1: How do you explain the huge popularity of your books?

2: And a strong, though ironic, social denunciation at the same time.

3: Books are the centre of the parallel universes you write about. Is it to denounce that in real world the opposite is the case?

4: In your books there is a strong relation with the classics. So strong that it seems you are warning us we are dismissing them from our culture.

5: How do you relate to contemporary literature? David Foster Wallace died few days ago and we miss him because for many readers his work also represents the pursuit of a social standing of literature...

6: Just a few days ago the Independent wrote about the birth of "bookshop" where literature is used as therapy. In your opinion, can books really help us to heal? Can they change our life?

7: One of your characters declares:"I've lived longer with Sabbath by Roth than with my uncles". Don't you think this exclusive relationship with literature could be just as dangerous as the alienation brought about by other media? The closer we get the more distant we are






1: How do you explain the huge popularity of your books?

I don't know. Probably because I think many people like to have something new and different to read, and my cross-genre potpourri of a series has a lot of different strands and elements to entertain the reader. If you like comedy or satire, it has that; if you are a sci-fi fan, then there is something for you here, too. If you are more inclined towards fantasy or romance, well there's some of that; and if you prefer something that is Crime or Thriller, then that is there too. Mind you, if you enjoy the classics best of all, then you'll find that too. My books are the Swiss Army Knife of novels; something for everyone. I like to think that I have supped at the great feast of storytelling - and made off with the scraps.

2: And a strong, though ironic, social denunciation at the same time.

I enjoy using satire for many reasons. Firstly, it's a good opportunity for silly jokes and skewed observations. Secondly it's a good way to comment on the plainly absurd world that we inhabit. Thirdly, it can make a fantasy world recognizable - the problems that my characters encounter are similar to the ones that you and I stumble across as we travel from cradle to grave - lying politicians, rapacious multinationals, faddy popular culture - it's all fair game.

3: Books are the centre of the parallel universes you write about. Is it to denounce that in real world the opposite is the case?

Luckily, it isn't. Books are making a slow but definite comeback as the reality show/quiz shows/makeover/cooking programs squeeze drama out of the TV schedules. I think people are becoming jaded by the rubbish on TV and the world in general and are retreating into an unsullied reserve of fine quality, drama - books.

4: In your books there is a strong relation with the classics. So strong that it seems you are warning us we are dismissing them from our culture.

Not dismissing, but misdirecting. The classics are sometimes good and sometimes wonderful and sometimes rubbish - exactly the same as contemporary literature. What I'm making comment about is how the classics have been taken away from the general reading format and into the 'study text' format where they are dissected word for word and analyzed, something you should never do with any book. Like the golden goose, if you take it apart to see how it works, something is lost. I'm also wholly against books being placed on pedestals and made into 'hallowed ground'. Shakespeare would be appalled if he knew that for the most part, his plays were performed predominately for the intelligensia. That's why I do what I do - to try and puncture the cloud of pomposity that floats above the classics like a dark thundercloud - it's like laughing at the back of literature class and asking proper questions, such as how that little twerp Romeo can be so in love with Rosaline, and then two pages later he's head over heels in love with Juliet.

5: How do you relate to contemporary literature? David Foster Wallace died few days ago and we miss him because for many readers his work also represents the pursuit of a social standing of literature...

I try not to relate to contemporary fiction, and I don't really believe any writer should. You definitely have to relate to what's going on in the world, which can often add a satirical edge and a contemporary feel. It's important not to preach any high social ideals as it's horribly pompous and self-important. But it's important to inject themes into one's books that at the very least offer positive nudges in the direction of areas that an author feels may be lacking in the world today - tolerance of diversity, perhaps, or social inclusion. Authors shouldn't grandstand their views, but ensure positive views keep blowing in the correct direction.

6: Just a few days ago the Independent wrote about the birth of "bookshop" where literature is used as therapy. In your opinion, can books really help us to heal? Can they change our life?

Absolutely, and the advent of 'Book Therapy' is to be applauded. In a world where people seem increasingly disassociated from each other, books and the emotions they convey seem an excellent way to get back on track. They are immersive, too, and reward concentrated reading with high returns. They also offer good opportunity for discussion - another excellent way to promote social discourse and get people away from the garbage on the TV.

7: One of your characters declares:"I've lived longer with Sabbath by Roth than with my uncles". Don't you think this exclusive relationship with literature could be just as dangerous as the alienation brought about by other media? The closer we get the more distant we are

Not in the English version they don't! I was always keen to make my books accessible to someone who hasn't read the classics, so I generally stick to books that the average reader will have heard of. Even if you haven't read 'Jane Eyre' you will still know it is a Victorian romantic melodrama that is classic, and serious and you shouldn't mess with it - the same as Charles Dickens and Shakespeare. My jokes are less about the books themselves, and more about the way in which they are perceived. I make it okay to laugh with the classics, and that can only be for good.



Click here to go back to Questionarium