Kintyre fish farmer lands three book deal
A FISH farm manager turned writer hopes to hook young readers with alien tales, reports Mark Davey of the Campbeltown Courier.
Andrew Robertson, 52, published his first book, The Dijimflippers, part of a planned series, at the end of September in America, with the UK version appearing on the shelves in October.
The title is based on a work colleague’s saying.
‘Whenever he was looking for a spanner, nut or bolt he would say: ‘Where’s my Dijimflipper?’ said the Tayinloan based selftaught author.
Robertson’s father owned a 40ft prawn boat, and for about 20 years, until he was struck down by fibromyalgia aged 37, he worked at sea. He then moved to fish farming, working with salmon smolts, and he has been the manager at the freshwater site at Loch Garasdale (operated by Cooke Aquaculture), near Clachan, for 11 years.
At first he wrote because he was bored. His wife was working away in Inverness and his son had grown up.
‘I wrote two books at first but kept quiet about them for at least a year until I was encouraged to try to find a publisher,’ said Robertson. ‘I write what I think I would have like to read as a child.
‘I get up at about 4am to write, the laptop has made it so easy, I get lost in the story and suddenly three hours has passed and I have to go to my work.’