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Old Elizabethan Jason Greenfield stands on the brink of a publishing contract – and of thus finally fulfilling his true vocation. Jason (OE 1985-89) wanted to be a writer from a young age, but was encouraged by his family to get a ‘proper’ job.

He completed post-graduate qualifications in advertising and then teaching, but continued to write alongside his studies and his work.

Jason wrote his first novel whilst a pupil at QE – a work featuring many of his classmates. He has continued to write, with six completed full-length novels ready to go, predominantly in the fantasy/science fiction genre.

In 2009, he was introduced by fellow OE Bradley Edison to the literary agent Michael Cohen. “Although he liked my writing style, he confessed my sci-fi concepts were not his cup of tea,” said Jason. “My mother had suggested that I write about my grandfather so I pitched the story to Michael and he was ‘wowed’ by the concept and agreed to become my agent.”

The resulting work, Forever Torn, has received critical acclaim from publishers, but has been considered too ‘niche’ for them to take it to press. However, the book has been published on Kindle, with several publishers following download sales closely with a view to offering Jason a print publishing deal.

Forever Torn is the true story of the life of Jason’s grandfather Harry Gilmore (born Orcik Gilevic). It traces his experiences from his birth in exile in Siberia and childhood in the family’s native Lithuania, where he was orphaned and sent to his grandparents in London. There his younger brother was adopted by a wealthy, childless couple. The book examines how a promise Harry makes to his grandfather and the circumstances of the adoption impact greatly on his relationship with his brother for the rest of their lives.

“My ultimate goal is to get all my work printed and I hope to see a few of the stories made into films or television projects. In addition to the six completed novels, I have also produced treatments and ideas for around 100 further concepts – some in other formats, including film, television, animation, cartoon and comic book,” said Jason.

“Essentially, after about 20 years trying to find my definitive vocation, I have concluded that I had it right in the first place.”

Brief resumés of three of Jason’s completed full-length works are below, along with details of two significant works in progress:

The Dashing Blade (historical, swashbuckling adventure with a mix of comedy and straight action/mild sci-fi – first of a series that melds historical, literary and original characters)

The Unseen Man (sci-fi/fantasy epic, set in a comic-book universe, which he wrote with the intention of creating the definitive superhero novel – although ironically the supposed ‘hero’ is a super-villain)

Mad Dog and The Englishman (wild sci-fi involving beings called Ethereals that are based on stereotypical and iconic energies. “Not for the faint of heart!” says Jason)

In the pipe line: Jason has a long list of ideas, but the top two he is currently working on are:

Moonrise Harbour (American over-the-top soap meets chick-lit meets real-world, from the perspective of a main Bridget Jones-esque character)

Vampire Nation (Mystery and intrigue in a world where vampires and humans have co-existed since 1920)

Follow this link for more information Jason and his work.

The family and friends of Guy Joseph have been on a successful trip to Nepal to start construction of the first Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC) in his memory.

The centre is being funded by Guy’s Trust – a charity set up by the family of Guy (OE 1997-2002) following his death at the age of 25 in a paragliding accident in the Pyrenees in October 2011. The trust supports disadvantaged children and conservation, two causes about which Guy was especially passionate.

A 31-strong group, including friends from Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and the USA, travelled to Dhikurpokhari, a village in the Annapurna foothills. Guy lived in the nearby town of Pokhara in Nepal for several months during the winter of 2010-11. He loved the country and its people, especially the children, and had planned to return there.

After attending a welcome ceremony arranged by the villagers, the group and the locals began the hard work of digging the foundations. They also started the laborious task of making the 8,000 bricks needed, using a machine to manufacture one brick at a time.

In a report for the charity’s newsletter, Guy’s mother, Vicky Joseph, wrote: “As always we were greeted like royalty…we were reminded yet again just how hard life is here and how the ECDCs will help to lift the next generation out of poverty.

“There is a huge need for schools for younger children in Nepal, particularly for girls and the untouchable dalit class. Despite the government’s commitment to free education for all, at least one million children in Nepal do not go to school. Each Guy Joseph ECDC will provide for 150 children up to the age of seven preparing them for and ensuring their entry into primary school. In addition, Guy’s Trust will be training 25 teachers for the surrounding area, offering education in nutrition, health and hygiene to parents and paying for uniforms and lunches. We will also maintain the ECDCs for three years, after which time the local community is committed to taking over.”

