.......

Fast index

Hard Luck

Jack & Sarah

 Year of the Jaguar

Nothing but Trouble

 Slow Train to Hanoi

James in Cambodia and Laos

email: james(at)m2.ph.man.ac.uk

The fly leaf of my first book "Hard Luck" (1986) gives all the essential details of my life and career:

James Maw was born in 1957 in the Cray Valley Nursing Home, Kent, now a smallpox isolation hospital. After a brief period as a hymn writer, 'Oh little Sheep why face so bleak?' (1962-3), James completed his first play Am I not the King, Wentworth? (1964), detailing the last moments of Charles I, and especially the head-chopping-off in particular. After a period of comparative obscurity at a state junior school at which he wrote Have Them All Out, documenting the long-running battle with his teeth, his second play, Bedlam, was produced at the Edinburgh Festival by his classmates in 1975. In 1980, Milktrane, a musical drama, was produced at the Old Vic in London. 1981 saw Maw receive a third-class degree in English from the University of York. A career as actor and TV presenter followed but after the absolute failure of his third major play, Barque, in Edinburgh in 1981, a second period of comparative obscurity ensued, during which Hard Luck, his first comic novel, was written, in Penury, in Bloomsbury and Northolt. Maw now lives in Manchester on the site of the Peterloo massacre.
Since the book was published in 1986, I have moved to Brighton.

My next published work was the book of the film "Jack and Sarah", which came out in 1995 and is available in paperback from all booksellers.

My novel "Year of the Jaguar", provoked by my travels in Mexico. was published in October 1996.

I made a fraught trip to Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil and Peru and the book of shock of the horror is called "Nothing But Trouble". It was published in May 1998.

I have just returned from a fraught trip to Vietnam and China and the next book of shock of the horror will be out next year.....................

On the journey, I was able to shoot some interesting video footage and this was put together for a TV show "Slow Train to Hanoi" which was shown on UK Style in December 98 and January 99.

James in Cambodia and Laos

In 1999, I went to Cambodia where I rebuilt some village libraries. 4000 books were shipped to Cambodia and taken up river by jeep. Again, I filmed the progess and the result was shown in the "Crewless" series on UK Style, in a50 min programme called "On the Shelf in Cambodia". 

Here is an e-mail log as I travelled:

Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 16:38:59 +0100
From: Sabatini <pip(at)mail.hep.man.ac.uk>
To: james(at)m2.ph.man.ac.uk
Subject: where are you now?
Dear James,
Do you remember me?
I used to be your cat.
I havn't heard from you in a long time even though you have an email
account.  I hope you have a safe journey to Cambodia.
Will you be flying over Cat-mandu, Purr-sia, Miau-lasia or Singa-paw?
These are places I always wanted to visit, not to mention Paw-tugal, Wisker-onsin,
County Furr-managh.
The only place I was ever invited to was Kenya many years ago when they
wanted me to join the Miau-miau terrorists.
Yours
Pip



From:	Lotus Temple Communications Business Center
[mailto:lotus@worldmail.com.kh] <mailto:[mailto:lotus@worldmail.com.kh]> 
Sent:	Friday, May 28, 1999 11:08 AM
To:	Sally.Marsden@BakerNet.com <mailto:Sally.Marsden@BakerNet.com> 
Subject:	Re: FAO John Mcgeoghan

     James attack? the guys a fecking maniac, but I am having a lot of fun!
He's having a lot of fun too (too much to mention) let's just say that he may be
the first foreigner in history to be deported from Cambodia.  He has a shit load
of messages waiting for him here Sally and I doubt very much if he'll get
anywhere near this computer. 
     Anything that you want me to pass on to him?
     John

____________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject:	FAO John Mcgeoghan
	Author:  <Sally.Marsden@BakerNet.com <mailto:Sally.Marsden@BakerNet.com>
> at INTERNET
Date:	5/26/99 9:48 PM


How are you surviving a James attack. Please ask him to email me. Thanks Sally




Sent:	Thursday, June 24, 1999 9:40 
PMTo:	Sally.Marsden@BakerNet.com 
<mailto:Sally.Marsden@BakerNet.com> 
Subject:	Re: FAO John McGeoghan
Dear Sally,
     I was really sad not to see you the other week. Never mind. I have
attempted to e-mail you before this but always co-incided with a powercut. They
seem to have cleared up now that we have a brief respite from the rains.  
I've had a very jolly time but, my God, radio and television at the same
time is hard work. I've made some great trips up north, though. I went off with
the Halo Trust defusing rockets and mortars and mines on the Thai border. I wore
the same outfit as Princess Diana and looked rather fetching, I thought. 
I'm doubtful that I'll make anything more than a flying visit to Laos.
The programme here in Cambodia has turned out to be so much better than I had
ever contemplated. So much so that I've lost the fire to make another film in
Laos, which, quite frankly isn't much of a story after this one. I'm also pretty
physically exhausted. I've been sick almost every day I've been here. I fell off
the back of a motorbike last week and now have a buggered up back (cracked rib?)
and my left leg has gone lame and swollen up. If it doesn't improve by tommorow
I'm going to go and see the vet. (I don't trust the doctors -they're just as
likely to proscribe three prayers to the Budha, sleeping with my boots on and a
quick shot of snake's piss).
       However, I'm very jolly and the show's a cracker. I don't know how much
longer I'll be here, I fancy that time is running out on me, and the sands of
cash have well and truly trickled through the egg timer.
       I want to hear all about your new house. And why are you going to Hanoi?
Another jolly, love? Keep me posted.
       All my love,
       JAMES
P.S. I've lost my beer belly. If you see it on your travels can I have it
back please?
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject:	FAO John McGeoghan
Author:  <Sally.Marsden@BakerNet.com 
<mailto:Sally.Marsden@BakerNet.com>
> at INTERNET
Date:	6/24/99 1:25 PM

John, is James still with you? Have you survived? What tales to tell?!! I will
be in Hanoi, from 30.6-4.7 If either of you are that way. I will be staying at
the metropole. Love sal