Paul Walters

7 tahun yang lalu · 3 menit. waktu membaca · 0 ·

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Writing Words That Strain And Fail To Rhyme.

Writing Words That Strain And Fail To Rhyme.


Why is it that writer’s come to Bali to pen a novel, a poem or a memoir?

I simply don’t know, is the answer for me, but I find myself spending upwards of ten months a year in this paradise, putting pen to paper with varying results.


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Is it something in the air? The soothing trade winds that blow from July to November? The scenery? Or is it simply the wonderful nature of the people who provide the inspiration?

Each author has his or her own reasons, but whatever they are, Bali has been the setting and the venue for some remarkable books down the years.

Apart from some of the stunning local literature and Eisman’s, insightful ‘Bali Sekala & Niskala’, books from some of the ex pats that have settled here, have told their stories and their times on this island well well.


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William Ingram’s, “ A Little Bit One o’ Clock’ is a classic view of living with a Balinese family and is a must for anyone settling here. The easy flowing text gives the reader a unique insight, from a foreigner’s point of view of how the locals live out their days.

Who can forget Colin McPhees classic, “ A House In Bali,” the Canadian musician who introduced the magic of Gama lung to the west in the1930s. This little novel is a gentle tale of the land that Nehru referred to as “ the morning of the world and a classic tale of life lived in a different age.


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Or indeed, Louise G. Kote’s “ Our hotel in Bali”, written in 1936 when Kuta was but a poor fishing village, a far cry from today’s traffic chocked region of the island so beloved by hard drinking Australian tourists!

The trend of writers creating magic on the page has never stopped when one thinks of Janet De Neefs “Fragrant Rice,” a tale of passion, marriage and food, published in 2003 and a wonderful follow up to her ‘Stern Men’ from 2000.

Bali has lured writers, painters and indeed all associated with the arts to its shores like a siren calling from the sea. However, not all, methinks should be chaired around the island shoulder high. For my money, Elizabeth Gilbert’s “ Eat, Pray, Love, “ went a long way towards ruining Bali’s reputation.


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This trite novel of one privileged woman’s quest for self –discovery, while at the same time romanticizing poverty and oohing and aahing over the locals was quite frankly embarrassing.

There are now scores of women from the west who flock to Bali to emulate Gilbert’s so called  “enlightenment,” with their expressions serene, their caftans expensive and their luggage Louis Vuitton.

Some of these devotees are themselves embarking on a tome or two, cataloguing their mystic experiences. One secretly hopes that these aspiring scribes lose interest in the novel and restrict their tales to their private journals. Bali surely does not exist solely so the rest of us can seek pleasure and find our true deep selves? Perhaps a better title for Ms Gilbert’s tome should have been “ Eat, Pray Leave!”


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For me it is the pioneering writers like De Neef whom I admire the most.

Apart from being a whizz in the kitchen, raising four children, running two restaurants with her husband Ketut and crashing out the odd novel, she managed to dream up an event like the International Ubud Writers Festival. (In conjunction with Heather Curnow.) This extremely successful festival was started in an attempt to lure visitors back to the island after the tragic bombings of 2002.


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This now well-established forum is a testament to the lure of Bali and an inspiration for would be novelists from around the globe.

If this is the sort of writer that Bali produces it is certainly her whom I wish most to emulate!

This brings me full circle to the beginning of this piece about what it is that attracts writers to this Island.

(And now for a little shameless self -promotion.)

In 2010 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend four months on Bali while my wife fulfilled a lecturing contract,

I had had an idea for a book and, with nothing to occupy myself, I decided to finally ‘have a go’. Thirty- Nine days later Final Diagnosis was written!

How could this be? Where did the daily inspiration come from?  I still ask myself that question as, at the time the words poured from me like water from a gushing tap. The two follow up novels, Blowback and Counterpoint have needed a touch of Bali when they faltered and stumbled in other climes. 


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The next book was begun in Canada and stumbled along like a drunken guest at a wedding and I tried several other locations including South Africa and New Zealand with not much success. And so I returned to Bali and within a month Scimitar was winging its way to the publishers.

So in essence I am not sure what it is that inspires the writer here, but whatever it is, I will keep coming back for more!

Paul v Walters is the best selling author of several novels and anthologies of short stories. When not cocooned in sloth and procrastination in his house in Bali he scribbles for several international travel and vox pop journals. His latest novel Scimitar was released in late 2016.

