Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been an international public health specialist for over 20 years, working in some of the more troubled places in the world. Some I mentioned, some I’d prefer not to. This was my first book.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Any Porth in a Storm: The Long-Distance Walk That Goes South. The title really gives the overall picture. Following redundancy in 2019 I embarked on a long-distance walk which covered around 1000 kilometers and unfortunately coincided with a series of the worst storms for many years. And of course, we know what followed 2019. That’s the canvas. Bleak perhaps, but the situation required humor. The paint which makes up the picture is more personal. It’s in part a literary and artistic quest; the path is littered with reclusive authors like le Carre, du Maurier, Agatha Christie, Michael Ondaatje, and Turner who walked much of the path and painted there. Mostly, it’s a tale of loss, friendship, improbably coincidence, and heroic failure (not necessarily in that order).
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I compile my ideas on post-it notes in a guide book. The hard writing and research I did in an old Library near Highgate Cemetery (burial place of Karl Marx, Douglas Adams, George Eliot, Michael Faraday).
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Douglas Adams, John le Carre, Eric Newby (as a travel writer), Margaret Atwood, John Irving, Daphne du Maurier.
What are you working on now?
Recovery.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Social media like Facebook, and sites like this though this is my first attempt through book promotion sites.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
That’s my question.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Rewrite. The old adage ‘kill your darlings’ still holds true. Let somebody else read it and if their comments make you angry it’s probably because you knew, deep down, they were right.
What are you reading now?
Ian Rankin. But I just finished the graphic novel ‘Good-bye Chunky Rice’ by Craig Thompson, and I was overwhelmed by it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
A story I’ve been working on mentally for over 10 years, about disease (not the one we’re in). More of a political thriller based on events in the 1940s.
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?
Something cheerful and with depth. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving. A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, Eric Newby. Silverview by John le Carre (a gamble, but the only one of his I haven’t read). My Cousin Rachel, Daphne du Maurier (because it’s troubled and ambiguous).
Author Websites and Profiles
Oscar Burton Website
Oscar Burton Amazon Profile
Oscar Burton’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile