FAQs

Why did you write The Curry Mile?

I kind of answered that for the BBC during an interview. I have been writing since I was very young and I hope to do so for as long as I can. I am constantly bombarded by images, stories, ideas...I write because I pretty much always have and I wrote The Curry Mile, because I felt it was something that had to be written.

Why Wilmslow Road (aka The Curry Mile)?

Any work of fiction needs at least three things: people, plot and place...Wilmslow Road was the place, but it is not the sole ingredient that makes The Curry Mile what it is. Wilmslow Road is one of Manchester's main thoroughfare's. Anyone who has lived, studied or worked in Manchester is very familiar with it... That said, the novel is set in both Manchester and London.

Are the characters based on anyone you know?

Every character contains something of me and everyone I have ever met, read about, imagined. How could it be otherwise? The characters also live in their own right...

How much does the book cost?

Officially the book costs £7.95, but if you shop around I'm sure you can get it cheaper. Amazon is one of the best places, but alledgedly you can buy the book cheaper elsewhere.

How long did it take to write?

It took about five years to write. That said, I didn't sit at a desk for five years and write. That would have been difficult, n'est pas? I wrote four very diffrent drafts of TCM and it gives me a sense of sadness and wonder that so many words were sacrificed and left in darkness so that others could see the light of the printed page...

Is there going to be a sequel?

There is so much material and so many stories that remain untold that it would only be right if there were to be a sequel of sorts...but it would give me real pleasure if other writers were to take up the pen and write their own stories and histories. Before I was a writer, I was a reader and long after put my pen to rest, I shall hopefully continue reading into the sunset...

How long have you been writing?

Since the Magna Carta was signed - no, only joking. I kept my first diary when I was nine and I attempted to write my first novel when I was fourteen. It does not matter when you start as long as you try. Not all pieces of creative writing are shared with others and that is satisfication in of itself.

Which writers do you admire?

Probably more than I could name. I've attmpted to create a list of the ones I've been most inspired by .

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