am visiting Mostar and the Pavarotti Music Centre to stay with good friends and do research for Julie Etchingham and ITV's 'On Assignment filming there later this year. Going to meet some of the children she interviewed 20 years ago - now in their 30s. And me? Now in my 70s!

Guardian article: Whstleblowing in charities

Whistleblowing article in The Guardian

Left Field reviews

'Gasholder' review (see pic) will be online soon.  

David is an adventurer and a freethinker, who did something truly useful with his life - Brian Eno
David Wilson has lived a life and a half. The broken world needed people like David; it still does - Sir Tom Stoppard
What a life this man has led - Dorothy Byrne, Head of Channel 4 Documentaries
David's entire life has been dedicated to trying to make the world a better place - Craig Murray, ex-UK Ambassador



'Left Field' reviews

His shared heart wrenching observations are clearly a highlight of this richly textured, moving work … Raw and compelling; a story well told of a vital and varied life in a war-torn region Kirkus Reviews
From heavy drinking to launching a charity, David Wilson’s life story is an absorbing read Camden New Journal
Sometimes funny, often moving and occasionally tragic ... one of my top recent reads -Morning Star
'Left Field' is a thoughtful and gentle memoir. David’s obvious good nature and ability to connect with people is demonstrated over and over Socialist Review 

Watch the Left Field film

News for 2017 - Juliet Etchingham and ITV's 'On Assignment' will be visiting the Pavarotti Music Centre in September to film on the 20th anniversary of its opening

Left Field is published by Unbound, distributed by Penguin Books and available at Waterstones, Foyles, on Amazon and other retail websites

Whistles need Blowing

Whistles are for blowing ....We know the names Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning, Julian Assange. Forced exile, imprisonment and confinement. They are whistleblowers whose lives have suffered from attempting to better the human condition. I personally know a couple more; Ex-SAS trooper, Ben Griffin and former UK Ambassador, Craig Murray. Ben was persecuted for holding information about the UK military's collaboration with US torturers, Craig for wanting Jack Straw and his then Foreign Office employers to acknowledge that some allies in the 'war against terror' boil their prisoners alive. My respect for these people is great because, at a much lower level, I too was a whistleblower. I didn't suffer their fates, but was sacked from the NGO I had co-founded, and never employed again in that world. Even as an OAP, I was shocked to be refused work stuffing envelopes at an NGO whose work in the Middle East I had admired. When I have spoken out on political matters I have been told by that I must make it clear that I have nothing to do with my former charity. So I recommend Ian Cobain's article in the Guardian, (16 Feb 2016) about the Law Commissioners recent report suggesting a new law criminalising, not only those who disclose official information, but anyone “who obtains or gathers information”. If passed into law this will tighten up even further on the 1979 Official Secrets Act which the Liberal MP, Clement Freud said, “gives the attorney general more power than a bad man should have or a good man should need.” Of course this covers only the state sector, but as in my case, this thinking infects the wider world. Sadly in Trump-World we are going to need an army of Snowdens, Mannings, Assanges, Griffins and Murrays. You can read more about my experiences as a whistleblower in 'Left Field'

Personal battles of the man behind War Child

“From heavy drinking to launching a charity, David Wilson’s life story is an absorbing read” Camden New Journal reviews 'Left Field'

Earlier reviews:  Morning Star     Socialist Review     Kirkus Reviews 


Buy 'Left Field' for £13 (includes P&p) from Public Reading Rooms