Popular Post El Presidente Posted May 4, 2023 Popular Post Posted May 4, 2023 Loved the first book NIck. Good luck on the second! Good little vid explaining it all. Here is the link to the video and his site : https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/around-the-world-in-80-cigars-there-and-back-again#/ WELCOME to Around The World in 80 Cigars – There and Back Again. HELLO folks - author Nick Hammond here. I have some exciting news. The brand-new sequel to the world’s best-selling cigar travelogue, Around The World in 80 Cigars – The Travels of An Epicure, is slated for publication in late 2023. And now YOU can be involved in its creation! Since publication in 2019, Around The World in 80 Cigars has been reprinted three times and sold to adventure-loving cigar fans all over the globe. Its mix of fun, information, unforgettable places, amazing people and stupendous cigars has really hit the sweet spot for adventure lovers and stogie fiends alike. And now, by popular demand, I'm back on the road again. Around The World in 80 Cigars just took on a life of its own. It was so well received, that the question I was asked most when I was out and about was ‘When are you writing the second one?' So, I thought it was high time I got on with it. You have a chance to be closely involved in this creation. By becoming a Backer, you could get your name printed in the new book; receive a bonus, Backer-only edition which won’t be available in bookshops; star in a YouTube video with Nick; have a Chapter dedicated to you; help provide scholarships to underprivileged schoolchildren in Nicaragua; and even take the trip of a lifetime – personally guided by my good self – to some of the country’s finest cigar factories, as well as scoop lots of goodies and bonus add-ons as the total mounts up. I need to raise at least £25,000 to get the book published. That will help cover Design, Illustration, Production and Print. If we can hit that target – and, who knows, hopefully go beyond – together, we will be able to profoundly change lives on the ground in Nicaragua, as well as creating a truly special cigar book. I've travelled deep into cigar country once more to visit unusual places alongside remarkable people. Ever been stuck on a tropical island during a hurricane? Been Winter camping in Northern Minnesota? Or been asked to help kill a goat in a Maasai village in Kenya? I can answer yes to all of the above! I'll tell you all about these amazing trips – and much more besides – in Around the World in 80 Cigars – There and Back Again. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough – and in some cases, unlucky enough – to be involved in some incredible situations in unbelievable places. And as any fellow cigar lover will know, no matter where you are, or what you are doing, cigars are never very far away from your mind. Before the first book, it occurred to me that people might enjoy reading about my explorations, knowing exactly how I feel when I light up a cigar at the end of a memorable day. And, it turns out I was right; the cigar community has really enjoyed reading about what matters to me when it comes to cigars. And, for the record, what matters to me when smoking a cigar is the people I am with; where I am; and what I am experiencing. That, to me, is what makes cigar memories. The first Around The World in 80 Cigars sparked a round of fundraising which ultimately provided nearly £10,000 towards a school for underprivileged pupils in Estelí, Nicaragua. It also inspired a podcast of the same name which has been listened to in more than 100 countries worldwide. This time around, I want to go a step further. I would like to raise funds to provide individual annual scholarships for underprivileged children. In addition, every single Campaign Backer will provide a textbook for these children. As cigar smokers, we face increasing legislation, year on year, plus punitive taxes and fewer and fewer places to enjoy our hobby. It is crucial we recognise the need to stick together - and create and foster a culture that this traditional, artisan product richly deserves. I firmly believe that Cigar literature - like Around The World in 80 Cigars - should be part of this culture. It further helps differentiate between the mass manufacture of the cigarette market and the painstaking, hand-crafted skill of making a fine cigar. And it helps build closer relationships between manufacturers, retailers and those consumers among us who recognise true luxury when we see it. Social Impact While on one of my recent trips to Nicaragua, I was introduced to Philip Vertriest. He's a very Zen Belgian teacher, and over many years and many long visits, he has garnered a love for the country and its people. Using his expertise in helping young people, he has set up a remarkable charity, housed in one of the country's poorest areas, to give the kids there a step up, and a step out, of the poverty that surrounds them and into a better life. Autentico offers a safe and productive environment, where bright students can get away from everyday worries and concentrate on specific skills which will enable them to progress onto good jobs. With its own uniform, classrooms, kitchen, vegetable garden and atmosphere of support of friendship, the school is a shining light where light is needed most. Every single person who backs this campaign will contribute to textbooks for these students - and if enough is raised, hopefully full scholarships for an entire school year - including books, uniform, food, outings and anything else they may require to improve their lives and those of their families. BACKER REWARDS Pledge £125 or more Backers receive a signed copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – There and Back Again in