Those in Peril
Wilbur Smith
Pan Macmillan
Rs 325
Pp 386
There are millions who love him, and then there are those who love to hate him and his writings. For best-selling novelist Wilbur Smith, both bouquets and brickbats eventually balance out. ?There?s been a lot of criticism as well as a lot of praise for my books. So the two really balance out and as Rudyard Kipling said, ?Treat those two imposters just the same.? Praise and criticism, all writers have to have both. Don?t just let either one of them go to your head. I wouldn?t change a thing about my life and career as a writer. I?ve enjoyed every bit of it. I am very content with what I have got in life.? With his latest thriller, Those in Peril inviting strong praise and equally strong criticism, the 78-year-old author gets candid with Sukalp Sharma on his love for three things in particular?books, Africa and life.
You?re almost 80 and a bestselling author with 33 books under your name, but still you don?t seem to be getting tired of writing. So would you call yourself an obsessive compulsive writer?
I would say that my whole life is about writing. Once I was talking to my wife and told her that I?m going to retire one day. She said, ?Okay, now you?re a writer but if you don?t write, then what are you going to be?? And my answer was, ?Of course, I?ll be nothing.? Writing is what I do and that?s what I am?a writer. I enjoy it, it gives me enormous rewards and I will keep on doing it as long as I can.
Have you ever seriously considered retirement? Will your pen ever rest at all?
As of now, I am feeling very fit and healthy. My mother used to say that life is a strange thing, it?s like a house which is pristine and the people living there are happy. But then with time, the walls develop cracks, the roof begins to leak, but inside it?s still the same. I still feel young and I feel that there are a lot more exciting things yet to happen in my life and my career. However, you never know what is going to happen next, I could be knocked down by a car tomorrow or drop dead of a heart attack. But I think I?ll just go on doing what I like doing, that is, writing books and enjoying life.
Your biography mentions that you write for yourself first and not necessarily about what the readers would want to read. So what was the motivation for Those In Peril for yourself?
I do not want to fall into the trap of writing the same genre over and over. And so with Those In Peril, I picked on something different, a subject that I knew well. For many years I had an island in the Seychelles group, so I know that part really well and can describe it well. It was the perfect setting for a thriller.
Any particular reason for writing a thriller this time?
Just to change pace. I have written historical books, on ancient Egypt, and from time to time even thriller.
What can we expect next from your pen after Those in Peril?
I don?t know yet. It could be another historical book, it could be another Egyptian book or could be another standalone. As of now I am not sure. I haven?t started working on any new book as yet, but obviously I am thinking about ideas. Right now, I am working pretty hard on promoting this book, and there are a lot of traveling plans, too. So, it?s all looking good at the moment.
Your fixation or obsession with Africa is well known. Looking back, do you ever regret that you never moved out of the continent in your writings?
I would never have done that because of the simple reason that I know Africa well and I want to write about things that I know well. There?s no other country or continent where I have lived long enough for me to feel confident about writing a story. I have never regretted it. Africa is my home and I?ve loved spending so much time writing about it. The whole basis of my writing is Africa. I was born and brought up there. Africa?s in my blood and my blood is in Africa.
If you were asked to contrast the Africa you grew up in and the Africa of today, what are the differences you notice, and are you glad about the changes?
I?ve been a very involved spectator in Africa and have watched the developments there with a lot of interest. I think the changes were inevitable and a more just society is developing in the continent. But the only problem that I see with Africa is the tribalism. This leads to the formation of dictatorships. And if we?re talking about dictatorships, we?re not talking about a happy society. I would like to see a more democratic society, where everyone has equal representation. I absolutely would like to see a lot more democratic and stable states in Africa. South Africa is looking good at the moment, but you can never tell. Overall, I however feel that change is just around the corner in Africa.
Moving on to the personal aspect of your life, the three most important women in your life are your mother, Danielle (deceased wife), and Mokhiniso (present wife). How have they shaped your life as well as your career?
I believe that women are the most important elements in our lives. Starting from my mother, she instilled the love of books in me, she taught me about art and music, I developed an interest in faraway places and people because of her. She was very much a formative part of my life. As for Danielle, I was with her for a long period of time, she was a great support and a great influence, and a source of joy and pleasure. And now, Mokhiniso is just making my later life a wonderful one. As for my career, I developed an interest in books because of my mother. Danielle provided me a base, a place where I could write and not have to worry about small things in life. Mokhiniso has now taken up the job and she makes my life such that I can work without getting worried.