96-year-old Blazes a Trail on the Net

Francis Bartels has a story to tell. Of his experience as a black man in Hitler's Germany and of his memories of his pupil Kofi Annan, who would become the world's top diplomat. Bartels has written his memoirs but, at 96, knows time is not on his side to get it published, writes David Smith.

So the great-great-grandfather turned to a website which is quietly changing the face of the publishing industry. Lulu.com offers the chance to upload writing on the internet for sale on demand. The site is now selling 2,000 different titles a week and will produce about a million units this year, making it one of the world's biggest publishers. It costs budding authors nothing to put their book on Lulu, although they must format and edit it themselves. Money is paid only when anyone orders a copy. Some are printed only once, some never.

Bartels, a former Unesco education adviser, said: 'I've written books before and I know it takes two years from submitting the manuscript to the time it's out.' In the Fifties Bartels was head of Mfantsipim School, Cape Coast, Ghana, and remembers Annan, now UN Secretary-General. 'He was a good student with a mind of his own,' he said. 'He was the Jesse Owens of the school, good on the playing field as well as in class.'

Bartels, who now lives in Paris, could not spice up his book with tales of Annan getting into trouble. 'I can't remember ever caning him. I reserved caning for anti-social behaviour only. Maybe I did. Only he will remember.' He is glad Annan's tenure at the UN is almost over. 'I'm relieved that he's leaving that burden, which he described to me as 'The job from hell".'