Greetings from Mykanos.

I just got back here from a pretty torrid time in Bogotá during which both Adriano’s exhibition and the physical form of my book ‘Better Than Cocaine: Learning to grow coffee, and live, in Colombia’, saw the light of day.

When gallery owner Boris offered Adriano the opportunity to be part of his major end of year exhibition, which was associated with ArtBo, the international art fair of Bogotá and the San Felipe (contemporary art zone) open weekend, Adriano only had a few weeks to prepare.

The paintings were done but were unframed and not ready to be displayed. The 14 were taken in relays to our framer in Pereira and Adriano set to work on each as they arrived. They were very nicely framed in blond wood with white mounting board, but for Adriano that was just the starting point. Like Howard Hodgkin, Adriano doesn’t regard the frame as a presentation box for the painting but as part of the painting itself, so each was stunningly enhanced. It really was magical.

They were bubble wrapped and boxed and went to Bogotá via our 1992 Toyota Landcruiser 4500 ‘camioneta’ or pickup truck, driven by our administrator Julian. We had the 12-panel work ‘El Jefe’ in the Nissan Qashqai, along with three of the more delicate paintings, and we drove in convoy over the mountains and through the valleys to Bogotá.

Boris had given Adriano the main wall for his display but the logistics manager said that they only had room to hang 10 of the 14 cover paintings, surmounted by the three-metre wide ‘El Jefe’, high above the floor. We chose the four that would go to our apartment but then Boris arrived and wanted to see them all. He loved them all. The logistics manager said there was only room for 10, to which Boris responded “Then we must find more space”, and those four paintings graced one of the upstairs rooms, extending Adriano’s presence even further.

The exhibition debuted on November 15 and the works were much admired and praised, which indeed they still are as the show goes until mid to late January.

Then it was my turn.

On November 28, my publisher Richard took me to the printers to pick up the first copies of ‘Better Than Cocaine: Learning how to grow coffee, and live, in Colombia’. I can’t adequately convey what I felt on having the actual book in my hands for the first time. It still feels so special.

Interestingly, as Adriano’s work was being hung prior to his exhibition, Marco, the owner of a speciality coffee bar and shop in the gallery, asked if we were interested in him offering a ‘Better Than Cocaine’ specialty coffee, using our coffee and featuring the cover artwork from the book, as an extra special for the launch? We thought it a great idea and instructed administrator Julian to organise the green coffee beans, which would be roasted and packed by Marco and his people. The result looks great and Marco is happy with the coffee, which he tells me has notes of chocolate, caramel and (I think) pineapple. I wouldn’t know, as we don’t have a grinder at the moment. Many people bought both book and coffee, and I had a lot of books to inscribe.

The turnout was manageable and I had a chance to talk to quite a few. The British Ambassador wanted to come but had to host a function at the Embassy for Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who was spending a week in Colombia. The Consul made it to Adriano’s exhibition two weeks earlier, which was great.

Apart from chatting and signing and being interviewed I made a short speech, which went as follows …

Thank you so much for coming this evening to share this launch with me. It’s the result of 20 years of looking, listening and learning as Colombia and I got to know each other.

On my first trip, and Adriano’s first return, to Colombia in the early 90’s our governments warned us not to even consider coming here … and it had not changed that much by 2002 when we bought Rancho Grande.

The only news anyone heard about Colombia was killing, kidnapping and cocaine smuggling. That’s why my brother Chris, knowing that I would be spending more time here, made me promise to send the occasional email to reassure him that I had not been killed or kidnapped.

So I did … but rather than just saying that I was alive and at liberty, I thought I should tell a bit about the other side of Colombia. As a retired English man who lived in Pereira told me “Everything bad you hear about Colombia is true, but so is everything good you never hear”.

Hence my Letters from Colombia were born. I have been writing them for 20 years to anyone who asks to get them, which includes several hundred on five continents.

It is the Letters that provided much of what is in ‘Better Than Cocaine; Learning to grow coffee, and live, in Colombia’.

It is about me being a stranger in a strange land, learning new rhythms and attitudes and customs and idiosyncrasies, discovering a world very different to that which I was accustomed. It also includes a lot of things I did not mention in my Letters as they reflected the stereotypes and I did not want to give the readers a chance to say, “Told you so”.

Colombia is very special but for us who grew up in the so-called ‘civilised world’ it demands we adjust our expectations with regard to what we probably take for granted:

Punctuality? Never. Predictability? Rarely. Promiscuity? Often. Passion? Always.

What we expect to happen will not happen when we expect, and might not happen at all, but something else will and it will be even better. 

Being in Colombia, always makes me feel very glad to be alive.

You can’t do much better than that.

Except maybe having a book to share with all of you, and for that I have to thank Richard and Alba and Fuller-Vigil Publishing, along with editor Dan and designer José …

… and of course Adriano for the cover. I asked him if he would do a cover, and he did 14, most of which you can see here.

Adriano never does things by half, is never satisfied by second best, and always creates things that inspire and delight.

 He’s the one I share my life with, and I know that I can’t do better than that.

Ain’t that the truth?

So now, as well as being available in electronic version (just go to Amazon and type Barry Max Wills or Better Than Cocaine) the physical book is available here in Colombia and in the better independent bookstores, and publisher Richard is working with Amazon to have it available worldwide very soon.

I will keep you updated. After all, if it weren’t for you it would not exist.

I have had some very encouraging comments from quite a few of you, for which I am truly thankful and pleased that you have such excellent and discerning taste. Please feel free to add a few nice words about it at Amazon if you feel so disposed. Their algorithm reacts to reviews and can make my book look desirable for new readers.

Quite a few people at the launch bought the book as a Christmas present, which naturally prompts me to wish you all a very happy and enjoyable Christmas and an ever better New Year.

Enjoy every day, every friend, and every loved one.

You really can’t do better than that.

Love from him and me

Barry