an exclusive, Indiegogo Limited Edition, which will not be available in shops; they also will receive a leather Leggets bookmark plus; every backer will receive a signed copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – The Travels of An Epicure; in addition, every pledge will fund a school textbook for an underprivileged Nicaraguan student; and every backer will have their name printed in a Backers’ Hall of Fame page in the new book. Pledge £250 or more Backers will receive both copies of Around The World in 80 Cigars – The Travels of An Epicure AND an Indiegogo exlusive edition of Around The World in 80 Cigars – There and Back Again, both hand-signed with a personal message by Author Nick Hammond. They will also receive a leather bookmark handmade by luxury specialists, Leggets. Every backer will also have their name printed in a Backers’ Hall of Fame page in the new book. PLUS, they will be invited to a Backer-only VIP event in London to meet Nick Hammond at a pre-publication, face-to-face event at Sautter of Knightsbridge. Details of the content of the new book will be revealed, and suitable refreshments provided. Surprise special gift for all VIP guests. Pledge £1,000 or more Backers will receive a copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – The Travels of An Epicure AND an Indiegogo-exclusive copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – There and Back Again, both hand-signed with a personal message by Author Nick Hammond. They will also receive a leather bookmark handmade by luxury specialists, Leggets. Every backer will also have their name printed in a Backers’ Hall of Fame page in the new book. In addition, each backer at this level will be invited to star in a Sautter YouTube video alongside Nick Hammond and Laurence Davis of Sautter to discuss, on film, a favoured cigar of their choice. Pledge £1,500 or more Backers will receive a copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – The Travels of An Epicure AND an Indiegogo-exclusive copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – There and Back Again, both hand-signed with a personal message by Author Nick Hammond. They will also receive a leather bookmark handmade by luxury specialists, Leggets. Every backer will also have their name printed in a Backers’ Hall of Fame page in the new book. In addition, backers at this level will be invited to join Laurence Davis and Nick Hammond for a luxury lunch in Mayfair, including food, drinks and some special Sautter surprises! Pledge £2,000 or more Backers will Backers will receive a copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – The Travels of An Epicure AND an Indiegogo-exclusive copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – There and Back Again, both hand-signed with a personal message by Author Nick Hammond. They will also receive a leather bookmark handmade by luxury specialists, Leggets. Every backer will also have their name printed in a Backers’ Hall of Fame page in the new book. In addition, Backers at this level will have a Chapter in the book dedicated to them. Their name will be printed in every book at the start of the Chapter, which will be chosen by the author. Pledge £50,000 or more Backers will Backers will receive a copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – The Travels of An Epicure AND an Indiegogo-exclusive copy of Around The World in 80 Cigars – There and Back Again, both hand-signed with a personal message by Author Nick Hammond. They will also receive a leather bookmark handmade by luxury specialists, Leggets. Backers at this level will get their name printed in an exclusive Platinum Backers page in the new book. In addition, backers at this level will be invited to join a once in a lifetime cigar trip to Nicaragua, personally hosted by Nick Hammond. On a tour of some of the country’s finest factories, Nick will take time to discuss every aspect of cigarmaking, as well as introduce his guest to some of the biggest players on the world cigar market. He will also assist the Backer, under the expert tutelage of some of the world’s finest tobacco gurus, to create his or her very own blend. A specially-designed, Limited Edition, There and Back Again humidor made by the craftsmen at Leggets will be presented at the end of the tour; PLUS, a pledge at this level will fund the schooling of an underprivileged Nicaraguan student for AN ENTIRE YEAR – books, uniform, learning materials and food; PLUS, Backers at this level will receive an exclusive Chapter specially written for the new book – only available for Indiegogo Backers - based on their Nicaraguan adventures alongside Nick. Cigar Journal My wonderful friends at Cigar Journal have kindly offered a FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO CIGAR JOURNAL DIGITAL for every single Campaign Backer! Packed with cigar, reviews and features, Cigar Journal is the world's best-loved cigar magazine and its focus is firmly on cigars - there are no planes, trains and automobiles in these pages! I've been writing for Cigar Journal for more than a decade now and I can highly recommend their excellent quarterly magazine, which is available in English, German and Chinese. What We Need & What You Get I need to raise an estimated £25,000 to be able to ensure the book is printed and published. Once again, that is purely for the mechanical production of the book – the Design, Illustration, Production, Print etc, without paying myself a penny for writing it, or indeed for the 25+ years of exploring and learning which will go into it. I hope future sales may do that. If my target goal is not reached, your money will be returned to you. Without your support to reach the total, the long-awaited sequel will not be financially viable. The Impact