In India to launch This Was A Man, the final book of the seven-part series The Clifton Chronicles, author Jeffrey Archer believes that the story he had set out to tell in 2011 has reached its conclusion. “It’s a strange feeling to write ‘The End’ after a million words spanning a 100 years, but it was the natural ending for the story and the characters,” Archer tells The Hindu . He ruefully describes how the characters in the Clifton novels had become a part of his life for seven years, but could no longer be.
Talking about the process of writing each book, Archer feels it is important to have a complete story within every instalment, keeping the dependence on the potential extensions to a minimum. “The last part could not only be a wrapping up. It had to be a story in its own right. My publishers would get a person who hasn’t read any of my books to read just one book and tell them what they didn’t understand,” the author says. He would then use the feedback and make minor additions to his drafts.
The Clifton Chronicles has seen an instalment being released every year since 2011, beginning with Only Time Will Tell and concluding with This Was A Man. Not one to stop, Archer’s next will be a collection of short stories he’s been writing over the years, to be published by March next year. Archer has sold over 275 million copies of his books according to his publishers (Pan Macmillan) since he began writing more than four decades ago.
There is a shifting literary landscape, an emerging trend of young readers hooked to the Kindle and e-books from every corner of the globe. How has it impacted the authors and publishers? “It’s great for authors. They have a chance to be read by more people than ever before and earn a proper living. But it has been difficult for the book trade,” Archer says. The deal signed between the publisher and the author still stands, e-book or not, with a royalty on every book they sell. However, e-commerce sites like Amazon employ several marketing strategies to ensure profits. “They’re playing a game. They want to sell the first two books in a series. Once that happens, the rest of the books in the series will sell,” says Archer. He adds, nostalgically, that he would prefer to hold a book than read an electronic copy.
Speaking of incidents closer home, Archer says, “I am probably one of the few people alive who voted for Britain to enter the European Union in the House of Commons and this time, too, I voted to stay, while my wife voted to leave.” Brushing it off, Archer continues, “I am a great believer in democracy and the people have spoken. So let’s get on with it.”
When asked about the other spectacle of democracy the world has recently witnessed, he’s clearly disgruntled. “I got that one completely wrong. I never thought a man with no political experience whatsoever could become a candidate, let alone become President of the United States,” the author says.
When we met Archer, he was on the last leg of his India tour organised by Crossword. He’s visibly pleased with his continued readership in the country. “I love this country. My readers here are so loyal, it’s heartening.”
He’s also struck by the next generation of Indians who will change the country. After addressing a few thousand youngsters at a reputed college in Bengaluru, Archer is admiring in his observations. “The women in this country have absolutely changed. They’re confident, relaxed and self-assured. They’re ready to take on the world! I have no doubt in my mind that they will lead the change in India. God help the men,” he jokes.
The writer is an intern at The Hindu
