Contact

For more details on Journo's Diary, high-resolution pictures and interview requests, please e-mail journos_diary@hotmail.com

Also join the Journo's Diary group on Facebook – just type the book's title in top right-hand corner to search for the group.

Read a FREE extract of Journo's Diary here

Click HERE to download

Click here to download your FREE poster

Tadeus "Teddy" Glowinski (teddy@box43.pl) contacted me in search of more books for his library in Poland. After reading his inspiring story, I was happy to send off a copy of Journo's Diary for his quest. Read more below.

Article sourced from the Student Operated Press at http://thesop.org/story/art/2007/09/23/the-librarian-who-loved-books.php

The Librarian Who Loved Books

by Krzys Wasilewski (krzys.wasilewski@yahoo.com)

The librarian is not a profession you would normally associate with adventurism and entertainment. Locked in his book sanctuary for eternity, his old, worn-out body morphs slowly into a faded page of some medieval manuscript. But not Tadeusz Glowinski. The 63-year-old Polish pensioner contradicts this popular belief every day of his life. To say that he is an ordinary librarian would be a sweeping generalization. Again, Glowinskis` Library is nothing like the libraries you usually visit. Looking at the tenement house which hosts Mr. Glowinski`s beloved child " " Glowinskis` Library " you understand the meaning of the old proverb: You can`t judge a book by its cover. " It requires a vivid imagination to guess that this dilapidated building in the center of the small Polish town of Olesnica hides one of the most amazing collections of paperback and hardcover books ever assembled by a single man. There are no signboards, no posters displayed to advertise the place. Passers-bye, who throng the nearby streets every day, may never realize that the wooden and scratchy doors guard the entrance to the world famous library.

Financial problems, " says the founder, Tadeusz Glowinski.

Despite the lack of funds, Mr. Glowinski has been able to fill the room`s old, rusty shelves with almost 6,000 books for children, adolescents, and adults in 35 languages, including Zulu, Nepalese, and Catalonian. And the collection grows every day. One part of Harry Potter alone is available in as many as six languages, in case a tourist from Holland visits Olesnica, or one of the town`s 30,000 residents wants to find out how the famous wizard`s name sounds in Norwegian.

States Mr. Glowinski, Foreign languages and the idea of exchanging thoughts between people from different countries and continents have fascinated me since my youth. Having known librarians around the world I decided to build such a collection. Later this collection transformed into a `real` library. "

When I ask him how a 63-year-old former teacher with no additional income but his meager pension has managed to gather so many books, he only smiles. Apparently, the word impossible " does not exist in Mr. Glowinski`s extensive vocabulary. When most of his colleagues were thinking about retirement, he enrolled in a training course for future librarians in order to realize his dream and avoid being no one among professional librarians. " He even taught himself how to use the computer and surf the Internet, which, eventually, became another of his hobbies. Then he turned theory into practice.

The idea is as simple as it is brilliant. First, Mr. Glowinski searches for librarians and writers on the Internet. Then, when the quest is completed, he sends a letter explaining his situation and asks for help. Neither language nor distance is an obstacle. On the contrary, Mr. Glowinski loves receiving letters in foreign languages " raging from Czech to Spanish to Dutch, which he later tries to decipher.

I am learning 10 foreign languages and I am trying to absorb several more, " Mr. Glowinski says modestly. Then he adds, In the times of trouble, I always ask myself: Would you have so many books now if your correspondents did not understand you? "

Hundreds of letters and emails sent by internet users from as far as Spain and the United States show that the Polish librarian is, indeed, understood by people all over the world. Not only do they grasp his words at once, even if written in less than perfect English, but individuals also seem to share Mr. Glowinski`s passion for literature. Among them, there is Kathleen Bart " a world famous writer and illustrator of books for children. Our organization may help you with many other children`s books and what ever may be good for you. Please email me back as to what way we can help you and perhaps we can send some over, " read the letter signed by Bart. Mr. Glowinski, who taught himself English, translates Ms. Bart`s stories so kids in Olesnica can also enjoy her works. "

Another warm letter arrived from Spain. Dear Taduesz, " it began, after summer holidays we are going to do a campaign here in Matadepera addressed to everybody in order to collect books for your library. " Several months later, a mail carrier knocked at Mr. Glowinski`s door, holding a huge parcel with wonderful books. " Usually modest, Mr. Glowinski can`t help bragging about the number of similar stories. Each new delivery makes my hands shake and heart bump when I `m opening the box, no matter if inside I find one book or more, or just a single illustration, " he says. In fact, most of the letters Mr. Glowinski has received are written in a corresponding tone " full of understanding and compassion " containing a promise to send some books.

