Steve Cockayne Interview
01/09/2004 . Source: Orbit Books Team 

Steve talks about his novel Wanderers and Islanders, being influenced by C.S. Lewis and Herman Hesse, and working as a TV cameraman, a puppeteer, and dabbling in hypnotherapy

This month our chums over at Orbit took a fast train to Leicestershire to catch up with debut star Steve Cockayne. Actually, WANDERERS AND ISLANDERS isn't technically Steve's debut. He does have one other piece of writing to his credit, for which he won a National Book League commendation - at the age of four. He's since had a forty-two year sabbatical from writing, working as a TV cameraman, a puppeteer, and dabbling in hypnotherapy. But this long break has in no way diminished his talents,

What inspired you to take up writing?

It was a gradual realization. I became interested in storytelling, initially because I thought it might be helpful in my teaching work (it was). Rather than re-telling traditional stories, I found that I wanted to invent stories of my own, and after a while I noticed that the individual stories seemed to form part of some larger pattern. I decided that a novel would be the best vehicle to combine them - so I set about writing one!

Which writers have influenced you most?

Lewis Carroll and A.A. Milne for their imaginary landscapes and larger than life characters, C.S. Lewis and Herman Hesse for their mystical symbolism, H.G.Wells for his mahogany and brass technology, Ursula LeGuin for her insights into wizardry, Mervyn Peake for his vision of a bizarre, enclosed world, and Thomas Pynchon for his complex hidden conspiracies.

Could you explain a little of the mytho-history of your world and why its elements were so appealing to you?

I have always liked the idea of an ancient civilization that was displaced by the modern world but continued to exist somewhere on the margins. The Wanderers and the Islanders fulfill this, and also bring in elements of Gypsies, Jews, yoga and isolated mystical communities. I like islands, I like yoga, and I like the open road.

Was there a particular theme you wished to explore when you first put pen to paper?

At the time of writing Wanderers and Islanders, I was writing and delivering a set of lectures entitled "Technology and Society" at West Herts College. This dealt with the ways in which new technologies are transforming daily life, and took a mainly sociological standpoint. Much of the thinking that went into this project was also useful in writing the city sequences of "W&I" which dealt, broadly, with Victorian technology displacing the Mediaeval. But, mainly, I was writing the book I wanted to write, and putting in anything that seemed to fit.

Did the novel turn out exactly how you imagined, or were there some unexpected twists and turns along the way?

I planned the basic plot structure in rigorous detail, and I stuck to what I had planned. However, I allowed myself room for a bit of ad-libbing when it came to the incidental details - Granny Hopkins was a spur-of-the-moment character, for example, as were Sam and Harold.

Do you follow any sort of schedule when you write?

I usually write for between three and five hours per day. I have quite a disciplined approach. Once a book is planned, I set myself deadlines for each chapter, and for a first and second revision of the whole book. I tend to divide the narrative into sections of 1500-2000 words, each of which takes me about a day to draft. But I build a bit of slack into the scheme, in case I need to re-think anything or cope with domestic emergencies.

What's the best thing about being a writer?

Undoubtedly, the ability to work at home and set my own schedules and deadlines. If I want to, I can work in the middle of the night, take a three week holiday, or write nonstop for a month. Not that I usually do, of course ...

What are you reading at the moment?

Nothing! I've just finished Jackson's Dilemma by Iris Murdoch, and I'm about to start Mrs P's Journey by Sarah Hartley. I read quite a few detective stories - Ruth Rendell, Andrew Taylor, Robert Goddard - because I'm intrigued by their plot constructions, and I try to stay away from SF and fantasy, because I'd rather avoid cluttering my mind with other people's ideas.

What are you reading at the moment?

The Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears, a 'literary' historical/philosophical novel that rubs against my personal philosophy at almost every level. I grumble and snarl every few pages - and find my assumptions challenged. Also A Brain For All Seasons by William Calvin, a brilliant look at how human evolution may have been influenced by climate. When it comes to science fiction, Iain M. Banks can't be beat. Greg Bear rattles everything you thought was true.

Does Harry Potter make you dance or despair?

I'm very fortunate to be starting out at a time when people are becoming interested in fantasy again, so I think Harry has done us all a great service. And if my books do one-hundredth as well as J.K.Rowling's, I'll be very happy indeed.

What's happening in your world outside of writing?

A bit of puppetry. A bit of music - I play piano and accordion. Yoga every day. I work as a volunteer at the local Citizens' Advice Bureau one day a week. I've got the kitchen fitters in at the moment. And I've just given up teaching and the M1.

And finally, what next for Steve Cockayne, novelist?

There are two more books on the way in the Legends of the Land sequence, featuring many of the same characters and settings. The Iron Chain is almost complete, and is scheduled for publication early next year. The Seagull Drovers, scheduled for 2004, is in the planning stage. And after that - well, I think that's enough to be getting on with!

Thanks to Orbit Books (and Ben Sharpe) for permission to post this interview. For more details of their SFF authors and books, visit Orbit at www.orbitbooks.co.uk