Lord Archer does it again

The master storyteller is back. His latest book, only time will tell, is already topping bestseller lists around the globe

'Lord Jeffrey Archer', the name is an enigma of sorts. A newspaper once famously quoted that, "If ever there was to be a Nobel Prize to be given for storytelling, Jeffrey Archer would win." His first of the five books in The Clifton Chronicles, Only Time Will Tell has smashed records and has become an international best seller in a day.

As the Crow flies: Jeffery Archer

Yet the troublesome past of the master storyteller is equally intriguing as compared to his literary acumen. Disowned by his political party on allegations of perjury, jailed for four years or his chant of Long Live Kurdistan being mistranslated into "Bastard Devilish Kurdistan". Love him or hate him, you can't deny the fact that he is arguably the best storyteller of the 21st century.
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What is your new book, 'Only time will tell' all about?
It's about a boy born in the backstreets of Bristol in England. Son of a docker, so the family assumed he will be a docker. But he discovers at the age of seven, that he has an amazing talent, a beautiful singing voice and his whole life changes. He wins a scholarship to Oxford and it goes from 1920 to 1940 and in 1940 he goes to Oxford but a war breaks out. He has to decide then whether he would go to war or complete his degree. This is the first of Clifton Chronicles; there will be five of them. That one goes from 1900 to 1920; the whole five go from 1920 to 2020 and follow the life of Harry Clifton for a hundred years.

Was Harry Clifton, the protagonist in your new book inspired by anyone in your life?
I think it's autobiographical, there's a lot of me in Harry and lot of mother in Massey, and also Giles is based on a friend of mine. You use and rely on people you know.

What is the most intriguing part of the story?
The whole secret in this book is that who is the father of Harry Clifton? And by the end of the book you don't know who the father is.

The book has become the number one best seller in a day. How do you feel about that?
Yes one day, haven't done that before. You can see on the You Tube that I was literally mobbed and you can that it is an amazing feeling. I was really shocked.u00a0u00a0

You once famously quoted that, "I would like to become the Transport Minister of India" Would you want to do that?
Yes, that would be the toughest job in the world. It appears to me that you keep your driver to make the white line go down the middle of the car and you tell lorry drivers to go on the outside lane, making it twice as difficult for everybody else. I think the toughest job in India would of the Minister of Transport.

Your favourite Indian author?
RK Narayan, wonderful articulated stories, wonderful storyteller and a wonderful writer.

You wrote a short story based on an Indian couple, is a novel based on India in pipeline?
u00a0No, I would never do that because I don't have enough knowledge of the religions, day to day life and other things. I would never have the courage to do that.

You are a cricket lover and a fan of the Indian team, on which team would you put your money on for the World Cup 2011?
Oh Mad! It should be India vs. South Africa in the final. I have just been paid a big compliment by the Indian team, God bless them, and they are coming to collect a whole box of my new book for the team. Everybody on the team reads me including Sachin. VVS Laxman rang me last night to chat about it, so I love the team. But I am worried about the bowling, I am worried about the fielding and I am worried that I can't find two Indian batsmen who can run three runs without falling down puffing.

What kind of music do you listen to?
Frank Sinatra is my favourite; I like romantic and light music.

Your favourite dish in the Indian cuisine?
I absolutely love the Lemon Chicken.

Some advice or tips for budding Indian authors
I get a lot of Indian writers who come to see me, sit and ask me questions. I have to tell them number one it involves a lot of hard work, there are no short cut's to it. Number two you can be a writer, but if you are a story teller then that is a God given gift.

Only Time Will Tell is available with Panmacmillan Books Indiau00a0 at leading book stores for Rs 325