Community / Satirical Ken Speckle Papers republished in book form
Some of the episodes have never appeared in print before
FOURTY years after they were first conceived by local writer and former newspaper editor Jonathan Wills, the complete Ken Speckle Papers are now available as a book.
Over the last four decades Wills regularly turned to the fictitious Reverend Kenneth Speckle, who had been banished to the isolated parish of Breezey, to comment on current affairs from two centuries ago which – by pure coincidence – have always had a striking parallel to Shetland’s more recent dramas and controversies.
The satirical papers, which often had harsh things to say about those in public life in Shetland, gained some notoriety over the years and every new instalment from the Reverend’s journal was keenly awaited by a growing community of readers.
Now the “private archive” of the fictitious cleric has been rediscovered in Wills’ own files and, after some sorting and editing, the original text has been published in hardback by the author himself.
“A friend (who had better remain nameless) recently reminded me that it’s 40 years since I came back to Shetland from Fife and started writing about the Reverend Kenneth Speckle,” Wills said. “Asked if I had the original pieces, I found to my surprise that they were still lurking in my files, although not in any particular order.
“Some of the episodes have never appeared in print before.”
He added that it was for his readers to judge whether the material has aged well.
“Some of the characters were based on people I knew about from my postgraduate study of 18th century Shetland; others were inspired by more recent acquaintances; but all of them are imaginary, apart from the disgraceful Dr Witney Garlick who, I must admit, may be ever so slightly autobiographical.
“Anyway, I hope some of my fellow aged dodderers may find it entertaining. At worst, it makes a handy doorstop.”
The Ken Speckle Papers, priced £20, are available on Amazon here.
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