The trust, in partnership with the international Non-Governmental Organisation, ActionAid, is now building two further ECDCs, the second being in Dansingh and the third being in the village of Armala, in the Kaski district of Nepal. In addition, Guy’s Trust is funding four ‘MantaWatch’ internships for students to work on manta ray conservation in Indonesia. The trust is also funding another manta ray conservation project being run by one of Guy’s old university friends in the Maldives.

Mrs Joseph said the trip inevitably raised mixed emotions: “Amongst the hard work, there was much time for reflecting on the paradoxes of why we were in Nepal – the fun we were all having and the sadness underlying the fun; how much Guy would have loved the experience and that we wouldn’t be here had he still been with us. And the birds of prey constantly riding the thermals above the valley reminding me of how Guy must have felt paragliding. Tear-filled conversations with his friends revealed that I was not alone.”

The local people are now working to complete the school before the monsoon season. It is scheduled to open in the autumn this year.

“A school is more than a building, and thoughts are already turning to how we can build upon what we’ve started and continue to support the children we have met. This is the beginning, not the end, and an experience I think none of the group will forget,” Mrs Joseph concluded.

• For more information about Guy’s Trust, and to read the full version of Mrs Joseph’s report, go to www.guystrust.org

National broadcast journalist Michael Sullivan, who was a pupil at QE during the late 1940s and early 1950s, has died from a brain tumour, aged 76.

Michael John Ralph Maynard Sullivan, who was renowned for the economy and accuracy of his reporting, was born in Clapham, London, on 15^th March 1937. His father was an HM Inspector of schools and a bibliographer of the works of G K Chesterton.

Michael left QE in 1953 at 16 to take a diploma in journalism at Regent Street Polytechnic. From there he took up an apprenticeship in 1956 on the Stretford and Urmston Advertiser in Manchester. Following his National Service he joined the Hertfordshire Advertiser, then the Press Association. He became known for his impeccable shorthand and as a fast and efficient news reporter.

‘Sully’, as he was known, became part of a wave of Fleet Street journalists hired by the BBC in the mid-1960s to sharpen its news reporting. His good looks made him a natural in front of the camera and he swiftly became a master of writing to pictures. He covered many of the leading events of his day including the Rhodesian crisis; the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the death throes of the apartheid system in South Africa. Michael was handpicked to be one of the correspondents who covered the release from detention of Nelson Mandela in 1990.

Michael was well known too for his independence of mind and he often clashed with those in authority. His criticism of BBC management, due to his belief that he was being overlooked for top reporting jobs, sadly became something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. He famously penned a sketch of the then Chief Executive of Television News, Tony Hall, in school cap and shorts with a satchel – a caricature which led to Mr Hall being dubbed “head prefect”.

In his spare time, he pursued an interest in aviation, building a model aeroplane in the basement of Television and, later, assembling a real one and obtaining a pilot’s licence.

After retiring from the BBC in 1993, he was persuaded to join the newly-launched Sky News. His skill at turning round breaking news stories, speedily and accurately, soon led to his establishment as senior scriptwriter.

Michael, who died on 28 May 2013, is survived by his partner, Janneke Mattson, and two sons from an earlier marriage.

A former senior lawyer and leading international manager with BP is re-establishing his links with QE, where he has been both a pupil and a Governor.

Richard Newton (1956-1964) was School Captain and was also captain of both cricket and rugby during his time at QE. He led the Hertfordshire U19 cricket team as well as representing the South of England, and played U19 rugby for both Hertfordshire and South East England. He served as a Governor in the 1980s.

After leaving School, Richard read Law at Nottingham University, where he continued his sporting exploits, captaining the First XI at cricket and playing for the First XV at rugby and the Universities Athletic Union at cricket.

After qualifying he was recruited by BP who later posted him to the USA. “I started in 1970 as a lawyer, working in New York and San Francisco for seven years,” said Richard. “I then moved into commercial and general management.” His principal roles were Head of Commercial in Exploration & Production, Head of International Oil Trading and Refining, Head of Global Gas, Head of Human Resources Worldwide and Director Europe.

