Issue No.26

View from the Hotel de la Cité
Although my plots are complicated and
often intricate, I'm not a planner in the early
stages of a book at all. I'd rather not control
things too much, preferring to keep my eyes
and ears open, being available to the
characters, ideas and the stories that might
come and find me. I’m a keen walker,
because for me it's the things that you
haven't gone looking for, but you just see
out of the corner of your eye - that's where
the real stories come from. Keep your mind
open and receptive. So much writing and
imaging happens on the move!
In Carcassonne when you want to take a
break, is there somewhere you'd like to go?
For the past ten years, I've been a part time,
and now a full time carer, so I am not able to
be in Carcassonne as much as I'd like - it's
really not suitable for wheelchairs! But I still
go at least four times a year and always
launch the French editions of my novels
there and often escort my Dutch, Spanish
and German publishers and journalists too.
La Cité itself has changed a lot over the
years, there’s been a great deal of
restoration and renovation. Though there
are critics of Violet- le-Duc's 19th century
restoration, the fact is it wouldn't be there at
all without his work and that of others. I
think it looks magnificent!
Within the medieval city, the Hotel de la Cité
is wonderful, one of the great hotels of
France. It was built in 1909 and all the great
performers who came to perform in the
open theatre within the walls, for example,
Sarah Bernhardt, used to stay there. When I
go in winter, rather than open up our little
holiday house for a night, I always stay there.
I love the wonderful wood panelled rooms,
red leather chairs and views over the
medieval city walls. Out of season, there are
few tourists, much of the city is closed and it
has a completely different atmosphere.