'First . . . Be Accessible'

 

“Iwant to write about serious things, but I want to write about them in a waythat makes them accessible to a large number of people - to take them throughthe argument by dramatizing the circumstances in which these issues are beingdiscussed.” – Sebastian Faulks  Born on this date in 1953, Britishnovelist, journalist and broadcaster Faulks is best known for his historicalnovels set in France – The Girl at the Lion d'Or, Birdsong and CharlotteGray. He also has published such contemporary novels as Paris Echo,  A Week inDecember and the James Bondcontinuation novel Devil May Care for which he won the British BookAwards' “Popular Fiction Award.”
Honored by the British Crownfor his lifetime contributions to English Literature, he has had the rareaccolade of being tabbed as both “popular and literary at the same time.” Englishtheatre, film and television director Trevor Nunn called Faulks' novel, Human Traces "A masterpiece, one of the great novels ofthis or any other century."      
Faulks advises writers to be"strong readers" first.   “I don't know howyou can understand other people or yourself if you haven't read a lot of books," he said.  "I just don't think you're equipped to deal with the demands and decisions oflife, particularly in your dealings with other people.”