In Conversation With Christopher Fowler

Today I am in conversation with Christopher Fowler, author, of among other things, the fabulous Bryant and May series.  My review of The Burning Man can be found here.

 

The Burning Man in the twelfth in the Bryant and May series.  How many more are yet to follow?

Oh good, a nice awkward question first! I guess the real answer is that I’d like to continue writing them while they’re still fun. If they start to bore me, they’ll bore you too so I’d have to stop. But I have a few more good ideas yet…

You started off as a horror writer, but are now writing crime novels.  What prompted the change and why?

I lacked confidence. Short stories were a way in for many now famous writers, and there was once a market for them (sadly gone now). As my confidence grew I began writing novels that were unclassifiable. My first, ‘Roofworld’, has been described as SF, fantasy, a London novel and/or a thriller! I tend to cross genres a lot. As I continued I tried many other genres from satire (‘Soho Black’) to non-fiction (‘Paperboy’).

Any advice to anyone dreaming of becoming an author?
Write for the sheer joy of it. That way, even if you don’t find a readership you’ll still have achieved something good for yourself.

Where do you get your writing inspiration from?

People, mainly. I talk to people a lot. You can’t shut yourself away in a tower, otherwise you end up writing about a writer who writes. Boring.

What are you working on next?

Coming up is ‘The Sand Men’, a Dubai-set thriller that’s my homage to JG Ballard, a great hero of mine. After that comes ‘Bryant & May: London’s Glory’, in time for Christmas.

If, heaven forbid, there was a fire, what possession would you grab first to save?
My copy of ‘The Gormeghast Trilogy’. I value books over objects – actually Apart from books I don’t own much stuff, so I could shove it all in a box and nip out!

What five people, living or dead, would you choose to invite to a dinner party?

JG Ballard, Virginia Woolf, Tony Hancock, Margery Allingham, Steve Jobs. Blimey, they’re all dead!

Also if you think there is any other information that you would like to submit, then please do!  Blatant self publicity allowed!

I don’t tend to do much self-publicity. My blog was meant to be about books but as I answer most commenters it turns into a sort of literary free-for-all. You can visit it, though, at www.christopherfowler.co.uk


Thank you very much Christopher for your time.  I'm looking forward to catching up on all of the previous Bryant and May books now!

Miss Chapter x