“My life has always revolved around animals ever since I was a lad in Nigeria when we acquired an African Grey parrot. She was to be a constant companion for over twenty-three years. I had just qualified as a vet when I had to operate on a tumour on her neck to save her life. I wrote a feature about her which was published by ‘My Weekly’ and that was the start of my writing career.
“On retiring from practice, I decided to write a novel. I decorated out a small spare bedroom in dark red, hung Victorian prints on the wall, bought a one-hundred-year-old roll-top writing bureau and a grand throne-like chair. It’s here I’ve written three books, the latest being ‘Pets Aplenty’. Each one details the exploits of a young vet, Paul Mitchell, in his first eighteen months in practice.
“An extract from the third book was kindly used as a Christmas story in ‘The People’s Friend’ last year. Subsequent to that, it was suggested I might like to create a series of stories following Paul’s further exploits at the animal hospital, Prospect House. I’ve been delighted to take up the challenge as I sit at my desk and try not to be distracted by the roe deer, badgers and rabbits that weave back and forth through the woods outside my study window.
“But they, like all the other animals that Ihave encountered over the years, are to be thanked for giving me a wonderful life, and one that I have now had the pleasure of sharing with ‘Friend’ readers.”
Look out for Malcolm’sseries, “Tales From Prospect House”,which iscurrently running in themagazine.
