One of the things you have to think about when a new book is coming out is to whom, if anyone, are you going to dedicate it. Sometimes the answer is obvious and easy. Sometimes it takes a bit more consideration.
So I thought I’d have a look back on the people I’ve dedicated my books to over the years, starting in this blog with just the books for OLDER READERS.
THE RUNNING MAN – 2004:
This one was pretty easy. My first book. There might not be another one. So I wanted to get all the most important people down – my immediate family. The Running Man reference was mainly about those often hidden things we all carry inside ourselves – our dreams, secrets, fears, hopes, desires, pains – whatever they might be.
DON’T CALL ME ISHMAEL – 2006:
Family with the first book, friends with the second. The ‘threats’ mentioned were the joking ones (I think!) that came from my friends after The Running Man was published and they didn’t get a mention in that dedication. That ‘friendship, love and laughter’ continues to this day. Just this week in fact we had a laughter-filled get together and amongst the group present were all of the people mentioned in the dedication.
ISHMAEL AND THE RETURN OF THE DUGONGS – 2007:
My wife’s father Ben (with our daughter Megan in the photo) passed away before this book was released. He was a big man with a big personality and a big heart. He was all of the things mentioned in the dedication and much more. Everything he did, whether it was artwork or house painting or carpentry or building, he did to perfection. He constructed the study where I wrote the first four books and the magnificent bar where many happy times were spent. He taught Meg and Joe how to draw and along with his wife Betty, he came to our family’s rescue on many occasions. I don’t think Ben possessed the ’embarrassment gene’ so no situation was inappropriate for pushing his son-in-law’s books. Ben was born in Rotterdam so it was fantastic that my first ever overseas sale was the Dutch translation of The Running Man
DINOSAUR KNIGHTS – 2009:
Mum passed away before this fourth book was released. She was so proud and supportive of my writing. She had a writing dream herself but didn’t get the same opportunities that I did. In 1960 Mum won the Courier Mail “My Mother” writing competition with the grand prize of an open shopping order worth 20 pound. We all got our photo in the paper along with Mum’s mum Kate. Mum’s winning entry began with: ‘A good mother is the most precious and priceless gift that anyone can have. She may not have university degrees but she needs ‘degrees’ far more exacting: she needs patience, understanding, love, affection, a sense of humour and, above all, she must be unselfish.’ She was describing her own mother, but it’s a description and tribute that applies equally to her.
ISHMAEL AND THE HOOPS OF STEEL – 2011:
I’m lucky to have to two brilliant, talented and creative children on whom I can call when I need help. Joe and Meg have always supported and encouraged (and inspired) my writing. Because Joe was living at home at the time he read through the Hoops of Steel manuscript and provided many valuable corrections, suggestions and changes. Fortunately for me Joe is a bit of a comic (and other) genius and knows what he’s talking about. That’s why he and his wife Rita have over 3 MILLION subscribers on their ARTSPEAR ENTERTAINMENT YouTube channel. So when Joe gives anything I do his tick of approval, it means a lot.
THE PAIN, MY MOTHER, SIR TIFFY, CYBER BOY AND ME – 2016.
The dedication is to my publisher Dyan Blacklock and my editor Celia Jellett. Dyan pulled the ms of The Running Man off the slush pile and is the reason I’m a published author. Celia made my manuscripts more than they were and helped me become a better writing. Because of dramatic changes at Scholastic in 2016 this would be the last of my books that both Celia and Dyan would be involved with. All in all I worked with them on 14 books. They were, and will always be, more to me than a publisher and an editor. They were teachers, protectors, supporters and friends. I owe my writing career to them and I never wanted our partnership to end. The quotes in the dedication are taken from the quote that appears at the beginning of The Running Man – the book that started it all.
What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen.
Those two ladies definitely made miracles happen for me.
Next week in PART 2 I’ll look at the Dedications found inside the covers of my Younger Reader and Picture Books.
Cheers
Michael
Michael Gerard Bauer Author 