Gerard McCann - Author Life

We managed to steal some of the spare time Gerard McCann has in his busy schedule to ask him some questions about his book, his writing process and his day to day life. Read on to find out more about the author of Lustration.

1. Did you always dream of becoming an author?

I have been writing from an early age. It seems to come very naturally to me. It may not be the best of material, the grammar has always been a problem, but it served a purpose for me to get ideas onto a page. The dream probably is to make a difference to this world through writing. That would be the thing.

2. What was your first job?

My first job was part-time with a shoe subsidiary of the, sadly now closed, British Home Stores. Beyond that, university took up many happy years although the backdrop of the conflict in Belfast was very challenging. For a number of years, along with a number of friends, I spent long summers working twelve hours a day in Trimpers Funfair in Ocean City Maryland. I have been lecturing for over twenty years now and still delight at the excitement of the first day of a new term.

3. How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?

Lustration came about because I was spending too much time walking around the great cities of Poland and indeed Eastern Europe. Lecturing often is very condensed as profession, with classes packed into the days and then time to explore after that. Political history is a passion of mine and always has been. I also have the gift of being able to memorise peculiar details with a reasonable degree of accuracy. The background to the book was a knowledge of Cold War politics, having studied it at university, and realising that there was little to nothing being said about the current tensions. Crucially, meeting colleagues from the East who suggested fiction as a more effective way of presenting ideas was the encouragement needed. So, the book was not deliberately intended but once started the story and the mission takes over. Writing fiction has been a learning curve for someone who previously lived a life in verbs and percentages.

4. What was your life like before you became an author?

In my mind I have a reasonably interesting existence – although my family would question this. I lecture most of the year in international relations, a lot of it to do with the struggling European Union. I spend periods of time researching and teaching in diverse and wonderful places such as Lisbon, Copenhagen, Zurich, Rome and across Eastern Europe. I also have the responsibility of managing international programmes which means daily contact with colleagues from around the world. It makes the world smaller and in my mind a friendlier place. I have always been a writer. I feel very comfortable with putting pen to paper. It was such a therapeutic process in many ways. Being a writer of fiction is a departure though from writing as an academic. It has meant thinking outside boxes and using an imagination I didn’t know I had.

5. Did you face any struggles before becoming an author? If so, how did you overcome them?

My biggest problem is ‘time poverty’ as the specialists call it. I can write anywhere and indeed finished this book sitting on a bench at Lake Zurich last summer. I was given some advice about writing from a friend who said that habit is half the battle. That is to dedicate two hours a day to write and every few weeks have a look at what has been achieved. It seems to work as a system, but I could spend a lot more time as a writer at this point in life. Working every day and most nights is common in academia, it just gets more condensed as the years go on. It can be stressful, so it helps to be a bit laid back. Running helps, as does wandering around mountains when time permits.   

6. Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all?

One thing I have noticed switching from academic books to a novel is that those who have read the novel have been addressing me as a writer. In academic writing this accolade is rarely ever offered. Maybe it is a sign of how academic writing has been devalued on these islands. Also, it is unusual that people are contacting me to discuss the characters and the plot. The characters are almost taking their own personalities forward. The biggest change probably is the thought that I need to continue this journey of writing fiction. Let’s see how it goes.

7. Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?

A typical day in my life depends on seasons and semesters. Going into the new university term, I usually get up early, towards seven, to check the world news and emails, just in case I walk into something I need to comment on. I try to get to my desk for eight. For me lectures usually begin at nine and the day is a mixture of dealing with student concerns, drifting in and out of libraries, staff meetings and firefighting on everything from students who have ended up lost and penniless somewhere on the continent, staff urgently needing funding signed off, African diaspora crises, reading and signing contracts, and trying to stay sane. I often spend the evening in meetings or writing and close the day with Newsnight. I don’t do breakfast, eat a light lunch and my wife Karen and myself usually cram dinner in late. Not healthy at all.

8. What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author?

As an author it has to be a book launch a number of years ago in Poznan where a hall was booked for my few words of wisdom on international development, and the mess that is international development. When I arrived I was told that people were queuing around the corridors to get in and that the main hall was too small for the event. There were students and staff sitting on the floors and outside the doors trying to get an idea of what was being said. It was an electric event and hopefully I did the topic justice. I am hoping that the new book is dynamic enough to generate a similar interest. Otherwise, sitting in the British Library or any other bank of history, lost in research, still gives me immense peace of mind.

Lustration can be purchased directly from Pegasus Publishers and also Waterstones and Amazon.