Interview to Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell accepted an interesting interview for Libri da leggere, that I publish here below.
Cornwell is an english writer of historical novels, well known in Italy for “The Arthur Books“, published in five books. Then he wrote some novels about the character of Richard Sharpe, a series set in the end of XVIII and the beginning of the XIX century.
Other his success book are the awesome Stonehenge, the trilogy on the Graal quest and The last Kingdom, the first book of another gripping saga, set in the Britain during the kingdom of Alfred the Great, saxon stories.
Libri da leggere – You have written historical novels for the most part about the XVIII and XIX century and about the Middle Age, except Stonehenge set 4000 years ago. Have you in mind to write historical novels set in a more recent time, for example in the Second World War?
Bernard Cornwell – NO! That’s the quick answer! The longer answer is that I’m not an expert on World War 2, and, more importantly, I don’t much enjoy reading novels set in WW2. I think we write what we want to read, so most of the 20th Century is off limits for me!
LDL – From what has been inspired the character of Richard Sharpe?
BC – I honestly have no idea! I wish I could tell you! I just started writing him, and he appeared, but where he came from? Or what inspired him? I really do not know! Sorry.
LDL – Is there more history or fiction in your novels or a saga like the one of Sharpe, for example, contains these two ingredients in the same measures?
BC – Very hard to say. Most of the Sharpe books contain a lot of history, but the novel will only work if the fiction is laid over the top of the history and Sharpe, of course, is wholly fictional. What I can say is that the story (fiction) is more important to me than the history. I am not an historian! I’m a storyteller, so the story is always more important than the real history! But if I change history (and I do) I confess it in a note at the end of the book.
LDL – Will Sharpe ever get married?
BC – Don’t think so. I think he lives very happily with Lucille in France for the rest of his life, but for some reason they don’t seem to want to get married.
LDL – How many time will Sharpe have still to march?
BC – I wish I knew! I always say 5, but I said that 10 books ago. Five?
LDL – Which is the bigger difficulty that you find in writing an historical novel?
BC – I think the same difficulty as writing any novel – getting the story right! That’s the hard work! Once the story is right then the book more or less writes itself!
LDL – Which novel has taken up to you more time for the draft?
BC – I think it was probably Stonehenge, but I can’t really remember. I do remember that the books that were fastest to write, and which are still my favourites, were the three (5 in Italy) books on ‘King’ Arthur. They were also the most fun to write!
LDL – What memories do you have about your first publication?
BC – Almost none. Was a very long time ago. I’m sure I was delighted, but far too much whiskey has flowed under the bridge since then, and I really have forgotten!
LDL – How many time do you dedicate to the writing daily?
BC – I work from about 5.30 in the morning till about 5.30 in the afternoon, five days a week, with a couple of hours break during the day (go for a walk, have lunch).
LDL – Which are the literary genres you like to read?
BC – I read a vast amount of non-fiction history. I also like a very well told detective story, so read a lot of those!
Thanks!
Bernard Cornwell
