A prolific author of Anglo-Saxon historical novels and so much more, including art.
Please, introduce yourself. Tell us about your personal life, family, education.
I shared my primary school class with fifty-three other children, so it’s fair to say I was one of the post-war baby-boom. A sarcastic teacher was our common lot. He told me I had no imagination and said it was unbelievable when I won a prize in a national writing competition. Ha! Even in retirement I’m still busting a gut to prove him wrong. Although I wrote children’s books for my two kids in the 1980s and had seven published, I was too busy keeping innumerable wolves from my door to write until retirement in 2014. Since then, I’ve written twenty novels, which sums up how strongly I wanted to write: That’s at least three novels a year. I have one grandson, Dylan, he’s eight. He lives in England and I miss him because I live with my Maria in southern Italy, in Calabria.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I love music. I’ve written songs for family and friends, but I can’t play an instrument. My collection of CDs is out of control. I can listen to all genres except rap. I can’t get into that. I like going to rock concerts with Maria but covid knocked out two concerts last year, upsetting for my wife who adores Pearl Jam and is suffering at missing out. I write to the accompaniment of classical music – it blots out distracting background sounds. Two of my closest friends both play bass guitar, it must mean something. Surely, you can’t be a writer if you don’t love reading. Visiting medieval churches, trogging around important art galleries and visiting other European countries are my other hobbies. I have a bucket list of places I’d love to visit but they all require a lot of money.
If you are active in career fields other than writing, what do you hope for the future of that business? Describe your work or business activities in which you are presently active.
Now I’ve retired, I’ve stopped being a translator, but I still do technical English proofreading for professors from several Italian universities but not as frequently as before. Writing historical novels is now my main activity.
Many Hobbies
Do you have hobbies? How did you get started in them?
When I wrote my first historical novel, The Purple Thread, it was as a hobby. I told my wife ‘I’ll be happy if twenty people read this.’ If anyone asked me today, I’d say twenty-million! I write full-time, there’s not much time for other hobbies. In my time I’ve tried soccer, hockey, table tennis rock-climbing, hiking, photography and darts. The nearest thing to a hobby today is bird-watching, but I’m not a twitcher – I wasn’t even when I lived on St Agnes on the Isles of Scilly; although, I did see some remarkably rare birds there. Now, I keep my eyes peeled around our village. A black redstart swung on our balcony washing line as I wrote this.
If you are a writer, are you an avid reader?
How can a writer not be? I’ve been reading books since I was four. My granddad gave me two – a history book and a natural history book. I must have read the former till it fell apart! That’s why I loved history at school then got a degree from Nottingham in history and now write historical novels. Tolstoy is one of my favourite historical novelists.
What is your ultimate writing goal as you see it today?
I wouldn’t mind a statue and a plaque in my home town after I’ve gone. But first I need a bestseller like my hero Ken Follett – one of my books has been compared to his writing. Wow! If I live to see one of my novels made into a film, I’ll be the happiest writer in the world – and probably the drunkest!
What is your ultimate writing goal as you see it today?
Two or three things. First, a long-standing desire to write a historical novel and at that moment, I had the time. Secondly, as I said, a genuine love of medieval history. Thirdly, I found a letter in Internet written in the eighth-century and it intrigued me. To find out why, you need to read The Purple Thread.
How do you decide on the title of a book?
It comes so easily to me that I have the honour of having chosen three titles for a fellow author. Only with my current work in progress did I choose the title then decide to write the book. But I am superstitious about revealing anything before publication. I’m only careful to check out that nobody else has the same title after discovering that my third novel Saints and Sinners had a far too popular title. Since then, they’ve all been highly original and appropriate, so imagine my irritation when exactly a month after the publication of Heaven in a Wild Flower, a lady author published with the same title. On Amazon I pop up just before her!
Have you developed a specific writing style and why?
I made a deliberate break away from my specialised period of Anglo-Saxon history to write a time-travel novel Angenga but the main character still goes back to A-S times. Then I moved into the paranormal to enjoy myself with my Jake Conley Series of seven novels. I’ve written both in first and third person but I haven’t yet dabbled with stream of consciousness or anything like that. I try to introduce my philosophy of life into my books. My first novel might be the deepest in that respect. I’m proud of its reviews.
Are You in Your Books?
How much of your books is realistic and experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?
I’m taking a risk here by confessing that Jake Conley is my alter-ego. But, of course, I can’t shape-shift into a falcon! I only wish I could! However, I have had premonitions and have seen a ghost – so we have that in common. One of my premonitions is faithfully reproduced in the first Jake Conley, Elfrid’s Hole. By the way, expect to meet the Anglo-Saxons in that series, too. I love the period. You’ll find Jake chatting to sorcerers in different centuries if you read my books.
Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?
I always dread this question. My answer is so complex – but here goes. It depends on age! When I was a teenager, I loved Dostoevsky, in particular, The Idiot. Later, I stayed with Russians, Chekov, Tolstoy, and Sholokhov, especially Quiet Flows the Don. Later in life I moved to Italy and fell in love with Italo Calvino – if I had to choose one, Invisible Cities. Now, I’m neglecting Hermann Hesse and Camus, more recently Murakami. Then there are three singers: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen – wonderful! What strikes me about all these? They all explore the human soul in different ways – I love them all; they enrich my life.
Do you remember the first book you read?
I don’t remember the title. I mentioned it earlier an illustrated history book about European heroes and villains, like Rollo, Alfred the Great, Richard the Lionheart, William Tell, Robin Hood – what boy wouldn’t enjoy those tales?
Is there an author, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?
Yes, Lord Byron. He was such an ambiguous figure but he’s still my favourite poet. I can imagine a night drinking with him. But I wouldn’t let him anywhere near my Maria!
Is there an author, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?
If I had the talent, which I don’t, I’d love to paint a masterpiece like van Gogh – but I value my ears.
When you see new authors struggling, what single piece of advice could you give them on a moment’s notice?
I’d copy Joseph Conrad and say, “Write 250000 words for the waste-bin.”
How do you want others to see you or remember you? Is it important to you?
Vitally important. I’ve always underestimated my abilities. I’d love for people to say – he was good, I’d like to be like him. You would only say that about a nice guy, surely. I hope to leave warm memories when I’m gone.
Do you have a blog or website viewers can visit for updates, events and special offers? Include links to any and all of your sites.
I sure do.
My website is https://www.saxonquill.com/
I also have a Facebook page dedicated to my Anglo-Saxon interests: https://www.facebook.com/saxonquill
Twitter: https://twitter.com/broughton_john @broughton_john
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/broughton1017/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.it/broughton1167/_saved/ @brougton1167
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