Posted on BLOGGER NEWS NETWORK, Simon Barrett''s interview of Author Peter Davies shows the remarkable links between what happened in Rhodesia during the 1970s and what is happening in Afghanistan and Iraq today
What a great word, ‘Scatterling’. I checked out Websters and it is not listed. Peter Davies however, is a ‘Scatterling’, and a better word to describe what happened to the white population in what was then known as Rhodesia I can not imagine. In his first foray into the literary world Peter explores the often misunderstood situation that Rhodesia faced in the 1970’s. Although Scatterlings is a work of fiction, it has its roots set in cold hard fact. I had the opportunity to chat with Peter recently about his new book The Scatterlings Of Africa, and about life in general.
Simon - It has been my experience that authors tend to be most successful when they draw on personal experience, and as a consequence tend to model their characters after real people, I am guessing that you are the hero, but who are the other people?
Peter - I think you’re right about personal experience – or at least specializing in something that you really know about. In my case that’s Africa.
I borrowed elements from many people I knew to build all my characters. Because I was involved in interrogating captured terrorists, I learned something about them, and what motivated them. So I thoroughly enjoyed writing from the viewpoint of the main antagonist – I really became the terrorist commander, Gadziwa as I wrote. Knowing so many black African people quite intimately over the years also helped me – I felt that I could really get inside Gadziwa’s mind.
Mark Le Roux’s physique was based on a man I served in the Rhodesian Army with, and I used a little of his character too. He was a real ladies man, but a popular bloke with us soldiers too – a man’s man. Mark became Angela’s lover but the tough, dangerous Cartwright was never going to accept his wife having a lover. Like all my other characters, Le Roux is unique – a carefully built character; initially given life by me, but who grew of his own accord as I posed difficulties for him.
Angie was the most difficult character for me to create. Her appearance is based on a stunningly attractive young lady who once worked for me; but I didn’t know her well enough to be able to use any of her personality for my character. That came from a number of other ladies I knew. But again, Angie’s character developed as I gave her problems to face and overcome.
So all my characters are completely fictional.
Read the full interview by Simon Barrett on the website...
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