By BRUCE DENNILL
Justin Fox is the author of World War II thriller The Wolf Hunt.
Writing a book is a huge commitment. What are the elements that need to be in place if you are going to meet whatever writing goals you set?
Time. I need big chunks of uninterrupted time for research, writing and editing. Consequently, it is only since I quit my job as Getaway magazine editor (in 2020) that I’ve been able to dedicate enough time to the kind of historical novels I’m currently writing, which require a lot of research. Another crucial element is a quiet room stocked with my research material (books, maps, photos, charts), which is why I do almost all my writing in one place: my flat in Mouille Point. Because I’m also a travel writer, and very conscious of setting and place, I try to travel to all the locations my novels are set before starting to write. So, during the research period, I need to visit, for example, Egypt for one book and Malta for the next.
Conversely, what are the strangest or most creative procrastination techniques you’ve devised to avoid all that work?
The most dangerous temptation for most writers is the internet. When I’m writing and my concentration begins to flag, it’s all too easy to click through to Facebook, Instagram or the like. It requires superhuman willpower to resist. Also, I am a windsurfer and a surfer and live beside the sea in Cape Town, so a glance out the window tells me if the wind or waves are conducive to an escape from my desk. If conditions are right, there’s almost nothing that will stop me heading for the beach. Having said that, I do try to make up the lost time later. There are no free lunches in the writing game.
Is there a specific author (or writer or journalist) who made you feel, “I want to be an author”? And what was it about them that spurred that feeling (anything from admirable eloquence to an outrageous public persona)?
As an undergraduate at UCT in the 1980s, I fell under the spell of JM Coetzee, who taught at my university. He had recently published two of his finest novels, Life & Times of Michael K and Waiting for the Barbarians. I was in awe of his brilliance – the way he presented the South African condition through allegory – and I guess that helped lay a seed for me wanting to be a writer.
Do you tend to read the same kind of material (genre- or style-wise) that you prefer to write? If yes, what makes that particular niche so attractive to you? If no, what do you think it is that makes each different area appealing?
I’m a very eclectic reader (and writer), ranging across many genres and styles. But when I’m researching a book, most of my reading tends to be about that particular subject, but not necessarily in the same genre. So, if I’m writing a World War II novel, most of my reading will be related to the period, both fiction and non-fiction. I’ll also be watching movies and listening to music from that era, even trying to get hold of newspapers and magazines from the period. I have been absolutely fascinated by the war since I was a child – partly, I suppose, because my father and uncles went ‘Up North’ to fight in Egypt, Libya and Italy.
Outside of your profession, what role do books play in your life? Are you constantly reading; is your house lined in bookshelves; are books the ideal gift to give or receive?
Yes, I do live in a world of literature. My flat is indeed lined with bookshelves and books are the perfect gift for me to give or receive. It’s hard to think of books as being outside my profession as they are so pervasive and integral, feeding into most aspects of my life. Because I write across many genres (novels, poetry, short stories, travel, art, history etc), just about everything I read contributes in some way to my work, encouraging me to think about writing in new and inspiring ways. I must admit to being something of a magpie, borrowing from everywhere and everyone.
Who is your favourite literary character?
Jack Aubrey is the protagonist in the Aubrey–Maturin series of nautical novels by Patrick O’Brian set during the Napoleonic Wars. Jack is a young lieutenant who rises through the ranks of the Royal Navy over the course of 20 books – arguably the finest historical novels ever written. Jack is a compelling, lovable, flawed but gifted officer who sails the Seven Seas bent on adventure, his career loosely based on that of Thomas Cochrane. Jack is fascinated by mathematics and astronomy, a lover of women and music, a player of the violin and a hearty singer. In battle, he is fearless and as a friend he is fiercely loyal. In my own series of nautical World War II novels, my hero, Jack Pembroke, pays homage to Jack Aubrey.
