Not that you could probably tell, but that man posing with John Lennon in the picture above is Lord Jeffrey Archer, best-selling author and former UK politican, who is launching his latest novel, A Prisoner of Birth, in the UK on Thursday 6th March. Having experienced tremendous literary success which has spread across the globe, Archer has attracted a large following of fans and (to a lesser or greater extent) silenced the critics that have made a target of the controversial figure.

Trying to disguise ourselves as serious art journalists with brains and qualifications and stuff, ArtsWom requested an email interview with the author and, rather kindly, he responded to our questions…

Your latest novel, /A Prisoner of Birth/ is released in the UK on Thursday. Interestingly, the novel was released two days earlier in the US – why did you decide to do this?

A Prisoner of Birth was released in America first for a very simple reason – Tuesday is traditionally their chosen day on which to release a new book, as Thursday is for my UK publishing house, so in order for the novel to released in both countries in the same week, it had to be the USA first.

How does this novel compare with your previous work?

I feel that A Prisoner of Birth is probably the best work I’ve ever done, and already the critics are comparing it to Kane and Abel, so I hope your readers agree.

Could you describe your novel-writing process, from initial conception to completion?

I always begin a new book in January, and go overseas to write – away from the London office and the phones and to be able to write somewhere quiet and in the sun. I write the first draft in about 6 weeks, writing each day from 6-8am, 10-12noon, 2-4pm and 6-8pm. The manuscript is then typed up by my PA, and I work again on the typewritten pages. Only then is it shown to my agent and editor. I would normally go away again a couple of months later to edit it, after which it is given to my publisher.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt since releasing your first novel?

That just when you’ve finished the last page of the first draft, you haven’t even really begun – you’ve got to go on working.

We recently presented an article comparing the (as you say) sexy-voiced Mariella Frostrup with some glamour models. Who’s your ideal cultural pin-up?

Annette Benning.

Obviously, in the UK you are something of a household name. When touring abroad, how does your reception compare to local excursions?

This differs from country to country. In Australia I receive a very warm welcome, in America I remain known to only a relatively small core group of fans, and in India I’m about to find out as I’m doing a tour there in a few weeks time.

Apparently, you were once a PE teacher at Dover College and were very popular with your pupils, which is a bit of a rarity amongst PE teachers. Do you have any fond memories of this time, or were all your students as awful and lazy as I was?

I have very fond memories of my short stint as a PE teacher at Dover, and indeed I found the pupils immensely enthusiastic and hardworking.

Would you ever consider a return to teaching?

No.

Are there any passages from past novels which you are most proud of?

No.

And any particular sections you are most embarrassed about?

No.

Which literary figure do you think you could most easily take in a fight?

Alice in Wonderland.

We’ve been asking the readers of our blog the following question and it’d be great if we could hear your response: If the world was about to end due to some unfortunately unavoidable catastrophe, and you only had enough time to read a good book before civilization crashes down around you – what novel would you pick?

The Count of Monte Cristo

Finally, if you have time, could you sum up your opinion of ArtsWom in one pithy sentence?

A genuine rival to the Archer blog!

Jeffrey Archer joins fellow writers, Peter James and Constance Briscoe on The Book Show later on this month. Click here for more information.