This week we had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Burston, author, journalist, activist, and editor. He is a man who wears many hats, the latest being that of the author of the dark crime thriller, The Black Path. Check out what he has to share with us about writing, publishing, and being part of a supportive community of authors!
I saw in your biography you worked with GALOP prior to your career as an author. Have you always wanted to write? What pushed you to pursue writing?
I’ve always written for pleasure. I left college with dreams of writing and directing plays, but after a few fringe productions I decided it wasn’t for me. I became a journalist, worked for GALOP, was an activist with ACT-UP and went back to college to do an MA. It took me a while to find my place as a professional writer but writing was a constant.
Did you find it difficult to begin your career as a writer?
Journalism was a great training ground and opened lots of doors. I’d meet publishers and interview authors. It was a kind of apprenticeship. And publishers know that journalists are used to meeting deadlines, so that helped!
You have quite a few novels published already! Where do you find your inspiration?
All over the place. It might be something someone says or a story I read online or in a newspaper. I tend to write from personal experience—though this is heavily fictionalized and I also draw on real life characters I meet.
So, in 2016 you were featured in the #FiveFilms4Freedom global list. What kind of impact has that had on you?
It was enormously flattering to be included in that list. It was mainly for my work with Polari, which is the literary salon I created in 2007 and is still going strong today. We’re based at London’s Southbank Centre and also tour regularly, funded by Arts Council England. I love working with and showcasing the work of other writers. There’s a real sense of community.
On May 24 Polari will be at the International Literature Festival in Dublin, the final date on our tenth birthday tour, with John Boyne and more.
Let’s talk about your newest publication! What inspired the dark story line? Your previous trends seem to be more funny and light-hearted.
My previous books were comedies—but they were black comedies. People died in those books! The Black Path is a psychological thriller and was partly inspired by a soldier I met and partly by some of the women I knew growing up in South Wales, where much of the story is set. It’s a story about facing your fears and finding courage—even in the unlikeliest places.
Do you think you will branch out into other genres in the future?
I’m sticking with crime. I’ve never met such a supportive community of writers and I have a lot more stories to tell.
Speaking of the future, what’s next?
I’ve just completed a new psychological thriller and have started on another. I’m also working on a memoir about the 80s and 90s. They were a tumultuous time, politically and personally.
If you could give a piece of advise to any budding authors, what would it be?
Try to write every day, even if it’s only for an hour. Write 500 words a day and in a year you’ll have a book. Writing can be a very isolating job, so try to join a local writing group or find like-minded people online. Nobody understands writers like other writers! But most of all, you have to commit to it. It’s a job and there’s no point doing it if you’re aren’t fully committed. We all have bad days. But a real writer keeps writing anyway.
