Children of the Sky opens a new chapter for Duncan

Science writer Duncan Lunan is a busy man. He has just had a book on the Green Children of Woolpit published and has two most interesting and in-depth interviews on a podcast for the Flat Earth Society.

Entitled ‘Children from the Sky’ the book explores theories around the appearance of two green coloured children suddenly appearing in a medieval village in England. They were dressed strangely, spoke a language totally unknown in the area – which was a busy pilgrim place where many travellers passed through – and who not only caused a great stir at the time but who are still being discussed today.

The podcast gives him time to give his detailed reasoning behind the book but also to explore other areas of professional interest to him ranging from outer space to Glasgow’s modern standing stones circle which he helped create.

He is still working on research on the Green Children by tracing the descendants of the girl who survived into adult hood, married and had children. The green boy died some time after being found.

Another book by Duncan is about to be published: The Stones and the Stars: Building Scotland’s Newest Megalith This tells the story of the creation of the modern stone circle Duncan devised and had built in Springburn Park. Said Duncan: ‘These two books have taken 18 years and 32 years to find publishers – it’s great to have them come off at last!’

Duncan’s wife Linda is developing a career as a photographer. Her image of an equinox sunset has been used by publishers Springer for ‘The Stones and the Stars,’ book cover and some of the illustrations in the green ‘Children from the Sky’ are Linda’s too. Both Linda and Duncan signed copies of  the latter title at a meeting of the Theosophical Society in Glasgow on Thursday 23 August. It can also be found in the CCA in Sauchiehall Street and ‘Plan B’ in Parnie Street.

Dr. David Clarke, an Honourary Research Fellow with more than a dozen books published on supernatural belief, UFOlogy and contemporary legends, plans to use some of Linda’s photographs in his forthcoming History of Astronomy in Glasgow.

On Tuesday 21 August, BBC Radio Suffolk  interviewed Duncan about his book Children from the Sky. This can be heard online in the Lesley Dolphin slot where Georgina Wroe sits in and talks about green things including farming, food and the green children of Woolpit.

 

 

 

 

 

Duncan in orbit

Glasgow based science writer Duncan Lunan has had an exceptionally good Christmas and is looking forward to more in the New Year. As this ENEWS letter is circulating, a two hour long interview he did with Nancy Wallace of the United States online BBS Radio will be broadcast. In it he will discuss his book –’Children from the Sky’. This is his investigation of the mediaeval mystery of the Green Children of Woolpit. Two children – green in colour – speaking a strange language and dressed in unidentifiable clothes, suddenly appeared in the village of Woolpit in Suffolk.

Listen online: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nancywallacewhatdoyouthink/2011/12/28/what-do-you-think and click on: “Download this episode”

Another programme from the online station will interview Duncan on Friday 6 January 2012. And other online radio stations have picked up on his work. The book can be ordered through Amazon and was accepted by Mutus Liber, publishers early in December. Duncan signed two new book contracts in September with international publishers Springer Science & Business Media.

Already he and his wife Linda are preparing for a book launch party and have ‘booked’ a cake from Sugarcraft of Mosspark.

Children from the Sky is expected to feature in an issue of 55 Life Glasgow magzine around now. (www.55life.co.uk)

Dunan’s other book signings are for ‘The Stones and the Stars: A New Stone Circle for Scotland’ and ‘Incoming Asteroid! What Could We Do About It?’ Both titles will be illustrated by Sydney Jordan from Dundee, the creator of Jeff Hawke, the world’s longest-running science fiction strip cartoon which appeared, worldwide, from 1954 to 1988.

The ‘Stones and Stars’ book is the story of the building of the first astronomically aligned stone circle in the UK in 3000 years – at Sighthill in Glasgow. Duncan was the manager of the Glasgow Parks Department Astronomy Project in 1978-79 which commissioned the circle. Funding ran out and it remains unfinished though current moves may allow it to be completed in 2012. In his volume, Duncan puts that project into a wider context of ancient astronomy and of earth’s place in the Solar System and the Galaxy.

The other title – ‘Incoming Asteroid!’carries on discussion among experts and thinking amateurs about what could be done if it was known there would be a Big Impact in 10 years’ time.

Duncan Lunan has written three previous books on space research, edited the first anthology of science fiction by Scottish writers, contributed to 19 other fiction and non-fiction books, and published 30 short stories and over 700 articles.

More information on Duncan and his work can be found at: www.astronomersofthefuture.net and

www.childrenfromthesky.com