Antoine Laurain

Antoine Laurain was born in Paris in the early 1970s. As well as being a novelist, Antoine has also directed short films and written screenplays. His latest book, the wonderful The President’s Hat was released in March by Gallic Books. We had a chat with Antoine and asked about his ideal dinner guests, whether he’s a planner and which book has had the most impact on him…

Can you describe your typical writing day?

You mean the ideal writing day… I feed my cat before going to do the market. I spend the morning reading over what I wrote the day before; meanwhile I’ve got a pot au feu on the stove. Lunchtime arrives and I eat the pot au feu, then I work until aperitif o’clock and … that’s the writing over for the day.

Can you tell us a little about your latest book, The President’s Hat.

It’s a fairytale for grown-ups, featuring an unusual object: the hat worn by the president of the French republic, François Mitterrand. Once upon a time there was a president who lost his hat in a restaurant … That was the starting point; over the next 200 pages I tried to write what happened next. Given how well the book is doing, I think I did a reasonable job of it.

When starting The President’s Hat, did you plan or have the idea and simply start writing?

Yes and no. All I started with was the scene in the brasserie with the character Daniel, who would go on to leave the hat on a train. I knew I wanted several other characters to wear it after him and that it should come back to the president in the end. The exact plan and choice of characters worked themselves out as I wrote.

Do you edit as you go along or wait until you finish your first draft?

No, I edit as I go along ; you can’t really go back once you’ve come to the end. It’s like working on a canvas after the paint’s dried. It’s very difficult to pick up where you left off.

As well as being a novelist, you’re also a screenwriter. Does one have much influence on the other?

No, it’s very different. The only thing they have in common is narration: telling a story. It’s tricky … the novel gives you more freedom, but it’s also more complex.

Magic is a theme in the novel. If you could have a magical power which one would you have?

The power to know what my next book will be about! I never know what I’m going to write. Except for my next book, because I’ve just finished it…  But I’d love to know what’s going to come after that.

Your character in the book finds the hat after having dinner. Who would be your ideal dinner guests?

Ha, good question! A dinner with Sacha Guitry, Michael Caine, Greta Garbo, Somerset Maugham, Billy Wilder, Marcel Proust, Cléo de Mérode and Lady Diana. So … anyone got Michael Caine’s mobile number?

Which book/author has had the most influence on you?

Possibly Patrick Modiano, whose books I’ve carried with me for so long.

Do you write in silence or do you prefer noise?

Silence, no question, though with a bit of train noise, since my windows look out on one of Paris’s famous railway stations. I know a few writers who work to music, but I have no idea how they do it.

Do you get writers block? How do you combat it?

With a glass of very good Burgundy. A Fixin or a Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Which character from fiction would you like to meet?

Anna Karenina, so I could win her over and convince her to run away with me instead of throwing herself under that train.

Are you working on anything at the moment? Can you tell us about it?

Sorry, I can’t say much about it. Just a little taster – the line I’ve chosen for the epigraph, from Alain Fournier : ‘There is little else but the sublime to help us through the humdrum of existence.’ It’s coming out in France in January 2014.

Five tips for new writers?

– Remember the stories you had read to you when you were a child. Think of the pleasure you got from hearing them.

– Pick apart one (or several) of your favourite novels in order to see how the author went about writing it.

– Write something short to begin with. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. 

– Think of launching into writing your book as being like a detective launching an investigation.

The President’s Hat by Antoine Laurain is published by Gallic Books, £8.99 paperback and available to buy here

Antoine’s Website.

Laura’s Review of The President’s Hat.  

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.