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'What Next You Bastard may well prove to have more layers of appeal than a mille feuille . . . a narrativepacked with incident, villains and comedy. There's nothing of the victim in Hall. His mother was feisty and so is her son. A keen appreciation of the comic, everywhere evident in the story, with a capacity for lateral thinking that enabled him not only to hide his disability but to wreak a poetic revenge on some of his persecutors, keeps him dancing through the narrative. His is certainly a story that needed to be told . . . His collaborator McFerran has demonstrated just the right kind of literacy to tell the tale.' Mary Rose Liverani, The Australian

What can I say without swearing...what a book!! What a man!! So much you went through! I took it with me to the Gold Coast ( 4 day weekend with friends ) had my head suck in the book and had to get up at 5am so I could finish it uninterrupted!

Brought back so many memories for me about growing up the tough way. Even though I was born in 1955 life was still a bit of a struggle (nothing like yours though). I have almost finished book 2 and am just as impressed.

Strange how you managed to get through life. I have numerical dyslexia (Dyscalculia) and always I thought I was just stupid because I could never learn my tables at school but I managed to hold a position of office manager for 17 years doing banking and accountancy for the firm!

Your wife Jan must have been such a "rock" for you and you were so lucky to have found someone so understanding, not to mention patient!

I can't believe your trip back from Noosa, it was the stuff movies are made of and to have escaped unscathed you must have had someone watching out for you. Trucks, horses, cows, chickens, what next am I to read in book 2?

I say cheers for now and go back to finish the book. Well done and I can't wait to meet you both. Why have we not heard about you in Hervey Bay??? The young people of today should read your book at school and, who knows, there maybe someone out there who has a similar problem and could benefit by it.

Will drop you another line when book 2 is done. Thank you for sharing your life with all of us, I am humbled. Regards Jane

I live in Perth we meet about Seven years ago you told me about your book, I told you I don't read but the name of your story got to me, so I got it from our local library. Man your story was great I have read two more of yours. To rate your book 10 /10 it’s that dam good. I hope you have more to write about as I am looking forward to reading more. Tom

Ken my wife and i ran into you and your crew at Longreach about a week past . We had just walked out of Kinnon and Co and were parked beside your selves , you were waiting for your son . A woman who i now know to be your wife Jan handed me a card and said " if you want a good read get this book , this is the author here " After a brief chat we went our separate ways . The next day we found ourselves at the Hall of Fame and while going through the extensive library i was drawn to your book in some small way due to our earlier encounter ...I now fully understand why your wife was so very proud of you and your efforts along with Monica in putting your life to print and sharing your amazing life's hardships , fears , and most importantly achievements . I completed reading the book last night , it took me four days . Your book was totally enjoyable , inspirational and recommendable . My workmates will be pleased that i have finished it , i will stop ear bashing them about it and they can borrow it as i have a few lined up to do so . In all my reading years {56 } I have two books that i reread the first is GREEN MOUNTAIN by Bernard Oreilly which i have held a copy of since my high school days and the other is WHAT NEXT YOU BASTARD by Ken Hall { and Monica McFerran } which i have just added to my collection and will revisit in future times . Ken i have always said that every "man" has a story in them and i just want to thank you so much for sharing yours with the world ..CONGRATULATIONS keep up the good work ..I am hoping to cross paths in the future when i can get you to autograph your book for me ...Jan keep up the good work in promoting the book ....it is a GEM ...Every happiness to you both ,,YOURS IN ADMIRATION Steve BEUTEL

