Knightley and Son

About Rohan Gavin

Rohan Gavin is an author and screenwriter based in London. He is a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and his enduring love of detective fiction, cars and conspiracy theories inspired him to write this book, the first in a series. Rohan is the son of award-winning children's author Jamila Gavin, and he recently became a father himself.

A Q&A with Rohan Gavin
1. Whate are your 5 favourite books, and why?
Danny Champion of the World by Roald Dahl -- as mentioned already, it’s a brilliant depiction of a father and son, and the dreams of adventure that every child imagines they might take with their dad. I was lucky enough to meet Roald Dahl at a book signing when I was a child and he commented on us having a similar first name!
Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- my favourite of the Holmes tales because it challenges Sherlock to confront the possibility of supernatural forces. Also it’s just a very scary and suspenseful book.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- not the most original choice but one of the greatest plots ever written with huge characters that stay in your imagination, and a haunting description of the corrupting nature of power, whether it be money, or the power women can have over men.
The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming -- I love the Bond novels and the movies that followed them. They inspired me to write a series with characters that could hopefully live on and grow in future adventures. I also like the comforting, almost soap opera quality of having the same characters rearranged into different situations every time. The Spy Who Loved Me is one of the more unusual stories because it’s told by a woman, and Bond doesn’t arrive until quite late in the story, but then of course he saves the day.
The Stand by Stephen King -- I read this while I was travelling in the US and it’s really a modern day Paradise Lost, an epic battle of good versus evil, played out in a vast, apocalyptic version of America. It’s very haunting and definitely not for the faint of heart.
2. Who are your 5 favourite authors/illustrators, and why?
Roald Dahl -- for his wit, warmth and darkness in equal measures.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- for his intricate plots, deductive reasoning, and the legendary central relationship of Holmes and Watson.
Charles Dickens -- for his ability to combine what was considered almost pulp fiction with piercing social comment and just brilliant writing.
Ian Fleming -- for pure entertainment value and the strength of his central character who will probably live forever.
Stephen King -- for his ability to scare, entertain and question our view of reality-- articularly his ability to take the ordinary (a car, a dog, a school graduation) and make them terrifying.
3. What was your favourite book when you were a child?
Apart from the books mentioned above, I was a big Herge’s Tintin fan.
4. Who is your favourite hero in a book?
Sherlock Holmes.
5. Who is your favourite villain in a book?
Randall Flagg from Stephen King’s The Stand and The Dark Tower series.
6. If you could be a character from a book who would you be?
James Bond--like most Englishmen if they were honest.
7. If you could recommend just one book for everyone to read what would it be?
Knightley & Son, obviously.
8. What book do you wish you had written?
Knightley & Son book 3 -- I don’t even have a plot for it yet.
9. Who or what was your biggest influence in deciding to become a writer?
My mother for being a writer herself and never giving up, and my father for giving me the father-son material that helped me create Knightley & Son.
10. What inspired you to write your latest book?
The eternal problem of fathers and sons, and the fantasies every child has of what their parents might be capable of, and what they themselves might be capable of too.
11. What's the best thing you've ever written?
Knightley & Son.
12. When did you start writing?
When I was writing short screenplays to apply to film school in my early 20’s.
13. If someone wanted to be a writer what would be your number one tip for them?
Persistence, finding your voice and being true to it despite any criticisms you encounter.
14. Is there any particular routine involved in your writing process (favourite pen, lucky charm, special jumper)?
I listen to a lot of music, especially film soundtracks because they get me into the mood of a scene or a character. Music was my first love and it still influences everything I do. I find music is a shortcut to emotion, and for that reason it’s very useful, whether I’m writing something scary or something funny.
15. Do you have any abandoned stories in you ‘bottom drawer’ that you would like to revisit?
I have a large file of ideas and concepts that were originally intended for screenplays, but they might make an appearance in future Knightley instalments