[A letter to Frank Turner after I found his book in a hostel exchange. I wanted him to know how much I LOVED it, so I wrote to him. He wrote back!]
Dear Frank,
I love music, I love travel and I love writing. So, when I came across your book in a hostel at the end of my year of travel all three of these things were magically combined in to one. The timing was particularly important because after living on a budget for a long time, we had recently splurged some of our remaining money on a ticket for your upcoming Oxford gig as a treat for our return home.
Despite being a fan and seeing you live many times, I hadn’t read your book before because of reasons you touched on it. I don’t love music autobiographies; there are some very interesting parts but a lot of nothing and that’s why I really respected the approach you took in choosing which part of your life to document. I read your successes, your worries and even a little of your family life and relationships, all through the documentation of your gigs.
I’d spent a year away and whenever anyone asked me what I missed it was “my favourite bands”. Picking your book up at this time was extremely poignant because not only did it help me re-connect in some way with some of my favourite music, but what followed was a rollercoaster of emotion as you helped me reminisce over old-school bands, remember venues and learn more about you and your background. I was excited each time I opened the pages. I was interested and had folded over many pages for research later on, and reading your thoughts in your language SO reminded me of home.
I finished your book on the plane on the flight back, and so the culmultation of all of these things as we were due to land at Heathrow was just so emotional. The quote “England keep my bones” was just so right for that moment; both as an explanation at the end of the fantastic book I’d been reading, and then for me landing in England after missing it SO much during a year away.
I am unsure if I am able to convey in this letter just how fitting your writing was to me during this last part of my trip but, seeing as you mentioned having an email address on your site, I thought I’d give it a go! To summarise; I bloody loved it. Thank you.
I read on your blog recently that you are writing again and I honestly can’t wait to read it. Thank you for making my last days of travel so heightened, and the return home so meaningful.
See you in Oxford,
Hannah.
