Interview Q&A with John Anthony Fingleton
We offer our first and exclusive Q&A Interview with John Anthony Fingleton (Löst Viking), a writer whose literary works have been featured on our Spillwords pages as well as being Author of the Month of December 2020.
- What does it mean to be selected as Author of The Month?
I feel very honoured, as I know that there are so many great writers/poets associated with Spillwords.
- How have your friends and/or family influenced your writing?
I would in the main say family that have given my so many memories to inspire me.
- What inspires you to write?
I have for years wondered this myself. I consider myself a gatherer of words; in fact one of my anthologies is so entitled ‘A Gathering of Words.’
- What was your writing catalyst?
Many things, any inciting incident which that sets the successive conflict into motion.
- Tell us a little bit about your writing process?
This again varies, I can write directly e.g. a poem on Facebook, to take days, even in some cases weeks to finish – or perhaps not finish the work.
- What would you say is most fulfilling about writing?
What I find is the slight relief in clearing the words from my head, although this is only temporary, as I sometimes feel haunted by them.
- Does the addition of imagery help to tell your story?
For me the simple answer is yes. I feel like a flustered artist, in my younger days I would also draw, but I seem to have lost that gift. I sometimes spend more time looking for an appropriate image then it took to write the article.
- What is your favorite reading genre?
These days it is mainly confined to audiobooks as I live in a country that does not have a ‘real’ postal system, and anything sent will disappear down that ‘blackhole.’ And carriers are so expensive. I mainly listen to history and documentaries.
- What human being has inspired you the most?
Too many to mention and many are ‘ordinary people’ I have lived/served with. But at a push I would say Sean O’Casey, that inspired me to write plays. And also John B Keane. As for poetry Seamus Heaney, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg.
- What message would you have for the Spillwords Press community that voted for you?
What I already said: Thank you, muchas gracias, go raibh maith agat.
- What would you like your legacy as a writer to be?
To be remembered sometimes in Ireland.
12. Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would again thank Spillwords for the honour. As you can see I am not in the habit of doing interviews, forgive me if I did not comment correctly. I look forward to continuing my association with you. A Happy New Year to all my fellow writers.
- Christmas Lights - December 23, 2023
- A Silent Man - April 11, 2022
- Spotlight On Writers – John Anthony Fingleton - February 12, 2022
