RORY Dean is following in the footsteps of famous literary vet James Herriot in more ways than one.
For not only is he too now a vet, but he’s also about to release a book full of anecdotes and stories from his career so far.
The 32-year-old now lives in New Zealand but grew up in the Lockerbie area, attending the academy and playing football for Mids and Annan Athletic and rugby for Moffat.
He studied at Edinburgh University to be a vet and worked in the UK before emigrating.
“Adventures of a Country Vet” reflects on his experiences as a trainee and qualified vet in both countries.
It is being published by Harper Collins and will be released next month.
Rory this week said: “I’m now a veterinarian and director of a practice in Northland, focusing on cattle.
“The content is focused on stories from my career as a vet in NZ and UK. I fell in love with the writings of James Herriot as a boy, and remember thinking I’d love to write from a young age. The content is a mixture of fun, somewhat bucolic stories and real life gory tales, combining James Herriot with Adam Kay!”
It took him over three years to complete, while working full time, running a small business and sitting postgraduate exams.
And he hopes his former teachers at Lockerbie will approve: “While I really hope it makes my English teacher at Lockerbie Academy proud of her excellent teaching, I fear my writing will never compare to the classics that we were encouraged to read and digest,” he said.
His busy job means there’s always a steady source of stories and Rory revealed he is considering whether to write more books, adding: “There is plenty more material available to me!
“For now, writing is a great hobby. I also write for Farmers Weekly UK and occasionally the Dairy Exporter NZ, but I’d like to consider writing another book.
“Also, I’m donating a proportion of my royalties from each book to a charity I volunteer for promoting literacy in rural and isolated communities in New Zealand. The Rural and Adult Literacy Trust provide free coaching and support to those struggling day to day with literacy here, it’s an amazing cause.”
