ARTS & CULTURE / PROFILE but I think the only downside to the whole One Day experience was a certain selfconsciousness – how do you write something that appeals to some of the same readers without being the same book in disguise? None of the uncertainties occupied my mind when I wrote One Day. This time around the critical voices were a little louder and more insistent, but I was determined not to write a half-hearted or disappointing follow-up. The book was longlisted for this year’s Man Booker prize. How did that feel? Wonderful in a very uncomplicated and unambiguous way. I knew immediately that the book wouldn’t win, but a degree of critical recognition is always appreciated.
Kew Up
Ahead of west London’s literary festival, Write on Kew, we catch up with author David Nicholls I n t e r v i e w r o m y va n d e n b r o e k e
Did you expect your novel One Day to be such a big hit? I’m not sure any writer expects a book to be a success. The process is so unpredictable and, like most authors I suspect, I always finish writing a novel and think ‘does this make sense, and will anyone be interested anyway?’ Why do you think it was so successful? I think it was as much about friendship as love. I think a lot of readers saw themselves in the book – everyone knows a Dexter or an Emma – and I think those ideas of fate, nostalgia, what might have been, are quite compelling.
What inspired the theme of revisiting the main characters every St Swithin’s Day for 20 years? Partly it came from reaching 40 and looking back at that journey. I wanted to write about how small decisions on seemingly ordinary days can have unseen results. I was also inspired by a short passage in Tess of the D’Urbervilles that I’d read when I was seventeen. To say more would be to give too much away, but the passage had always stayed with me, and I remember thinking ‘there’s a story there’. Was it hard writing your follow up novel, Us? I’m not sure writing a book is ever easy,
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You’re also a screenwriter, how does that lend itself to writing novels? I think screenwriters are obliged to do certain things; to think about story structure, to plan, to make sure that every thing earns its place and has a purpose. Screenwriters tend to put up the scaffolding before they do the fun stuff – the dialogue, the jokes – and there’s a requirement to keep things moving. Also, as a screenwriter I do think a lot about performance – how would this scene look if you acted it out? All of that finds its way into the prose. What does it mean to you to be involved in Write on Kew? I went to Kew when I was about seven and thought it was an extraordinary place. The pagoda seemed immense. I’ve been back many times since and always love it. And it’s a new festival too – anything that allows readers and writers to get together seems like a good thing to me. Is there anyone during the festival that you are particularly looking forward to meeting or seeing? Years ago I wrote the screenplay to Blake Morrison’s fine memoir And When Did You Last See Your Father? He’s a wonderful writer and a fine speaker. Also Clare Tomalin has written wonderful biographies of two of my favourite writers, Hardy and Dickens, so if I can make it to those events I certainly will. Who is your writing hero? I think I’d choose a screenwriter. Billy Wilder is an idol of mine – versatile, brilliant at comedy and drama, a great wit and satirist. A fascinating life too. I love Wilder. Us by David Nicholls is published by Hodder, £7.99; hodder.co.uk
SEPTEMBER 2015
05/08/2015 14:27