Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The White House is my first book but I have written screenplays before this. I started my career in banking but as a decent person I had to switch to the arts! I love telling stories and getting inside the puzzle that is the mind of my creations. I live in Berlin, Germany but was born in London. I think that people should live at least somewhere other than when they were born at least once in their life.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The White House was inspired by a BBC documentary I saw on the Sonderkommando. Before that I had never heard of them or the terrible things they were forced to do. I knew this was the story I wanted to tell but I did not want to set it in the camps but rather years later, when the characters had time to process their acts.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sometimes like to dance before I write a scene.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many! I would say that these authors are among my favorites: Joseph Heller
Stephen King
Thomas Harris
Kurt Vonnegut
Oscar Wilde
John Le Carre
Ernest Hemingway
Tom Wolfe
What are you working on now?
A story about a man who leaves jail and wants to live “the good life”. The problem is crime is part of who he is and the question raised is: can one change ones nature?
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Know your characters, know your world and read everything you can!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing is rewriting.
What are you reading now?
One Hundred Years of Solitude. It’s been on my to-read list for ages.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The blank page is something I always do battle with!
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?
Catch 22, Bonfire of the Vanities, Crime and Punishment and IT.
O’neil Sharma’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile