Of the 34 books I've had published to date, The Complete Angler has been the most enjoyable to produce and I've been involved in every aspect of its production from conception to publication. It's creation has been powered by something beyond the the commercial imperatives normally associated with book publishing and its genesis has been immensely rewarding.

The book distribution and selling business is an extremely competitive one, the lions share of profits gobbled up by the big players leaving only scraps for authors like me. But I've reaped a bigger reward, leaving sales and promotion to my two companions!

In researching the book, I've been led to the works of metapysical writers like John Muir, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau - blessings more valuable than royalties. And these guides on my own spiritual journey are leading me on a converging path with that taken by my wife who has studied metaphysics all her life, two of her favourite authors being Joel S Goldsmith and Eckhart Tolle.

I'll explore more of thses blessings in the days ahead.

The Complete Angler

I recently lived for a year by the River Dove in Derbyshire, my frequent walks by the river inspiring me to think about one of the most regularly published books in the English language. The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton was first published in 1653 and is still in print. A contribution on fly fishing was made to the fifth edition by Walton's young friend Charles Cotton in 1687.

I began to wonder why a book that was technically out of date shortly after leaving the press still exerted a massive influence ... so I read it and followed the paths described in the book ... every one, in London, the Home Counties and Derbyshire, feeling that the two original authors were with me and guiding my every step!

So I've written a book following the original dialogue style format, we three companions discussing the appeal of The Compleat Angler and the nature of a good life.

The walking, the research and the writing have been high adventure and I have revelled in the every aspect of the book's production. But no mainstream publisher would touch it ('it's not comercial') so I've published it myself.

Here's the interesting bit. I'm not interested in making money from the publication! Every penny will go to charity ... to the John Bradburne Memorial Society ... and organisation committed to lepers and the poor of Zimbabwe and the Izaak Walton League that campaigns for the environment.

My hope is that I can organise a synposium in 2013 to focus attention on English rivers and habitats and organise a charity auction to kick start the creation of the UK's first angling museum and angling reserach centre.

I'm selling the books at £9.99 plus £3.15 postage.

Thanks for reading.

Len Markham