Saturday, September 05, 2009

William Trevor on a Life in Writing

To me, writing is entirely mysterious. If I didn't believe it was a mystery, the whole thing wouldn't be worthwhile. I don't know not just how something is going to end, but what the next couple of lines are going to be.
William Trevor, one of literature's great recluses, opens up to Lisa Allardice at The Guardian, and talks among other things about his career which spans for than 50 years and his writing process. His novel Love and Summer is on the Booker prize list, and Lorna Bradbury at The Telegraph writes about why it deserves to win. (You can read an extract here.)

I am a long time Trevor fan - his short stories are beautifully realised and heartbreaking, and I am still haunted by The Story of Lucy Gault which was shortlisted for both the Booker and the Whitbread in 2002. I am so looking forward to Love and Summer.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Me too, me too. Lucy Gault is just, yes, haunting. I haven't been the same since reading that book. Death In Summer is also great -- very different, but equally great. And Felicia's Journey, oh my. I've got a review of Cheating At Canasta here:

http://fictionwritersreview.com/reviews/cheating-at-canasta-by-william-trevor

Anyway, the man is a genius -- I can't believe he hasn't won this prize already, twice, three times, four times!

-- Preeta