Daventry brothers chase radio dream with hilarious new book
Two local authors chase childhood dream of hearing new radio play on the airwaves.
Two Daventry brothers, Simon and Chris Raven, have released their debut radio play, “Jack & Laurel Can’t Travel: Mexico”, published in paperback by Samosir Books (November 15). The launch coincides with the 100th anniversary of the BBC transmission station in Daventry, a landmark that loomed large - literally and creatively - over their childhood.
Growing up in Daventry in the 1980s, the Raven Brothers lived in the shadow of 40 towering steel masts that broadcast the BBC World Service from Borough Hill to as far away as Australia. “It always fascinated us that Daventry was sending news to the world from our backyard,” reveals Chris. “At night, the red lights on the towers blinked like stars.”
“Daventry was on the dial of our kitchen radio,” explains Simon. “Alongside New York, Delhi and Moscow. I remember staring at it and dreaming of faraway places.”
That wanderlust eventually led the brothers to travel the world, but it was only years later, on a night flight home from the Guadalajara International Book Fair, that the idea for Jack & Laurel Can’t Travel was born. “The title just popped into Si’s head,” recalls Chris. “We found the idea of two travel writers who are not very good at travel amusing.”
Back in Daventry, they began writing. “It was tough at first,” Simon admits. “But once we found our rhythm, the comedy started to flow. Within a couple of months, we had a first draft. It felt fresh - something unique was emerging.”
The brothers’ creative journey began after quitting their London office jobs and working in a -30 degrees freezer at DIRFT, Daventry, to fund a road trip across Russia in a £300 Ford Sierra. That adventure became one of their first books, Driving the Trans-Siberian, and led to an unexpected appearance on BBC Radio 4’.
“The experience of being interviewed at Broadcasting House in London,” Simon explains, “encouraged us both to pursue a dream of writing a comedy for the airwaves.”
“Publishing Jack & Laurel as a book has been hugely exciting,” confirms Chris. “We’re now actively seeking collaboration with independent broadcasters and established theatre and acting groups, who share our passion for radio.”
With the next instalment of their radio series already in the works, the brothers plan to send Jack and Laurel on a wildly ambitious cycling trip from Daventry to Unst in the Shetland Islands. “We’re bringing them home,” reveals Simon. “Our only hope is that you will come along for the ride.”
“Jack & Laurel Can’t Travel: Mexico” by the Raven Brothers is available via Amazon and all major book retailers worldwide.