Amy Myers catches up with the British crime novelist
Q. Rebirth is a recurring thread through your novel – naturally since Buddhism plays such a large part in the novel and in Sonchai’s personal life, and colours his attitude to what is happening. It never feels ‘dragged in’ as a theme, however. Is this because, as you live in Bangkok, it becomes part of everyday life for you?
A. I think the idea of rebirth or reincarnation is such a powerful one for all of us, that to live for even a short time in a culture where such a possibility is part of the fabric is to risk having your outlook subverted. I have no memory whatsoever of a previous existence, but I cannot help thinking about what it might have been like, or how the next one might turn out. Even though I’ve never admitted that I believe in it, not even to myself.
Q.Does Kathandu play such a distinct role in your mind as Thailand while you’re writing, or do all the Asian countries intrigue you to the same extent?
A. All of Asia is endlessly fascinating for its variety, history and geography. Since we in the West generally know almost nothing of this history, living here can be like a continuous Discovery programme. Nepal, though, occupies a very special place in my heart. I visited Kathmandu even before I visited Thailand and have returned two or three times a year ever since. The tiny mountain state with its holy men, its mountains, its Hindu rituals, its Buddhist refugees from Tibet, its high-achieving Western mountaineers, its echoes of an intensely romantic chivalric past, similar to that of Rajasthan: how could I resist?
Q. It’s been a great pleasure both to read The Godfather of Kathmandu and to have the opportunity to throw questions at you, and thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. My last all-important question is: when does The Godfather’s successor appear?
A. The successor is written and with my agent. I cannot say more than that, except that it does star Sonchai as usual.
A SHOTS EZINE INTERVIEW