About writing ״The English School״

 I need some extra courage to expose myself to write about some of the ‘adventures’ I had in writing my book – The English School… and I did.

In fact, at the time I was busy writing another book (still in my drawer), but one night I envisioned the story of a woman who travels to South America following an add she founds in the Internet. So, for six years, I lived a double life, one of my own, and the one led by the story.

My heroine’s name was Naomi at first, but in a cruel and unpredictable event (for me), I had to say goodbye to that name and find her a new name. Just before closing my book and sending it to the printers, I realise that Naomi is the heroine’s name of a new book just published by Shay Sarid “The Kindergarten of Naomi”. Sadly I had to say bye to my Naomi, but luckily I found Daphne, the heroine of my book, which was positioned perfectly in the story. 🙂

The book was written just about as a spirit forced me to write it, I’ll say with great caution. Chance and Karma are involved in the making of the book, as in the story itself. Another important detail is, the book was born in a far away country, in New Zealand. It is interesting to acknowledge that a book has a life and history of its own, completely independent, with no connection to the story and life of the writer. In my case there is even a country of the birth place, and a date of birth. “The English School” was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on February 8, 2008.

I visited New Zealand as my son Arnon was working on the film “The Warrior’s Way”. His home was ideal for writing, bright rooms in a luxury apartment, with windows overlooking the leisure boats and harbour of Auckland. New Zealand’s sunsets were the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

At that time I was writing another book that I began a few months earlier. One night I found myself like in a dream; Physical sensed reality and dream twilight together. And here I come to be in an isolated school in Peru, in South America. Suddenly I was involved in that mystical vision, in the history of a woman who left everything in her home country (Israel), disappointed and discouraged from her life after her husband left her for a younger woman, and I flew with her to an unknown path. Led by her, as she sat on me like a spirit to write her story. I had to move everything aside and write the story of this woman! The English School itself, although was located in a remote area of ​​Peru, universal Anthroposophic ideas were the base of it’s teachings, influenced by Rudolf Steiner, the founder and developer of these ideas. The school philosophy conducted me, revealing itself to me slowly and I learned all about it and acknowledged it. I was led forward in the darkness and inside the story by it. My heroine actually pushed aside wildly the book I was writing earlier, and so in full bluster, full awareness and curiosity we speed together, devoted myself to it, and to her.

Passive responsiveness and dedication became like an obsession, it pre occupied me full time day & night. Every day after reading the pages I had written the day before, I was barely satisfied, but the story grew and evolved in joy, and it was thrilling.

I realise I wrote some wonderful manifestations, the plot developed well and the language was rich. Writing and repairing; Writing, erasing and correcting and writing again. Weaving the story in words and language was slow task and precise, putting extra attention to the safeguarding of sound, like in music with it’s own rhythm.

Humbly and modestly I’ll say with great respect to the writer Shay Agnon, that I identify with him – he who said – he was happy about every page he writes using the Holy Old Hebrew language “…And I will give my soul away for it!” And I clung to this idea, knowingly or not.

So much for today. I will continue to tell you all about the wonders of my writing expedition next time.