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Interview
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J/M -
JUNE/2001 |
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interviewed
by:
Carel Helder |
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this interview
originally
appeared in a
Dutch magazine,
in the Dutch
language |
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THE GREAT
FREAKSHOW
Author Darren
Shan is the
Irish equivalent
of Joanna
Rowling. His
horror series
for children
ranks high on
international
bestsellerlists.
Recently, the
first volume,
The Great
Freakshow, was
published in a
Dutch
translation,
prompting Carel
Helder to book a
flight to
Ireland
immediately for
“An interview
that makes
sense.”
My name is Carel
Helder. I had
read a book by
Darren Shan. It
was the best
book I’d ever
read. It was
called The Great
Freakshow, and
when I’d
finished it, I
was sure it was
going to change
my life. I just
didn’t know how
yet. Three weeks
later, I was on
the plane to
Ireland and
wrote the first
sentence in the
notebook I’d
just bought:
“Even when the
plane was
descending,
Darren Shan’s
book was
ascending
international
bestseller
lists.” Not
really a great
sentence, maybe,
but then, not
such a bad one
either. In my
opinion. For a
boy of twelve,
that is.
But perhaps I
should start by
telling you that
I’ve always
wanted to become
a journalist. Or
a writer, I’m
not sure yet. My
father is a
journalist, my
grandfather was
a journalist,
and I have an
uncle and a
niece who are
journalists,
too. Moreover, I
have a distant
cousin, who is a
writer, and who
is going to be
world-famous.
I’m willing to
bet a year’s
pocket money on
that. That
cousin happens
to be Darren
Shan, and I
wanted to be the
first Dutchman
to interview
him. My Dad
thought it was a
wonderful idea
(he was proud
already), but my
Mum thought it
was dangerous,
actually (she’s
a bit fussy).
Finally she
agreed with a
sigh.
At the Dublin
airport, I was
met by a lady of
the publishing
company with a
cardboard sign
that bore my
name, and she
put me on the
train to
Limerick. I was
supposed to be
met by Darren
there, though he
hadn’t put it
exactly like
that. “We’ll
find each
other,” he had
said over the
telephone. “Or,
in any case,
I’ll find you.”
After a short
silence, there
was a sound that
I didn’t
recognize as a
laugh until he’d
put the receiver
down. I decided
to believe him.
Darren Shan is a
strange customer
(after all, he’s
half vampire),
yet he’s someone
you can rely on
— I thought.
When he was five
or six years
old, he already
knew he would be
a writer. When
he was fourteen,
he bought a
typewriter and
taught himself
how to type, and
three years
later he wrote
his first novel.
After that, he
went to London,
where he read
English and
sociology at the
university —
sociology to
learn to
understand
mutual relations
and structures
in
relationships.
To be honest, I
didn’t
understand that
completely — or,
rather, not at
all. I didn’t
even have a
notion what
sociology was —
but I was afraid
he would think
me dumb if I
would confess
that, so I wrote
it down anyhow.
At the age of
21, he became a
professional
writer.
According to
him, it wasn’t
difficult. “You
just have to
really want it,”
he said. “And
stick to it.” I
didn’t know
right away how
to translate
that last
expression into
Dutch, but I
grasped his
meaning. That,
if you want
something, you
have to go on
trying to do it,
until you
finally can do
it. And not one
thing now and
something
different next.
ON THE TRAIN
The rail journey
lasted hours. In
order to have
something to do,
I produced the
camera my father
had borrowed me,
and repeated
mentally what he
had told me.
Always keep the
sun in your
back, focus and
don’t move.
Nothing to it,
according to
him. And this
little dial
should be in
that little
circle. That was
about all. And,
ah yes: strap
around my neck,
for should I
drop his camera,
he’d have my
hide. Through
the viewfinder,
I looked at at
the other people
in the carriage,
until I sighted
two girls who
pulled funny
faces at me and
waved. Blushing
heavily, I
lowered the
camera and
proceeded to
stare silently
out of the
window for some
time. (Silly
bitches.) At the
other side of
the pane, the
Irish landscape
undulated past.
Having jotted
down this nice
litlle sentence,
too, I tried to
describe what
kind of weather
it was - after
all, I was a
reporter - but
as it kept
changing every
other five
minutes, I gave
up after some
time. As a last
resort I took
Darren Shan’s
book out of my
bag again and
read the blurb
for the
twentieth time:
Darren Shan is
an ordinary
schoolboy -
Until he attends
the Great
Freakshow...
Until he meets
Madame Octa ...
Until he faces a
night creature
... In no time
at all, Darren
and his friend
are ensnared in
a lethal trap.
Darren is forced
to make a deal
with the only
one who can save
Steven.
But ... for that
person only one
thing
counts:
BLOOD...
I must have
fallen asleep,
for the train
was slowing down
when I awoke.
Still drowsy, I
got out and
dropped my
backpack on the
ground. First I
saw the train
empty itself ,
then the
platform. I
waited five
minutes. No sign
of Darren. I
waited ten
minutes. No
Darren Shan. I
waited twenty
minutes. And
still that ...
