Where are you from?
I’m from London.
Tell us your latest news?
My latest news is that both The Rule of Claw and its follow-up, City of Screams, will be published in America next year, in the spring and autumn respectively.
When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing a long time ago, with several failed books, which weren’t very good. Why did I start? That’s a good question, because I can hardly remember. It was feeling that just seemed to grow on me, that I could write, and therefore should.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When my third book, Rhino Boy, received such good reviews – I felt that if others were thinking of me as a decent writer, then maybe I should, too.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Again, I can hardly remember those early inspirations to actually write – the inspiration for my first published book are in answer to the next question.
Who or what has influenced your writing?
My first published book, The Terrible Quin, was inspired by my son and daughter. It was a thriller in which a brother and sister set out across a frightening city landscape to try to find their missing father. Without the influence of my children, I’d never have written this book and may not ever have become a writer.
How did you come up with the title The Rule of Claw?
I am not very good at coming up with titles, but for this book, that phrase just came out in the writing of the book. In actual fact, that wasn’t what I was calling the book, but my editor suggested using it, which was exactly right for the book.
What books have most influenced your life most?
The Dr Dolittle books when I was a boy – I loved them, and I still keep a hardback copy of the editions I used to read on my mantelpiece.
More lately, I suppose Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and the poems of Dylan Thomas and Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I’d probably pin this down to the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins – and pin it down still further to a single poem: Hurrahing in Harvest. I’ve always loved this poem – it has shown me how emotions, how sheer joy and wonder can be conveyed in words.
What book are you reading now?
I’m reading Imperium by Robert Harris – a very intriguing book about ancient Rome, an imagined biography of Cicero, written by his servant and friend, Tiro.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
At a publishing function hosted by Orion, I was given a copy of a book called Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday. First of all I was put off by the title, but in the end I found the book amusing and fascinating. I’ll certainly be looking out for this author in future.
What are your current projects?
I am just about to complete a new novel for Young Adults, called Legend. I’m hoping that this will be published in early summer 2009.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
My interest in writing I think goes hand-in-hand with my interest in reading. I remember a teacher approaching me with a book in her hands – Miss Curruthers, this was, in my junior school – ‘You’ll enjoy this,’ she said, handing me the book. It was Tom Sawyer.
I remember opening it and reading the first two lines.
“ ‘Tom?’
No answer.”
That was it. From there on I was a reader, and thence a writer.
What do you see as the influences on your writing?
My influences are many and varied – physics and science and their relationship with religion is what interests me most at this time. My new book, City of Screams, which will be published in July, is all about that relationship.
Who is your favourite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
It is very difficult to say who my favourite author is, as I rather think of it in terms of favourite books. So:
Joseph Conrad – Heart of Darkness
Vladimir Nabokov – Lolita
Dylan Thomas – Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog
Martin Amis – London Fields
With all of these writers, it is the use of language that impresses me most. And if I had to choose one that stands out amongst them all, it would be Lolita, because Nabokov was a Russian, writing in English in America. A phenomenal achievement!
Do you have to travel much concerning your books?
No, I don’t – other than travelling to other or altered worlds every day in my imagination.
Who designed the covers?
My publisher, Orion, has always been responsible for book designs.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
I’ll answer this one in terms of my latest book, The Rule of Claw – the hardest part was getting the plot right. I wanted a rock-solid plot, a huge canvas onto which to paint all my ideas about evolution running wild and so on. Once I had the structure, the writing was both exciting and exhilarating for me, visiting this other, future world every day.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Yes. Never try to defend your writing from constructive criticism. It is very difficult to see for yourself where you are going wrong, so accept that you might be going wrong and work towards becoming a better, more honest critic of your own work.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Yes, very much so. If you are my readers, thank you for being that. I hope you have enjoyed my books.
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