That Was Close! | In Conversation with Philip Blake
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‘Fear and I started our long relationship at a very early age, and every time we met, I think we worked together to thicken my skin a little.’
As a veteran of the famous (some would say infamous) Targa Tasmania Rally, Philip Blake has had plenty of brushes with death, but even the bravest and most foolhardy of rev-heads would be shocked by his record.
In short, Philip Blake should not be alive. He has fallen off a mountain, been blown out of bed by a bomb and had far too many close shaves on the road – and that’s before you even get to Targa Tasmania.
In this wickedly funny book, this master storyteller races through a life overflowing with thrills.
Born in Northern Ireland and growing up in Belfast during the Troubles, Philip Blake escaped to Tasmania in 1974. He is a professional writer, a former national magazine columnist and the winner of an Australian Literature Board Fellowship. He was also one of Tasmania’s most highly awarded advertising copywriters. A trained teacher, he has many years of experience in teaching Plain English writing. Finally, he is an experienced competition driver and co-driver, who has run in Targa Tasmania 25 times in eight different cars. He holds a diamond Targa trophy, is a member of the Targa Hall of Fame and is so far the only two-time winner of the Denny Hulme award. He is a former A-grade racing motorcyclist and has twice won major Targa Tasmania competitions – in two different cars and in two different seats.
Philip will be in conversation with Peter Ingram-Jones. Peter went into the motor trade straight from secondary school following a life-long interest in all things mechanical. After 35 years in that industry he swapped it for his other primary interest, books, and was Events Manager at Fullers for eight years before retiring to build canoes and kayaks on the banks of the Derwent. Oh, and along the way competed in Targa Tasmania seven times both as navigator and driver.
Join Philip and Peter at the Afterword Cafe.