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I first discovered the books of Stephen Clarke when I decided to move to the French Riviera some years back, I was told Stephen’s  books were a ‘must read’ if I was to understand the French mentality, culture and survive there. I finally had the pleasure to meet and interview Stephen in Nice for Prestige and I am now a devoted fan like so many others are around the world.

Based on Stephen Clarke’s own experiences and with names changed to “avoid embarrassment, possible legal action, and to prevent the author’s legs being broken by someone in a Yves Saint Laurent suit,” A Year in the Merde provides perfect entertainment for Francophiles and Francophobes alike. Literally a word of mouth success his book has now been published all over the world and has established Stephen Clarke as a best selling novelist.

stephen clarke authorIt all began in Paris, 2004 with a phone call to an English bookshop asking if they had a book called     ‘A Year In The Merde’ by Paul West. The review in the subway newspaper had provoked such interest from the French they wanted to know what a British writer had written about them and why it was such a ‘laugh out loud’ read. After the bookshop owner finally traced the publishing company, Red Garage Books (Stephen’s own publishing company) he called them and to his delight got through to Paul West alias Stephen Clarke. Stephen originally printed just 200 copies for himself, to give to friends and perhaps if lucky, sell the odd one or two.

The owner of the bookshop ordered ten copies of ‘A Year In The Merde’ and Stephen delivered them himself in a shopping caddy on a Saturday morning. Later that day the bookstore owner phoned again to ask him if he could bring some more books as he had sold out of the original 10 within an hour, and so it began, the word spread and the sales continued to grow locally. Later the British press got wind of Stephens’s local success and he started getting orders from Great Britain and as far away as Hong Kong. Within a few months a major publisher bought the rights and ‘A Year In The Merde’ was sold internationally. Stephen no longer has to do the deliveries with his grocery caddy and the book has now been translated into 20 plus languages, establishing Stephen as a best selling novelist and seeing him nominated for many book awards.

PRESTIGE ASKS STEPHEN

Prestige Q: How much of Paul West’s life in ‘A Year In The Merde’ actually happened in Stephen Clarke’s life?

I have had the books analysed by the INSL (Institut National des Statistiques Littéraires), a very serious department of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and they tell me that my books are 64.3% true on average. That’s below the internationally recognized standard for an autobiography (which is 72%) but way above the threshold for politicians’ memoires which is 36% (or 21% in France).

Prestige Q: The French love your funny stories on your experiences in France and they are obviously comfortable laughing at themselves. If the book was to be reversed to a French man writing about his experience of living in Britain, do you think the concept would work as well and would the British see the funny side of it?

No, for two reasons. First, we Brits think that we’re the only ones who can criticize ourselves. If a foreigner does it, we think, who does he think he is, and ignore him. Secondly, the French first startered reading my books in English, and there’s no way you’ll get an average everyday Londoner or Mancunian to read a book in French. People say the French are arrogant and closed-minded, but I’ve found that the opposite is true. Well they can be arrogant, but not too arrogant to read my books, which is all I care about.

Prestige Q: Merde Happens is the third book in the life of Paul West. This funny novel sees him taking a road trip through America with his French girlfriend (Alexa) and his friend (Jake) who wants to sleep with a woman from every country and then write about them in his poems. What inspired you to take Paul on tour to America, did you actually do the trip and are Alexa and Jake based on real people?

My America publishers asked me to come to America. They thought America needed a bit of satire. Not hard-line anti-Bush viciousness, just gentle mockery of the way they are. And yes, I did the trip, in several stages, by car from New York down to Florida then west to LA (with a little plane hop in the middle). The rest of it is 64.3% true.

Prestige Q: Talk to the snail – ‘Ten Commandments for understanding the French (actually Stephen has done eleven commandments) is a humorous and essential read for surviving life in France. What would be the most recent twelfth commandment you would add?

I’d do a stand-alone commandment on the importance of saying “bonjour”. I realize now that it’s even more important than I first said. When I use it to start any service-related conversation, I can actually see some Parisians thinking “oh no, he’s said bonjour, I’m going to have to be helpful now.”

Prestige Q: Your book Dial M for Merde takes Paul West to the South of France what does he get up to there?

Paul visits my favourite parts of the South, mostly lesser-known places, and gets sucked into a spoof thriller (as the title suggests). He’s a bit of a gaffe artist, so I wanted him to think he’s playing at James Bond when in fact we realize he’s being used as a Bond girl by the glamorous Englishwoman, M, in the title. She even has a Bond-style name, Gloria Monday.

Prestige Q: If your books were made into a film, who would you like to cast as Paul and why?

I’m not sure. Ideally, I would go back in time to around 1989 and grab Hugh Grant.

Prestige Q: What does the future hold for Paul West?

I’ll have to ask his astrologer. And mine. I have a title and storyline for his next adventure, but I’m not sure exactly when I’ll start writing it.

Prestige Q: What are Stephen Clarke’s plans for the future?

To have a swim. It’s very hot.

 Prestige Q: You live in Paris, but what do you miss about Britain and how often do you go back?

I’ve been here for 17 years now. What I miss most are stand-up comedians. France doesn’t really do stand-up, whereas in the UK you can go and see some excellent comedians live, and in London it’s practically any night of the week.

Prestige Q: The French have a reputation for being very amorous, could you tell us something to prove this is true or false?

Yes, I have several English women friends who have gone back to live in the UK because they got fed up with French men. It’s funny, because the word “amorous” doesn’t really contain any “amour”.

Prestige Q: Where is your favourite place in the South of France?

The Mediterranean Sea. If you want a more exact answer, the coastal path in Gigaro, near Saint Tropez, on a Thursday morning in mid-September. There will be no one about, you can walk along the track through fragrant pine forests, have a swim in clear, warm water, and then go for an excellent fresh seafood lunch at one of the restaurants right by the beach.

Prestige Q: What do the French really think of the British?

Secretly they love us. The last chapter in Talk to the Snail is all about this. I say that the mutual love between the French and the Brits is the love that dare not speak its name. And now we have the tunnel, which is like a secret passageway between our two bedrooms, we can nip over to see each other any time we want and no one will know.

Prestige Q: If you could sum up France in five words, what would they be?

Don’t mess with my lifestyle.

Prestige Q: If you could sum up Britain in five words, what would they be?

Another glass of wine please.

Prestige Q: If someone was to write a 100% true account of Stephen Clarke’s life, what would the title of the book be and what would the summary read on the back of the book.

Lies, Lies and More Lies, Stephen Clarke’s no-holds-barre

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