In Search Of Self
Not at all the misanthrope you might have expected, Will Self reflects on the Booker Prize, Nick Cave, the London Olympics, the incarceration of Pussy Riot and various issues of the day.
Anne Sexton, 11 Sep 2012
Contrary to popular belief, Will Self isn’t a misanthrope. Opinionated he certainly is, but gregarious and easy-going with it.
Of course, Self has good reason to be cheerful. His latest novel, Umbrella, has attracted much critical praise for its high modernism and stream of consciousness style. Better still, it has bagged the author a spot on the Man Booker long list.
“As far as I’m concerned I should have won it many times over!” laughs Self. “But it’s not me, it’s the book.”
Win or lose, the Booker, he notes, can have a significant influence on sales and book lovers often work their way through the entire long list. While the IMPAC award may offer a richer pot of filthy lucre, the Booker is still regarded as the most prestigious award.
“It seems incredibly disproportionate in those terms,” he observes, “far more so than other prizes. After all, it’s five people judging a novel. But winning books sell thousands and thousands. Anything that attracts readers to your work is a good thing for an author.”
In truth I expected Self to be somewhat scornful of the idea of literary prizes, but instead he is completely pragmatic. After all, he is generally believed to be disdainful of contemporary fiction. This surprises him; he suggests that perhaps he said something that was taken out of context, which has now become accepted fact. What he does dislike is the tendency for authors to rely on coincidence to carry along the plot.
“How many times has coincidence played any major role in your life? Resolved anything or set you on a new path?”
That would be never.
“Exactly! Life isn’t like that.”
Within a short space of time, it becomes obvious that almost everything I have read about Self may be wrong. His supposed love of Philip K. Dick is yet another urban myth.
“I read on Wikipedia that he influenced my writing but I’d never read any of his books so I thought it was time I did,” he says. “I’m reading one of his books at the moment. It’s called – I can’t remember the name of it – but I am enjoying it.”
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