When a young Ken Follett was once asked in an interview what his motivation was in being a writer, he replied that it was about the money.
More than three decades later and 150 million copies of his books sold, the Welsh novelist has well and truly achieved his aim. Yet the 68-year-old laughs it off with some embarrassment.
“If that was my real motivation then I would have stopped years ago, retired and played golf,” he says, speaking at the Frankfurt Book Fair yesterday.
“But ever since I became successful I kept working because I want to write stories that entertain millions of people. I still want to do to that, because every day I wake up in the morning I think about the story that I am working on and what am I going to do next.”
Follett has returned to the book fair to launch the German edition of his latest novel, A Column of Fire. Released last month, the historical novel is the third instalment of his sagas based in the English city of Kingsbridge.
This time around, the action takes place in 1558. With Europe in flux, the young English queen, Elizabeth Tudor – Elizabeth I – establishes the country’s first spy agency to flush out potential assassination plots.
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While admitting his work teems with action, Follett says the cloak and dagger adventures of A Column of Fire are far removed from what is expected from a popular spy novel. "The misgivings that I have about reading thrillers is [that] the mission of the spy is perfunctory," he says.
“It was a pretext for a character like a James Bond to fight his way out of. I wanted my spies to have an important mission and in order to do that I had to study what they did.”
With Follett’s novels spanning periods of history ranging from 12th century England to the Second World War, he states that his work goes through a rigorous research process.
“I sometimes use the services of a researcher to find me old books and maps and people to interview, but I conduct all the interviews myself,” he says.
“I also speak to various history professors, which I acknowledge in my books, because if I make a slip or write something that didn’t happen in the 16th century because I never thought to question it, then these historians will let me know.”
While pleased that his books are based on fact, Follett expresses caution at the notion that his work is viewed as anything but entertainment.
“My main aim in writing is to draw my reader into an imaginary world and make them prefer that world than the real one. I use real history because it heightens the drama of the story,” he says.
“While it is also true that my readers like the fact that they learned something from my books, I consider that a bonus. I don’t think of myself as an educator.
“I back off from that because if I say yes to that question then people will think my book as worthy. And a lot of the times, people think of worthy books as boring.”
With the Middle East full of its own colourful history and evocative real-life characters, Follett told The National it would be an ideal setting for a future book.
“It is a region that has everything you need for a dramatic story,” he says. “It had terrible wars, rival powers and extraordinary romantic landscapes. So I can easily imagine a history based on the history of the Middle East.”
A Column of Fire (published by Pan Macmillan) by Ken Follett is out now
Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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Day 4, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Not much was expected – on Sunday or ever – of Hasan Ali as a batsman. And yet he lit up the late overs of the Pakistan innings with a happy cameo of 29 from 25 balls. The highlight was when he launched a six right on top of the netting above the Pakistan players’ viewing area. He was out next ball.
Stat of the day – 1,358 There were 1,358 days between Haris Sohail’s previous first-class match and his Test debut for Pakistan. The lack of practice in the multi-day format did not show, though, as the left-hander made an assured half-century to guide his side through a potentially damaging collapse.
The verdict As is the fashion of Test matches in this country, the draw feels like a dead-cert, before a clatter of wickets on the fourth afternoon puts either side on red alert. With Yasir Shah finding prodigious turn now, Pakistan will be confident of bowling Sri Lanka out. Whether they have enough time to do so and chase the runs required remains to be seen.
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
