Answers from the Author: Andrew Nicoll

Our last read was Andrew Nicoll’s The Good Mayor.

In our discussion people loved the descriptions of people and places, the witty observations, the author’s capturing of the ‘psychotic’ phase of a love affair and the awareness of small town gossip where there was no super-injunction to stop publication of stories about the private life of the Mayor.  There was also mixed feelings about the magical elements of the story (although Walpurnia was a universal hit) and the ending which some felt a little perfunctory.

We were lucky enough to have an offer from Andrew Nicoll to answer a few questions about the book. It was great to have an input from the author.  Andrew thanked us for our interest and here is how he responded:

1. What was the inspiration for the book ?

The inspiration for the book was a dream. I never intended to write a novel but I woke up one day from a dream where I saw myself in Dundee City Chambers. I saw a man whom I knew to be the Lord Provost and he told me the bones of the story which I simply moved a little bit east. I sat down on the train to work expecting to write a short story of six or ten pages but, eighteen months later, there was a novel.

 2. Some read it as a fairy story for adults ? How would you feel about this ?  

Perfectly happy.

3. Others wondered about the ‘love options’ for women ….dull adoration or fab sex with a bastard ?

Have you noticed that these women of whom you speak, the ones with the two possible love options, also have men who must, therefore, have only two love options? I don’t think there are only two options or only two kinds of love. There are as many kinds of love as there are couples.

4. Why was the book resolved by turning Agathe into a dog ? Everyone in the group seems to have their own theory about this ……but would be great to know your intention ?

Do you really think Agatheturned into a dog? Only Agathesaid that. Tibodidn’t believe that she was a dog. If you believe there is such a thing as a talking dog, that’s allowed. I suppose. In a town that’s watched over by a 1200 year old bearded nun, a town with an old Italian witch running a cafe which shares a building with a haunted theatre and a ghostly troupe of circus performers, a town where they even have an honest politician, I don’t suppose a woman who transforms into a talking dog is so very strange.

We’re famous!

Well, not quite… but Andrew Nicoll has noticed we are reading his book.

He has very kindly offered to answer any questions we have about The Good Mayor.Please do email myself or Joan if you have anything you’d like to ask Andrew. This should make for an interesting meeting on the 16th! (“Death of the Author”, anyone?)

See you then,

Rachel