Books by Jill Worrall
Two Wings Of A Nightingale
by Jill Worrall
Iran is probably the most misunderstood country in the world, and its people are among the most feared. Award-winning travel writer Jill Worrall, with her friend Reza Mirkhalaf, a leading tour manager from Tehran, describe an Iran the world has forgotten about. Few people in the west know anything about the Iranian people beyond their current politics and religion. Two Wings of a Nightingale uses the threads of Iran’s silk road heritage as a basis for a road trip travelogue. Many of the places visited have rarely been written about by westerners, and in writing this book Jill benefited from Reza’s expert knowledge on Iran’s history, religion, culture and architecture.
During their journey, Jill and Reza explore the caravanserai that were once a vital part of the silk routes that once crossed Persia, while also encountering many ordinary Iranians. In writing this book, Jill wanted to write about Iran in a way that would give readers a greater insight into the landscapes, landmarks and people of the country at a grassroots level. The title reflects the fact that they were two people of different sexes, different religions and cultures travelling together, yet keeping their travels harmoniously on course. It also refers to the many dichotomies of Iranian life. In the course of their travels, Jill and Reza visit the holiest city in Iran, Mashhad, paddle in the Persian Gulf, pass close by the borders of both Afghanistan and Iraq, stay with local families, play in the snow near Mt Ararat, pray in mosques, read poetry in Shiraz and eat ice creams in Isfahan.
Copies are $25 NZ including signing and postage within NZ.
Tales From The Petra Hills
by Jill Worrall and Harbi Amarat
After many months of interviews and research Jill’s new book, written in conjunction with her Bedouin Jordanian friend Harbi Amarat, is on sale. Tales from the Petra Hills will not be available in New Zealand bookshops but I will have copies for sale.
The book tells the stories of the Bedouin who have lived around Petra for centuries – their myths, legends, customs, beliefs and even their food. It’s a fascinating insight into a people who have moved in just a few generations from being semi-nomads to being an integral part of Petra’s tourism infrastructure. There are full colour photos in the book, maps and Harbi’s own personal guide to Petra. If you would like a copy just email me.
Copies are $25 NZ including signing and postage within NZ.
More than a Pipe Dream
by Jill Worrall
Pipe Organ Building in New Zealand – 50 years of the South Island Organ Company.
This has been a nearly five-year project documenting the story of Australasia’s leading restorers of pipe organs. If you’d like to order a copy please get in touch with Jill Worrall.
A Dream Fulfilled: The story of the Opuha Dam
by Jill Worrall
Written for Opuha Water Ltd, this book is more than a set of facts and photos; it is about the tenacity of South Cantabrians; about guts and drive and an unswerving will to succeed. It is also, in no short measure, about politics, pressure, disappointment, elation and drought. The scheme has been going for a decade, and those who had any part in its creation gathered in Timaru recently to celebrate what has been a long and hard road. Now, the dam, and its associated irrigation scheme, are held up — and rightly so — as what can be achieved when water can be stored. In South Canterbury’s case, it is much. The dam, giving surety of water supply to farms, has led to the creation of 500 new jobs; augmented the Opihi River to the point where once again it is an anglers’ delight; created a very popular recreational lake near Fairlie, and, not least, generates electricity. And it was all done by private enterprise at a time when the Government was the only body building dams or creating anything like a major project.
Contact me if you would like to source a copy of this book.
Out of print but available in public libraries
A Blonde In The Bazaar
by Jill Worrall
Few Western women know Pakistan as Jill Worrall does. Since her first visit over 25 years ago she has become deeply attached to this fascinating but trouble-torn land. Almost always in the company of Pakistani Mujahid Ali Khan, with whom she has a close but sometimes combustible working relationship, she is the special guest at a wedding in the Shangri-La setting of Hunza, spends a week riding a camel through the remote Baluchistan Desert, becomes a fan of Pakistan’s Lollywood movies, and floats in a boat down the Indus. She travels under armed guard to the legendary Khyber Pass and retraces the steps of Buddhist pilgrims and traders along one of the ancient silk routes. And all this (and more) while learning to cope with cultural differences, language difficulties – and the often over-riding anxiety over toilet arrangements.
