Writer's Block with Adrian White - The Gloss Magazine

Writer’s Block with Adrian White

Adrian

If anybody knows the book trade, it’s Adrian White. With over 30 years’ experience under his belt, books are his life and passion. A management role at Easons in Galway lured White over from his native England more than 25 years ago. He hasn’t looked back.

White rose through the ranks to become Head of Buying and Marketing for Books at Eason’s Head Office. It was during this time that he wrote his first two novels An Accident Waiting to Happen (2004) and Where the Rain Gets In (2006). Originally published with Penguin, he now owns the rights to both books.

His third novel, Dancing to the End of Love was released earlier this year, to glowing reviews. Fellow author Catherine Dunne has called it, “An absorbing, fast-paced tale of one man’s search for the love he has lost”.

White lives with his wife in Galway. He is currently a consultant for The Inkwell Group.

On home

We live between Salthill and Barna, overlooking Galway Bay and the Burren. Well, on a clear day; sometimes you can’t see to the end of the road. Our neighbourhood: do you remember the very last scene in Goodfellas where Ray Liotta is in witness protection and he looks out from his doorstep at an anonymous housing estate? It’s kind of like that only in a beautiful location. We live here because it was the only place I could afford at the time but we got lucky – very lucky. Our local beach is Silver Strand and when I go for a dip I think I must have died and gone to heaven. Further along the coast in Barna there’s Donnelly’s and The Twelve Hotel, and even further out at Furbo is Padraicins Seafood Bar and Restaurant – which is perfect for a drink and a bite after a swim in the sea. In Galway itself, my favourite bar is O’Connell’s in Eyre Square.

On creating

I’m a “disappear into a bedroom” writer when I’m working at home and the reason is down to whichever boomerang kid has moved back in with us at the time. And now we have a granddaughter in the mix too. My needs are frugal: a desk, a chair, my laptop with a separate keyboard and mouse. No internet – my laptop has never connected to the internet. In fact, my laptop is so old I’m not sure it can connect to the internet – certainly not with a wireless connection. But the best place for writing – for getting serious amounts of work done – is a writer’s residency. I’ve used Annaghmakerrig in Co Monaghan many times over the years and I’ve also been lucky enough to attend residencies in California and Spain. Having said all that, the early pages on Dancing to the End of Love were all written at our kitchen table because I just had to get it down on paper.

On his English roots

My parents live in York and I left there when I was 18 to go to college in Manchester. I was flicking through the Rough Guide to England one time (as you do) and York is described as “one of the premier tourist destinations in the whole of Europe”. Yikes – but it’s true. There’s so much history in this relatively small but beautiful city.

My mother’s family was Irish and that fact was always very important to me. My wife’s family was Irish too and we both knew that this was where we wanted to live. Thatcher’s Britain was pretty awful and in 1990 I was lucky enough to get a job in Eason’s Galway. Anyone who has ever emigrated will tell you it’s not easy or straightforward but we’re so grateful that we were able to change our lives in this way. Our quality of life improved beyond measure.

On escapes

There have been many places over the years. When I lived in Manchester I would often travel up to the Lake District and it remains one of my favourite journeys for that very reason: you’re escaping from one world into another. When I’m at home, I get away from it all by walking our dogs – either to the local park or to the beach – although they’re getting on these days and I need walking more than they do. But certainly the one consistent refuge over the years has been my parents’ house in York; whether it’s to do some writing or simply stay on a visit, I’m very lucky to have this place to go.

On beloved literature

Two novels by Andrew Davies: Getting Hurt and B Monkey. Both books created a niche for the likes of Nick Hornby to step into – that of the confused, occasionally bitter but ultimately sensitive male. Now sadly out of print, they remain the embodiment of what I aspire to as a writer.

The Great Gatsby – because I wish I could use language in that way. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham – because this whole life is about trying to find our place in the world.

Lonesome Dove, War and Peace, The Count of Monte Cristo, A Little Life – because I wish had the balls (and talent) to tell big stories.

On bookshops

I first worked in a bookshop when I was 16 and I reckon that was when I also first knew I wanted to be a writer. Of course, you get to meet other writers and take encouragement from their success in getting published. The one writer I met and was truly in awe of was Arthur Miller; it was at his 80th birthday party and I was able to thank him to his face for a production of The Crucible that absolutely blew us away.

An Accident Waiting to Happen (€10.30) and Where the Rain Gets In (€10.30) can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk. Dancing to the End of Love (€8.99, Black & White) is available from bookshops nationwide.

Adrian White was photographed at The Twelve Hotel, Co Galway, by Eoin Rafferty.

Sophie Grenham

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