(The Title is part of Paul Simon’s, Kate’s Song)


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Komentar

Paul Walters

7 tahun yang lalu #14

Federico \ud83d\udc1d \u00c1lvarez San Mart\u00edn Great to hear...I tire seeing that woman sitting in front of a BMW

Paul Walters

7 tahun yang lalu #13

#15
hello Ms leslie, nice to see you on beBEE

Ken Boddie

7 tahun yang lalu #12

#10
I have indeed been to Sri Lanka, Paul, but way too many years ago, not long after I graduated (and when Adam was still looking for apples). I had occasion to dig out my old slides a few weeks ago and sent some copies to my daughter and her husband who are currently playing tourist there. The thing that impressed me most about Sri Lanka (other than your pristine no rubbish setting) was the antiquity of a culture with which I had no exposure whatsoever in my limited and western-biased UK upbringing (some would say drag-upping). Although I visited many locations, the most lasting memory for me was Sigiriya and its surroundings; and my daughter has brought these memories back, just a few days ago, with her smart phone messaged captures. I hope you enjoy your stay in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Paul, and I look forward to seeing and reading, in due time, your take (via your usual well-illustrated buzz) on Ceylonese culture and its people.

Paul Walters

7 tahun yang lalu #11

#10
Ken Boddie Why thank you Mr Boddie and a double thank you for taking the time to read one of my books. When you visit be careful if staying with us as indeed I did study the ways of blood spatter and smallpox! As you say, Bali is basically an unexplored region as our Aussie 'guests ' rarely venture beyond the town of Kuta preferring to stay there and disgrace themselves while watching football beamed in from Oz. best they stay there. We live away from the "dark side' in Sanur a far more genteel setting and quiet ( people refer to it as Sanore) I am still in Sri lanka and really Bali and Indonesia as a whole could take a leaf out of this country's book . The place is pristine with absolutely NO litter anywhere . Its as if the Sri lankans adore their environment and respect it by keeping it clean! Having said that, after the end of the civil war just five years ago and post tsunami there seems to be a rush to through up gaudy tourist developments ....tourism has its down side . However if you do get a chance to visit, do so as methinks you will love it!

Paul Walters

7 tahun yang lalu #10

#11
Savvy Raj once again thank you for your kind words

Ken Boddie

7 tahun yang lalu #9

I am glad, Paul , that you find the peace and inspiration you need when you are residing in Bali. I certainly enjoyed reading 'Scimitar' and am happy that whatever inspiration you received in Bali drove you on to complete this gripping and thrilling novel, although I must admit (as jokingly stated previously) that your depth of knowledge on 'blood splatter' has me somewhat worried. Personally, my visits to the beautiful island of Bali, although experienced as a frequent visitor and not a long term resident, have been more than occasionally tainted with disappointment and often embarrassment. This is not with the Balinese people or the island itself, but with a high proportion of overseas tourists (including a more than representative fraction of Aussies) who ignore the unique Balinese culture and traditions and expect to dress and behave as they would back home, or even openly misbehave, with no thought to local offence or, when appropriate, retribution. Being married to an Indonesian lady and having spent much time in Indonesian society, albeit mostly Javanese and Sumatran rather than Balinese, I am particularly sensitive to the effects of foreigners misbehaving. It is such a pity that so many visitors (not only in Bali but elsewhere in Indonesia) do not go beyond the surf, shops, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. By failing to learn just what an interesting and different cultural experience awaits those keen to embrace it, and by failing to invest in some restraint and respect, these good time short time visitors miss out on seeing the local people at their best, as they return this respect tenfold. This begs the question, Paul, are authors like Gilbert more exploitive rather than respectful and giving in their relationship with Bali and the Balinese?

Paul Walters

7 tahun yang lalu #8

#2
Bill Stankiewicz C'mon down to the tropics , we have plenty of room and the beers cold !!!!

Paul Walters

7 tahun yang lalu #7

#6
Oh so quick ms Williams

Paul Walters

7 tahun yang lalu #6

#5
Yup Dean Owen John Lennon....???? how did that happen ?

Dean Owen

7 tahun yang lalu #5

Sheesh! I can't share it to https://www.facebook.com/CafebeBee as it shows up with a picture of John Lennon! Federico \ud83d\udc1d \u00c1lvarez San Mart\u00edn

Dean Owen

7 tahun yang lalu #4

Well the Balinese weather sure beats the weather in the Province! Thirty nine days! Well that is impressive! Perhaps your next book will be Eat, Cremate, Inhale? Thanks for the book list! Certainly a list of books that I tend to gobble up all the time.

Gert Scholtz

7 tahun yang lalu #3

Paul Walters Looks like Bali is also the font of your varied and wonderful beBee posts! Must be that Cape background that finally surfaced :)

Bill Stankiewicz

7 tahun yang lalu #2

I want to go to Bali , maybe in next few years, Paul.

Kevin Pashuk

7 tahun yang lalu #1

This does make me want to add Bali to the bucket list Paul. One thought... Methinks you may have been in the wrong part of Canada if you felt like a drunken guest at a wedding vis a vis inspiration. One must get out of the urban areas... the inspiration is palpable, as long as you don't get eaten by a bear.

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