A TEXTUAL TIMELAPSE

From Idea to Non-Fiction

September 2018–January 2026

Rowan Wilcher | Preface

Have you ever contemplated writing a non-fiction book, only for it to remain a mere idea? If so, you are far from alone. Uncertainty regarding the approach often proves to be an insurmountable hurdle. Imagine finding yourself at a standstill, while the world around you succumbs to cultural erosion and the silence of censorship. What then?

In such a case, you might do as a novice distance runner does: you begin once more to explore and push your boundaries. After all, completing a book is akin to running a marathon, and naturally, one wishes to maintain one's pace. Fortunately, this loss of momentum can be averted by meticulously considering every stage of the writing process in advance. Whilst practical setbacks are inevitable, they are no cause for concern; rather, they serve primarily to stimulate your creativity.

Everything revolves around content

Whether a publisher will offer a warm welcome at the finish line is something over which you have less control. You are, after all, not running in isolation. In the United Kingdom, approximately one percent of all manuscripts eventually cross the line; in the Netherlands, the odds are even longer. That may seem a negligible fraction, yet in absolute figures, this still represents nearly 200,000 new titles in the UK and over 15,000 in the Netherlands each year. Being able to distinguish oneself through substantive content is therefore of paramount importance. But how does one avoid the tunnel vision that causes a narrative to flatten and stagnate?

Quite simply, by taking the time to read Shifting Vista. It is a curated volume featuring contributions designed to stimulate deeper thought on content, partly by drawing upon recognisable, timeless themes from everyday life. The original chronology has been preserved, allowing readers to place elements of the narrative within their proper context and period: September 2018 – January 2026.

The content of Shifting Vista originated in 2018 as an experimental spin-off project, yet it was conceived without compromising the essential integrity of a book. The format invites the reader to transition alongside the perspective, much as a shifting vista in nature allows the eye to gradually discern new details. This culminated in the first Dutch edition, Verschuivend Vergezicht, published in 2021. Throughout, the primary focus remained the substance of the text, written under a pseudonym that granted me the freedom to explore without boundaries.¹

The 2025-2026 revision was prompted by the publication’s transition to the Eikvos imprint, enhanced accessibility, and the formal integration of chapters eleven, thirteen, and fourteen, rather than retaining them as an addendum. The core content and original dating of the contributions remain unchanged. This preservation was vital, as they were written with the immediate sentiment of the period—addressing subjects such as Black Lives Matter, Covid, and Horizon—and thus represent a snapshot of a specific time. The footnotes, however, have been updated where necessary.

If you are an aspiring author, I hope this work—which contains no generative AI—will assist you in taking the next step. If you are reading out of personal interest, I wish you, above all, an enriching reading experience.

The Hague, May 2026

Rowan Wilcher

• 1. Wilcher is a pseudonym. My earlier works with a publishing house were released under my real name, but I eventually found the expectations associated with a fixed genre to be stifling. Adopting a pen name proved liberating, granting me the autonomy to experiment—both across genres and, more recently, across international borders. ↩