Shan hadn’t
turned up! Since
then I know
there is nothing
emptier on earth
than an empty
platform. After
twenty-nine
increasingly
longer minutes,
I hoisted my
knapsack on my
back and, with
slow steps,
walked outside.
I must confess
that Limerick
was far bigger
than I had
expected — and
that I felt
myself far
smaller
suddenly. Being
hungry and
thirsty, and
miserable as
well, I decided
to buy two
Twixes and a can
of Coca Cola at
the Spar
department store
across the road.
I looked to the
left first – no
traffic –
meanwhile
walking towards
the middle of
the road, the
way I had done a
thousand times
back home in
Amsterdam.
Turning my head,
I heard car
tires squeal.
The next moment
I looked
straight into
the driver’s
face. It was a
young woman.
Driving on the
wrong side of
the road! I saw
panic in her
eyes, just as
she must have
seen in mine. I
opened my mouth
to scream, but
couldn’t utter a
sound. I wanted
to jump away,
but couldn’t
move. I was
paralyzed with
fear. The only
thing I could do
was close my
eyes and wait
for the
knockover. When
I opened them
again, I found
myself on the
pavement across
the road, next
to Darren Shan
A NICE ADULT
“You know, once
I almost walked
under a car like
that,” he said.
By that time, we
were seated in
his favourite
restaurant,
Eddie Rockets,
in O’Connell
Street,
savouring his
favourite food,
French fries
with ketchup and
a hotdog (our
tastes are
similar). “That
was in France,
though. You
just don’t
reckon with cars
driving on the
other side of
the road.” He
had been held up
in a traffic jam
(Limerick is a
madhouse, Darren
says), had seen
me crossing the
road and been
just in time to
grab hold of me.
But for his
supernatural
forces, he would
never have
managed that. I
told him that I
really had
thought I was
done for. Darren
grinned and
sucked his
chocolate
milkshake, thus
giving me the
opportunity to
observe him at
leisure. I
hadn’t expected
a writer to look
quite like that.
Frankly, I don’t
know what I had
expected, but
certainly not a
man of his
appearance. He
was small for
his age (about
29), plump (Mum
would have
said), with
dark, short hair
and chubby, red
cheeks. The
funny thing was
that on my way
to the
restaurant I had
seen two
butchers who
looked very much
like him. The
difference was,
though, that
Darren didn’t
wear a white
apron, but a
mysterious, big,
black, leather
coat, and that
he could easily
have bitten his
fork in two, if
Eddie, of Eddie
Rocket’s, hadn’t
disliked it so
much. (People
who haven’t read
Darren’s books
often don’t have
the faintest
idea what
vampires can and
cannot do). I
thought he was
one of the
nicest adults I
had ever met.
When we had
finished our
meal, he
suggested I
start
interviewing him
straight away,
so there would
still be time
for him to show
around the city
afterwards.
THE INTERVIEW
Though, frankly,
I had been a bit
nervous about
it, it turned
out a lot easier
than I had
expected.
Actually it all
amounted to four
points:
1. To be a
writer, you have
to sit down and
start writing.
2. To get to
know a writer,
you have to read
his books.
3. Children like
horror stories,
because they are
scary, but
harmless, and
they give them a
shot of
adrenaline.
4. Parents
should have lots
of children, all
of whom must buy
Darren Shan’s
books.
Personally I
wondered if it
shouldn’t have
been a bit
longer, but
Darren said the
interview made
more sense to
him than any he
had read for a
long time. In
the gathering
dusk, I found
myself on my own
on an Irish
train for the
second time in
one day. The big
difference was
that now I could
produce a signed
copy of The
Great Freak Show
from under my
coat. I opened
my notebook and
hoped I wouldn’t
come up with the
best sentence of
my writing
career straight
away.
FACTS ABOUT
DARREN SHAN
. The Great
Freak Show is
the first volume
in the series
The World of
Darren Shan.
Some twenty
volumes will be
published.
Darren has
almost finished
volume ten.
Collins, his
English
publisher, will
release one
volume every six
months. Darren
Shan has always
wanted to write
a vampire story.
The idea for The
Freak Show stems
from a 1930
Freaks movie.
Darren Shan
still lives with
his parents in
the countryside
near Limerick.
Darren Shan’s
mother is a
primary school
teacher. She
taught him how
to read and to
write.
. Darren Shan
has a younger
brother who
writes poems.
But he has never
shown any of
them to Darren.
. Darren Shan
loves classical
music such as U2
and Bob Dylan.
. Occasionally,
when work is
finished, Darren
Shan will
indulge in a
glass of
Bailey’s.
. J.K.Rowling,
author of the
Harry Potter
books, is full
of praise for
The Great Freak
Show by Darren
Shan. “An
irresistable
book, full of
strange
adventures.
Anyone who has
read this,
craves after
more,” according
to Ms Rowling.
. Another
lifelong
ambition of
Darren Shan has
been to become a
magician.
Anyone who
visits Limerick
and isn’t
chicken-hearted,
should visit Mr.
Pat Clancy’s
Magic Shop on
Mallow Street,
the most
mysterious shop
one can
imagine...
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