Diane Armstrong
Author Interview - Diane Armstrong
Author of The Collaborator.
Author I draw inspiration from: Hilary Mantel has always inspired me. Her meticulous research enables her to evoke the atmosphere of Tudor England, so that while reading her books, I am transported back in time. With her remarkable talent and insight into human nature, she breathes life into historical characters so that I feel I know them.
Author Interview with Diane Armstrong - Hasty Book List
Favorite place to read a book: I love reading on my balcony. All I can see in front of me are palms, pines and eucalypts. In the distance, I see the glittering bay where an occasional yacht or ferry glides by. It’s a beautiful and peaceful outlook, the perfect place to immerse myself in a book.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: If I had to be stuck in an elevator, obviously the best person to be with would be Houdini! But as far as fictional characters are concerned, I’d like to spend time with Jay Gatsby, the mysterious character of The Great Gatsby. I’d take the opportunity to find out what his real story was.
Author Interview with Diane Armstrong - Hasty Book List
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: When I was seven years old, I told my mother that when I grew up, I wanted to be an author, and I never changed my mind. I was an only child, and the stories I read so voraciously made me long to write my own.
The last book I read: I’ve recently been reading American Dirt by Jeanette Cummins, an engrossing novel about a Mexican woman whose family is murdered by the Cartel. Her determination to escape their clutches is gripping and I was with her every step of the way as she struggles to reach the border and enter the United States.
Author Interview with Diane Armstrong - Hasty Book List
Pen & paper or computer: I use a PC computer. When I started writing, I wrote in longhand, and then transcribed my stories onto a typewriter. At first, I thought I’d never get the hang of typing straight from keyboard to screen, but of course I did, and now I can’t imagine working any other way. I find that the ideas flow as I type.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: I could be best friends with Natasha Rostov, the delightful heroine of War and Peace. She is impulsive, warm, head-strong, and quick-tempered, qualities I can relate to.
Author Interview with Diane Armstrong - Hasty Book List
If I wasn’t an author, I’d be a: If I wasn’t a writer, I’d be a teacher. I’ve taught at some difficult schools in London, as well as at a maximum security jail in Sydney, and I’ve found teaching very rewarding.
In fact, my experiences with my rebellious London students many years ago, inspired me to write my first ever article, which was published in a leading women’s magazine, and launched my writing career. Which is an illustration of something I’ve always believed, that no experience in life is ever wasted.
Favorite decade in fashion history: I like the elegant figure-hugging dresses of the 1930’s, especially the glamorous evening gowns. They were made of silk, satin, georgette and crepe de chine, bias-cut, backless, with a sweeping flared hem.
Place I’d most like to travel: I’d like to travel to Madagascar. 75% of the exotic animals on that island, like the different types of lemurs, are unique to that island, and some are endangered, so I hope I get there in time to see them.
Favorite artist: My favourite artist is Rembrandt. One of his self-portraits brings tears to my eyes. All the sorrow, pain, disappointment and compassion that life can hold, is in that single painting.
Number one on my bucket list: I would like to meet David Attenborough. No one has done as much as he has, to make us aware of the extraordinary nature of the creatures that we share this planet with, and of our duty to safeguard our planet from the perils it faces.
Author Bio: Diane Armstrong is a child Holocaust survivor who arrived in Australia from Poland in 1948. An award-winning journalist and bestselling author, she has written five previous books, including bestselling novel Winter Journey and her family memoir Mosaic:A chronicle of five generations. Diane has a son and daughter and three granddaughters. She lives in Sydney.
Author Interview with Diane Armstrong - Hasty Book List
