D.S. Allen's Blog, page 3
July 6, 2016
The Importance of Libraries
Article I wrote in support of local libraries.
The Importance of Libraries
Often, we place value on a building by what it holds and the services that it provides to a community. Banks hold money. Supermarkets sell food. Hospitals provide care for our physical well being. Libraries hold books. Yes, books.
We all know the value of banks, supermarkets, health centres and hospitals in our daily lives, but it is easy to forget just how important our local libraries are. For libraries hold books, and the vast collection of books that have ever been written and will be written hold within the DNA of civilisation. That might sound like the grossest hyperbole, but when one quietly reflects on it one must see that Western Civilisation and its culture is driven and sustained by the human word. Books are the step-by-step endeavour of the human species, and we can only build-up upon the foundations of previous generations because they have laid down their knowledge for posterity.
“If I have seen further it is by standing on ye shoulders of Giants.” So wrote Sir Isaac Newton when considering his work in relation to the achievements of his contemporary Robert Hooke. That the quote was most likely an underhanded dig at Hooke’s modest height should in no way distract from the sentiment:
Books give us the wisdom of the ancients, whose works still resonate with us as a part of the human experience.
Perhaps that is why the Irish monks laboured, so long ago, to record the marks of classical civilisation as the Dark Ages threatened to eradicate this knowledge from history. Books record our achievements, our deepest held beliefs and convictions, our scientific theories and rules of law. Novels also shine a light upon the human drama of which we all a part.
The British Library alone holds over 170,000,000 items and, in fact, the principal of legal deposit entitles it to receive a free copy of every item published or distributed in Britain. That’s how important books are in the UK. Bearing that in mind, is it asking too much for our politicians to come up with a sensible plan to save our libraries?
For instance, who could not be impressed by the example of William Kamkwamba. This Malawian teenager used his local library to find the knowledge he needed to build windmills that supply electricity and pump water to his local village, Lilongwe. His achievements are all the more impressive when you consider that he taught himself English and built his first windmill with junkyard bits and pieces. The GPD of Malawi is approximately 3.705 billion USD, comparing to 2.678 trillion USD in the UK, but I’m pretty sure they’re not closing libraries in Malawi. Makes you think, doesn’t it?
So, the next time you pass your local library, why don’t you venture in for a while. You’ll find in there an abundance of books and much more besides. Just take in the stillness of the space. Or you can brush your fingers across the spines, and then ease one book from its home to bring it closer still. Breathe in its smell and leaf through its pages. Enjoy the experience of holding the book, for the next time you pass your local library it may have shut down. And if someone casually mentions that libraries are not relevant or important, remember to arch an eyebrow and then give a quick snort of incredulity. For libraries are important because they hold books.
D S Allen
June 30, 2016
Larne Times Bone Whisperer Article
Check out the article in The Larne Times about my latest novel, The Bone Whisperer: http://bit.ly/29711lz 
June 25, 2016
Brexit
The Brexit has come and gone, and now it’s time to come together, roll up our sleeves, and make the best of what we have. In the coming weeks and months, the political establishment, drawing on the lessons learned from the past days, must work together to forge a future in which all voices are heard. A future where human responsibility and human rights work hand-in-hand to promote respect and understanding. Fear is crippling and corrosive. It sets one against the other. But confidence and enthusiasm galvanizes, forming the bedrock for mutual understanding and up-building. The future lies in the present and in our own hands. Each human being has the power to shape their future for the betterment of all; we only have to use it.
June 10, 2016
Amazon Author Page
My Amazon Author page is now live! http://www.amazon.com/D-S-Allen/e/B00...
June 5, 2016
Win a signed copy of The Bone Whisperer on Goodreads Giveaway!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Bone Whisperer
by D.S. Allen
Giveaway ends June 29, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
June 4, 2016
Thanks!
The Bone Whisperer is currently at No. 13 in the UK Amazon’s Sales rank in Paranormal & Urban. A big thank you to all who bought it!
June 3, 2016
The Headmaster’s Cave is Free!
To celebrate the release of The Bone Whisperer, The Headmaster’s Cave (the Adventures of George & Flanagan Book 1) on Amazon Ebook is FREE for a limited time.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O6E7CD4 & https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O6E7CD4 & https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00O6E7CD4
May 31, 2016
The Bone Whisperer is now available!
The Bone Whisperer is now available on Amazon Kindle!
The Bone Whisperer is an adventure story with both environmental and supernatural themes. Also a really nice dog called Flanagan! For a limited time it is a paltry 0.99! At least half the price of a Pasty Bap! From the 3rd of June, Book 1, The Headmaster’s Cave will be free on kindle for one week.
Sure you couldn’t beat it with a big stick.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GAEGHG0
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GAEGHG0
May 29, 2016
The Bone Whisperer is here!
To celebrate the release of my new novel, The Bone Whisperer is only 0.99 on Amazon Kindle for a limited period!