Sometimes, however, it takes more effort. As Mr. Glowinski recalls, Once I made contact with one author from the USA, who rather decisively refused to help my library. " Nevertheless, the stubborn pensioner did not want to let it go. It took four exchanges of emails between us (eight emails altogether!) until he finally said `OK,` and that he would send me his book! "

It all began with three Spanish books for children in 2000. Many people watched in disbelief as an established teacher, who was soon to retire, gave up his old job and decided to become a librarian. The strong criticism notwithstanding, Mr. Glowinski took a special course for librarians at a university and got a job at the town`s public library. Local newspapers and online services published articles about an amiable teacher who had found his happiness in an old, under-funded library. But with fame, there came problems.

I had been collecting books from all over the world and wanted to give them away to the library, " says Mr. Glowins on toured the country as the main attraction of various exhibitions, until Mr. Glowinski was told to take his books back home. We don`t need them here, " he heard. Whereas most people would give up after their first failure, Mr. Glowinski rolled up his sleeves and began to act on his own. Although he was still working for the town`s library, he devoted his time, money, and health to a new, more challenging idea. He found a shabby room and sponsors who would finance the establishment of Glowinskis` Library. The notice on the library`s doors read: You can rent a book for free. There are no consequences if you damage or lose the book. I highly encourage you to use our offer. "

Little did he know that the first visitors to his library would be armed police officers. As it turned out, the director of the town`s library had changed her mind and demanded the books back. She argued that since Mr. Glowinski had acquired them while being her employee, the books remained the library`s property. She did not say why she needed them. For the 60-year-old philanthropist it was a knife stabbed in his back. He later recalled how, with tears in his eyes, he watched police officers put the work of his life into cartons and take them away.

But it wasn`t the end of his misfortunes. The old man could not accept the fact that a minor flaw in the law was to ruin his dreams. Since Mr. Glowinski wouldn`t hear of any compromise, the case was taken to court. I was fired from the public library " one year before the retirement age! " says Mr. Glowinski with unhidden emotions. I was accused of stealing my own books (...) I lost my health, my good opinion in Poland and elsewhere " they got the addresses of my donors and told them that I was a thief...I was convicted " I got a suspended sentence..., " he goes on. In a short trial, the court agreed with the plaintiff that, in fact, the defendant had misappropriated the books and found Mr. Glowinski guilty. You cannot arrest books! I believe this is a great scandal, " he raised his usually calm voice when the judge was delivering the verdict. Before a police officer removed him from the courtroom, he managed to say: I won`t let it go...the whole world will defend me! "

He was right: his town, Olesnica, was with him. Despite the negative campaign that the town`s newspaper unleashed against Mr. Glowinski, the majority of the 30,000 residents supported the old librarian. I know Mr. Glowinski is a very kind man. The judge and prosecutors should have thought twice before arresting an innocent man, " read one of many positive messages that the town`s online forum had received. The response from his foreign friends was more timid " living thousands of miles away from Olesnica, they could not verify their Polish correspondent`s story " but friendly emails never ceased to arrive. This, as well as Mr. Glowinski`s amazing inner strength and the conviction of self-righteousness, helped him survived the dark period of my life. " Finally, after months of struggling with the public library, the police, and the court, the old librarian was able to retrieve his beloved books and reopen Glowinskis` Library.

I ask him what the source of his strength is. There have been many mentors in my life which changed with my age and experience, " he answers. But for all my life, " he quickly adds, I have been trying to live up to the old adage that one should always remain a human and serve other people. " This is the best description of Tadeusz Glowinski, the founder and librarian of Glowinskis` Library. He has proved that to love something is to be ready for sacrifices. For books, he gave up the respected job of a teacher. For books, he had to listen to sarcastic comments, often made by his relatives and friends. For books, he was prosecuted and found guilty. I`m very happy that against all the odds, against evil, vicious people, I never gave up, " he says proudly.

