And talking of coincidences (and things
mysterious): on returning to live in Britain after finishing the
novel, the very first place I found myself working full-time was
in the Northumbrian market town of Hexham, a place that features
prominently in ‘Orange Sound’. I believe that I might even have
started to meet some of the characters in the novel (or at least
their part-namesakes!). I can, however, say with certainty that I
have not (yet) met any ‘Sons of the Earth’; read the novel, and
you will understand what I mean!
Finally, during the warm balmy Asian
evenings when I was thinking and writing about the Northumbrian
countryside, although far removed from it both in time and space,
I often thought of the following poem entitled ‘Northumberland’
written by Wilfrid Gibson who incidentally (and can I also say
coincidentally?) was born near Hexham.
Northumberland
Heatherland and bent land
Black land and
white
God bring me to Northumberland
The land of my
delight
Land of singing waters
And words from off the
sea
God bring me to Northumberland
The land where I
would be
Heather land and bent land
And valley rich
with corn
God bring me to Northumberland
The land
where I was born.
