Ian Leslie in conversation with The Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize
How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize?
It feels thrilling to be shortlisted by such a venerable and glamorous prize!
What drew you to the subject of John and Paul: a Love Story in Songs?
I have been in love with the Beatles since I was a child. I have an inexhaustible fascination with the creative and personal chemistry between Lennon and McCartney. Now I want the rest of the world to feel the same way I do! I also felt that for all the many words written about this group, there hasn’t been a book that has penetrated to the heart of this extraordinary phenomenon – to the nucleus of the atom.
How did you plan, research and write John and Paul?
I knew right from the beginning that I wanted to tell the story through songs, since songs and music were so central to them as people and as artists. I believe that one cannot understand the music of the Beatles without understanding the alchemy between these two young men – and vice versa. So I set about to tell the story afresh, re-examining absolutely everything that we know about them (which is a lot!) through this lens. It was a very heavy program of research but fortunately I knew where I wanted to take it, which meant that I rarely felt overwhelmed by my material.
What were the surprises you encountered along the way?
I was surprised by how amazing they were as people and artists. I thought the process of writing the book might ‘normalise’ them for me but actually it had the opposite effect.
Tell us how John and Paul can be seen as a continuation or a departure from your earlier books?
It’s quite a departure in that my previous books have been in the genre of ideas-based nonfiction with a focus on psychology and human behaviour. On the other hand, as many readers have noticed, there are clear threads with this previous work, particularly with my books on curiosity and productive disagreement! My writing on psychology and creativity in particularly really helped to inform my perspective and to make the book feel unique.
What advice would you give a writer of non-fiction starting out today, given the current publishing climate?
I would say don’t worry about the publishing climate, just find the topic you’re obsessed by and write about that!
What’s next for you as an author?
I don’t know.
