The Confidant
Helene Gremillon – author of The Confidant published by Gallic Books
- 1. What can you tell our readers about your new book The Confidant?
- I can tell you what I originally set out to do when I started writing this novel: to write a love story, filled with suspense, and set within a strong historical context.
- 2. The novel had been compared to The Reader and Suite Francaise, so how did this make you feel to have this comparison?
- I’m thrilled! The Reader is a book that I very much enjoyed. Just as much as I enjoyed the film adaptation by Stephen Daldry.
- 3. You live in Paris with your partner, is this why you chose this for the setting of the book?
- I love Paris. Deeply. But that isn’t the reason I decided to place the story in Paris. Or at least not consciously. I suppose you never know…
- 4. The book is set in 1975, did you have to put much research into Paris at this time as well as World War 2?
- I did a lot of research into the Second World War years. I couldn’t tell you how many books I read, just that there were a lot, despite knowing that The Confidant is not primarily a historical fiction. I simply wanted to create a background that was as insightful as possible. For the more contemporary setting, I didn’t do any research at all. I simply made sure that no anachronisms slipped through into the story.
- 5. How much did your degree in literature and history aid your own writing?
- My joint honours gave me the skills to write what I enjoy writing. Whilst I was studying, I did wonder why I had chosen history as well as literature. I felt strongly that I should, but I wasn’t really sure to what end, other than gaining some cultural baggage. When I started writing, I understood at last why I had felt the need to do so. Thankfully I listened to myself!
- 6. You were a press journalist, so how does this compare to novel writing?
- When I first started writing news articles, they weren’t “journalistic” enough. It was very frustrating, as I had to write “as neutrally as possible”. I didn’t really enjoy those writing exercises; I found it all too fact-based.
- 7. What period of history captures your interest the most?
- I think they all do. At the moment, I’m fascinated by the lives of the Mayas, the Aztecs and the Incas. I’m not sure why, but I find it riveting. I tend to absorb myself in a historical period and see whether they inspire me to write anything. So far, this one hasn’t, but I’m learning a lot which is great. If I could have continued studying my entire life, I would have…
- 8. What is next in store for your fans of this book?
- An Argentinian love story… I can’t really say much more, I struggle to talk about books until they’re finished. My mind isn’t very clear.
- 9. Will you continue to write historical fiction or do you think you will branch out into other genres at some point?
- Anything that keeps to this “poetic art”: fiction set within a troubled historical period.
10. Who do you most like to read?
- It depends. A play by Racine or Shakespeare is always welcome in my life. After that, my favourites vary. My last great love was when I read Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” last month, an absolutely wonderful novel.
The Confidant by Helene Gremillon is published by Gallic Books on the
12th September, price £7.99 paperback original