In Part One of our interview with debut author, Tom Gaisford, he discusses how the idea for Sanctuary began, standing in the queue for passport control, his advice for aspiring writers and which actor would play the protagonist in a feature film. What inspired you to become an author? Was it a person, something you read, an innate desire? My grandfather was a great storyteller: ‘Point to anything in this room and I’ll tell you a story about it,’ he would say. Then at school, I studied the humanities, but I think my fascination with language was truly ignited in Spain. I was a 23-year-old History graduate and en route to becoming a lawyer when I happened upon Laurie Lee’s glorious As I Walked Out One Midsummer's Morning… A few months later, I did a TEFL course and packed myself off to Andalusia. Long story short, I became besotted with the Spanish language, music and culture. I spent six months in the south, then deferred my legal training again and spent the following year at Salamanca University, where I studied Spanish literature, poetry and translation. It was pure joy. And with hindsight, it sparked a latent interest in me to become an author. Do you find writing comes naturally to you? I suppose it does – certainly more than, say, physics ever did… That said, I am constantly learning from other writers and love honing my craft. Part of the beauty of this work is that you learn as much by reading as you do by writing. I have always been creatively inclined and, I fear, something of a fantasist. As a four-year-old, I am told, I would regale my poor teachers with heroic, chivalric tales of skirmishes and battles fought and won - total hogwash, of course, but how else to explain my grazed knees? As a solicitor, kindly colleagues would sometimes comment on my legal submissions being well-drafted, while others told me I took too long over them. Either way, I’ve always had a keen sense of the potency of language, and this only became more acute when I transferred to the Bar, where the art of oral and written advocacy is, of course, highly valued. To sum up, I’ve always felt a pull towards storytelling, and to a large extent, writing novels feels like a natural transition from work as a barrister; I cannot think of a better training for writing dialogue, for instance, than witness-handling in court. This – and a degree of unsated zaniness – may explain why so many lawyers make the leap into creative writing. Is there a message that you want Sanctuary to convey? If so, can you elaborate on it? Yes and no. Sanctuary is a story not a polemic, designed to ask rather than tell, and I hope readers form their own responses to it. At the same time, it is essentially a rite of passage novel; as the narrative evolves, certain observations emerge which then culminate in a central truth. The novel is about a young idealist who sets out to save his vocation as a refugee lawyer and secure the affection of the woman he loves, and makes a series of discoveries about himself, those around him and about the complex world he inhabits. On a deeper level, it is an exploration of our treatment of asylum seekers, and the relationship between profitability and neglect. And beyond that, it’s meant as a vindication of the arts as a tool for change. Would you say Alex, Sanctuary’s protagonist, is based on yourself? Do you relate to any other character? I recently read somewhere that first-person narratives with an autobiographical component are nearly as old as literature itself - and first novels are notoriously autobiographical, so… Serious answer: a bit. Certainly, I drew on my life experience to write the novel and Alex is the principal character. But to answer both questions at once, none of my characters is intentionally based on me; all, inevitably, are manifestations of my thoughts, and all evolved in step with the story. On some level, therefore, I relate to all the characters – ‘good’ and ‘bad’ (I don’t really believe in such distinctions). Were you always planning to add some Spanish influence to the novel? I think I was. The idea for the novel began with the asylum claim, which came to me as I was standing in the queue for passport control on return from Spain. It was never a serious thought, of course, but it intrigued me and the seed germinated. To answer the question more directly, Spain has an enduring influence on my life and identity, to the extent that it would almost be unnatural for it not to feature somewhere in my writing. In the novel, it serves as something of a foil for legal London and for the protagonist’s constrained existence there. Without spoiling the book, is claiming asylum in your own country something you would do if you were Alex? Would I, in Alex’s shoes, claim asylum in my own country? I hope not – though who ever knows? I suspect that most – all? – of us are capable of extreme behaviour, good and bad, subject to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. The beauty of fiction is that it allows us to experience such adventures and all the emotions they evoke, without physically embarking on them (and without having to endure the consequences). Can you tell us more about Alex’s love interest, Amy? Is she based on anyone in real life? Not without getting lawyered up… Jokes aside, Amy is a composite character, loosely inspired by people I have met over the years - lawyers and non-lawyers alike – and further shaped by the events of the story as they unfold. What was your favourite part of writing Sanctuary? The creative freedom that came with allowing my imagination to take the lead. What was the hardest part about writing Sanctuary? Staying true to my vision for the novel despite the emergence of easier - but, for me, less interesting - routes the narrative might have taken. What made you choose Cinto Press to publish Sanctuary? When it came to querying publishers, I was led by my agent, Tom Cull of Cull & Co. As I told The Bookseller, we were drawn to Cinto on account of its growing fiction list, background in legal publishing and fearless interest in gritty stories about social justice. But it was also their appreciation of the novel’s lighter side, the humour and the love story, which permeate the narrative, that sealed the deal. On meeting founders, David Chaplin and Helen Lacey, we got a keen sense that they shared our vision for the novel and that they would be great to work with. I’m pleased to report that we were right on both counts! If Sanctuary were to become a movie, directed by Stephen Spielberg, who would you cast as Alex? Clint Eastwood (sorry). V. tough one. Ideally a young, undiscovered talent, I suppose. Alternatively, I could see someone smart and understated like Ben Whishaw playing Alex very well indeed. As for Amy, I’d cast my niece, Matilda Wioland – what nepotism? She’s amAZing! Who was the first person to read Sanctuary (in its earliest form)? The journalist and literary reviewer, Sue Gaisford - my brilliant mum. Who was the person you were most nervous to show Sanctuary to? Same answer: Mum knows a thing or two about books; maternal bias notwithstanding, I figured that if she rated it, others might too. And if they didn’t? I’d have the confidence to write another one… Sanctuary is available for pre-order now. Click here for more.
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