From Nigeria to Cracking Walnuts

Malcolm Marks was born in rural Kent in 1953, went to Sutton Valence School and graduated from Queen Mary College, the University of London with a BSc in Plant Sciences (1975) and a PhD in Physiological Ecology (1979). His first job was as an Ecology lecturer at the University of Calabar where he spent four years 'learning the ropes' before moving into international development and consultancy.He undertook long term positions in Senegal (twice), The Gambia, Botswana, Bangladesh and Laos and short term consultancies in about twenty other nations while working for almost all the major development agencies.Malcolm lives in France, is an affirmed Francophile and is married to Veronique (the heroine of his books). They have two children (Melanie and David) and two grandchildren.

In the late 1970's, a young ecologist and his outgoing French wife move from London to the University of Calabar in steamy southern Nigeria. Follow this young couple as they discover a world that was completely unknown to them at a time when there were no phones, let alone the internet, to call home.From an unusual PhD final, 'tee'-time with a cobra, to termite hills and miniskirts, their many unforeseen adventures are at times fun, others sad and even dangerous but always entertaining. Malcolm's sens of humour and storytelling will see you enthralled in the couple's shared experiences, as he weaves together their life in Nigeria accompanied by amusing adventures in France and the UK.This is the first in a series of memoirs that follows the enchanting couple as they build a life together across many countries, gaining experience and finally emerging from the adventures of their early life together to share a finale that is driven by the cracking of walnuts!