This interview with John Anthony was first published in
April 2007.
Where
were you born and raised?
I grew up in Hainault [Ilford],
on the eastern edge of London, born in a street of bungalows not too far from
Hainault Forest. Later we moved to Romford which I hated and I had a long two
bus journey every day to grammar school in Chigwell. When I left home and got
married we moved back to Ilford.
What was it that first got you
into writing and when did you start writing?
I tried writing a number of
times during my working life but couldn’t complete anything. I don’t think I
really had anything worthwhile to say. It wasn’t until I was middle aged with
some life experience that I got started properly. It took ages but I was at
home mostly looking after my wife who has a health condition, so there were
periods when I could sit and write.
Which
writers have influenced you the most?
My influences are a mixed
bunch. I read a lot of Wilbur Smith and James Michener on commuter trains, then
later after a big sea change in my life Shirley MacLaine and Richard Bach.
Peter Hoeg is brilliant and Kazuo Ishiguro. I get a lot of ideas and
inspiration from song writers like Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Al Stewart and
Scott Walker [he is quite exceptional]. Also Jimmy MacCarthy from Ireland. I
like to read poetry including John Keats and Thomas Traherne and my youngest
daughter bought me an anthology of Poetry for the Spirit edited by Alan Jacobs
which is a gem. I often have Mozart on when I’m typing, or Enya.
What
kind of things do you write?
Again it’s a mixture, mainly
about self realisation. I write a lot of short stories some of which evolve
into bigger things. I’m involved in a joint venture with Alan, a friend and we
have written a thriller featuring a psychic. I’ve written song lyrics, but I’m
not a musician. I hit a real block a couple of years ago and enrolled in a
Creative Writing Class locally. It was great, I gained a lot from the other
students and the young tutor.
What are
you working on now?
Currently I am putting together
a personal development book that offers people ways to re-address their
perception of themselves and life; sort of ‘who am I and how do I change my life’
type book. Also Alan and I are researching a follow up to our thriller.
I like to read before I write
or listen to music or do jobs around the house. That’s what seems to get things
started, then I write like mad either on a pad or at the computer. It’s a bit
haphazard although once I’m into a book I tend to write lots of stuff often
then edit it to bits. I find it’s best to get it down whenever time allows,
then do lots of re-writes.
What’s
the most exciting thing about writing for you?
Exploring imagination. I have
become aware that we live in a world of personal perceptions and writing gives
an opportunity to illustrate some of those perceptions
What’s
the most frustrating thing about writing for you?
I am a very slow reader and my
memory is not good [I suffer from a sleep disorder that has starved my brain of
oxygen over a long period]. This is frustrating when trying to hold ideas,
plots and structures together. Also I forget research and have to re-read a
lot.
What’s the best piece of
feedback that you’ve had from your audience?
Probably what someone I greatly
respect said about my book ‘Tomorrow’s Sky’ – that it was as inspiring as
Shirley MacLaine’s ‘Out On A Limb’ – and she did not know when she said it that
Shirley’s books had been a major influence on me.
Do you write for a particular
audience, or is your first priority to satisfy your own creativity?
My tutor at Creative Writing College
used to say I had an agenda. To be fair she was probably right as I try to
write for the soul. I suppose my main audience would be those who are asking
questions about what life is about.
