Interview with liam Katt
Author of Katt of Ten Tales
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Quick description of the book for a new reader - what should they expect?
- The unexpected! If you are the type of reader who tries to work out the ending as you progress through the book, you will be very surprised.
What was The your inspiration for this book?
- In 2000 I moved to a new area and started to visit a local pub. One of the customers was an old man who seemed to be a popular regular there. Each night another smaller man would enter the pub and spend some time observing the old man before going up to him and speaking very quietly into his ear. I am sure that their conversation was quite innocent and pleasant, but as I watched , I imagined that he was in fact saying very disturbing things to the old man. This was the inspiration for The Old Man and the Jackal, one of the ten tales.
Which authors do you admire? How have they influenced your writing style?
- Brendan Behan who I met as a child in Dublin on occasion. I like his earthy style and his total disrespect for people who have ideas about themselves. Others include Sue Townsend who was a friend of mine. I loved her similar style of saying whatever she had to say in a very unpretentious manner.
Can you tell us a little about the locations in your book?
- I always try to include real locations so that readers who are interested enough can find these places and visit. The tavern in The Old Man and the Jackal is The Traveler's Rest in Higher Bebington, United Kingdom. The reader can walk along the terrace of cottages mentioned in the story as well. A Shattered Life starts off in Ellesmere Port Cheshire. near where I used to live. Backwood Boy's Weekend is set in British Columbia where I live now. Loving Amey is based on a hospital situated on the North Wales Coast. No Frills is set in Croston, Lancashire UK. The Artist is based in Vienna and The Development in Wallasey, Wirral UK. The Victim centres around an area in London UK. In Laughter in Auschwitz the reader can still find the exact office where the main character worked as it survived the war.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Never ever give up. If you have a story to tell, someone, somewhere one day will be interested in it.
Could you talk a little about your writing process?
- First an idea forms in my mind. Then I lay out the main characters. I draw up a rough idea of a start, middle and finish. Sometimes I will add or remove characters, kill them off or let them live. Then I flesh it out . I like to keep the pace fast to keep the reader wanting to turn a page, not going off to get a beer from the fridge or a cup of tea.
Which character has had the greatest impact on readers?
- My readers tell me that the narrator in The Old Man and the Jackal had the most impact on them. I myself liked Susie in A Shattered Life as she was loosely based on someone I once knew.
If the book were to be adapted for TV or film, who would you see in the lead role? Who did you have in your mind’s eye ?
- Because there are ten stories, I would have to pick The Old Man and the jackal and I would like Richard Jenkins to play the role of the narrator. I would also like Guillermo Del Toro to produce and direct it.
How have readers responded ?
- Very positively. The normal response is that they are surprised at the unpredictability of the stories. That is what I set out to achieve.
Where next? What are you working on now?
- My next volume of short stories is That Katt Could Talk! Due out on Amazon in September.
