The Man With A Brain Like A Planet
Leonie Caldecott recently wrote a touching tribute to her late and great publisher husband Stratford in the international Catholic Weekly The Tablet on the tenth aniversary of his death, I was intrigued because, as editor of Hodders, he published my first best-seller Exploring Celtic Spirituality.
'You had the brain the size of a planet, and were always making connections between ideas and spiritual traditions. You never turned your back on anything or anyone... Do you remember the day you were baptised three years after we were married? ... you told me you felt an ontological change in your entire being... You left publishing because you could not bear to fill in the paperwork to convince the money-men ...But the black pit of depression lost its hold as Christ infused your life. .'
Following my own life-changing encounter with God on Holy Island over the New Year of 1988, I drafted my first full-length book. My new friend Russ Parker, well-known for his 'healing the land' missions, arranged for us to meet Caldecott at a Cambridge Hotel. He had read a draft. He listened well. He told me he wanted me to write more of my own experience, and wished its title to be Exploring Celtic Spirituality
I had wanted its title to be Lindisfarne Landmarks. As we left the hotel Russ pointed to the picture that had been above our heads as we talked: it was of Lindisfarne! 'Is Someone trying to tell us something?' he asked. So Stratford said Part One could have that title though the whole book must be as he suggested.
The book was very well edited, became a best seller, and has been re-published in UK, USA (under the title Celtic Christianity) and Norway. Leonie's article made me realise how much I owe to her late husband.
That is not all. In the last book Caldecott himself wrote he cited words C.S.Lewis used about Tolkien: his writing came like 'lightning from a clear sky'. This reminded me that I, too am inspired by Tolkien and have drafted a book about the British and Irish Isles entitled 'The Fellowship of the Ringlands'.
The last book Caldecott wrote was an exploration of who Christ is for Muslims, I, too, have drafted 'Letters to Muslims' but have left these on the shelves,
Caldecott, if the Divine Boss permits this in heaven, could you receive my thanks and advise me what steps to take?
Thank you.
Ray Simpson
I have wristed with the draft for years. I no longer have someone like Caldecott to help me,