It is an odd thing but in bad times (like these) the book trade becomes busier than ever. This has been the experience of my friend Nick Walker who runs Australian Scholarly Publishing and he tells me ‘the demand for services we modestly provide seems to grow.’

I believe him. Covid has given me the opportunity to make a small contribution to his workload and hence to the book trade in general. A few blocks away from me my mate Mike Rosel has had one Covid- time book published (about his war hero father at Tobruk) and has another in the works. It would be interesting to learn how many people in the circulation area of this publication have produced – or are currently writing – memoirs, biographies, maybe a novel.

In my own case Covid presented the opportunity to devote several hours every day to researching the life of Peter Ryan, war hero, book publisher, acclaimed writer. The result is Ryan’s Luck: A life of Peter Ryan MM. (Arcadia). Ryan, who died in 2015 at the age of 92, was a truly remarkable Australian. As a 19- year- old soldier he was awarded the Military Medal for his work behind Japanese lines in New Guinea during World War 2.

On his return to Australia (and not yet 21) Ryan wrote Fear Drive My Feet, recognised as perhaps Australia’s finest war memoir. In a long life of achievement, controversy and mischief he was Director of Melbourne University Press for 26 years, an Officer of the Supreme Court of Victoria and an outspoken newspaper and magazine columnist. I knew Peter Ryan in the final decades of his long life and liked him enormously. He was very helpful to me on an earlier project involving his great friend the journalist and academic Creighton Burns. 

Peter Ryan at MUP

For a long time now I have been convinced of the importance of always having a “project” underway; at least one. It certainly gives added purpose and focus to daily life. It would be premature to report what my current project entails. But it is certainly keeping me occupied during the latest phase of covid with all its irritations and restrictions. 

Author -  John Tidey