Anna Jaquiery interview with Meg Tuite

Anything you want to share with our readers about the inspiration for this story?

When I was 22 years old, I decided to move to Nizhny Novgorod to try my luck as a freelance reporter. Nizhny Novgorod is Russia's third largest city and at the time - this was in the early 1990s - there was a great deal happening there, socially and politically. I had lived in Moscow with my family, and studied Russian. During the 18 months I spent in Nizhny Novgorod, writing newspaper articles, I came across many fascinating people with wonderful stories to tell. My story is inspired by some of the things I saw and experienced during my stay in that city.

Do you have a writing schedule you adhere to and/or any tricks you might want to share?

I am a working mother with two young boys, therefore the only time I really have to write is when everyone else is asleep! I write every night. There are no tricks, really. For me the most important rule is to write every day, and to keep at it. Even on days when I feel I am too tired to write, I try to do a little before I go to sleep.

 

What book are you reading at this time?

I am reading a book called Access Road, by a writer from New Zealand whom I like a great deal called Maurice Gee. I have just finished Freedom, Jonathan Franzen's latest book, which I loved. He has a somewhat detached way of dealing with his characters, but I find his writing very stimulating and thought-provoking.

Name the top two or three most influential writers of your writing career and maybe a line or two telling us why.

Two of the most influential writers in my writing career, whom I never tire of reading, are Anton Chekhov and Graham Greene. They are both so adept at describing the complexity behind people's motives and behaviour. I love the way Greene delves into the troubled and darker aspects of the human psyche. And I love Chekhov's humanity and humour. Both these authors reveal how flawed we are yet there is compassion in their writing.