Originally I wanted to be a diplomat, and by attrition I started giving up that idea. John Gimlette More Quotes by John Gimlette More Quotes From John Gimlette I don't want to pay good money to hear ordinary people's lunatic views. Most of the people who phone in are [lunatics] - certainly in Britain. John Gimlette phonesviewspeople I was talking to my publisher in Britain and was told here we are - we are sixty million people and we reckon only four hundred thousand people in Britain really read. John Gimlette fourtalkingpeople I wonder if this reason is partly geographical, that talk radio is so much more successful in North America than in Britain? People who are very remote - I'm thinking of Newfoundland - feel very connected though the radio. John Gimlette successfulamericathinking Radio is very popular [in Britain], but it doesn't connect us in the same way. It seems to have this community function. John Gimlette radiocommunityway There are 60 million of us [britains] crammed into an area the size of a state. So you don't have that feeling of remoteness at all, ever. And that's reflected in the way our media works, and so on. John Gimlette mediafeelingsway I often think I would like to come even closer to home and write about somewhere like Wales, for example - which we in England tend to be a little snooty about. That's where the coal comes from and that sort of thing. John Gimlette homewritingthinking A lot of books are sold and given away as presents. But who actually reads and enjoy reading? John Gimlette givenreadingbook I was writing the Paraguay book, a Paragauyan told me that only five thousand people in Paraguay read. John Gimlette writingbookpeople India, to some extent, courses through my blood. My father was brought up there, and my grandfather served there, and so on. We have a very strong family affinity for the place. John Gimlette strongfatherblood American travel writing is very healthy. I'm always flicking through the reviews and I see plenty of travel writing - and an impressive line up and continual demand. John Gimlette demandhealthywriting I'd like to write fiction. Perhaps at some stage. John Gimlette stagewritingfiction I feel better off doing what I know how to do. I feel a strong element of fictional style in travel writing anyway. Some call it creative nonfiction. John Gimlette feel-betterstrongwriting I think one should express opinions and these books are relatively opinionated. They would be a bit dry without it. John Gimlette would-bebookthinking I have dipped into Ian McEwan and so on. I tend not to stick with one writer. But I dip in here and there. John Gimlette diphere-and-theresticks One does have to learn to travel with a degree of humility and that reflected in writing and personality. John Gimlette humilitypersonalitywriting I realize how much [Mark] Twain fabricated things. I like it very much, but it's only half true. And it shows what he was trying to do, which was just entertain. Which he does very successfully, though the humor is almost dated now. John Gimlette halfdoetrying I am always surprised when people do get upset. Perhaps its just the nutty people who write to newspapers who get upset. John Gimlette upsetwritingpeople I find the public reaction to writing - it's fascinating in this modern age. Of course people are able to interact with me and email me, and I get quite a few I suppose. John Gimlette agewritingpeople What's fascinating is where they come from in the world. People in Bangladesh, a chap in a fire-base in Tikrit in Iraq. Chap in an Irish pub in Dublin. And lovely to think this literary network - or rather network of readers - is well spread out. John Gimlette iraqfirethinking I would love to write a book that opens people's eyes to the more interesting side. John Gimlette eyewritingbook
