On Sunday I rose early as I was flying to India to start my 10 day tour. First stop, Chennai. The British Airways flight was nearly empty, and I saw first-hand what the aircraft industry must be going through, and expect all airlines are facing the same problem. I couldn't have had a more helpful and attentive crew, or better service. I landed at 3.00am this morning, to be met by the senior immigration officer and two of his staff. I was whisked through the swine fever and customs counter as if I was on roller skates. In India, they love authors. The journey from the airport to the hotel was the fastest one I'll have in the next 10 days, and only because it was three in the morning. On arrival at my hotel, the manager was waiting for me at the entrance along with two Indian ladies, one who placed a teeka (Hindu red dot) on my forehead, and the other a garland around my neck. I was shown up to the presidential suite (a room the size of a cricket pitch) without having to check in. My personal butler told me he was on duty night and day. They really do love authors in this country. I collapsed into bed at 4.00am to get some sleep as I have a talk and book signing tonight at 7.00pm, and start the full round of interviews tomorrow.
31 Comments:
Welcome to Chennai, Lord Archer. Been waiting to meet you. We Indians don't love all the authors, just the ones worth our love. You are one of the top ones on the list though. Have a beautiful stay and hoping to meet you tonight at 7.
Me - that's very kind of you, and I am very much looking forward to meeting my readers at tonight's event.
Vanakkam is how we greet our guests here in Chennai. Can't wait to see the master-writer himself :) Am a big fan...so will hope to catch a glimpse of you at Landmark, Chennai
Jeffrey,
You're a very fortunate fellow to be now amongst some of the World's cleverist and certainly nicest and most generous peoples.
Your PA's idea of posting to the Blog photos of your promotions is great. Please get them started...
Hi Jeffrey.... i am an ardent fan of yours and i am looking forward to meet you in Bangalore on May 18th. May god grace you with excellent health and all the goodness.
Dear Lord Jeffery,
Welcome to India,where we greet our beloved guests with 'Athiti deva vaba", the Guest is God. Hope you like our hospitality and have a very enjoyable stay in India, braving the tropical heat.Hope the dream of one of your novels becoming a movie with an Indian director also comes true and I hope it' the Prodigal Daughter.
If there had been time for my question at the book launch it would have been along these lines:
Hi, you professed a liking for Indian questions, but unfortunately I am British and have a British question.
The signiture for this book launch is Jeffrey Archer- Legendry Storyteller. Now, in Britain you are certainly well known as a Legendry Storyteller, but in a distinctly more legal context. You are clearly very popular here, much more so than in Britain. Partly that is because British people don't like politicians, but on the other side, why do you think you are so popular in India? Your plots? Your syle of writing?
As a student of English literature,sought to have higher reading pursuits,I am condemned from reading your works at school owing to my professor who despises and scorns at the "popular fiction" genre.Though I've had my chance when i was younger,for many a rainy day were spent pouring over "a quiver full of arrows" nursing a cup of Earl Grey.Your address was utterly refreshing and I was quite taken by your demure and easy nature,contrary to what one might expect of a Briton,might i add your works certainly are an addiction,even for the most discerning reader.Thank you and please keep writing till kingdom comes.
Mr.Archer even though i was at Landmark in Chennai I never got to ask you who it was who won the election at the end of Son's of Fortune?I did not ask you during the autograph signing as i think you were already running late.You also presently surprised me with your great sense of humour.Looking forward to a reply.Thanks.
P.S I know you said there was no movie for Paths of Glory but i read a report saying there is a movie called "In High Places".Please confirm.
Yes we do love authors here in India.. The session today, in Landmark was really awesome.. I still can't believe I saw you - The Jeffrey Archer..
Do keep coming to Chennai every year Sir...
Your Lordship, I entered into correspondence with you while I was in U.K., when you were Sir Jeffrey. I was in the process of translating of a book in TELUGU into English, for which I needed your permission to use some of the material from your book not a 'NOT A PENNY MORE NOT A PENNY LESS', which you graciously granted. I was shocked beyond belief when I heard that you were incarcerated!
I read the all PRISONER'S DIARIES, and was by the contents of it. I read about your last trip to India, in the media. I cursed my self for having lost the golden opportunity of meeting you. I had been in touch with Alison Prince, about your next trip to India. I would like very much meet you in person. I live in Raichur, Karnataka. I just came know to from Alison that your trip to Hyderabad is cancelled! I would very much would like to meet Your Lordship in Bangalore on Monday the 18th May 2009, if I know the place and time. Eagerly awaiting the reply from your end, Your Lordship.
Capt.Chowdary
Hello Sir!It was a pleasure to meet you and to gain an insight into your writing genius.Hope to meet you again next year :)
Have a wonderful tour!
P.S. Will come back with the feedback on the book as soon as am done with it :)
You were AMAZING at the book-release... thing at Landmark today! (or yesterday, seeing as I'm up at the ungodly hour of 1:49 AM...)
Anywho, you were hilarious, and I really enjoyed meeting you. I was the one who said I wanted to be an aspiring writer, but I don't expect you to remember me-- you would have seen hundreds of people.
I'm at the second chapter of Paths of Glory (I assure you, I'd be much further into the book if it were not for having to go to a friend's house...). But getting to the point, the book's really interesting, and intriguing. I'm sure it's going to be entirely worth my time. :D
YOU ROCK!
Lord Archer, when ARE you in Bangalore? I have received very conflicting bits of information on your schedule here... do let us know.
Thank you,
Manisha
Hello Lord Archer
If this post is a second from me - I apologise as the screen went blank when I posted one earlier.
It was great to see you in person. Unfortunately being prompt for the 7.00 pm meet was a mistake from my side. As, the hall was packed when I reached there, and I had to stand with my troop of my kids and my nephews a little far away, where we could just manage to hear you.