I went to a book launch last week. Yes.... A friend had written a book a few years ago and with perseverance finally got it published. I believe it will end up a trilogy and there's rumours.. eventually a film.
What's so special about this book????? The author is illiterate!
His inability to read or write is through no fault of his own, it was due to illnesses as a child. It was predicted he'd be dead by the time he was 12!
My friends' name is Ken Hall and the book is titled "What Next You Bastard". My mother got to read it before a teacher helped him out with the grammar etc and long before a lady called Monika McFerran worked for 2 years with Ken on it. We got it in a foolscap binder all loose leaf and my mother couldn't put it down until she had finished it.
This is from a newspaper article....
"Ken Hall has one message: he is illiterate, not an idiot.
But because he cannot read or write has found himself on the outer most of his life.
He has had some remarkable jobs. He could build you a house. He could pull your car's motor apart and put it back together again and not have any spares left over. However, because he could not read or write, society did not want him.
The book is a gripping read. Once you start, it is hard to put it down because it is fun. Reading about his life is a scream. It reads like the script from a comedy and you would expect John Cleese or Rowan Atkinson to make an appearance any moment.
Ken Hall started life with a small problem: "I was born without tonsils or adenoids, which meant my body couldn't fight infections I kept getting. Every germ that came along I caught. But that was not all. Somewhere along the line I picked up a weak heart. It was nothing new for me to spray blood from my nostrils like a human sprinkler, or to keel over at the drop of a hat, all without warning."
His health deteriorated to a point where he was sent to a hospital, supposedly terminally ill. After a year in hospital the doctors reluctantly let him out with a warning to take it easy and look after himself. This was advice he somehow seemed to ignore.
But the illnesses had left their mark. As an eight year old he had died on the operating table. Although he was revived, the lack of oxygen to his brain had taken away his short term memory. That problem coupled with missing heaps of school, meant he could not read or write.
In Australia in the 1960s, work was seemingly easy to come by. But each time he got a job, no matter how good he was, someone would find out he couldn't read or write and he would be on his way. What is more remarkable is the humiliation and ridicule dished out once people found out. He writes about these instances, not to attract pity, but to highlight the way society deals with people with disabilities.
The worst experience in the book covers his experience at night school.
As an eager teenager he had a shot at gaining an apprenticeship as a wood machinist. To do that he had to finish school so enrolled in night school. At the end of the course he was asked to stand on his des

"Through reading the excellent biography written by Ken Hall, entitled "What Next You Bastard", I have become acutely aware of the plight suffered by non-readers in our community. I strongly believe that a national network of radio stations should be established to cater for this need and give disadvantaged non-readers a voice in Australia. The DAB+ (digital audio broadcasting) system would be an ideal vehicle for this if DAB+ was finally made widely available in Australia, not just in cities."

I have had the pleasure of reading all of Ken Hall’s books now and can thoroughly recommend them to anyone who enjoys a tale of real life told with humour and honesty.

In his “What Next You Bastard” series Ken relates the story of his life and struggles with his illiteracy. Ken’s early life was not easy. Childhood illness and trouble reading and writing made it difficult to keep a job. After many false starts with jobs in Brisbane he decided to follow his love of horses and head to the bush to work on a cattle station. Ken experienced some of the worst of droving - bad boss drovers, poor conditions, no pay. He had some great times too and it is this roller coaster trip of his life that makes such compelling reading. Ken takes you into his troubled times and has you in tears but then lifts you up with a larrikin laugh and leads the reader onto his next adventure.

Ken Hall is also a great advocate for others who have difficulty reading or writing; this may be due to illiteracy, blindness, or illness in any case Ken understands the impact not being able to read can have on your life. His campaign to create “Radio for All Australians” to bring the written word to everyone by being read on radio is an extremely important venture. Through our business Wagging Dog Productions and also in my work as a Mental Health Counsellor I understand how important it is for all people to be able to access information and have their lives enriched through literature.

It was a brilliant idea to make the “What Next You Bastard” series available on CD and MP3. Ken’s stories are great entertainment on long car trips, and the voice recordings make his books accessible for those who have trouble reading. What better way to spend an afternoon than sitting back with a Ken Hall book in hand or CD on the player, a cup of tea and something delicious cooked from his wife Jan Hall’s cook book – “Grandmas Recipes.”

Ken is a passionate advocate for preserving and sharing the memories of life in the bush. He is a delight to talk to and his enthusiasm for life has not waned. I wish him every success in “Bringing words to life” with his books and recordings and hopefully in the future through “Radio for All Australians.”
I encourage everyone to get behind this campaign. (http://radio4all.nzau.com/home4.html)

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