“Ya Wanna Do It Here Or Down The Station, Punk?”: Frank Burton

Yep, it’s rubber-hose time, folks: a rapid-fire Q&A for those shifty-looking usual suspects ...

What crime novel would you most like to have written?
COMPLICITY by Iain Banks. Classic noir by a man who’s not necessarily known for being a crime writer.

What fictional character would you most like to have been?
Lewis Carroll’s Alice.

Who do you read for guilty pleasures?
Viz.

Most satisfying writing moment?
Winning the Philip LeBrun Prize in 2003.

The best Irish crime novel is …?
I won’t pretend to be an expert, but John Connolly’s THE BLACK ANGEL has to be up there with the best of them.

What Irish crime novel would make a great movie?
Ken Bruen’s recent novel, PRIEST, has an atmospheric quality that could translate effectively onto the big screen in the right hands.

Worst / best thing about being a writer?
The best thing is starting a new project, getting fired up and attacking it with all your available energy and enthusiasm. The worst part is finishing the damn thing.

The pitch for your next book is …?
Growing up, leaving home and fucking things up in interesting and entertaining ways.

Who are you reading right now?
Cormac McCarthy. One of the masters.

God appears and says you can only write OR read. Which would it be?
Writing. I’d like to think I’m better at writing than I am at reading.

The three best words to describe your own writing are …?
Unpredictable, subversive, minimalist.

Frank Burton’s novella ABOUT SOMEBODY is published online