Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Bruno Morchio

What inspired you to write “The German Client”?

Morchio: In some ways, it’s the story of my family. My parents (who make cameo appearances in the book) lived in Sestri Ponente during the war. My father was a worker at the Fossati factory, the same place where Tilde works in the book, and my mother was a seamstress. They married in 1943 and they were both involved in the Resistance. They never spoke much about that period in their lives. But because of The German Client, I was able to get their friends and comrades from the war years to share some of their stories with me. While The German Client is, of course, a novel, a lot of it is based on actual events.

When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?

Morchio: Writer’s block isn’t my problem. It’s laziness! Sometimes, I just don’t feel like writing, I want to do something else instead – a ride on my bicycle, see friends, cook, and, above all, read. When I read an author that has a big impact on me (at the moment, Don Winslow) it inspires me to sit down at the computer and write. I typically only start actually writing a new novel once I’m under a little bit of pressure and I already have a signed contract for it – I’m always behind, I don’t have any “books in my drawer.” Fortunately, my publishers grant me a lot of freedom which allows me to write what I like.

What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?

Morchio:  Obviously, my favorite genre is noir, in particular some authors that I keep reading, over and over: Chandler, Vázquez Montalbán and Izzo. But I could mention many others, from Caine to Simenon, from Scerbanenco to Crumley. As for the classics of literature, the author who had the greatest impact on me has been Dostoevsky, whose works I’ve been reading and re-reading over the years. Among the Italian authors of the Twentieth Century I would mention Pavese and Gadda; among the American authors, Scott Fitzgerald, Faulkner and Hemingway.

Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?

Morchio: What is a sailor going to advise an aspiring sailor? Understanding the technical aspects of sailing isn’t enough, how to trim the sails, how to use the rudder, how to read the instruments. A sailor must also pay attention to the wind, the waves, and the sky. That’s the only way to acquire a true mastery of your vessel. For a writer, wind, waves and sky are the sea of literature. I advise an aspiring writer to do one thing, above all: read, read, read. And study, especially authors they admire. Good sailors sail almost by instinct, their actions will be mostly guided by the rhythms of the sea and information they have absorbed almost without knowing it. Like our sailor, aspiring authors will be inspired by what they’ve read and what has settled in their pre-consciousness. You don’t only write with your head, but also -- I would say mostly -- with your “gut”. And that is nurtured by everything you’ve read (and often forgotten) throughout your life.

Learn More About the Author and The German Client Here:

AUTHOR FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/bruno.morchio

AUTHOR WEBSITE: www.brunomorchio.com

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