John Boyne

Q&A with John Boyne

The House of Special Purpose is partially set in St Petersburg at the time of the Russian revolution. What was it that attracted you to this era of history?

When I was a teenager I read Robert Massie's brilliant biography of Nicholas & Alexandra and it sparked an interest in the subject which lay slightly dormant for many years. Then in 2007 I saw a documentary on the Russian Tsars and knew that I wanted to learn more about them. This led immediately to the idea of researching the lives of the last Tsar and his family for the purposes of a novel.

Your novels often involve real-life characters and you've been described as having 'a talent for bringing big historical events to life'. How do you conduct your research?

I begin by reading as much as I possibly can on the subject, trying to know all the facts before deciding which are important to keep fully intact and which I can have a little more liberty with in terms of storytelling. For The House of Special Purpose I spent some time in St Petersburg writing the novel. The Winter Palace, where much of the book takes place, is open to the public now as a museum so I went there every day with my laptop, working on scenes in the very rooms in which they were taking place.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? What did you work as before you began writing full-time?

Yes, since I was a teenager. I started writing short stories at that age and got a few published as I left my teens and entered my early 20s, including a story which was shortlisted for the Hennessy Literary Award in Ireland. At aged 23 I studied under Malcolm Bradbury on the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia where my ambitions found focus. I worked in a bookshop in Dublin for seven years after that and it was while working there that I published my first two novels, including The Thief of Time (2000) which will be republished by Transworld for the first time in many years this August. My second novel The Congress of Rough Riders (2001) will be republished during 2011.

Since the phenomenal success of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, you have returned to writing for adults with The Mutiny on the Bounty and The House of Special Purpose. Do you find it easy to switch between adult novels and children's books or do they require very different skills?

No, I like to switch between the two. Writing is always difficult but the level of focus and discipline remains the same, regardless of who the intended audience for the book is. I very much enjoy writing both types of book; there's a huge responsibility in writing for young readers because good books can lead them to a lifetime of literature while tedious ones can destroy their love of reading at an early age.

Did you enjoy the process of having one of your books The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, made into a film?

Yes, I was very much involved with the filmmakers throughout the process and it was a collaborative and enjoyable experience. I think Mark Herman made a very powerful adaptation of the novel, never shirking from the more difficult scenes in the book. I'd do it again!

Are you writing another book at the moment?

I've completed my second novel for younger readers, titled Noah Barleywater Runs Away, which will be published by David Fickling Books/Random House Children's Books on September 30th. It's a very different book to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - more fairytale than fable - about a little boy who runs away from home into the centre of the forest, where he discovers a small puppet shop and an old man with a series of stories to tell. The book has been illustrated by the Irish writer/artist Oliver Jeffers. I'm also working on a new adult novel set shortly after the end of the First World War which should hopefully see the light of day during 2011.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?

Join a writing group. It's very helpful to give your work to others and hear them tell you what's working well in it and what needs more attention. Every writer needs readers and this is a really good place to start. Also you have to be very disciplined. Don't wait for the muse to strike or it never will. Write every day, keep the story moving. And finally read a lot. Read as many books as time will allow. I never understand writers who claim not to read very much; if you're not interested in the work of your contemporaries, then why do you want to stand in their company?