I would like my library, which is my whole life, to become so big that it could last for generations and become renowned in the world, " he says at the end of the interview. Mr. Glowinski, who is now 63 and lives in a poorhouse, remains optimistic; a smile never disappears from his wrinkled face.

My greatest joy is to go volunteer at my library, to check my email box, to wait for a mail carrier with parcels from people of good will from around the world, to learn foreign languages, and to serve readers, " says Mr. Glowinski, Every day, for 10 hours, including all holidays! "

If you want to correspond with Tadeusz Glowinski, he encourages you to write to teddy@box43.pl or visit his website: http://glowinski.olesnica.pl/.

Check out the Facebook page and group.

Need something done on the web?

Marty Owens from AusSites Online Solutions was a life-saver when it came to migrating all the information from the Journo's Diary website to a new host. If you need something done in relation to websites, he comes heartily recommended.

Check him out and what he can offer at http://www.aussites.com

SCROLL DOWN for details on how how to buy it...

Chris Thomas' latest book, SMS Mess and other plays, is a compilation of several plays he has written over the years, ranging from comedy to the surreal through to a children’s piece. The book features eight plays, including:

• SMS Mess, a humorous one-woman show that explores the pitfalls of text messaging.

• Reality Matters, a surreal piece where one character is forced to question his own perception of reality when confronted by an enigmatic character.

• Which One?, a comedy where three university students all make a move on the same girl.

• The Bonza Land of Oz, designed to give children acting experience while highlighting other cultures are embraced in Australia.

• Who’s Your Daddy?, a tale of a failed 80s popstar on the comeback trail, followed by an obsessed fan and cynical music journalist.

• Pickles, a play where one woman plays a housewife, husband, small child, teenager and elderly lady.

• Appetite for Destruction, an exploration of a character’s inner turmoil over his weight.

• King Bling, designed for a teenage audience to highlight the message of managing money, done in a hip-hop context.

Read the full media release HERE.

HOW TO BUY

SMS Mess and other plays is $15 plus postage and handling. Within Australia, postage is $1.80. For overseas deliveries, postage is $7.75. (Postage is per book; all prices given in Australian currency).

Pay through PayPal - go to www.paypal.com, log in, go to your account and click "send money". Send to journos_diary@hotmail.com, enter the total amount ($15 + postage), click "AUD Australian Dollars".

Be sure to include your shipping address and details where relevant. Any problems, please email.

About the author

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Chris Thomas is a writer, actor, journalist and broadcaster who has developed diverse experience in these areas over several years.

He has many eclectic acting credits to his name and broad journalistic experience, working for mainstream newspapers, independent publications and freelancing for numerous titles, as well as extensive work in media relations and flexing his dulcet tones as a radio announcer.

Chris Thomas is also the author of the novel Journo's Diary, the Doctor Who short story One Step Forward, Two Steps Back and the plays Which One?, Reality Matters, Appetite for Destruction, Who's Your Daddy?, Pickles, The Bonza Land of Oz, King Bling and SMS Mess.

By the same author

Chris Thomas is also the author of several plays, including SMS Mess, Which One?, Reality Matters, Pickles, Who's Your Daddy?, The Bonza Land of Oz, Appetite for Destruction and King Bling, available for performance through TAZ Entertainment.

Additionally, he penned the Doctor Who short story One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, featured in Short Trips: Defining Patterns, published by Big Finish and available through Amazon.

Reviews of Journo's Diary

"Journo's Diary is fresh, fun and full of beans!"

By Bobbie Crawford-McCoy, Pinnacle: Author & Book Promotion

(www.pinnacleauthorandbookpromotion.com)

For the new Weekend Star cadet reporter, Rick Hughes, daily life is a drain on his already limited supply of energy and interest. Feeling rather hopeless about a successful future, Rick approaches his new job with a less then stellar attitude and concentrates on being able to pay some bills. When a New Year's Eve fling goes awry, Rick curses his alcohol-hazed memory and hopes for the best. His life is turned upside down as he struggles with massive problems in his personal life and on the job. With a peculiar, bean-eating flatmate and his own cursed bad luck, Rick chronicles the ups and downs of his daily life in his personal journal.

