Jeffrey Archer launched his latest book Turn a Blind Eye at a session by Kitaab, from the house of Prabha Khaitan Foundation, on June 12. The member of the House of Lords holds the exciting record of being a number one best-selling author for fiction, non-fiction and short stories. His books Kane and Abel, The Prodigal Daughter, As the Crow Flies and Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less have regaled readers around the world. He was in conversation with Vidya Gajapathi Raju, an Ehsaas woman, at the session that was held in association with Pan Macmillan India. In his inimitable jolly manner, he corrected his bio that claimed he had three grandchildren. “I have four grandchildren and as we speak my daughter-in-law is in labour. By the time we finish the session, I might have five grandchildren,” he smiled and exclaimed, kicking off a very exciting session!
He spoke of his Clifton Chronicles whose protagonist Harry Clifton was an author loosely based on himself. He had written seven books in that series, not knowing what to do with them, until he started receiving letters from people wanting to know more about Harry Clifton’s hero William Warwick, a character who was in the police forces in his books. “I thought that was an interesting challenge and wanted to write a series on Warwick, without making it a detective series, I wanted it to be a story about a detective,” he said. Slowly throwing light on the character arc of Warwick, he shared tidbits of how the story progressed into the person becoming a detective and landing his first job, locating a lost Rembrandt. The third book of this story is Turn a Blind Eye where Warwick has now been promoted to an inspector and is given an unpleasant job of ‘checking on bent policemen’! He hopes of writing eight books in the series, the fourth of which is expected to release in October this year.
With enthusiasm that belies his age, listening to Jeffrey Archer’s cheeky comments and quips all the way from Cambridge is a pleasure. Talking of Covid, he spoke of his privilege that allowed him to shelter in his beautiful home, continuing his writing process uninterrupted, while many suffered from loss of employment. “I was fortunate to be in an enclosed environment that isn’t affected by what’s happening in the outside world and that way I have been lucky indeed,” he added. In this lockdown, he has managed to write two books and had his readership affected only 11 per cent thanks to ebooks that have bypassed the bookshop’s inability to open doors in the pandemic. Distractions like theatre and other hobbies have been taken away and increased his productivity manifold, he declared.
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He stressed on the need for authors to find their own groove and routine that suits them instead of blindly trying to follow successful authors. He shared his daily routine that involves waking up at 5:30am every morning for a cold shower only to begin work at 6 for the next two hours. After a two-hour break for breakfast, he goes back to work at 10am for another two hours. Four such writing sessions pepper his day that include timely meals and a one-hour walk. With a dedicated routine like his, it is no surprise that the output from the pandemic lockdown for him has been two whole books!
Giving tips to budding authors, Archer spoke about 14 drafts for a single novel. The immense handwork involved in writing a novel shone through his dedication as he warned writers from showing their drafts to anyone till they absolutely believed in them.
He commented on his dedicated Indian readers and scoffed at the burgeoning piracy market that sell his ‘books on street corners for nothing’. He spoke of his immense love for India and the readers in India who have showered him with love and adulation. Ten million Indians have read Kane and Abel and he couldn’t be more grateful. He spoke of a time when a young boy came to sell him the ‘latest Jeffrey Archer’ copy at a traffic signal in Mumbai, and he responded, “I am the latest Jeffrey Archer!”.
The gregarious man’s exalted expressions would keep anyone hooked to this session that is now available for viewing on Prabha Khaitan Foundation’s YouTube page. An hour passed us by so easily as he regaled us with anecdotes galore. Pick up a copy of Turn a Blind Eye even if you are not aware of the Clifton series for he was careful to remind us that each book stands on its on, in a typical Jeffrey Archer classic way!
