Interview With Author Magnus Watt
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a debut novelist and Magnus is actually my middle name – it just looks better than Kenny on the cover.
I’m originally from the Scottish Highlands. After leaving the Highlands I spent twenty years in Edinburgh before I settled in Middlesbrough with my wife and our two young daughters. During the day, I work in an office. At night, I perform stand-up comedy under the name Kenny.
I studied film at uni, so I write like I’m watching a movie – short scenes, constant movement, and a strong sense of visual rhythm. I’m fascinated by the places where the strange meets the everyday, where ancient mysteries quietly echo through modern life, and where humour and grief often sit side by side. I’m drawn to flawed characters, and dialogue that feels raw, messy, and real. My debut novel, Soon Enough, was written in the moments between work, bedtime stories, and the unpredictable rhythm of family life. I’m now expanding that world with more books, exploring the story wherever it wants to go.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Soon Enough, and it had a strange journey to becoming a novel. It began with a pun I loved but couldn’t fit into my stand-up. I thought it was hilarious (I can’t share it, because it’s a spoiler), though no one else seemed to agree. I then tried to turn the idea into a sitcom. The sitcom was terrible, and no one read it except me. Still, a few of the characters wouldn’t leave my head. They stayed there until I finally found the right story for them.
So what began as a single joke became a failed sitcom, and eventually found its way into the world as a dark urban fantasy.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, I tend to write on a laptop when the kids go to bed. The TV is usually on and I annoy my wife by asking her for synonyms every five minutes.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Neil Gaiman, Christopher Brookmyre, Terry Pratchett, Iain Banks
What are you working on now?
A sequel to Soon Enough, I have a whole world in my head now and at least another three novels. Each will be stand alone as well as linked.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still figuring out how to promote my work, but I’ve been taking a very local, personal approach. Since every location in Soon Enough is based on a real place I know well, I decided to reach out directly to one of the independent bookshops in a town that features heavily in the story. I sent them a friendly email introducing myself, explaining the connection between the town and the novel, and mentioning that I used to visit their shop years ago. They replied the next day to say they’d placed an order, and even asked if I’d come in to sign some copies. It felt like a small but meaningful win, and a reminder that sometimes the best promotion starts with a genuine connection.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am one. I guess my advice is to keep plugging away.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Remember that you do not like everything you have ever read, so you cannot expect everyone who reads your book to like it. Just make sure you do.
What are you reading now?
Killing Thatcher: The IRA, the Manhunt and the Long War on the Crown by Rory Carroll and a couple of ARC Reader books that I am not going to mention until I’m finished them.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Release this book, get an audiobook version and finish the sequel
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
American Gods by Neil Gaiman – I just love this book, the mix of the ordinary and the mythical is perfect.
SAS Survival Handbook The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere by John Wiseman – If I am on a Desert Island I will probably need this
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – This is a book I just cannot finish, I know it is a classic but for some reason I lose interest and put it down. I would have little choice but finish it.
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks – the first book where a description is so well written it has made me feel a little ill.
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