Yann Martel’s Booker Prize-winning novel, Life Of Pi, promised it would make the reader ‘believe in God’. Now it is to be made into a film. Alan Taylor caught up with the unassuming author to find out what he thinks of his success and his book’s mythic transformation
Wonderful Success
It is early in the morning in the same hotel in Soho where two years ago, almost to the day, Martel awoke and found himself famous. The previous evening he had won the Booker Prize with his second novel, Life Of Pi. Now, as then, he sums up the experience in one word – “wonderful”. He is bleary with jetlag, having flown in from Montreal. Slightly built with a boyish face and a whippet’s body, Martel looks much younger than 41, tucking into a hearty breakfast of muesli and croissants. He has spent much of the past two years globetrotting, visiting around 20 countries, including a nine-month sojourn as a writer-in-residence in a college in a prairie town in Saskatchewan. But what he has not done a lot of is write.
The Movie Adaptation
To date, Life Of Pi has sold more than 1.5 million copies and the signs are that it will go on selling because it could soon be made into a movie. M Night Shyamalan, the director of The Sixth Sense, has acquired the rights and is doing the screenplay. “I get the impression it’s going to happen,” says Martel, “which to me is very exciting because I love movies. I’m curious to see what’s going to happen, how it’s going to happen.” One imagines not many Hollywood stars are terribly keen to share the billing with an animal which wouldn’t think twice about biting your head off. On top of which there is the natural anxiety of an author who has lost control of his own work. Martel, however, is confident that a way will be found to make the movie convincing and that Shyamalan will respect the spirit of the book. And if he doesn’t? “If it’s a good movie, I can say it’s based on my book. If it’s a bad movie, I can say it was because of the director.”
The Slow Writing Journey
Another author might be beating himself up with worry because of the dearth of words on the page. Not him. He has always been a slow writer, he says, having published just three books in a decade. He had no cares or commitments or dependants. He paid no rent, ate his parents’ food, took short-term jobs – tree planting, dishwashing, a security job – which wouldn’t interfere with his writing. That he was doing nothing to determine his future didn’t bother him. Nor did his parents put any pressure on him. Both of them are Canadian diplomats and his father is a prize-winning poet.
A Writer's Apprenticeship
“The key word is apprenticeship,” he says. “If you’re a bricklayer you can’t just build a house the first time round. The bricks will be all crooked and the wall won’t be straight. When I was doing this it was like a child discovering paint and daubing on paper. Really not having any notion that this was going to lead to a career. I still don’t think of writing as a career.”
Martel's Thoughts on Religion
Does Martel believe in God? Unlike Pi, he says, who is multi-denominational, taking what he needs from Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, he is non-denominational. In India, Pi’s homeland, where it’s comparatively easy to access all the world’s great religions, that’s entirely plausible. In the West, it’s much harder. When Martel goes to church in Montreal, where he’s based, it’s usually Catholic – though he recalls a particularly grim service in Stirling, where the minister delivered a grim sermon, the gist being: “You’re not here to f*** around.”
The Influence of Religion
Martel comes across as someone who has spent long hours considering his moral standpoint and evolving a way of living which has made him wary of accumulating too much baggage, be it property or a wife. In part, perhaps, he is also a product of his upbringing. Born in Spain, much of his early life was spent traveling. As a child, he lived in Alaska, Costa Rica, France, Iran, Peru, Ecuador, Turkey, and India, a country he loves and loathes in equal measure. Winning the Booker may have made him a millionaire, but he is still pleasingly staggered by his success.
Hotels and Comfort
Hotels play an important role in the life of a writer. They provide a space for solitude and focused work, away from the distractions of everyday life. Many authors find that the change of environment and the comforts of a well-appointed hotel room can stimulate creativity and productivity. Yann Martel, while on his globetrotting adventures, often stayed in hotels as he wrote and traveled. Hotels became a temporary home for him, offering the necessary peace and quiet for his creative process.
For writers, hotels serve as a sanctuary where they can immerse themselves in their work without the usual domestic responsibilities. The comfort and amenities offered by hotels allow authors to focus solely on their writing, uninterrupted by everyday chores. Additionally, the different atmospheres and aesthetics of various hotels can provide inspiration and influence the writer's mindset.
Some hotels even have dedicated writer's rooms or residencies, where authors can fully dedicate themselves to their craft. These spaces are designed to enhance productivity and provide a conducive environment for creativity. For Yann Martel, his time as a writer-in-residence in a college in Saskatchewan allowed him to fully immerse himself in his writing and further develop his storytelling skills.
Hotels also offer a sense of anonymity and a break from the routine of everyday life. This change in scenery can be refreshing for writers, providing new perspectives and ideas. Additionally, the opportunity to interact with other guests and hotel staff can lead to unexpected encounters and experiences that may find their way into the writer's work.
In conclusion, hotels play a crucial role in the creative process of many writers, providing them with the necessary solitude, comfort, and inspiration to bring their stories to life. Whether it's a small hotel room or a writer's residency, these spaces offer a temporary home for authors as they embark on their literary journeys.