Alison Morton grew up in West Kent and worked as
a civil servant in the City of London; dealt in coins and antique jewellery; head-hunted chief executives; served as a Territorial Army officer and owned and
ran a translation company. She now lives in France with her husband.
A ‘Roman
nut’ since age 11, she has visited sites throughout Europe including the alma mater, Rome. But it was the mosaics
at Ampurias (Spain) that triggered her wondering what a modern Roman society
would be like if run by women…
A
wordsmith much of her life - playwright (aged 7), article writer, local
magazine editor and qualified translator - she came to novel writing in
reaction to a particularly dire film.
‘I could do better than
that,’ she whispered in the darkened cinema.
‘So why don’t you?’ came
her spouse’s reply.
Three months
later, she had completed the first draft of INCEPTIO, her debut novel.
Thank you,
Rebecca, for the opportunity to be your guest today.
Who has influenced your life the most? My mother, for her love
of learning, books and patience in answering the “why?” question from her own
child after a full day of teaching others. But most of all for saying and
showing that girls were as good as boys. How many little girls wanted a train
set for Christmas and were taught to wire a plug at aged eight?
And my
father for opening the door to the Roman world, showing me you could look at
things differently and that it was nobody’s damn business if you did.
Which is your favourite book? Currently, William
Boyd’s Restless – spies, Second World
War, betrayal on personal and political levels, Cold War, class, alienation,
two strong women leads and beautiful prose. What more could you want?
As a
child, I loved anything by Rosemary Sutcliff, The Emerald Crown by Violet Needham and all of Narnia. My most
dog-eared book in my late teens was Katherine
by Anya Seton
Other than those you
love in fire, what would you save in a fire?
Photo
albums and my netbook
Which film have you seen several times? I’m a film addict and
watch most films several times! I adored Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Inception(!), You’ve Got
Mail. The King’s Speech.
What in your life do you regret doing? I don’t tend to look
back – what’s done is done.
What ambition do you have? To see all my Roma Nova books become best
sellers!
What is your favourite colour? Blue – any shade
If you were an animal, what would you be? A lynx - a cross between
a pussy cat and a sabre-tooth tiger
;-)
What temptation do you wish you could resist? The temptation to take
the easy choice.
Oh, and
chocolate.
What, in others, makes you angry? Irrationality and the inability
of people to listen properly
What wisdom would you share with a child? Examine all aspects of
what you’re trying to decide or resolve, make your choice and be confident you
have made the best decision in the prevailing circumstances.
What is your philosophy of life? Be kind, help if you can
but accept it if you can’t. Above all, get on with it!
What is your favourite song? Bridge Over Troubled
Water.
What is
your favourite piece of music? Jupiter, by Holst – it cheers me up!
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| Well, I had to include him ...! |
Which four people would you like to invite to
dinner and why? Mary Beard, Classics
professor, Newnham College, and fab television presenter of the Romans; Hypatia
of Alexandria, philosopher and maths professor who was murdered by a Christian
mob in AD 415 - both intelligent women challenging irrationality and dogma; George
Clooney, a clever (and gorgeous) actor and political activist; Michael
Portillo, presenter, wit and charming man.
What has made you happiest? Learning new stuff,
experiencing new things, exploring new places
What would you want if you could choose
anything? Nothing
material that I can think of. I know I’m a terrible person to buy presents for! ;-)
Immaterially, recognition and/or
success in anything I undertake, including my books.
Who is the most fascinating person you’ve met? The Princess Royal, Princess Anne. It was at a reception at The Skinners Hall in the City. She had a
terrific presence, but chatted in a very straightforward and kind manner. She
made you feel as if you were the only person in the room that she had come to
see that evening,
Where is your favourite place in the world? France! The Pont du
Gard, Lascaux Caves, Rocamadour, Orange, Nimes, the Loire – where do I stop?
But my trip to Rome and Pompeii last year was very special – such atmosphere in
both places.
Who is your real life hero? Naturally, my dear
husband, Steve.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be? Frustrated and annoying
Five things you might not know about Alison
She jumped
“voluntarily” into a deep pond of freezing water in the Artic Circle - it was
called NATO training – an act that may appear to contradict her membership of
Mensa.
She hates
wasps, loves spiders and despises ants.
Thirty
years after her first degree in modern languages and economics, she went back and
bagged an MA in history (with distinction!) at the Open University.
She is a
Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
She has
shocking handwriting and not much better typing.
Find out
more about Alison’s writing life, Romans and alternate history at her blog http://www.alison-morton.com
You can order Inceptio in paperback by clicking
here.
Say hello
on Twitter @alison_morton
Catch up
with her at www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor
Thank you, Alison, for being my author in the headlights!
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