One man and his book - a literary love affair

HAVE book, will travel – that could well be the motto of Tuam man Derek Hynes. Whether heading off on one of his regular jaunts to Spain to see his beloved Barcelona play, trotting the globe in pursuit of his literary heroes, or just doing his business around his home town, one thing is for sure: Derek is never without a book – maybe two; sometimes three.
Calling Derek a bibliophile would be something of an understatement. He doesn’t just love books; he’s passionate about them, and as those who have come to know him as The Bookman can attest, his enthusiasm is infectious. The Herald recently persuaded him to take a few minutes out of his busy reading schedule to tell us about his love affair with the printed word.
His relationship with books began, he recalls, way back in second class in St Patrick’s NS. His teacher Mrs Higgins read a chapter of Roald Dahl’s 'Fantastic Mister Fox’ each day and before she finished it, he was hooked.