David Baddiel / Features / Untitled Books

"I know [David Foster Wallace] is dead, but his posthumous novel, The Pale King, is about to come out and I feel it may knock spots off the competition even from the grave."

David Baddiel

David Baddiel, comedy writer, actor, journalist, stand-up and author of three previous novels, on being inspired by Updike, distracted in his study and writing only for himself.

Where are you right now?
In my study.

Where do you write?
I refer you to the answer I gave earlier.

How do you write?
I sit in my study and spend hours looking out of the window, and on the internet, and reading other stuff, and in between all these things I write.

What keeps you writing?
The thought that in ten minutes, I will be able to look out of the window or on the internet or read some other stuff as a little reward.

Who do you write for?
Me. 100%, for me. I try as much as possible not to imagine a reader.

Do you discuss your work with anyone?
Friends, editors, partner.

How do you know if your work is good?
I don't.

Do you have any unwritten characters in mind?
Yes. I'm thinking of writing a kind of sci-fi psychological thriller next, with a schizophrenic as the main character.

Which book do you wish you'd written?
All the Rabbit books by John Updike.

What is your literary guilty pleasure?
I don't believe in guilty pleasures. I think if something is good it's good.

Which writer made you want to write?
John Updike, and he still does.

Who's the most exciting author writing today?
Well... can I answer David Foster Wallace? I know he's dead, but his posthumous novel, The Pale King, is about to come out and I feel it may knock spots off the competition even from the grave.

If you weren't writing you'd be...?
Well, I'd be doing the other stuff I do...film-making and stand-up...

What next?
I have a new film I've written which is meant to be being made in the Summer, a fantasy comedy. Plus of course the schizo psycho-thriller...

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David Baddiel's latest novel, The Death of Eli Gold, is published by Fourth Estate.
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Thursday, 24 March, 2011