Author Sir Ian Rankin has revealed how getting a hearing aid has allowed him to hear his home city in detail once again, with the new sounds likely to inspire his future books.
The 65-year-old author, who has sold over 35 million books worldwide, admitted he spent decades living in a “muffled” world before visiting an audiologist at Specsavers Morningside in the Scottish capital.
The creator of the iconic Inspector Rebus series said his wife finally convinced him to get his hearing checked after noticing he struggled to hear her from only a few metres away.
An assessment revealed mild-to-moderate hearing loss, which made conversations in busy pubs and restaurants difficult.
Sir Ian Rankin with Jonathan Bell, audiology director at Specsavers Morningside.
Now fitted with a high-definition hearing device, Sir Ian said the experience has completely changed his daily walks through the capital.
He said: “When it came to getting a hearing check, I was reluctant to in a blokey way – blokes are often reluctant to do anything adjacent to anything medical. But my wife kept saying I couldn’t hear her when we were a few metres apart, so she twisted my arm to get checked.
“Now, I can hear a crisp bag opening at 20 paces. I also attended a recent party with my publishers and instead of smiling, nodding and struggling through I could actually hear people properly. It’s made a big difference.”
Known for his sensory-driven depictions of Edinburgh’s streets and pub chatter, Sir Ian believes this sensory awakening will in turn find its way into his future writing.
He explained: “Previously, the everyday sounds of the outside world were muffled or I wouldn’t hear them at all. Now I’m much more aware of sounds like leaves blowing down a pavement and birds chirping in the bushes and trees.
“All the senses are so important for an author. I see things and think ‘that would be good in a book’. I hear things and think ‘oh that’s a very typical sound of Edinburgh, I’ll use that’.
“Now, when I’m walking around Edinburgh there’s going to be more focus on the sounds I wasn’t able to hear properly before, so things might well make it into my next book that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.”
Jonathan Bell, audiology director at Specsavers Morningside, managed Sir Ian’s treatment. He explained that a key phase of the process is “brain recalibration,” as the brain learns to process frequencies it has not heard in years.
Jonathan said: “Many people like Sir Ian who struggled with busy environments tend to find that a hearing device can help with the clarity of consonant sounds like ‘s’, ‘t’, and ‘f’, bringing critical definition back to human speech.
“It’s wonderful to hear him report back to us that he feels more connected to the world than he has in years.”
This article is provided by the news agency Deadline News Limited and published here with permission.
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