INTERVIEW
Paula Hawkins: T O TA L R E C A L L A NEW NOVEL BY PAULA HAWKINS INTO THE WATER WAS PUBLISHED BY THE UKRAINIAN PUBLISHING HOUSE «FAMILY LEISURE CLUB». THIS IS ANOTHER WORK OF THE AUTHOR OF THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, WHICH KEPT STEPHEN KING UP MOST OF THE NIGHT (AS SHARED BY THE «GURU OF HORROR» IN HIS TWITTER), AND WHICH MADE SUCH A SUCCESSFUL MOVIE THAT THE RIGHTS FOR INTO THE WATER HAVE ALREADY BEEN REDEEMED BY STEVEN SPIELBERG. IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW THE PAULA AGREED TO TALK ABOUT MONEY, FAME, ALCOHOL –– THINGS THAT SOMETIMES ASSIST WRITERS IN THEIR WORK, AND SOMETIMES DO THE OPPOSITE JOB.
HEMINGWAY COMPLAINED THAT ALCOHOL, WOMEN, MONEY AND VANITY WERE DISRUPTING HIS WORK, AND AT THE SAME TIME HE COULDN’T WORK WITHOUT THEM. WHAT IS OBSTRUCTING YOUR WORK? AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU CAN’T WORK WITHOUT? I believe that a good writer is able to work in any conditions. The following atmosphere is perfect for me: silence, calmness, nobody disturbs me. And also the sense of pleasure caused by what I do. I am very boring and disciplined by nature. I wake up, go upstairs into the living room, come up to the table and begin to write. When my work is going easy I can work day and night. As usual, it is a regular working day from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. I do not go to cafés or other places like that for writing. I like to be somewhere silent, where nothing distracts me. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT EMILY BLUNT DID A GOOD JOB IN THE MOVIE THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN? She coped with this role brilliantly! It’s very difficult to play a drunkard without looking silly or ridiculous. Emily managed to embody both the horror and grandeur of the situation, in which she found herself, when the
person does not remember anything because of her alcoholism and is already not sure that she did not commit a horrible murder. When you cannot recall anything, this fact fully changes your sense of guilt and responsibility. Someone does not feel any responsibility at all, whereas another person feels guilty for actions, which he/she has not done.
WHICH HUMAN FEAR DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST FAR-FETCHED? Not to get married and not to have
I BELIEVE THAT A GOOD WRITER IS ABLE TO WORK IN ANY CONDITIONS. THE FOLLOWING ATMOSPHERE IS PERFECT FOR ME: SILENCE, CALMNESS, NOBODY DISTURBS ME. AND ALSO THE SENSE OF PLEASURE CAUSED BY WHAT I DO. An article by Oliver Sacks, a British neurologist, inspired me to realize this. He wrote about his childhood in England during World War II. A bomb exploded right next to his house; he remembered that for sure. Later it became clear that he only heard about this event, but never was personally near the explosion. I had a similar discussion with my mother. I definitely remembered that in our school whiteskinned and dark-skinned children used different doors for entering. However, my mother assured me that the segregation did not exist at that time anymore. But I remember for sure that it did! (Chuckles.) DO YOU GIVE ADVICE, AND DO YOU LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF OTHERS? When it comes to my work, I always
96
listen to the advice of my agent and editor. Not knowing something is a normal thing. For me it is interesting to listen to my opponent’s arguments after a fight. But as for me, I do not give advice.
children. I am not married and I do not have children. And I do not feel that I miss or lack something. I think that people outraged by women like me don’t make any sense. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? I am a pessimist and I always think of the worst. When somebody is skiing I think how long it will take before I die if the skis break. I recently stayed at a hotel; the administrator showed us the way to evacuate. And I did not sleep the whole night, thinking how long it would take me to evacuate. (Chuckles.) WHO IS A HERO FOR YOU? I believe that a person cannot be a hero in life in general, but he or she can become a hero of a particular
situation. Take Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani human rights defender, who advocates the availability of education for women around the world. She was attacked, but she did not leave her lifework. She is a hero. However Malala did not choose this destiny, she simply lives and acts in accordance with her own rules. In addition, I have to say that people who can behave like heroes in a certain situation, might turn out to be scoundrels in real life. WHAT DO YOU DREAM OF? I dream of a small house somewhere in a godforsaken place where I will not have to talk to anyone. I love London and I like living here, where I have many friends. But I really want to have a place where I can escape. YOU ARE ONE OF THE TEN BEST-SELLING AUTHORS IN THE WORLD. DO YOU FEEL LIKE A STAR? No, I do not. Being a well-known author and being a star are two different things. Joanne Rowling and Dan Brown are stars. And I am not. I have no diamonds, I even do not own a car. I live in London suburbs, where you hardly want to travel to. But I am happy.