Recently, I enrolled in a creative writing workshop with the Arvon Foundation. If you've attended one of my talks about my journey into print, you'll know how crucial learning the craft of writing was to transforming my debut novel, No Going Back. It's not a one-off process; writers are always learning and improving, as well as being avid readers of everything from classics to contemporary fiction.
"How to Write Fiction" was delivered by author Rupert Thomson in what looked like a tiny attic office where he had to stoop to get in and out of his chair. To my shame, I'd never heard of him before, but inspired by his insights, I immediately ordered some of his books. What a revelation! Why hadn't anyone introduced me to his work sooner?
So far, I've read The Insult, Death of a Murderer, Secrecy, and Never Anyone But You. All are excellent and remarkably different in style and content. I later discovered that Thomson is known for being "criminally overlooked" for literary prizes. Even so, I'm surprised none of my bookish friends had recommended him. I certainly will now, and I'm eager to explore his thirteen-novel oeuvre.
Thomson gave up a promising career in advertising to pursue his passion for writing. He had a lucky break when he answered an advert for a winter caretaker for a house in Tuscany. It belonged to character actor Miriam Margolyes, who wanted to know if he was gay. "I don't usually sleep with men," he replied, to which she responded, "Nor do I." It was an amusing start to their friendship. She also asked if he was a kleptomaniac, and he admitted to stealing books during a period of financial hardship. His honesty won her over, and he wrote his first novel, Dreams of Leaving (1987), there.
He’s been back to Tuscany many times and is grateful for the generosity of friends like Margolyes in providing writing havens. The truth is there has been a sea change in publishing since the financial crisis with authors no longer being paid according to the critical value of their work but according to how many books they manage to sell. Advances are more or less non-existent and authors are paid the absolute minimum.
Although he must be disappointed to have missed out on literary prizes, he takes great pride in being applauded by his musical hero, David Bowie. Bowie included The Insult in a list of his 100 favourite books, and a passage from the book has also been set to music by Welsh musician John Cale.
Apparently, Thomson loved Bowie’s music so much that he never dared to go and see him live in case he proved a disappointment. He just had too much invested in him emotionally.
Something similar happened to my mother, the protagonist of No Going Back. Years after obtaining British nationalisation, she felt safe enough to return to Poland where she discovered that one of her closest university friends was still alive. She knew her address, she knew her telephone number and yet she never made contact.
“I just couldn’t bear the disappointment if she turned out to be different from how I remembered her,” said my mother.
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