Friday 31 December 2021

Two New Books by Sebastian Kevany, Surfer and Field Epidemiologist

The Moon, the Fire, the Fever and the Jungle
– Two New Books by Sebastian Kevany, Surfer and Field Epidemiologist –

Front cover of Between the Moon and Fire: Life in Surfing Moments by Sebastian Kevany

If work, rest and play are to be considered the key ingredients of a healthy life that is balanced and fulfilled, then Sebastian Kevany has been there, seen that, done that and bought the t-shirt. His career as a field epidemiologist, combined with a passion for surfing, has brought him all over the world, to almost every continent and, not just off the beaten track but to places where there are no tracks at all. Stories from his life are eloquently described in two new books that are being published simultaneously.

In Between the Moon and the Fire: Life in Surfing Moments, he ponders the question of just why do surfers ride the waves anyway:

Surprisingly, it is not always just for the thrill, or the excitement: at a deeper level, surfing can imprint itself on consciousness, feeding the wave rider with intense images and sensations – thereby generating moments in memory that last a lifetime, via the ocean’s mirror.

Despite (or perhaps, due to) a hectic schedule of wave riding (with occasional full-moon parties), Sebastian also finds time for his work as a field epidemiologist, focusing on epidemic and infectious disease control.

Front cover of Fever in the Jungle: Inside the World of an Epidemic Troubleshooter by Sebastian Kevany

Fever in the Jungle: Inside the World of an Epidemic Troubleshooter is an insider’s account, taking us from rattling convoys and ramshackle malaria clinics in South Sudan, to air-conditioned meetings with government officials in Sierra Leone. His adventures and travails (born out of over 100 treatment, prevention and outbreak missions) offer a window into the often bizarre challenges, the occasionally chaotic and unpredictable yet, always fulfilling way of life.

Sebastian Kevany has worked in the Middle East, the South Pacific, Eastern Europe and Asia, focusing on epidemic and infectious disease control and response, monitoring and evaluation, health security, international relations, human rights, conflict resolution, diplomacy and international relations. In addition, he has surfed for more than twenty years in California, Ireland, Hawaii, South Africa, Indonesia, Tanzania, Australia, Portugal and Sierra Leone. He has contributed to The Surfer’s Journal and Zig Zag surfing magazine, and has also published academic articles. He lives in Ireland and the USA.

Between the Moon and the Fire and Fever in the Jungle are published by The Manuscript Publisher and available to buy online, in print and e-book editions (RRP €14.95 for the print edition plus P&P). Proceeds from sales of both books will benefit charities that include: Alone; Bureh Beach Surf Club; Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Surfrider Foundation.

Extracts from Between the Moon and the Fire: Life in Surfing Moments by Sebastian Kevany can be read at Surfer Today website.

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