Cigar lovers are an unusual breed. One of wonderful things about this band of brothers and sisters is that there is an unspecified, unwritten, yet nonetheless very real network of camaraderie and friendship that is open to everyone who is intrigued by the world of the handrolled cigar. There are plenty of excellent ‘How To’ cigar books; there are more which are faithful documents of record, detailing brand histories, old sizes or Vitolas or rehashing back stories of some of the manufacturers. There are beautifully created, coffee table books, designed to look great in a swish lounge or for a quick flick through while enjoying a smoke. And there are even more blogs and websites, video reviews and podcasts from enthusiastic cigar lovers doing their bit for the community. But, what began to frustrate me, was the lack of what I would call cigar literature; that is, well-crafted, deep-dive works of authorship that bring together all the aspects that make this such a compelling and exciting hobby in one amusing, enlightening, informative and entertaining book. Not a picture book; not a hagiography; not marketing for a specific brand – but a real, sit-down-and-read-at-length, old-fashioned book. The exotic locations; the colourful characters; the chance encounters; the weird and wonderful snapshots in time which, to me, are really what lighting a good cigar is all about. I’ve made more wonderful, loyal and encouraging friends and colleagues through this book than anything I’ve ever done, before or since. I believe there is room – even a need – for my sort of cigar literature among the many excellent cigar books out there. But I need your help to make it a reality. The Around The World series is the perfect antidote to a bad day at the office; an excellent gift for a special someone in your life - or just the thing for that lazy afternoon on the beach. So, please support my Campaign, and let's keep this vibrant and joyous culture and community strong. Risks & Challenges The risks and challenges are obvious; books are expensive to produce, exhausting to promote, hard to sell in a flooded market. By building my own market with my first book, I believe subsequent books will become more profitable, better known and increasingly sought after. Crowdfunding is an appealing option, because of the loyal and generous readership I have mentioned above. The demand for the book is undeniable, and as there is nothing else quite like it, it has a unique appeal. Those who enjoyed the first book may be willing will hopefully see the benefit of bringing a second into creation. The cigar community is continuously at siege from big tobacco and legislation; we must recognise the need to fight and support new initiatives and creative ways of further enjoying and supporting our hobby and those involved in it. Other Ways You Can Help I recognise that while, for many, putting their hard-earned cash into supporting a cigar book might be attractive, it may not be realistic. Some of the Rewards may be beyond many of you who would like to be involved. I totally understand this. If the tables were turned, I would be in your position, believe me! There will be a Donate button on the campaign page for those who are not comfortable paying for more higher-ticket Rewards so they can give what they can. And I will always be grateful to those who donate whatever they can afford. You can also help by spreading the word about this campaign. There is a huge word of mouth, online blog, forum-led communication world out there that will help enormously in getting eyes on the new campaign. Let your friends know the campaign is live; write about it on your blog; ask your local cigar lounge to stock or support Around The World in 80 Cigars; and use Indiegogo’s share tools to help you do so. The more people who know and see this Campaign and its worth, the more support we will garner. Thank you to you all. 3 2
LizardGizmo Posted May 4, 2023 Posted May 4, 2023 I loved the first book as well. Definitely going to support - thanks for sharing!
Thirds Posted May 24, 2023 Posted May 24, 2023 Bump this thread. Nick is at 75% of his fundraising goal with 4 days left…pretty sure we can push him over the top. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/around-the-world-in-80-cigars-there-and-back-again#/
ha_banos Posted May 24, 2023 Posted May 24, 2023 Good old Laurence Davies also promises a cigar on him at the Knightsbridge store for all donators! 😁 Frikkin hate Instagram links to reels don't work! 1
GaryK 54 Posted May 25, 2023 Posted May 25, 2023 16 hours ago, Thirds said: Bump this thread. Nick is at 75% of his fundraising goal with 4 days left…pretty sure we can push him over the top. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/around-the-world-in-80-cigars-there-and-back-again#/ Thanks for reminding @Thirds I’ve been intending to support Nick’s work - loved his first book - but just totally forgot about it. I’m in now. Hoping he hits the number… a true icon in the cigar world. I suspect LD will give more than one cigar at his shop at 8 Raphael Street! One of my favourite drop-ins. 1
Thirds Posted May 26, 2023 Posted May 26, 2023 On 5/25/2023 at 6:44 AM, GaryK 54 said: I’ve been intending to support Nick’s work Looks like he’s picked up a few more backers heading in to the final push. I won’t be in London this year but do hope to stop in when there. Those two are characters. fingers crossed he gets across the finish line - I’d like to see Nick accomplish his goals. enjoy your weekend.
Nick Hammond Posted June 12, 2023 Posted June 12, 2023 Thank you all for your support and kind words. It still blows my mind that my book is read and appreciated on the other side of the world... 3
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now