Aaron Le Boutillier was born in 1970 in Jersey, a small island in the English Channel. He is the author of And Then One Morning – A Personal Odyssey, a book about the 2004 tsunami. The book is written from the perspective of a person who lost his best friend on the Island of Phi Phi in southern Thailand. He resides in Bangkok from where he runs a business in security. In this interview, Aaron talks about his love of travelling, the 2004 tsunami, writing and his business and charitable ventures.
Mihnea Voicu Simandan: One could easily say that you have been a globetrotter every since your teenage years. How many countries have you visited and what was “wrong” with Jersey?
Aaron Le Boutillier: I just checked my Facebook account and it informs me I have visited 60 cities in 30 countries. So… that must be about right! J As for leaving Jersey, that is an easy one. Too much wanderlust and desire for adventure to live on a piece of rock with 80.000 people on it.
MVS: Apart from Thailand, which we will concentrate in the next few questions, which one of these countries left the strongest impression on you? Why?
ALB: I would have to settle for Brazil as it is the only place where I have been truly overwhelmed with great people and friendliness from everyone. I am also passionate about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so the whole trip was a bit of a “motherland” visit for me.
MVS: In 2008 you wrote in your book, And Then One Morning – A Personal Odyssey, about your experiences on Koh Phi Phi before, during and after the 2004 tsunami. Why did it take you four years to put it all on paper?
ALB: Firstly and most importantly, because I am not a writer. The discipline and focus authors must have to habitually produce great titles is truly amazing. Apart from that, sometimes I simply did not have the energy to relive some of the experiences to enable me to describe accurately the events of the day. Of course, as a first time writer, life in general will always get in the way. Running a security company and generally living, will always give you enough excuses not to open that Word document and write one more chapter.
MVS: Readers of your book are left with the final thought that, after having to deal with so much pain and suffering (seeing your friend’s and his daughter’s bodies rotten and infested by maggots beings just one example), you have lost faith in God. Have you made peace with God ever since?
ALB: That is a simple one. I am not religious and during the whole event never turned to God for help. If anything, the whole event reinforced my Agnostic beliefs.
MVS: In order to see your book in bookstores throughout Southeast Asia, and more importantly, in the readers’ hands, you started Big Wave Publications, your own publishing company. Why have you chosen this path?
ALB: I am not very good at taking orders or being told what direction my book should take. It is such a personal project for me that I needed to be in the driving seat. It seemed easier to me to start a publishing company than to look for one.
MVS: The first print of And Then One Morning has already been sold out. How many copies was the initial print? How about the second one?
ALB: 2.000 copies was the initial print. Many of which were used during promotion book launches to raise money for orphanages. And also a large majority was given to my deceased friend’s wife Oiy, to sell in Phi Phi to raise money for her son Dino. A close friend of mine in Jersey helped me with a second book design which then prompted a second book run, even though there was still stock from the first run. It is the second run of 5.000 books that can now be found in most book shops in Bangkok and Singapore.
MVS: Is there going to be a second book launch?
ALB: There has been four already! One in Waterstones in Jersey, one sponsored by Bangkok Airways in Bangkok, one sponsored by the Grand Hyatt International Singapore and one at the Sadtree Phuket School.
MVS: I strongly believe that your book should be read by as many people as possible. Will And Then One Morning ever find its way in bookstores and reading lists in schools and universities around Europe and North America?
ALB: The American Distributors told me it was TOO unique! Does such a thing exist? Some of the European Distributors told me I should have written it the same year as the Tsunami. So, I am afraid to say, market interest seems to be Asia only.
MVS: You mentioned once of a possible graphic novel based on your book…
ALB: Knowing the love Thais have for cartoons it would be a great project to find an illustrator/cartoonist who would like to turn my book into a graphic novel.
MVS: Do you know anything about your readers? Did you have the chance to interact with them? What have they said about your book?
ALB: The most incredible experience about writing this book has been either the comments left on the Big Wave Publications website or just e-mails from people I have never met, who bought my book and felt the need to say hi and thank me for such a touching and honest account of the Tsunami. When I receive those emails I am blown away. I am smiling for hours afterwards.
MVS: What is the mission of Big Wave Publications?
ALB: In a desperate attempt to keep a positive approach to life I thought a light hearted name to my first Tsunami books should be published by a company called Big Wave Publications. The mission of BWP is to help authors who have trouble finding Publishers but would love to see their books in the shops and are happy to take the financial risk of printing themselves. I am also discovering that BWP is attracting authors who also want to use their royalties to donate to charities or authors whose books have a deeper meaning.
MVS: What’s the next book that will have Big Wave Publications logo on its front cover?
ALB: So You Want To Be An Airline Pilot by Captain Nicholas Johnstone
MVS: How about you? Will there be a second book authored by Aaron Le Boutillier?
ALB: I would love to say yes and I have some great ideas and as of yet not one word has been written! However, once my mind is set, things happen fast. Watch this space.
MVS: You are part of the Bangkok Writers’ Guild, a Bangkok-based group for published and aspiring authors. What is your take on the writers’ community here in Bangkok?
ALB: After only two sessions, and really only meeting such a small percentage of Bangkok writers, I would have to summarise with PASSION and ENTHUSIASM for the craft.
MVS: All author royalties received from selling And Then One Morning are distributed to the people you know need the help. Can you be more specific?
ALB: I have donated money to the Sadtree Phuket School and the Nilubon School. I have also handed around 500-600 books to my deceased friends wife for sales on Phi Phi. I received a letter from the Private Secretary of the King of Thailand thanking me for his complimentary copy. That is always a once in a lifetime letter. Do I want to do more? Yes. Could I do more, YES! BUT, I need people to buy the book and sales are slow.
MVS: Thank you for you time, Aaron.
ALB: Thank you for the energy in not only reading and reviewing my book so eloquently but for taking the time to interview me as well.
Bangkok, Thailand
October 13, 2009
