The Edinburgh Review - The Turkish Issue

I'm just back home from a cafe in West Hampstead, chatting about novel writing with Jonathan Rugman, and pick up a padded envelope. It holds the latest issue of The Edinburgh Review. They've been following country themes. The latest is Turkey, and it features a long short story of mine, 'Letters to the Parishioners'.
The timing is a sweet coincidence. Years ago I decided one night that I had to find someone driving to Turkey so I could accompany them, as research for a novel I had in mind. A priest headed out in the footsteps of St Paul, sent back a sequence of letters (hence this story), and then vanished. Somewhat in the way of the Canterbury Tales, the parishioners decided to head off in search of him. I needed to know what that journey was like.
The next day, driving around the Scottish hillsides with a new pal, she said to me, 'A friend's just asked if I'm free to drive with him to Turkey. He's just been posted there as The Guardian's correspondent. Sadly I don't think I can make it.'
That friend with the jeep bound for Turkey was Jonathan. The deal was struck, off we went, catching some of my priest's journey along the way.
On arrival in Istanbul I sped eastward that time, into a war zone, collecting the chapter on Ararat for my book on sacred mountains. A separate trip saw me travel further in the footsteps of St Paul. I don't know if that full novel will ever manifest itself, but I'm proud of this story. It's a strong, long piece, the priest's letters sent back from Tarsus, Antioch and Antalya. It plays with themes of spirituality, women and the Anglican church, gays and Christianity; a bold piece I'm fond of. I'm delighted The Edinburgh Review had the strength and taste to take it!