In His Words

Man Booker Prize-winning author Graham Swift on life, legacy, and learning to be a writer

- Esha Mahajan

“It took me by surprise,” is how Graham Swift describes much of his work, whether it’s his foray into novels from short stories, or his most recent fiction called Mothering Sunday (Simon & Schuster)—the story of a love affair between an English maid and an heir, engaged to another, it is set in one day in 1924. But, here’s the thing: When you’ve won a Man Booker Prize (Last Orders, 1996), inspired film adaptations (Last Orders, Waterland, Shuttlecock), and written prose so unflinching, so intimate, it’s hard to believe things just happen to you. You make them happen. Another thing about Swift, though, is that he’s humble. Over the phone from London, in a voice that’s quiet and considered, he opens up about his writing process, the significance of a single day, and how his latest work is now being developed for the big screen.

Several of your books focus on brief periods of time, single days even, like The Sweet Shop Owner (1980), Last Orders, and recently Mothering Sunday. What about this narrative appeals to you?