Published in the Sunday Times
What music helps you write?
It depends on the type of book I’m writing and the tone of the novel. A good example would be my novel Clover’s Child, set in the 1960s. I spent many hours with Ella Fitzgerald blaring from the speakers along with Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan and Ray Charles. I wrote my novella A Christmas Wish in a very hot, humid Bermuda and to get myself in the mood, I played the Pogues Fairytale of New York a lot.
Where do you write best?
I write best squirrelled away in a cosy corner. That might be a deep sofa, by a window with a cushion to sit on or in a cafe at a corner table. I write anywhere and everywhere.
What is the best piece of writerly advice you’ve received?
Learn from all feedback good and bad and never, ever, ever give up. Getting your work read is often the hardest part of the writing process and finding the strength not to feel defeated can be tough.
Which books are on your bedside table?
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, which I can’t wait to get stuck in to, People Who Have Stolen From Me by David Cohen and three Isabel Allende novels, including my favourite The House of The Spirits.
Which book changed your life?
The Bible. I loved the rich, dramatic language and the stories kept me hooked.
What book do you wish you’d written?
So many! I’ll narrow it down to two: The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger – brilliantly original and so so moving; and Tess of The D’Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy – his characters are wonderful and the story is one of my favourites.
What was the first novel you read?
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C O’Brien.
Who is your favorite fictional hero?
Superman. I love him. I love his powers, who doesn’t want to fly? The fact that he retains his humanity and his compassion despite possessing great power makes him my favourite.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I think my husband would say I say yes too often! I always to agree to every request and then try and figure out how to fit everything in. This often means I don’t leave enough time for the simpler things I love, like long walks and watching rubbish movies!
Which current book will you remember in 10 years’ time?
Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, although arguably not current as it is based on the memoir of 1853, but regardless, it will stay with me. Rarely have a I found a book so moving that I couldn’t sleep as I replayed certain extracts in my head. It will stay with me long after 10 years have passed.
Amanda’s latest novel Will You Remember Me? is published by Head of Zeus
Book details
- Will You Remember Me? by Amanda Prowse
EAN: 9781781856512
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