Fabulous Q&A with Foyles

It's easy for a reader to spot possible influences from Nights at the Circus to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell to Carter Beats the Devil to The Time Traveler's Wife. Did you feel consciously or unconsciously influenced by any particular books or writers?

I think I take flavors from almost everything I read, and I know there are a multitude of authors who have shaped me as a writer, so I think there are likely a slew of unconscious influences. I think there was a conscious Shakespearean influence along with some intentional nods to Dickens and Roald Dahl. I also took some stylistic inspiration from one of my very favorite books, Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman, with its wonderful vignettes.

Read more: http://www.foyles.co.uk/Public/Biblio/AuthorDetails.aspx?authorId=85337