Post his standalone novel in over a decade, master storyteller Jeffrey Archer wants to tell the story of a detective
We have just about begun our conversation with Lord Jeffrey Archer, when his phone, lying a few feet away, beeps with incoming emails. He asks someone from the publicity team to bring it over. “What if the Prime Minister wants my views on Brexit within the next two minutes?” he suggests with a smile.
The international author and master storyteller — he of the dry sense of humour and witty repartee — was in Mumbai recently to promote Heads You Win, his first standalone novel in a decade. He’s had a wonderful time interacting with school children and answering their questions earlier in the day. “Children always ask better questions than grown-ups,” he shares, “They are always puzzled where I get the stories from and I have to explain to them that it’s a God-given gift, but I also work hard.”
The idea for his first standalone novel in a decade — his last standalone novel Paths of Glory came in 2009 and then he was busy with the seven part Clifton Chronicles from 2011 to 2016 — follows the life of Alexander Karpenko, who is forced to escape from Russia with his mother Elena, after his father is assassinated by the KGB. A toss of a coin allows Archer to imagine the destiny that befalls him, in a split narrative format. So, while Alex and his mother head to the United States, the author also imagines what would happen if Sasha and Elena headed to England. “The idea came to me when I read Colin Powell’s biography where he said that after leaving Jamaica, his mother couldn’t make her up mind whether to go to Britain or whether to go to the United States,” he says. With its plot of the KGB assassination and the depiction of the ruthless Moscow regime, the book has been banned in Russia. “It’s disappointing, but it just goes to show that the story is accurate,” he adds.
Post this book, Archer’s raring to get back to yet another series. “I’m going back to do another seven, if I live long enough,” he smiles. The wordsmith plans to take Harry Clifton’s hero William Warwick out of the Clifton Chronicles and write a series of novels on him, depicting his life from a constable to a commissioner.
Interacting with school children
Published in 97 countries, the author’s international sales have passed 330 million copies. The septuagenarian is an avid cricket buff, goes on book tours, watches theatre and old movies. That’s when he’s not churning out yet another bestseller. “I am really disciplined when it comes to my writing. When I take a break between the different phases of the book, is when the other things happen. When you work with Margaret Thatcher for 11 years, you either get disciplined, or you die!” he laughs.
JEFFREY UNPLUGGED
MOVIES...
I love black and white movies, specially the ones in the ’60s. I think The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is one of the all-time greats.
READING CURRENTLY
I picked up Eric Ambler’s book The Mask of Dimitrios from the airport and I’m halfway through it.
FAV INDIAN AUTHOR
RK Narayan has that rare gift of making you want to turn the page. I’d love to have met him.
ALL-TIME FAVOURITE BOOK
I think it has to be Stefan Zweig’s Beware of Pity. It’s a masterpiece. I didn’t discover it till I was 16-years-old. He was number one on the bestseller lists in the 1940s. He was a great storyteller and great writer, amazing combination.
ON VIRAT KOHLI AND THE UPCOMING WORLD CUP
I’ve met Kohli and (Cheteshwar) Pujara both and I think they are wonderful. Kohli is a complete menace! Every country, he scores a 100, such a tiresome fellow! (laughs) India should win the Cup in theory but who knows what happens on the day the match takes place? In theory, you’re the best team. I’m not so sure if in practice you’re the best team.
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