HELLO. Welcome to my cottage. And yes, do please come in and make yourself comfortable.

So begins this collection of intimate essays by a man, who says hes in his 90s and wanting to leave a loving farewell to humankind. Hes not quite one of us, he claims, and wants to offer us a special parting gift.

His gift will be accepted by some, rejected by others, come as a source of comfort or, quite possibly, outrage. Determined to keep his last days for himself, he insists on remaining anonymous.

Says the writers godson and editor, Barry Head: Like many of you who will read Swansong, Im not sure what to make of it. I found it challenging and provocative, but while disagreeing with my godfather about many things, I found what he says always beguiling in its friendly, playful, non-judgmental tone. Very quirky. So quirky, in fact, that I felt it deserved publicationparticularly as it was written as a legacy for all of us.

BARRY HEAD is a painter and writer, spending most of the year in Oaxaca, Mexico. We invite you to visit barryhead.com and barryheadwriter.com

Original cover art 2007 by Barry Head

HELLO. Welcome to my cottage. And yes, do please come in and make yourself comfortable.

So begins this collection of intimate essays by a man, who says hes in his 90s and wanting to leave a loving farewell to humankind. Hes not quite one of us, he claims, and wants to offer us a special parting gift.

His gift will be accepted by some, rejected by others, come as a source of comfort or, quite possibly, outrage. Determined to keep his last days for himself, he insists on remaining anonymous.

Says the writers godson and editor, Barry Head: Like many of you who will read Swansong, Im not sure what to make of it. I found it challenging and provocative, but while disagreeing with my godfather about many things, I found what he says always beguiling in its friendly, playful, non-judgmental tone. Very quirky. So quirky, in fact, that I felt it deserved publicationparticularly as it was written as a legacy for all of us.

BARRY HEAD is a painter and writer, spending most of the year in Oaxaca, Mexico. We invite you to visit barryhead.com and barryheadwriter.com

Original cover art 2007 by Barry Head