Book Chains 2.1 – Derek Farrell
A couple of years ago I started a Q&A feature which I called Book Chains. The idea was that I would chat with a guest and ask my guest to nominate the next guest – chaining together a sequence of interviews.
I broke my own chain when work interfered with blogging and my planned interview with Derek Farrell (as nominated by Mark Hill) never saw the light of day.
Until Now.
Book Chains is back – this is the second chain (as I broke the original) and it only seemed right that I begin afresh by FINALLY catching up with Derek Farrell.
Hi Derek. My first Question is always the same, I ask you to introduce yourself and give you the floor to shamelessly promote your books…
Hi. I’m Derek Farrell, and I write The Danny Bird Mysteries, which are a series of contemporary crime novels set in London and centering around the Grimiest Gay Bar in the world.
I grew up in Dublin a couple of streets from the Guinness brewery, but moved to London many years ago, and have lived in – and fallen in love with – most parts of the city over the years, while still managing to hold down a range of jobs as a Burger dresser, Banker and David Bowie’s paperboy. And now I wrangle Danny and the gang at The Marq.
Next I have to ask for another introduction – can you tell us about Danny Bird?
Danny Bird is an everyman character. He’s smart and he’s loyal and he’s funny. And he has a very developed sense of justice and a pronounced aversion to injustice, which makes him a great detective to have in a series like this. Unlike certain other detectives, he’s not always entirely convinced of his own ability to navigate the world, which is why he needs his family and his friends around him. I very much wanted to make Danny – right from the start – part of a community; someone who wasn’t a lone wolf, but who was loved by – and loves back – people.
Death of an Angel sees Danny drawn into the centre of events for reasons he doesn’t immediately understand. Is it more fun to screw with your character and place them under suspicion than having them take the “outsider looking-in” approach to an investigation?
Oh, always. I think we’ve all been unfairly accused of stuff in our lives. And outside looking in gives you the option to walk away. Unfairly accused tends to suck you in so that you either prove the accusation unfounded or you’re haunted by it – and the repercussions – for the rest of your life.
Is it fair to say that your books offer readers an alternative to the domestic thrillers where families with 2.4 children keep their secrets securely hidden behind their privet hedges? Why do you feel there a reluctance for publishers to look to different family or social dynamics in the books they release?
Actually, all my books are about family secrets, in one way or another. Danny’s family is a really close unit – his dad is a huge part of the first couple of books, his nephews are fan favourites, and as we progress, the rest of his family are becoming more present in the stories; on top of this he has his found family too – Caz, Ali, Nick and so on – and so I’m fairly happy saying that at the heart of every Danny book is family or community. I’ve talked before about how Death of a Diva was dismissed by some in the industry as “Too gay,” “Too camp,” etc, but to be honest, I think most industries – especially those in the creative space, where success is dependent on so many variables – tend to look for something that resembles something else that’s already been successful, hence the reluctance to put investment behind a book with a more overt LGBT lead than the average Dan Brown. But things will change.
The “Death Of” series now comprises four books, Death of an Angel reaching readers within the last few weeks. Is there more Danny to come or would you consider a stand-alone story at some point?
There’s more. Number 5 is currently Death of a Title Pending, but is well under way, and number 6 has a slot in the diary. In between I’m going to work on something else – a non Danny novel, with crime and dark secrets at its heart, but that’s all I’m going to say about any of those projects for now.
When Death of a Diva first released was it always your intention to go on to develop a series of books?
One of my totems all along, to be honest, has been the Tales of the City books by Armistead Maupin. I loved the idea of exploring London at first and possibly the world through the eyes of these characters, and of their family becoming family to the readers over time, but honestly, when Diva was written I had no idea it would ever be published. My approach was to write really detailed character sketches for each of the characters (including the pub itself) and so by the time I started the book I already knew their life stories, their familial relationships, what they loved in and wanted from life, and what terrified them. So – as a result – I had a bunch of ideas for other stories in my head which had come out of their histories. But when I pitched Diva to Fahrenheit press I hadn’t got beyond a plot sketch for Death of a Nobody.
They, of course, asked if it was a series, and I said “Oh yeah. Absolutely. Second one’s almost done,” then wrote furiously in terror they’d ask to see it.
Your publisher, Fahrenheit Press, are one of the most vocal and…lets go with edgy… publishing houses on Social Media. They have their devoted following of Fahrenistas. Likewise, Karen Sullivan’s Orenda Books have a very dedicated fanbase amongst bloggers and readers. Do you feel Indy publishers have to operate as a more supportive network and does that make it more fun?
So my only direct experience is of the indie publishing world, but I have friends who are published across the spectrum from self to indie to trad to big 5 to Thomas & Mercer, and almost every single author I have met has been welcoming and funny and humble and I can not thank the universe enough for getting me to this place. My husband and I were talking a week or two ago. Many people know that Diva was accepted for publication a few months after my mother died, and that her death was an almost impossibly dark time for me. I really didn’t know how I’d go on from that, and my husband commented on how from so much darkness this brilliance has come: I’m making art that people have fallen in love with, “And you’ve found your tribe,” he said, smiling.
And I knew exactly what he meant.
Writing – making any art and putting it out into the public sphere – is scary. It really is. But being surrounded by other people who are doing it – who are succeeding and failing and trying – is an amazing and genuinely beautiful thing. And getting to do events – in the next few months I’ve got a panel at Newcastle Noir with some great mates, I’m reading from Danny at Noir At The Bar in Newcastle, and I’m part of a Polari Salon in Morecambe – is brilliant because everyone – readers, bloggers, authors, publishers, editors – gets along, has fun, and makes amazing memories (none of which can ever be written about. Them’s the rules.)
Lets do a few quick fire questions.
Where was your first author appearance?
Iceland Noir. Reykjavik. 2016. I was on the Swearing panel with Val McDermid, Craig Robertson, James Law and moderated by Grant Nicholl. The other three ate me alive.
Your bookcases are on fire and you can save one single book from your collection – which book?
The Aztec Skull by Anthea Goddard. I read it when I was 8 or 9, and then borrowed it from the library every month for about a year. A few years ago I got an old copy via EBay and it still makes me cry when I read it, but it’s out of print now so would be hard to get hold of.
Lord of the Rings. Epic fantasy classic or load of old tosh?
Not for me, thank you. I love me some epic fantasy – the Dorian Hawkmoon / Count Brass books by Michael Moorcock are some of my favourites of all time, but they are all story, and I find LOTR, well, isn’t.
Beyoncé or Kylie?
Kylie. Every time. Her mere existence makes me so happy.
Last film you saw at the cinema?
Captain Marvel. I loved it – it had a plot and didn’t spend an hour and a half referencing other MCU movies I couldn’t remember seeing.
First record you bought?
First one I loved: The OST of My Fair Lady with Audrey and Rex on the cover. First one I bought: The 7” single of Mama Mia by Abba (I was 7 years old so probably bought with birthday money). I still have the single cos I am an inveterate hoarder.
Give me an unpopular opinion which you will argue blind to defend?
David Bowie’s 80s output wasn’t as bad as people think it was.
Huge thanks to Derek for taking the time to answer my questions. He has a lush new website where you can discover more about the man himself (and I am sure his books get a mention or two as well). https://www.derekfarrell.co.uk/
Derek has very kindly nominated my next guest. If this new Book Chain is to continue beyond a single “link” then his nominated author will need to agree to chat with me. Fingers Crossed!