Lockdown in Nairobi

Okay so the reviews are in, and they are mostly good. An average of 4.4 out of 5 from the 14 reviews on Amazon so far.

It was Laura in New York's favourite lockdown book, and it made Tim Wiggins (Life In The Saddle) 'laugh out loud.' Jet McDonald, (Mind Is The Ride) found it 'enjoyable and interesting', Jack Thurston liked it too, and cult cycling website the Washing Machine Post called it a 'gem'.

a picture. Don't expect these in the paperback. — a picture of a bicycle. Don't expect these in the paperback, for reasons of unit cost. © Nick Raistrick, taken in Tanzania

The Road.CC reviewer complained there were no pictures, sorry, it's not a picture book, unless you get the Kindle version. But mostly thanks for taking the time to read the book, and the time to review it.

Mad support from all kinds of strangers, from Islay to Ipswich, via Oregon and Australia, was really appreciated. And heartwarming in a challenging year.

The good news for you is that I haven't sold out yet.

The even better news is that the next 10 people to buy the book will be helping out a project in East Africa where, as you can possibly imagine, lockdown has been hard.

I'll be donating the cover price (£12.99) for the next 10 sales of the Bicycle Clip Diaries to my new favourite charity, the Mathare Girl Project.

Mathare, in Nairobi, can be a tough place at the best of times; it's a slum where the basic needs of inhabitants aren't always met, and with the economy shrinking it's been really challenging for the people, many of whom work in the 'informal sector'.

Mathare Girl Project started out giving employment to five girls who were rescued from child labour, and training them in vocational skills.

The project is currently distributing food parcels and generally keeping an eye on some of the most vulnerable people in the community. I can vouch for the project as I've known one of the founders for over a decade now. She's a Kenyan Premier League referee too, as well as a friend, so you shouldn't really get on the wrong side of her. Never upset a referee.

They've also been helping out a couple of small businesses during the tough times.

If you want to make a one-off donation to the project directly, you can do so here: http://matharegirlpowerproject.com/donate/

Thanks!

You can buy the book on the home page, by the way, and if you want me to write a specific message, Tweet me. This only includes hard copies, and is UK only. Overseas friends will have to buy the Kindle version:

Here's evidence that I did the transfer. Note I rounded it up to a dozen and I'm covering postage costs. But I'm also too modest to mention it and in fact I don't like to talk about my charity work at all.

Bio

Nick Raistrick has ridden bicycles on all of the continents with the exception of Antarctica; he's photographed them in Beirut, Baghdad and Bristol; and he's written about them, and other things, for the Guardian, the BBC and Boneshaker magazine.

He has worked as a copywriter, journalist, editor, and producer. He is also a trainer and consultant, specialising on humanitarian media projects, and has worked in Somalia, Syria, Azerbaijan, Burundi, Indonesia, Turkey, Kenya, Kashmir, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Moldova, and elsewhere. He has written about gender-based violence for the UN, and wrote the BBC handbook for radio producers in Zambia.

Nick has also taken down tents in France, pulled pints in Middlesbrough, and sold pens in Bromley to make ends meet. He has lived in Prague, Madrid, and Barcelona, but comes from North Yorkshire, and a long line of people with proper, solid jobs, like steel worker and North Sea fisherman.

Nick lives in Brighton with his wife, stepchildren, chaotic toddler and approximately eight bicycles, not all of them his.

For media enquiries, please contact nick.raistrick@me.com