The Writers Write Interview – Peter Godwin

In this post, we share our interview with Peter Godwin. The Zimbabwean author answered our questions in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Peter Godwin is a Zimbabwean author, journalist, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, and former human rights lawyer. When a Crocodile Eats the Sun – a Memoir of Africa, won the Borders Original Voices Award, and was selected by American Libraries Association as a Notable Book winner for 2008.

The Writers Write Interview With Peter Godwin

Author: Peter Godwin
Birthday: 4 December 1957
Date: 6 November 2006
Where: The Hyatt Hotel, Rosebank
The Book: When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa (Picador)

1. Who is your favourite hero of fiction?

Don Quixote

2. What is your most treasured possession?

It would have to be my Apple laptop… Or my grandfather’s Navy dogtag.

3. Which living person do you most dislike?

Myself, on occasion

4. What is your greatest fear?

Alzheimers

5. Who or what has been the greatest love of your life?

My kids – being a parent opens up a new chamber in your heart.

6. What is your greatest regret?

Gosh, there are so many. Not reaching my father before he died.

7. If you could choose to be a character in a book, who would it be?

One of Graham Greene’s whiskey priests.

8. Which book have you read the most in your lifetime?

Catholic Order of Service – in daily mass at Jesuit College.

9. What is your favourite journey?

Up the Chimanimani mountains in Eastern Zimbabwe

10. Which do you prefer? Cats or Dogs?

Both

11. What quality do you most admire in a woman?

Lust

12. Which book that you’ve written is your favourite?

My latest one, of course: When A Crodile Eats The Sun

13. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Trim adjectives.

14. What are your favourite names?

Hugo, Thomas, and Holly

15. What do you do as a hobby?

Trim adjectives

16. What are your top three books?

The Soul of the White Ant by Eugene Marais The Emigrants by W G Sebald In a Free State by V S Naipaul

17. Where do you get your greatest ideas for writing?

Asleep.

 by Amanda Patterson

If you want to read more of our interviews, click here