What can I say; I absolutely loved Journo's Diary!!! Written in a diary format, the story is easy to follow and fun to read. Rick Hughes is a single, rather indifferent, twenty-something guy with a dubious future. Why, you might ask? Well, life it seems, has dealt him a series of bad hands; he does not have luck with relationships, jobs or with much of anything. Drunken parties, low self esteem and a general lack of interest sets Rick up for recurring disappointment. He frequently gets himself into trouble and finds some interesting, if immature, ways to deal with the messes he makes. The storyline is full of comedic, but mostly believable moments...some of them had me laughing so hard that I had tears pouring out of my eyes and I could hardly catch my breath. I had to feel for Rick and I could not help myself from hoping that things would improve.

Journo's Diary is truly imaginative, thoroughly enjoyable and makes everyday life seem very dull in comparison. With well developed, unique characters and a smart, creative style, Journo's Diary is a wonderful read that will keeping you guessing and have you wondering what else could possibly go wrong. Bathroom humour, swearing and some sexuality may put some readers off though I quite enjoyed it as it lent more credibility to the plot and story development. In my opinion, the book cover doesn't do the story justice though it certainly catches the eye! Go ahead and pick up a copy of Journo's Diary; you will have a blast! Hard to put down - a hilarious read!

"Hard to put down: hilarious read"

By Karen H. Vaughan, alibiris & amazon.com (5 stars)

The book chronicles the life and misadventures of a cub reporter into it up to his eyeballs. He even realizes he has bitten off too much but muddles through his attempts of getting a story and to get lucky. He manages to do just that - get very unlucky at the hands of an elusive con artist.

Meanwhile, he muddles through his days tolerating his sarcastic, baked bean-eating roomie. I found this book to be a hilarious read and very hard to put down. Kudos to Chris for taking us through Rick's life and making us see the lighter side of a nasty predicament.

Journo's Diary a hilarious read

By Amos Lassen, eurekapride.com

As you can well imagine from the title, this is a novel written in the form of a diary. Rick Hughes is 23 years old and getting ready to start a new job as a journalist at “The Weekend Star”, an Australian weekend paper. His life seems to be one of mishaps and adventures that are out of the realm of most people. Making daily entries into his journal take us through a year in his life and his thoughts.

Five days before he is due to begin his new job he has a sexual encounter with “Helga” who, in reality is Heidi, on the run because of armed robbery and credit card fraud. For the following year, Rick’s journal is filled with those problems that he feels have come about because of Heidi. His job becomes a struggle for him, his eating habits decline, and his sex life diminishes because he just doesn’t look for it as he used to. What he writes in his diary keeps us laughing from cover to cover.

I love the way Chris Thomas writes—it is fresh and fun to read. At times he is a bit vulgar but then so is life and while you laugh, you begin to realize that perhaps you may be laughing at yourself, Do things get any better for Rick? I am not telling but I will tell you that they get worse before any sign of getting better may happen.

Sourced from eurekapride.com and also available here.

Kalgoorlie Miner

By Laura Tomlinson - 3½ stars

Chickens and phantom pant scrubbers

By Debra Hamel

book-blog.com - 3½ stars

Twenty-three-year-old Rick Hughes's troubles begin five days before he starts his new job as a journalist (he is the "journo" of the book's title) at an Australian weekend paper, the Weekend Star.

His drunken sexual encounter with a 40-something "nice Valkyrie-type called Helga" leaves him walletless and plagued, for months thereafter, by his own stupidity: his "Helga" is in fact a certain Heidi Delsminka, wanted throughout Australia for credit card fraud and armed robbery.

Over the next year, while struggling in his job, eating poorly, and vaguely looking for sex, Rick chronicles the problems that ensue from his interlude with Heidi in daily entries in his diary.

At the same time he details for readers the minutiae of his life: his argument with a fast food place over the availability of Diet Coke in bottles in the restaurant; evidence that his roommate George may be having sex with chickens on the sly; his vague efforts to determine the identity of the "phantom pant scrubber," someone who spends an inordinate amount of time in the men's bathroom at work apparently scrubbing his underwear with steel wool. ("What the hell is wrong with his arse?" Rick writes.)

There is much crude talk of bowel movements and their ilk in the book and a fair number of post-Heidi drunken interludes that do not, however, end with Rick pantsless and broke. Rick also includes in his diary the text of the articles he writes for the paper, with increasing competence, on usually uninteresting small-town issues.

