When I first started
reading this ‘The Midnight Rose’, I saw so many similarities to my own life. Coincidences,
one may call them. But actually at the end of this interview, I do not think
that it would be acceptable, if I did. Wonder what my 90-year-old grandmother
would say to that, or my cousin who is pretty much into the technology filled
world as Ari?
Lucinda Riley is a
former actress who is blessed with a brilliant sense of writing and a keen idea
of what exactly she needs to do, to write a book. The supernatural elements in
this book do not seem so very strange at the end of this interview. The Moon
Palace in India is real and Astbury in England though an ‘imaginary amalgam of
several stately homes’ seem so real to the reader, that one cannot
differentiate between the two, in terms of the beauty. It is a wonderful thing
known as imagination! Or was it something else...
So, read my review on the book and Lucinda
Riley’s take, in this interview.
This book
was brilliant in a lot of ways. When did the idea behind the story, first come
to you?
I have always
been fascinated by India, its differing cultures and diverse landscapes. In
fact, the entire country presents such a vivid, rich tapestry that it naturally
provides the kind of colourful, exotic background, I so adore writing about.
Also, I knew that some of my family lived out in India at the turn of the
century, though I knew virtually nothing else about them, not even their names.
Strangely, just thinking
after I’d finished the first draft of ‘The Midnight Rose’, my mother came to
visit and told me I should sit down and prepare for a shock – she proceeded to
show me a wonderful photograph album that she’d just found in the attic. It
chronicles in photo form, the experiences of my great-great uncle, who was a
British Army Officer out in India in the days of the Raj.
Not only were
there photographs of many of the places I’d used in the story, there were also
numerous photos of family members called ‘Donald’, ‘Daisy’, ‘Violet’ and ‘Maud’
– names that I’d randomly chosen for four of the main characters in the book.
Not only that, but from the photos, it seemed that my ancestors physically
‘fitted’ the characters I’d created.
How did the
whole thing happen? The idea behind India and then in the UK, how did you
conceptualize it?
I read absolutely
everything I could find about the locations and the real-life characters that
existed in the last days of the British Raj. I also watched endless films and
trawled the internet for information. At that point, I began to form a picture
in my mind of where the story should begin and it was then that I boarded a
plane and flew to Jaipur and Mumbai.
I visited the
Moon Palace and actually stayed at the Rambagh Palace before journeying up to Cooch Behar in the far north of the country.
The reality of modern India was huge culture shock. It is a country of such contrasts. The beauty, the landscape, with its stunning temples and palaces, yet coupled with so much deprivation for mane of the human beings that live there, has had a lasting effect on me.
It is only when
you have experienced the noise, the heat, the dust and the intense
claustrophobia of so many human beings – many of whom live on the streets –
that you can begin to understand the chasm that still exists between rich and
poor. I wanted to touch on that in the story, contrasting the vast wealth of
the Maharaja and Maharani of Cooch Behar with the hardships experienced by so
many others.
Astbury in
England is an imaginary amalgam of several stately homes, although the closest
resemblance is Castle Howard in Yorkshire, famously used as the setting for
both the original TV series and the recent film version of ‘Brideshead
Revisited’. I also have plenty of experience of staying in draughty, freezing
bedrooms with ancient plumbing when I’ve spent weekends with friends at their
stately homes! So, I really felt for Rebecca when she arrives at Astbury for
the first time, used as she is to her five-star ultra-modern apartment in New
York, replete with every material comfort, money can provide.
Even though these
grand old houses look beautiful from the outside, it doesn’t necessarily mean
they make comfortable homes. I live in an old Hall in Norfolk, where every
floorboard creaks ominously and the air conditioning is provided by a 2 inch
gap between the original Georgian windows and the frames!
You have
created a whole other world, especially when you created Anahita with her
powers. What all did you have to study when you did that and how were you
influenced by the world around you?
We
would be very arrogant if we thought that everything in life could be explained
by ‘hard facts and science’. I am very open to the idea that these ‘gifts’
exist and it’s just that we do not fully understand them. I’ve certainly had
some very strange experiences myself, things that can’t necessarily be put down
to pure chance.
For
example, the story about me finding out about my relatives in India had the
same names as in my book, as described above. There was a similar story when I
wrote my previous book ‘The Light Behind the Window.’ As with all my books, I research the past time period
before I start writing.
I do this by reading every
book I can find on the particular place and period. However, I read very
broadly at this point, because I never know where the actual story will head.
When I’d finished writing
the book, and whilst I was in France, I came across a wonderful elderly man, Monsieur Chapelle of the Domaine
du Bourriane, whose surname, chateau and vineyard I’d written about before I
knew such a family and their beautiful home actually existed in reality. I
walked into my own fictional story and it was a humbling and magical
experience.
How have you
developed the characters? Are they influenced by people you have met in real
life or do they just come out of your head?
Anahita is probably my favourite character ever, and with many of the
qualities I would like to have. She's so gentle, loyal and clever, with an
acceptance of the way we can only control our own destiny only up to a point.
She also listens to her instincts, which is a way of living that comes
naturally to me.
In your book,
Anahita and Rebecca are your central figures. What have you researched of them?
Are there any real life influences? How much of your real life is in the book?
I was a stage and
television actress when I was younger, so I’d already had experience of being
in the spotlight by the time I started writing. I also have a number of close
friends who are famous in their field or married to someone who is so I’ve
learned from their experiences too.
The whole concept of
fame terrifies me, so when I was writing about Rebecca, there were certainly
personal parallels to the way she feels about her celebrity.
To be honest, I have no
idea why anyone would go out of their way to seek fame for its own sake, like
today’s reality TV stars seem to do. I treasure and protect my private life and
my family – they’re what keep me sane!
How do you
manage to switch from one character to the next? What does it exactly require?
As an ex actress, I write
by walking around with my dictaphone and acting out and dictating the dialogue
and movements of my characters. The switching between characters should
therefore feel natural to the reader.
There are lots
of points of view in the book. Are they yours or have you developed them for
your characters?
I feel that the
characters develop their own points of view.
What is the most fulfilling part of writing a book?
Finishing the first draft and realising that I have
created a good story with believable and interesting characters.
What book is
coming from your desk, next? When do you see it released?
I am writing a seven
book series called ‘The Seven Sisters’ based allegorically on the mythology
surrounding the famous star constellation. I am very excited about this project
and have not only finished Book 1 called ‘Maia’s Story’ based in Rio and Paris
in the 1920’s, but am half way through Book 2.
'Maia' will be published firstly
in Brazil in August and then in England and India in November.
Who was it
that told you that you could become the author, you are today?
I never told anyone I
was writing a book until my first novel (‘Lovers and Players’) was completed in
1992.
What else do
you write, besides the novels?
Short stories and
articles, but mainly I write my novels (and rewrite my backlist from the 1990’s
which are now in demand).
Which book
are you currently reading?
Who are your
favourite authors and why?
What else do
you do on a day to day basis?
Spend time with my four
children and husband.
What
advice do you have for the newer writers of today?
Keep
believing and don’t stop until it’s finished!
My inspiration are the people around me, people who
think that they lead lives that are too ordinary to be documented, but that’s
what is real; the good stuff that makes it worth our while to be thankful for
all the little miracles.
