Local author flying to Venezuela

Local author and journalist, John Green, has been invited by the Mayor of Caracas, Venezuela to visit the city for the launch of the Spanish translation of his recent biography on Friedrich Engels.

John, has lived in Ealing for over forty years has written several books, including a small volume on the bird life of Ealing.

His book Friedrich Engels: A Revolutionary Life tells the extraordinary story of the less well known partner of his more renowned colleague and collaborator, Karl Marx.

John, 71, describes him as the Che Guevara of his day and says he has been so overshadowed by his more famous compatriot, even though he led a much more colourful life and deserves to be better known. He was concerned to avoid writing a dry or academic study, and wanted to bring alive this towering philosopher and socialist activist of the late Victorian era as a man as a flesh-and-blood.

He says his aim in writing this book was not to portray a fictitious saint or to erect a monument, but to paint a vivid picture of Engels the man and introduce him to a to a younger generation.

John’s book is already available in English, but now it will be available for Spanish readers too. John is looking forward to being at the book fair in Caracas a city he has never visited before and in meeting Latin American authors.

John will be presenting his book at the international book fair, taking place in Caracas during mid-March.

The funeral of President Hugo Chavez takes place this Friday and the week of mourning is over by Tuesday – the day John arrives.

4th March 2013