Interview With Brian Stoddart
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
I grew up in
NZ, did a PhD in the history of modern India at the University of Western
Australia, and that started a long association with Asia. Professionally I
became an academic teaching in Australia, Canada, the Caribbean and elsewhere,
before becoming a university executive and Vice Chancellor/President at la
Trobe University in Australia. Since then I have worked as a consultant on
World Bank, Asian Development Bank and European Union projects in the Middle
East and Southeast Asia as well as writing for the media and academic sites on
international relations and associated matters. In addition to that I give
lectures on cruise ships, am interested in photography and mountain biking as
well as art and antique collecting. And, of course, writing crime novels.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?
The latest
book is “A Straits Settlement”, the third in the Superintendent Le Fanu series
set in Madras in India during the 1920s as Britain faces increased opposition
to imperial rule. Two cases take him across the Bay of Bengal to Penang in the
Straits Settlements in pursuit of both a murderer and an artefact thief. Along
the way he meets another of the complicated women who appear in his life, and
is also offered a serious opportunity to leave India for a job in the
Settlements. Through all this run the themes of Indian independence, police and
official reactions, racial tension and all the other twists that go with a
colonial condition.
How long have you been writing, and how many books have you published
to date?
As noted,
this is the third novel I have done, and they follow eighteen books of
nonfiction with a couple more of those to come. I began writing as an academic
then also started writing journalistically and broadcasting that taught me about
wider audiences. I have written on Indian history and politics, on the social
history of sport, a biography of an Indian Civil Service, and a memoir of
living in Damascus shortly before the current conflict (“A House in Damascus:
Before the Fall”) that was a #1 on Amazon for Middle East Travel and Middle
East General. I am now also writing screenplays and television scripts.
Of all the books you've written, do you have a favourite?
Because all
the books have been different, the favourite is usually the one that appeared
most recently! Every time a work comes out I get a real buzz because it is an
achievement, and I like the sense of that achievement because it drives me on
to the next one (or several, as is usually the case with me).
Do you have a favourite character? If so, why?
Chris Le Fanu
is a favourite because I have created him and put him in a British Raj setting
that allows me to tell stories in a way I could not as an academic. I also like
a real “character” I wrote about, Arthur Galletti (“A People’s Collector in the
British Raj: Arthur Galletti”) who was an Anglo-Italian member of the Indian
Civil Service in Madras who was the genuine square peg in a round hole – and
some of his traits rubbed off on Le Fanu.
Among my
favourite characters written by others are John Rebus (of course) by Ian
Rankin; Bernie Gunther (Philip Kerr); Montalbano (Andrea Camilleri);and those
created by the likes of Sarah Paretsky, Denise Mina, Jeff Siger, Paker Bilal,
John Enright, Greg McGee writing both as himself and as Alix Bosco; Valentina
Giambanco and many others.
Why did you decide to write in the crime fiction genre?
The modern
“crime” novel is in many ways is about social history, because invariably it
now scours the social conditions that propel characters to act and react the
way they do. Unlike in the classic form of the crime novel, the modern works
are more about circumstances and context than about the “puzzle”, and they
develop the characters a lot more as a result. In my case, the British India
setting allows me to explore the full range of tensions that marked the
imperial world, and crime, justice and resolution allow all those dramas to be
played to the full.
What do you enjoy most about writing in the crime fiction genre?
Probably
encountering the strange turns that characters take when I least expect it. I
am a minimal planner (although as the series develops that is becoming less so
by necessity). Because of that, the stories and the characters almost take on a
life of their own once I am in “the zone”, and that is great because of the
uncertainty and the inspiration that results.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
In many
respects I have always been a “writer”. What has happened over the years is
that I have developed more as a writer, not just by shifting through fields and
genres but also dealing with wider readerships and learning different skills
that improve me as a writer. Books have always been in my life and writers
always important. All that said, it has been a joy to become part of the
“crime” scene where other writers are so hugely supportive and encouraging.
Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas
originate? Do you have a certain writing routine?
In mechanical
terms I set a minimum of 2000 words a day and will often get well beyond that
once on “a roll”. I tend to start in the morning and aim to finish by early
afternoon. The first thing usually is to read and rectify the previous chapter
I have written both to remind myself of where I am up to and to try and write
as tightly as possible. Because I write historical crime fiction the ideas are
set firmly in the historical record, then the characters start to develop
actions around that. Ideas for those actions can come to me at any time so
capturing them becomes important.
Do you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?
I have a lot
of favourites, including those listed above. I really look for style and
setting, and that leads me to a lot of “foreign” crime where I can learn a lot
about description and dialogue. In addition, I am influenced a lot by really
great crime TV series where the writers accomplish great things through
dialogue and development – Anthony Horowitz and “Foyle’s War” springs to mind,
as does Neil Cross and “Luther” and all of Sally Wainwright’s work.
How do you research your books?
Given my
background and training, a lot of research for the crime novels has been done,
at least in the setting. Most of the research as a result focuses on detail
like weapons of the period, aspects of the Madras locale, accuracy in names
etc. More broadly, though, I am a genuine “archive rat” so do a lot of research
on anything I write.
What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?
I read as
much as I can because that is part of learning. Then, I am a keen photographer,
mainly landscape, because I find that very creative. In a related way I am very
keen on collecting art and being around artists. And I collect the Straits
Chinese porcelain that appears in “A Straits Settlement” because each piece has
a story to tell in its own right.
Are you working on another book?
I am working
on another crime novel and on a couple of non-fictions, one a true crime and
the other more a piece of mainstream social history. But I find though all
three are different, the writing feeds into each in a curiously similar way.
You can find out more out Brian and his books at his Amazon page.
A Straits Settlement is available at Amazon