The Line was winding all over the place, and I decided to nominate my nephew - a new fan of yours - to have the honor of standing in the line and getting the book autographed. If your blog permits, I can load the photogrpah too.
A personal question - which I could not ask you there.
Which amongst your books - do you consider as the best of all. I know as a parent you might feel all kids are great. But amongst the great ones - which one is/was the best.
To me - Kane and Abel,and, Not a Penny More Not a Penny less, remain in my mind as the best of the lot.
Maybe this prejudiced verdict could be because they happened to be my earlier books read in the school / collegese days and they could have left a lasting impression.
Or.......maybe they really were....
Hope you have a great time in India. And wish the next meet is organised in a much bigger hall - maybe just to test your fan strength :)
Rgds
Zia
Manisha - I arrive in Bangalore on Monday afternoon, the 18th May. I'll be giving a talk and book signing that evening at 7.00pm at the Landmark (Garuda Swagat Mall, Tilak Nagar Main Road, 4th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore 560041), and will be in the city the following day for interviews. Best wishes.
Sir, first of all congrats for England thashing the West Indies in less than 3 days..
and i also wanna say it was one of the most fascinating speeches i ever heard , similar to last year and it is a great honor to listen to ur talk.
I have 2 questions to ask sir.
a) How long does it take on an average for you to write one single short story..
b)Do u know the ending of a short story before u begin to write (unlike the novel ,where u said u had no clue)
and also hw do u frame the final line of your short story or a novel ?
Thanks
Dear Mr. Archer,
It was great to see you at Landmark last evening. As an avid reader, I would like to thank you for giving us countless hours of reading pleasure over the last 28+ years.... and I do look forward to "And thereby hangs a tale" and many, many more books from you
I did want to say something at Landmark yesterday but never got a chance to do so. It is through Ms.Tredgold in 'The Prodigal Daughter' that you introduced to us the significance of "contingency" way back in the year 1982. We now talk about Option B/Plan B etc. etc. but it is thanks to you that I realized the importance of having a back-up for all crucial things in life.
Also, I did want to ask you as to whether all truly great and successful men and women have a Magnificent Obsession (MO)and if yes, what is your MO please?
'Paths of Glory" is a fantastic book. I do hope and pray that Mr. Graham Hoyland's planned expedition to Mt. Everest later this year will throw some new light on what exactly happened on 8th June, 1924.
Thanks and regards,
Geetha
Thank you Sir for all that you taught us about writing a book last evening in Chennai. I made notes of your talk on a Landmark cash receipt, and the guys at the store weren't too impressed. But who cares.
I'm sure what I learnt from you in an hour and a half saved me many years of toil. Looking forward to seeing you again. Meanwhile, have a great trip in India.
hello J Archer,
it is wonderful to know about your Indian visit .AS you are aware Indian english writing is making waves in the world .I am one of your admirers from an Indian village on ganges .I myself is working on a novel on gangetic life .I am looking forward meeting you in gurgaon.Best of luck and hope your visit to India will be memorable one.Your conviction that India loves authors shall be fortified.
thanking you
rajeev gurjar
salamatpur--on--ganges.
Lord Archer
It was nice hearing you at Landmark yesterday. I was thinking about my daughter when you said " writing is an inborn quality" Hope one day she too gets her dream fulfilled - "of becoming a great author". Infact when I ordered the Paths of Glory, no sooner it got published, it was she who finished it first. I am now halfway through the book . By the way is the Eiffle tower incident based on facts or your imagination??????????
The Uber Cool - Glad you enjoyed the event. To answer your question, Fletcher becomes Governor - you'll find the clue at the beginning of chapter 31. 'In High Places' is about Everest, but I understand that it's a documentary, not fiction.
Zia - I appreciate you coming out to see me at the event, and to answer your question, my favourite book of mine is 'As the Crow Flies'. By all means email me your photo to questions@jeffreyarcher.co.uk
Karthik Murali - Many thanks. It takes me about 50 hours to write a short story, and yes, I always know the ending. I work longer on the first and last pages of any book, whether it is a novel or a short story.
Geetha - many thanks for your comments. I do think that if you look back in history you'll find that all great men and women have some kind of 'magnificent obsession' which pushes them to achieve their dreams. As for me, my obsession was a simple one - to be captain of the England cricket team.
My Dear Jeffrey,
I am writing to you on an impulse.
Having been a military man all my life, I have not been a voracious reader.However consequent to hanging of my uniform in 1995, I have been reading a lot. I have read a few of your works of late.
We are contemporaries age wise,you being senior by three years.
Would it be possible for you to write on the ethos and traditions of Indian Army.We have inherited these from the British Army.It should make interesting reading material .
Hope to see you in Gurgaon.
With best wishes .
From
COL H S CHHOKAR
24-A ALIPUR ROAD
CIVIL LINES
NEW DELHI-54.
In India, between You and Rogers Waters the crowd would be split right down in the middle.
Cheers
During the Q & A session at Chennai, I had a million questions running through my mind. I visited your blog at midnight when there were only 5 comments and still couldn't zero in on a single question. Looks like now I've finally arrived at one, so here goes: Does the publisher have a role in shaping a novel?
My wife & me had a great time listening to you and look forward to seeing you here next year !
Captain Sid Sparrow - Thank you. No, a publisher has no role in shaping a novel, although an editor might.
Mr. Archer, I am a big fan of your works. I had attended your last year's event at Landmark, Pune. I think this year too you are coming to Pune again. It would be a great honor to listen to your thoughts again.
Hardeep - I know the subjects of my next two books, and I'm afraid I have no plans to write about the Indian Army, but I appreciate your comments.
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