Career journalist and writer Len Port is delivering a rare treat for anyone who loves the Algarve and would like to delve beyond the habitual touristic twaddle.
His fascinating book “People in a Place Apart” has been compiled from years of reporting on all kinds of stories for major international news outlets, and involves interviews with celebrities, investigations into ‘murder most foul’, tales of Royal capers and quite a bit in between.
But as Len has always been fascinated by history, there’s perspective too – taking the region that has become home to so many foreigners from its very beginnings, right up to the present day.
Say reviewers, it’s “riveting stuff”, and the book presented by Portuguese publishing house Sílibas & Desafios will be launched on Sunday at the Holiday Inn in Armação de Pêra, in the Chelb Room, between 4pm to 6pm – with Len Port available for book-signing and no doubt quite a bit of banter.
As one of the readers’ comments on the flyleaf explains, Len leads his readers very much like the Pied Piper through this book, making the journey “so easy and enjoyable”. Writing is his castle and he’s been holding the fort when it comes to excellence in the Algarve for longer than most people can remember.
Passionate also about conservation, Len’s latest work can be found on his blog algarvenewswatch.com – but ‘People in a Place Apart’ is without doubt the best way to dive into this region’s background, ‘warts and all’ as the saying goes.
Readers will come out of it quite honestly amazed at the wealth of people who have passed through this sunblessed region at the tailend of Europe – and probably quite relieved that they have managed to side-step a few of them.
And yes, before anyone wonders, there is a captivating chapter on the Madeleine mystery. Len was one of the first reporters on the scene on that fateful day the world woke up to a missing British child on a family holiday – and he has followed this baffling case ever since.
For a truly delightful read, make for the Holiday Inn on Sunday where People in a Place Apart is making its print edition début.