“In my last 10 years or so I worked closely with first Lord Simon and then Lord Browne, the CEOs, on organisational change and leadership. This included succession planning and designing top executive education programmes at Cambridge, Harvard Business School and Stanford Business School.”

After leaving BP Richard worked, mostly pro bono, with: Baroness Hayman, the then Chairperson of Cancer Research; with Lord Browne, in his role as Chairman of the Governors of the Cambridge Judge Business School, and with Cambridge University as a faculty member on their Prince Of Wales’ Programme on Sustainable Development. He also carried out some senior executive coaching.

“My contact with the School has been intermittent since I was a Governor in the 1980s,” said Richard. “When the School opted out and went grant-maintained I was one of the two outside businessmen appointed to the board of governors, the other being George Heard, the Chairman. I’m afraid my career with BP at the time, and particularly the travelling, made the fulfilment of my duties increasingly difficult and so I eventually stood down.”

Richard has recently moved back to the Barnet area and is looking for ways to rekindle his links with his alma mater. “Major surgery a few years ago caused me to revaluate my priorities,” he says. “What motivates me most? – sport (particularly the team ones), the interface between business and society, organisational change, career coaching and last but not least, the key aspects of good leadership.”

Harry Peto (OE 2005-2012) has been elected President of the undergraduate student body at his Cambridge college.

Harry, who is reading Politics, Psychology and Sociology at Clare College, is juggling his studies alongside his responsibilities as President of the Union of Clare Students (UCS), the equivalent of other colleges’ Junior Common Room.

“Being President is a very varied and dynamic job,” said Harry. “My regular responsibilities include chairing meetings of the UCS Committee, which is great fun, and liaising regularly with college officers to make sure everything they do is as much in accordance as possible with students’ interests, as well as discussing any ideas of mine that might help to improve the lives of students at Clare.”

Harry is just entering his second year at Clare, where he will be specialising in Politics and International Relations. In addition to representing the interests of Clare College at the university-wide students’ union meetings, he has also discovered a host of less formal duties.

“At the moment I am working hard to organise Freshers’ Week. Basically I’m responsible for making sure they have a pleasant transition into university life.”

He is uncertain as to what the future holds once he graduates. “I have my eye on potential postgraduate opportunities abroad, as well as TeachFirst and a career in journalism or something politics-related!”

Award-winning academic and Old Elizabethan Mustafa Sarkar returned to QE for the 51st Annual Dinner Debate as a special guest.

In his toast to the Elizabethan Union, QE’s formal debating society, Mustafa (OE 1997–2004) emphasised the importance of luck – and, in particular, of making your own luck. A sports psychology specialist who last year gained his PhD from Loughborough University, Mustafa has won a number of awards for his work over the past few years, including, most recently, the British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology (DSEP) PhD award for 2015.

Drawing upon his academic research, Mustafa offered his audience of Year 12 boys, guests and staff advice around a number of themes. These included: always saying ‘yes’ to opportunities when presented with them (and working out how to do something afterwards); turning adversity into advantage; listening to your inner voice and making good use of social support networks. In this last connection, he spoke about the importance of his family, including his wife.

After enjoying a three-course formal dinner in the Dining Hall, which featured Moroccan chicken tagine, the assembled company moved to the Shearly Hall for the debate. This pits two old boys of the School against two current pupils.

Proposing this year’s motion, This House believes that marriage is an outdated institution, were Year 12 boys Ché Applewhaite and Ridwan Uddin. They were opposed by Gabriel Gendler (OE 2007–2014) and Ethan Axelrod (OE 2007–2014), with Adrian Burbie, of Year 12, in the chair.

The QE proposition started with only 30 or so votes and there were a great many abstentions. At the end, there were no abstentions and Ché and Ridwan had increased their share to 45, while the OE opposition had also increased their share of the vote, but by a smaller amount. The swing is crucial in determining the result, so although in absolute terms more people voted against the motion, the two current pupils won the debate.

Head of Academic Enrichment, Nisha Mayer, said: “Both sides were enormously persuasive and some excellent oratorical skills were seen from all four speakers.

“The debate touched on the progressive nature of gay marriage, the comparative merits of civil partnership and the global context, including arranged marriages, as well as the nature of romantic relationships today defined by technological advances such as the Tinder dating application. The evening was a great success.”