The Scottish king of crime talks about writing his latest book,
avoiding tourist traps and why it's good to get lost
Ian Rankin
If you‘re writing thrillers
and crime novels, it helps the pace if
you’re writing quickly. I started this book in January and it was
done and dusted by mid-July. Literary authors say, "Oh, it took
me 10 years,” and I think, "It couldn‘t possibly – you’ve been
sitting in the pub for nine."
Every writer will tell you
there's always some mistake that
creeps in. Sometimes it‘s quite nice to be corrected. In the early
Rebus novels, I talk about the cobbles in Edinburgh, but in fact
the stones are rectangular, which means they‘re called setts.
Once you’ve been corrected, you never make the mistake again.
Edinburgh is
the only city in the world where the main railway
station and the monument next to it are named after a novel and its
author [Waverley and the Scott Monument]. It’s a very literary city.
The city is
the main character
in all my books.
I still haven‘t got
to the bottom of what makes Edinburgh Edinburgh. Every time I
think I know the city, some secret part is flagged up and I think:
"
Oh, I’ve got to write about that."
Despite this,
it‘s a city you can feel you’ve got to know quite
quickly. It‘s small and terrific to walk around. Just be prepared for
the weather. The thing about that is it’s a good excuse to go to
lots of pubs and there are many, many, many good pubs.
One of the nicest parts
of the city is Leith, where
Trainspotting
was set. It‘s been completely refurbished and now has two or
three Michelin-starred restaurants. It’s become a foodie mecca.
It's a little off the beaten track, but definitely worth going to.
I go to
many places on business – the books are translated into
35
languages – but you don’t often see much of the country. I‘ve
been to Australia eight times and I've never seen a kangaroo.
I lived in France for six years,
but I was never able to speak
French properly. I left school with a C at O-Level [exams taken at
the age of 16] and hadn’t tried speaking it for 10 to 15 years, so it
was tough. Languages aren’t my specialist subject.
I‘ve learned from Italians
to never have a cappuccino after 12.
So, in the afternoon, if I need an extra kick, I’ll have an espresso.
When on holiday,
I like places that are easy to walk around and
have a lot of atmosphere, like Paris, Dublin and Barcelona.
I always try to
keep away
from the main tourist traps. I went to
Venice recently with my wife. We were there a week and didn’t
go to St Mark's Square. It‘s impossible not to get lost in Venice.
Getting lost is fun
as long as you don‘t wander into the wrong
part of town. My tip is to read the crime fiction set in these
places; that will alert you to the parts to avoid.
‘
Standing in Another Man's Grave‘
,
by Ian Rankin, is published in
hardback, ebook and audio book on 8 November
P L A N E
T A L K I N G
☞
Turn the page for the author's insider's guide to Edinburgh
AS TOLD TO SARAH WARWICK. PHOTO GETTY
0 2 0
R E G U L A R S
