It’s one of the hardest things in the world to …– John Niven
It’s one of the hardest things in the world to sustain a monogamous relationship for many years. People out there who have been with their partners for 30 years or more – I salute you. But it’s just as hard to admit something isn’t working and then try to manage a civilised separation as best […]
My family went to Toronto to visit relatives when …– John Niven
My family went to Toronto to visit relatives when I was 13 or 14. It was the first time we had ever been abroad. This was the early Eighties, and I remember the impossible glamour of air travel – my mum spending days trying to decide what she was going to wear on the plane.
I had left the music industry at the end of 2001…– John Niven
I had left the music industry at the end of 2001, after 10 years, and had spent three years writing every single day – producing two unpublished novels, one abandoned novel, and three unproduced screenplays. The word ‘no’ and I were on more than nodding terms. The word ‘no’ and I were talking about going […]
A novel I read when I was about 17 or 18 – ‘The …– John Niven
A novel I read when I was about 17 or 18 – ‘The World According to Garp,’ by John Irving – really made me want to become a writer. The character of Garp is a novelist, and at the time, the whole lifestyle of being a writer was hugely appealing to me.
From everything I can read about Aussie spiders…– John Niven
From everything I can read about Aussie spiders, it seems like all they really like doing is hiding in your house or garden or car until you ‘accidentally’ disturb them – probably by doing something crazy like putting on the shoe they are lurking in – and they can officially bite you to pieces.
I love England. I live and work here…– John Niven
I love England. I live and work here. My children have grown up here. I see no conflict between this and praying that my countrymen in Scotland never have to live another day under Conservative rule from London.
The sight of people sleeping on the streets hits …– John Niven
The sight of people sleeping on the streets hits us hardest around Christmas and New Year. We see them camped out alone on the freezing concrete, and we think, with a rush of guilt, about heading home to our families and our soft beds.
It is publication week for my new novel ‘The …– John Niven
It is publication week for my new novel ‘The Sunshine Cruise Company.’ Go me! Anyway, I may as well get the shameless plug over with right away – buy it. You’ll like it. It’s about a bunch of old ladies who rob a bank.
The Clash had a unique…– John Niven
The Clash had a unique, special relationship with Scotland. Perhaps it was something to do with the energy, anger and beauty in their music. In Scotland at that time, there was a lot of to be angry about. And a great need of some energy and beauty.
Certainly in the case of ‘Kill Your Friends…– John Niven
Certainly in the case of ‘Kill Your Friends,’ a book I wrote more than 10 years ago, I routinely meet interviewers who appear to know the book better than I do. But still, you have to talk about it.