Interview Time - The Best of 2007
January is a month when you painfully reflect on last year's gastro and social indiscretions. In a similarly retrospective and far less painful manner, here is a collection of the best one on ones in 2007. In February I'll be getting to know two particularly talented authors and mainstream script writers, but until that beautiful rendezvous, here are my favourite meet and greets.
April 2007, Bill Bryson - We have a lot of aspiring travel writers who compete to be published in the St Christopher's E-zine. What would be your top tips for them?
I think the main thing is to just write. There are an awful lot of people that just talk about a book they are going to write, but they never get round to writing it. I think that unless you just get on with the writing, there's no way to tell whether you're a good writer or not.
Also I get an awful lot of people writing to me asking for advice on how to write a book. Instead of doing that they should just write the book. People just seem to put it off. Also don't be afraid of rejection. There are all kinds of reasons why articles and books don't get accepted. You shouldn't take it personally.
March 2007, Touring Travel Writer Roger Harvey - Of the 48 stops on the tour, which was the one that you would say, affected you the most?
It would have to be the first reading in New York. It went so badly that I thought I'd died, in the same way a bad club comedian dies in front of his audience. But the decision to carry on and do better was one that paid off. The eight original bookings turned into 48 and I made the most out of being there. It was glamorous in the end and I played up to it. I mean after all, I was the man in the tweed suit with the James Bond accent!
May 2007, PR guru and travel authority Anna Nicholas - When you worked for the Guinness Book of Records what was the most bizarre record you travelled the world to see?
Probably the tallest tower of bread in Indonesia. I was flown by helicopter over this enormous edifice in Jakarta, totally fashioned out of toast, and then had to set foot inside it. I was a little panicked that all 30 meters of it would collapse on top of me but I survived the experience!
June 2007, Founder of Packed Magazine Gerald Reisecker - If someone put a gun against your head, twisted your arm and forced you to define Packed in fifteen words or less, what would you say?
Please don't kill me!?! No just kidding. Packed is an independent travel magazine with real content by and for, real travellers.
July 2007, Visit Scotland Tourism Expert Sinead Guerin - If you had the power to put a comedian in the position of Prime Minister, just for a day, who would it be and why?
It would be an Irish comedian called Dara O'Briain. He always makes you laugh, he's larger than life and I think he's great at improvising. He's just great.
August 2007, Actor, Producer and Playwright Alice de Sousa - You attended the Cannes Film Festival to help finance feature films you've written and plan to produce, such as the modern re-working of The Duchess of Malfi. What was the most random and fun thing that happened to you in the South of France?
Cannes at the time of the festival is extraordinary - from the parties to the opulence, some are exciting but the great majority are just bad taste. The night we arrived we were immediately invited to The Playboy Party and then went on to another party where I sat with Tarantino and Jude Law. I was also nearly run over coming out of the market place by George Clooney's and I had a sandwich with Malcolm Macdowl.
September 2007, Star of The Vegemite Tales and Soap Opera Neighbours, Blair McDonough - I recently covered the Toast New Zealand and Australia weekend where you embarked on a rather daring cook off against Melbourne's finest - Kath and Kim. What was it like to work with the ladies and what was it about them that cracked you up the most?
What an absolute joy to be involved in any capacity with the funniest of Australia's Leading Ladies. Their cooking capabilities echoed their mottos in life, interesting texture with a tasty filling. Just to meet them before going on stage and seeing them be so giggly and enjoying what they do so much made it an awesome experience as the transformation when they got on stage was mind blowing. And because of that there was no chance of keeping a straight face.
November 2007, Editor of Lonely Planet London Tom Hall - From speaking to various tourism boards and travel writers, there seems to be a general consensus that the travel industry is incredibly resilient in the face of the current terrorist threat – for example in the aftermath of the London bombings, there was a notable increase in the numbers of backpackers travelling and taking advantage of the cheaper air fares. What do you think it is that drives people to keep on exploring despite the ever increasing risks?
I think it's an awareness that the risks are not as significant as people are making out. For example the safest time to travel to Egypt was the three days after the suicide bomb in Sharm el Sheik. I think travellers are clever. I think they realise if something happens where the knock on effect is cheap fares, they will be motivated by bargains. If you get something for not much, people will do it. So I think when people talk about resilience with travellers, yes definitely there is a screw it – let's do it mentality because in a sense that's what's travelling is about – taking the plunge.
December 2007, Travel Writer John Malathronas - One of the key obstacles in our search for young, talented, backpacking travel writers is the blurring of that line between ego stroking Blogs and entertaining, hands on travel tales packed full of useful advice. What tips would you offer to our aspiring writers who want to cut the dead weight and get on with the real deal in writing?
Other than getting a good editor, experience, I suppose. Remember that people don't want to read about you, but about the country and the people you meet, so mix with them, make friends and tell their stories not your own. Sift through your diary and only include what is relevant; not every moment has to be accounted for – in fact, very few should. Finally, offer something new to the readers – they want to know something about the country that they won't find in a travel guide.
- Rob Savage
