Today, I am virtually sitting down with Paul Brazill, a writer who I have known of, admired, stalked, and occasionally communicated with for over 15 years. We’re at an imaginary seedy little pub located in the London Borough of Croydon. A good place to get stabbed if you believe the stories. We’re both in our cups as Paul might say. He’s drinking Jack and Cokes like his execution is tomorrow and I am keeping pace with my Inness & Gunn Lagers. God bless the Scots. Paul just told me that he does indeed think he’ll die tomorrow, but it will be by the hands of the local hooligan and bounder Jackie Knight, nicknamed Calico Jack, in reference to the famous English pirate. Nodding to him solemnly, I realize this might involve some sort of preemptive strike, but first I hold my finger up to order another round.
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Paul, first let me welcome you to my author interview series here on Substack. I apologize for that little fictional paragraph above, as well as using my favorite promotional and Noirish (if that’s really a word) photograph of you. I simply couldn’t resist an attempt to set the mood. I’ll try not to ask the standard interview questions you no doubt have been repeatedly asked over the years.
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JW - I’ll start with this. Are you in anyway similar to one, a few, or all of the many protagonists in the stories you have written? If so, in what ways?
PB - Ah, for sure I’m a lot like Peter Ord, the feckless wastrel in Gumshoe Blues, and Tommy Bennet, the ageing hitman in Last Year’s Man. I’ve also put things from my life into the yarns. The names of friends, anecdotes, conversations. It stays fun for me that way, and that’s the only reason for me to keep on doing it. But yes, my protagonists are usually eternal underachievers, as am I!
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JW - From what I’ve read and also personally remember, we have a shared history in beginning with short stories and submitting to wonderful online noir or crime story outlets, many of which are now gone. Those were the good days. So many talented names that would go onto greater things, with you being one of them. Do you credit that experience as a launching pad of sorts into longform writing and the many full-length books you’ve authored?
PB - Oh yes! I’d considered writing short stories for many years but it wasn’t until I stumbled into Keith Rawson – currently MIA - over at MY Space that I decided to give it a try. He pointed me in the direction of PowderBurn Flash, and then A Twist Of Noir, Thrillers, Killers n’ Chillers, Beat To A Pulp, Six Sentences, and more. I really liked the yarns that I read and it seemed churlish not to give it a shot. I’m partial to a short, sharp shock, as it were.
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JW - You are a Brit by birth, moved to Poland to teach English and traveled all the hell over Western and Eastern Europe from what I can tell. A two-pronged question, have you ever been to the U.S. (because I’d like to buy you a real beer. Ice cold, just as you probably hate it) and is there a region in the world or country that you haven’t been to yet that is tops on your bucket list?
PB - Well, I was born in Hartlepool, the northeast of England and moved to London in the ‘90s. I moved to Poland in 2001 and have lived in various cities here since then. (The above photograph was taken in Skierniewice, Poland around 2003 by Kasia Martell, who now lives in Spain). I’ve had a few trips over the years, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and yes, I went to New York in the summer of 2001. One plan was to stay at my friend Eda’s beach house in Atlantic City and to write the great unfinished novel. Of course, it all went pear-shaped as quickly as spit disappears on hot pavement, but I did get drunk between the moon and New York City, I know it’s crazy, but it’s true.
I drank Sam Adams in The Collins Bar, which had a great jukebox, and played 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the barman. I liked the place a lot.
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JW - Have you ever written a short story or book that was better received than what you thought it might be and any rational reason you can think of why that was?
PB - All of them have had much better reviews than I expected, since I see them as very niche- which the small sales have proven! Perhaps they’re bit of a palette cleanser, like a novelty song after a day of listening to Mahler!
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JW - I have grown an appreciation for and a better understanding for the world of British slang words as well as British diction in general. Since your books have been translated into so many languages, do you think there is ever a little “lost In translation” effect on what you’ve written vs. what somebody in say Berlin is reading?
PB - I’m sure the translators have had a hard time with my yarns- Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Finnish, Slovenian, and Polish. Even native speakers sometimes take them more seriously than I intended. I think dialogue heavy, colloquial writing is very hard to translate anyway. For instance, here in Poland, crime fiction is very popular, but Elmore Leonard is almost unheard of. Most translations here are of grim, prosaic Scandinavians.
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JW - Besides this agonizing interview, how do you typically waste time, relax a little or purposely spend a little time in an activity that might require less thought and more leisure?
PB - I am a dilatant by nature. I’ve always been a fan of the telly and serial fiction- soap operas included. Since there is a lot of that stuff around these days, I usually give one of those shows a go. Recently, I’ve enjoyed The Gentlemen, Reservation Dogs, and the Polish series The Mire. With my 11-year-old son Dorian, we’re currently watching the CW superhero shows- The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow et al.
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JW - As a writer, what has been your biggest thrill and biggest fear (realized or imagined)?
PB - When Maxim Jakubowski asked me for a story for The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime 8, I was well-pleased but also daunted to be in the company of all of these big shot writers. I felt like Freddie and The Dreamers supporting The Beatles and The Stones!
***
Well, that will wrap up this short chat with my friend Paul Brazill, the fabulous English writer and author of a plethora of Novels, Series, Collections and Short Story anthologies. His story writing cannot be defined or filed under one category, but Thrillers, Noir and Crime would certainly fit, among others. Check out his Substack home here and have a look at the substantial listing of all his work. You won’t regret it. As always, I appreciate the opportunity that noteworthy writers give me to experience and to share their interviews. Stay tuned for another Author Insight coming soon. - JW
Great interview!
Paul's writing is so dark, but often hilarious.
Great questions & delightful answers 👍
My thanks to both of you!