Alcemi Talks to Jeremy Hughes about Dovetail
Alcemi: Why is Tim, Dovetail's protagonist, obsessed with woodwork and Saint Sebastian?
Jeremy: Tim is obsessed with woodwork because it is his means of being in control of the world around him and allows him to determine his future, as well as demonstrating his power. He sees in Saint Sebastian a fellow victim of injustice, a symbol of his ongoing suffering.
A: How did you approach researching and writing about your Spanish and your south-east Wales settings?
J: I lived in Gíjón in northern Spain in the late eighties, and I was able to use some of its landmarks. I went back in the summer after twenty-odd years and enjoyed finding old haunts and learning what had changed in the intervening years, and what had stayed the same. But this was after I had completed the novel! The Welsh settings were from my childhood, which I revisited, as well as spending time in places I'd always wanted to go. Sometimes the visits helped, sometimes not.
A: What is your attitude as author to perfection, craftsmanship and aesthetic beauty in the novel, and how does this deviate from Tim's?
J:I'm interested in craftsmanship. I like things which are beautifully made, whatever those things might be. It's not a case of preferring, for example, a realist portrait over an abstract one, it's more to do with a demonstration of skill. I sympathise with Tim's attitude to getting things just right. In the real world, however, this isn't easily achievable. Every artistic decision creates a whole set of consequences which have to be addressed, so creating an aesthetically pleasing whole is very difficult. And of course, Tim's attitudes are taken to the extreme: they are unreasonable, obsessive, deluded.
A: Tell us about The Conductor in the novel.
J: The Conductor is taken from the film A Matter of Life and Death which I first saw as a child. It had a profound effect upon me. Some of the special effects were revolutionary for the time and when I saw it, years after it had been made, I was completely convinced by its presentation of the real and surreal. The Conductor helps to illustrate Tim's particular psychology, to indicate its differences to what would be regarded as 'normal'. The reader must decide exactly what The Conductor's roles are.
A: What literary models did you draw on in writing this book, and how would you pitch the novel to a Hollywood director?
J: I wouldn't say that I used models, but certainly there were books which inspired me. Iain Banks's The Wasp Factory is extraordinary for its constant surprises and consistent voice. Adam Thorpe's Ulverton is a stunning achievement, presenting a place which changes over time in a variety of texts.As for Hollywood...Michael Sheen would be a convincing Tim, able to be the obsessive victim, vulnerable, tortured, aggrieved, triumphant.... Tim is a sensitive teenager changed forever by a traumatic event. He dedicates his life to revenge, develops specific skills which enable him to enter into the lives of those he wants to kill. He identifies with Saint Sebastian and travels the world visiting works of art which depict him. His obsessions cause him to speak about his interests with authority. A complex central character capable of tenderness and extreme brutality, exotic locations and opportunities for great 'set pieces' will make a great cinematic experience....
A: Your current reading?
J: Karl Marlantes, Matterhorn, David Finkel, The Good Soldiers, Sebastian Junger, War, Philip Larkin, Selected Letters
A: Latest Film?
I tend to see whatever my son wants to see. He's nine. He's interested in animation so the latest film has been Despicable Me. We also saw The Karate Kid which, unexpectedly, I enjoyed.I'm looking forward to seeing Restrepo, the documentary made by Sebastian Junger when he was writing War. I have recently enjoyed the HBO series Pacific: a great canvas.
A: Favourite Café?
My favourite café is El Arca de Noë, Gíjón. My favourite pub is The Bridge, Penallt, near Monmouth.
A: Best Walk?
There are many, but it's hard to beat the view from the top of Twmbarlwm, Risca.
A: What you best enjoy doing with your kids?
I enjoy watching my son play under tens rugby. It's very exciting! I love walking anywhere with my twelve-year old daughter, especially when she hooks her arm in mine.
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