Declan Burke: “Ya Wanna Do It Here Or Down The Station, Punk?”: Ian Sansom

“Declan Burke is his own genre. The Lammisters dazzles, beguiles and transcends. Virtuoso from start to finish.” – Eoin McNamee “This bourbon-smooth riot of jazz-age excess, high satire and Wodehouse flamboyance is a pitch-perfect bullseye of comic brilliance.” – Irish Independent Books of the Year 2019 “This rapid-fire novel deserves a place on any bookshelf that grants asylum to PG Wodehouse, Flann O’Brien or Kyril Bonfiglioli.” – Eoin Colfer, Guardian Best Books of the Year 2019 “The funniest book of the year.” – Sunday Independent “Declan Burke is one funny bastard. The Lammisters ... conducts a forensic analysis on the anatomy of a story.” – Liz Nugent “Burke’s exuberant prose takes centre stage … He plays with language like a jazz soloist stretching the boundaries of musical theory.” – Totally Dublin “A mega-meta smorgasbord of inventive language ... linguistic verve not just on every page but every line.” – Irish Times “Above all, The Lammisters gives the impression of a writer enjoying himself. And so, dear reader, should you.” – Sunday Times “A triumph of absurdity, which burlesques the literary canon from Shakespeare, Pope and Austen to Flann O’Brien … The Lammisters is very clever indeed.” – The Guardian

Thursday, January 14, 2010

“Ya Wanna Do It Here Or Down The Station, Punk?”: Ian Sansom

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?
Georges Simenon, THE MAN WHO WATCHED TRAINS GO BY.

What fictional character would you most like to have been?
Bartleby the Scrivener.

Who do you read for guilty pleasures?
The Bible.

Most satisfying writing moment?
There are no satisfying writing moments.

The best Irish crime novel is …?
Flann O’Brien, AT-SWIM-TWO-BIRDS.

What Irish crime novel would make a great movie?
See above.

Worst / best thing about being a writer?
It’s all good.

The pitch for your next book is …?
Currently under inspection.

Who are you reading right now?
Stefan Zweig.

God appears and says you can only write OR read. Which would it be?
I refuse to do business with terrorists.

The three best words to describe your own writing are …?
Oi va voi.

Ian Sansom’s THE BAD BOOK AFFAIR is published by Fourth Estate.

6 comments:

adrian mckinty said...: Bartleby? I've actually had that job for real (working in a dead letter office, not the scrivening part) and its not at all fun. In fact Bartleby the Scrivener's story tells you exactly how much not fun it is. You'd be better off as virtually anyone else in that story.; January 14, 2010 at 1:08 PM
Gerard Brennan said...: Ian Sansom is "legen...hope-you're-not-lactose-intolerant...dary!"

Not only is a terrific writer, but he's the best creative writing teacher I've encountered to date. He's pretty dapper too, in a tweed and paisley sort of way. I think he even has a jacket with leather patches on the elbows...

Buy his books, people.

Cheers

gb; January 14, 2010 at 2:31 PM
seana graham said...: He does look a bit Bartlebyish in that picture, though.; January 14, 2010 at 3:48 PM
Peter Rozovsky said...: Mazel tov on the fine interview, Reb Declan. I really should discuss Ian's work in greater detail, but I prefer not to.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/; January 15, 2010 at 8:35 PM
Peter Rozovsky said...: OK, you talked me into it.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/; January 15, 2010 at 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...: It was very interesting for me to read the blog. Thanks for it. I like such themes and everything connected to them. I would like to read more soon.; January 22, 2010 at 2:05 PM