AMoRaR Interview – Phil Parker

A Month of Rain and Reads Interviews3 months ago12 min read1 comment

Welcome to A Month of Rain and Reads, a celebration of self-published and indie SFF throughout the entire month of November. To find out how you can take part and view the whole list of content, visit our introduction post.

Today, we share an interview with Phil Parker, author of the The Knights’ Protocol Trilogy, The Inside Story of the British Bureau for the Arcane, and more.

Describe yourself like you would a character in one of your books.

Despite the efforts of those close to him, Phil Parker failed to spend much time in the real world, preferring instead to conjure fantasy realms full of broken characters, creatures from British folklore and doorways to other worlds. He would write about these experiences, an urge in desperate need of satisfaction. His delusions were sustained by encountering others, blighted with the same affliction, they would frequently discuss their imagined worlds and what was happening in them. The condition, known as ‘authoring ’, has no known antidote.

Our theme for November is A Month of Rain & Reads. Do you subscribe to the idea of curling up with a good book while the rain pours down outside. What book would you read? Would you bring tea and a blanket? What would make the moment perfect?

At my age, curling up is not advised, the likelihood of not being able to uncurl is a very real danger. That said, getting comfortable with a good book is very much my status quo. I like to read in my study, I have a comfortable chair and my writing desk – a restful setup because the desk is where I can set down my glass of Italian red wine and the occasional bar of chocolate, in this context the word ‘occasional’ means most evenings. I’m currently reading Douglas Adam’s Dirk Gently stories and that prompts a great deal of giggling. I’ve just finished re-watching the Netflix series and it prompted me to read the books. Adam’s humour matches my own and I tend to re-read those sentences that capture the ‘rational ridiculousness’ that defines his work. Readers of my stories have commented on the snarky dialogues and their ‘bonkers’ nature (the stories, not the readers, I have no way of knowing the state of their minds, though if they’re buying my books, well, I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions).

What else do you want our readers to know about you?

I have to mention my preoccupation with British folklore which appears in all my stories. We’re a collection of islands with a tradition for telling tall tales, though I like to think such storytelling possesses a degree of truth. I’ve always been fascinated by history and have been known to bore people until they’re virtually comatose with my anecdotes. My head is full of these myths and as ideas for stories evolve in my brain, these anecdotes attach themselves, like barnacles to ships’ hulls, or vampire bats to blood vessels or leeches to naked skin – you get the idea. It’s unsurprising that my latest series of books, set in the world of the British Bureau for the Arcane, focuses on this folklore. One of my readers described how I ‘moulded’ folklore to suit the stories and I think this is an accurate description. It came as a great relief because when I first read that review, I thought they’d said the story was mouldy.

Why did you decide to self-publish, and what has been your biggest success so far?

Quite simply because I like to retain control of my work. The traditional publishing process operates at the speed of continent drift and, at my age, I can’t afford to wait that long. I have stories in my head I need to get out, onto the page, and I’m not hanging around. Profit margins being what they are for traditional publishing houses, they won’t spend money on talented designers to make the book look attractive either, they prefer the generic, the “off the peg” designs. My wife complains quite regularly, as someone who reads books by the kilogram, so many books are not edited very well either. This isn’t a reflection on the editors but rather the limited income they receive for the work. The result is average quality. Look at the #indieauthor fantasy market and the standard is much higher. Research from the Alliance of Independent Authors, published last year, highlights the huge range of fantasy novels now being published by #indieauthors – a range which wouldn’t exist in the risk-averse world of the traditional publishing houses. I write stuff I know people enjoy, I know this from my sales figures. The trad houses wouldn’t touch my work with a barge pole, regardless of how long it was or its readiness to propel longboats.

What is your favourite thing about being an indie author?

Being able to publish the ideas that ferment in my head.

Your books feature twists on British folklore. What is it about British folklore that you like to explore and write about?

I’ve mentioned how these stories hang around in my head, waiting to be used, like corrupt politicians awaiting government positions. My fascination with the concept began after reading Raymond Feist’s ‘Fairie Tale’ many moons ago. Though set in America, it is a scary tale of a family who arrive in an area controlled by the Fae, Feist uses traditional lore and mythical characters to endanger the family. The story had a huge influence on me. I started reading about British folklore and stories started sprouting. I published my first novel, The Bastard from Fairyland, on the back of that research. It referenced all kinds of myths, from Celtic to Arthurian legend, as well as a touch of Shakespeare. As Feist had done, I employed folklore that cannot be explained. Let me give an example: Arthur’s Hunting Path is a diamond shaped collection of earthworks which rise above the flat Somerset landscape and is reputed to be the route Arthur and his knights take on nights with a full moon. These earthworks are over three thousand years old and artificial; they’re exactly 10.9 miles apart and set at an angle based on the moon’s position on Beltane. How could you NOT use that information in a story? It demands to be used. Which is why it features heavily in The Bastard from Fairyland!

Your new series, The British Bureau for the Arcane, is described as noir fantasy. How would you describe that as a genre, and what do you most enjoy about it?