Journo's Diary, as its name suggests, is written in the form of a diary, and the book stops when the pages in Rick's diary run out. The book is chapterless, but its organization into journal entries segment it into bite-sized chunks. The book itself is a quick and sometimes funny read, though its pace is slowed by the inclusion of the text of Rick's newspaper articles.

These do contribute to our understanding of Rick's life as a disillusioned first-year journalist, but they are not interesting of themselves. Detailing as it does a twenty-something lifestyle--Rick's life is at least more raucous than mine has ever been (though that's not saying much)--Journo's Diary will appeal in particular to the younger crowd, and to anyone who's ever worked as a journalist.

How to buy Journo's Diary

Just click on the links below and it's as easy as 1-2-3:

Through Amazon

Book Depository – Free delivery worldwide

Other alternatives

If all else fails, simply type "Journo's Diary" into Google and you will find numerous online stockists who can help you.

Let's do launch: curtain up on book of plays

PERTH writer and actor Chris Thomas is launching his latest book, SMS Mess and other plays, at the Old Mill Theatre on September 16.

It’s a compilation of several plays he has written over the years, ranging from comedy to the surreal through to a children’s piece.

With a 19-year background in Perth theatre, Thomas has appeared in more than 30 productions including Red Dwarf, Dracula, Frankenstein, Popcorn, The Sum of Us, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Beast and The Beauty, Foreskin’s Lament and The 39 Steps.

In 2010, he set up his own production company Groovy Boots Theatre and co-directed and performed in a sell-out season of the wedding farce Dimboola.

Thomas’ previous written works include the novel Journo’s Diary and the Doctor Who short story One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, featured in the collection Short Trips: Defining Patterns.

“During my own personal experience in theatre over the years, as a performer and writer, I have seen a good selection of plays written by WA authors,” he said.

“But all too often they are only given one outing and then forgotten, simply because people are unaware these scripts exist.

“Yet year after year, people are on the hunt for one-act plays, kids’ shows and monologues and can’t find anything suitable.

“Several of my plays have been performed in one form or another and rather than let them gather dust as so many other scripts do, I decided to put them together in a collection.”

The book features eight plays, including:

• SMS Mess, a humorous one-woman show that explores the pitfalls of text messaging.

• Reality Matters, a surreal piece where one character is forced to question his own perception of reality when confronted by an enigmatic character.

• Which One?, a comedy where three university students all make a move on the same girl.

• The Bonza Land of Oz, designed to give children acting experience while highlighting other cultures are embraced in Australia.

• Who’s Your Daddy?, a tale of a failed 80s popstar on the comeback trail, followed by an obsessed fan and cynical music journalist.

• Pickles, a play where one woman plays a housewife, husband, small child, teenager and elderly lady.

• Appetite for Destruction, an exploration of a character’s inner turmoil over his weight.

• King Bling, designed for a teenage audience to highlight the message of managing money, done in a hip-hop context.

“I always had a vision someone could go to a library and pick out the book if they wanted a play to perform, just like I did when I was first looking for a play to direct many years ago,” Thomas said.

"This way, there will be a permanent record of my plays, available to a greater number of people to perform, if they so choose.

“Some of them are MA-rated, others can be performed anywhere and there’s even one especially written for kids.”

Thomas launches SMS Mess and other plays from 2pm, September 16, at the Old Mill Theatre and will be on hand to sign copies. Entry is free and all guests receive a free glass of champagne on arrival.

The book is also available HERE.

The Old Mill Theatre is on the corner of Mends Street and Mill Point Road, South Perth, opposite the Windsor Hotel and Australia Post.

Journo's Diary

A one-night stand...
A new career as a journalist...
Constant paranoia....
Endless lustful thoughts...
A perverted flatmate...
Baked beans...
It's a recipe for disaster.

As cadet journalist Rick Hughes stumbles through his new job, he has a few problems. Well, more than a few. A seemingly forgettable New Year's fling preys on his mind as he soon discovers the woman he slept with is a wanted criminal.

This is matched with his less than brilliant start with the Weekend Star and his constant inability to actually ask any women out on a date. And George, his flatmate, is a royal pain in the behind.

Journo's Diary is the day-to-day chronicle of Rick's life as he tries to cope with it all, a job made increasingly difficult when the criminal woman he slept with becomes a major news feature. Things get much, much worse before they get even remotely better...