About Tom Eaton

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book? It took me years to write, will you take a look? Based on a novel by a man named Lear, and I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer.

It’s the dirty story of a dirty man and his clinging wife doesn’t understand. His son is working for the Daily Mail, it’s a steady job but he wants to be a paperback writer.

It’s a thousand pages, give or take a few, I’ll be writing more in a week or two. I can make it longer if you like the style, I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer.

If you really like it you can have the rights, it could make a million for you overnight. If you must return it, you can send it here, but I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer…

***

Tom Eaton is the author of two satires, The De Villiers Code (2005) and Texas (2006); two works of non-fiction, Twelve Rows Back: Some Mutterings from Tom Eaton (2005) and Touchlines and Deadlines: A Compendium of South African Sports Writings (2005 – with Luke Alfred); and, most recently, a novel, The Wading.

His work has also been included in Cape Town Calling, edited by Justin Fox. He lives in that very city.

Photo courtesy Victor Dlamini.