At 19, David Blacker was certain about one thing - he wanted to join the Sri Lankan Army. That very year, the young rifleman saw action at Elephant Pass. Well over a decade later, David’s fascination with war seems to run unabated. Some of this he attributes to having spent his childhood “immersed in everything I could find on war, from comics to model aircraft to biographies and history” and to having a WW II veteran for a grandparent.
Blacker’s first novel “A Cause Untrue” was nominated for the 2007 Dublin IMPAC Award, shortlisted for the 2004 Gratiaen Prize and honoured with the Sri Lankan State Literary Award for Best Novel in 2006. A new edition of the book, published by Hatchette India, is set to hit bookstores within the next month.
Currently, Blacker is a Creative Director for ad agency Phoenix Ogilvy. He blogs regularly at http://blacklightarrow.wordpress.com. Fans will be delighted to know that he’s on his way to completing a first draft of his long awaited second novel.
What are you reading
right now?
I’m reading two books, which is quite common for me. Sometimes it’s three. “Major Farran’s Hat” by David Cesarani, and “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut. The first is non-fiction, and is about Britain’s counter-terror operations against the Jewish insurgents in Palestine. The second is fiction, and mostly about time travel.
Are you enjoying them?
Yes, I’m enjoying them both. “Major Farran’s Hat” is centred around a particular incident that sparked huge controversy - Britain’s first use of white vans if you like. It’s a fascinating period of 20th century history and in many ways set the stage for how Britain would view terrorism for the next 50 years.
“Slaughterhouse Five” is a masterpiece.
One of the most memorable books I’ve ever read. Most people just know it as being about the firebombing of Dresden, but that’s hardly the point. It’s an examination of unconventional thinking that explores what life would be like without any real rules.
Where and when do you
most like to read?
Well, I mostly read in bed, I think, at night. But I’d like to read everywhere - at lunch, on the beach, during boring meetings with clients. Growing up, I read practically anywhere I could. In buses, in church, in the toilet, in class, at meals, on the back of my dad’s bike. Basically whenever I wanted to pass time.
Is there a book you wish you could have written yourself?
Oh there are so many. “Fields of Fire” by James Webb springs to mind. Also, “Sympathy for the Devil” by Kent Anderson and the “Calcutta Chromosome” by Amitav Ghosh.
Is there a book you wish you could go back to and read again, as if it were for the first time?
Definitely. “Dispatches” by Michael Herr and M.M. Kaye’s “The Far Pavilions”. But I also wish I could read my own book as if I’d not written it myself. Maybe then I’d figure out whether it’s really any good.
Could you name a writer who you think has dealt with the topic of war or current conflict best in fiction?
Kent Anderson for sure in “Sympathy for the Devil”. It’s a book about Vietnam, but it’s also an exploration of the mind of a professional warrior - not the seasoned old battle vets, but the young killers.
It’s a fascinating point of view. I think James Jones wrote some of the best books to come out of WW2, and certainly Leon Uris’ “Battle Cry” was a brilliant piece of work. - Pic by Priyanka Kumara |
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