I have the wonderful Bjorn Larssen to thank for defining the series as ‘noir fantasy’. I confess it was new to me. I’d read some Raymond Chandler and found myself wondering what a story would be like if he’d delved into fantasy. It took two or three attempts before I found what I was looking for – a bitter, tired detective with a mystery to solve that involved creatures from folklore. To illustrate his bitterness, his ‘old school’ approach to solving mysteries, he needed to exist within an organisation where he didn’t fit, where he was outdated – this became the British Bureau for the Arcane. (Yes, I know the later James Bond films have a similar premise!) As with Chandler’s stories, red herrings flop around everywhere to distract the protagonist and the reader. Except these crimson members of the Clupeidae family are deadly. The ‘noir’ element defines the darkness of the protagonist’s character and the world in which he works. The first book is decidedly ‘grimdark’, primarily because of the main character’s background and the cause of his bitterness. He’s a Dark Elf, a race from German/Polish/Scandinavian folklore who were fierce warriors that supposedly turned Prussia into a military state in the 18^th/19^th century. I use this historical reference in the plot of the first book. Arlo, our hero, only just survived World War Two, was brought to England where he spent his childhood and teenage years being persecuted for being German. He’s a wonderfully damaged character. Which is why I partner him with a young, naïve lad from New Zealand, whose curiosity becomes a critical quality to the investigations. It’s a relationship which sours rapidly and deteriorates over the series, with lots of complication on the way.

What themes are important to you, and how are they reflected in your writing?

You need to know two things about me to understand my answer. Firstly, I trained as an actor and I’ve always loved inhabiting characters, getting into their heads to explore their motives for doing what they do. I’ve also been an English/Drama teacher and enjoyed encouraging my students to not only appreciate literature but to find ways to explore it, through drama. Out of this arose the need to present my readers with ‘broken’ characters who are the result of prejudice and bigotry from those around them. I’ve already mentioned Arlo’s context but one of my most popular characters is Robin Goodfellow, my main protagonist in The Bastard from Fairyland. The reason for him being such a bastard (and he is, a blood-soaked psychopath and nothing like his namesake in A Midsummer Night’s Dream) is because his sexuality sets him apart from other men. He’s forced to live a very long life exiled from the man he loves. That loneliness only exacerbates the anger.

I like to employ characters who are different in some way, allowing them to challenge traditionally held perspectives. I like a story to have a message behind it, one that makes people think. That’s the teacher in me!

What are you working on next? Can you tease us?

I have two stories. I’ve ended the British Bureau for the Arcane series as far as Arlo is concerned. Book 3 ends with one almighty great bang and I couldn’t let Arlo keep going after that! However, I have sown a seed in it which allows for a new direction. Besides, there’s plenty of British folklore still to mine for my stories, rich seams of mythology that need to be brought to the surface!

I’m also working on a story which I’m enjoying immensely. My notes describe the story as “If Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde had a love child…”

And a few quick questions. What’s your favourite…

…book, in recent times?

Richard Morgan’s “Land Fit for Heroes” trilogy. It is the grimmest of grimdark but beautifully written. It inspired my Bastard from Fairyland and showed how fantasy books could contain material designed to challenge our thinking.

…game, in recent times?

I don’t play games. Too old.

…writing advice?

Write. Just write. Start pounding the keys and see what happens. Don’t set yourself lofty goals (“I want to be a published author”), just start writing and see where it takes you.

…advice for someone who wants to publish their own book?

It’s easy to do but it takes time and a lot of energy. Don’t expect big rewards but savour the comments from those who enjoy your story. Remember an #indieauthor must be an entrepreneur as well as a writer.

…source of inspiration?

I’ve mentioned the two books that inspired me. Though my mum died over 30 years ago and never got to see my work published, she got me started by saving up for months to buy me a second-hand portable typewriter. I almost wore it out! I started writing seriously with it because type written pages looked so professional!

…way to clear your mind when everything gets a bit much?

Go for a walk. Let Nature revitalise you. Research shows the brain actually benefits from it, it enhances your creativity too.

Do you have any last words? Any shoutouts to authors who have supported you or whose books have inspired you?

Holly Tinsley at Spotlight Indie for her friendship, support and entrepreneurial skills
Bjorn Larssen for his enthusiastic support
Damien Larkin for his relentless encouragement, he picks me up when doubt overwhelms me
Everyone at the Creative Commune – the network of British and Irish authors. We support and encourage each other and reinforce the fact we are not alone

About the Author

Phil hasn’t stopped writing since his parents bought him a typewriter as a teenager. That is a long time ago, (think fossils). He’s written books for Drama teachers (he used to be one) and journalistic articles on education.

Now he’s an #indieauthor who writes fantasy novels where British folklore, inter-dimensional portals and broken characters in search of redemption play a big part. Phil is an avid reader of speculative fiction and a keen #bookblogger. His other passion is pizza – he plans to be reborn an Italian for that reason.