Ian Moore-Morrans, author of “From Poverty To Poverty: A Scotsman Encounters Canada”, has been chosen as one of “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading”. The awards were sponsored by The Authors Show. His win secures a place in “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading”, an annual publication that will be available in January 2014.
‘‘From Poverty To Poverty: A Scotsman Encounters Canada” will likely prove fascinating for anyone interested in biography; Scottish life during the depression and war years; teenage life in the Salvation Army; Scottish folk music, brass band and 1940s-1960s’ tunes; early 1950's Royal Air Force life; Egypt during pre-Suez crisis days; or even immigration to Canada.
“I’m a Scottish Highlander,” Moore-Morrans stated, “through and through, including the accent. In North America more often than not when people meet me they identify my accent and many then tell me of a Scottish ancestor. When I inquire, they usually tell me that the ancestor is dead and they know little about them. Folks have always been intrigued about my impoverished background, the difficulties I faced as an immigrant and about Scottish topics in general. I finally resolved to document my story for my descendants and anyone else who might be interested.”
Ian’s Scottish childhood during the depression and war years is spent in abject poverty. Apprenticed to a blacksmith at 14, he begins a lifelong avocation making music. Life improves upon entering the Royal Air Force as an aircraft engine mechanic and bandsman in Britain and Egypt. Returning to civilian life as a machinist, he marries and fathers two daughters. Misled by inflated promises of an unscrupulous Canadian official, Ian and his family immigrate to Canada in 1965. Misadventures in finding and keeping jobs and suitable accommodations lead Ian to conclude that he has only moved “from poverty to poverty.”
“The central message of my book,” Ian continued, “is that it is possible to overcome a negative lifestyle like poverty. However, in order to do so, one has to have grit, perseverance, sometimes luck and even humor to get through it all. I’ve tried to look for humor in each and every situation. When all else fails, a good laugh and then, determining to pick yourself up and start anew, will help you deal with most things that life throws at you.”
Ian Moore-Morrans or his wife/editor Gayle Moore-Morrans are available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at gayleian@gmail.com. Ian has been in poor health the last five years so, if he is not well enough for an interview, Gayle will take up the challenge. “From Poverty To Poverty: A Scotsman Encounters Canada” is available at Amazon. More information is available at their website at http://ianmooremorrans.com.
Profile:
A Scottish-Canadian and retired machinist, Ian Moore-Morrans hails from Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula, Argyll, Scotland. He has lived in various places in Canada since emigrating from Scotland in 1965. Taking up writing at age 63, Ian first published an e-book entitled "Metal Machining Made Easy" (as Ian Morrans). Since 2004, Ian has relied on the editing skills of his wife, Gayle, whom he met in 2003 where they started a conversation about the eclectic assortment of stories Ian was writing. When Ian learned that Gayle was a magazine editor, he began to envision them working together. Three months later they married, combining their birth surnames to form the new family name “Moore-Morrans.” After Gayle retired in 2004, they left Canada to explore retirement in Mexico. There they began to collaborate on writing and editing Ian’s stories. Returning to Canada in 2007, they settled in the beautiful Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. In 2010 they published Ian's novel,” Beyond the Phantom Battle: Mystery at Loch Ashie” and in 2012, volume one of Ian's autobiography, “From Poverty to Poverty: A Scotsman Encounters Canada.”
Contact:
Gayle Moore-Morrans
gayleian@gmail.com
http://ianmooremorrans.com
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