Dear Readers,

Anna Goodall

PP14 brings you exclusive interviews from three very different writers…

Our first is with maverick writer, filmmaker and technophile Mike Figgis. Most well-known for his 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas, Figgis talks to us about the art of screenwriting, the process of translating a script from the page to celluloid – ‘the best scripts are very, very simplified documents’ – and the inevitable frustrations this process engenders, as well as the emancipating possibilities of digital film.

We also caught up with the acclaimed writer and historian William Dalrymple when he visited London to promote his new book, Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India. He talks to PP about his account of a modern-day India struggling to fuse ancient tradition and sacred belief with a rapidly modernising society, as well as how the art of travel writing has changed since he began twenty years ago.

Finally we talk to the poet Mark Waldron about his darkly original works, where he gets his inspiration from… and what his favourite flavour of crisps is. We also publish two brand new poems by Mark.

Elsewhere, poet Kate Kilalea reviews S/S/Y/K’s third poetry anthology, we consider Heather Phillipson’s new collection from Faber, and review The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy, which introduce us to Tolstoy’s passionate, intelligent and frustrated wife, whilst giving the reader a fascinating look into Tolstoy’s writing life.

Plus we find out what Bond composer and super-producer David Arnold likes to read, and publish an extract from writer and performer Nikesh Shukla’s work-in-progress novel Coconut Unlimited – a hilarious account of trying to start a hip-hop band in Harrow in the 1990s.

And, of course, PP14 brings you the very best new fiction and poetry from established and up-and-coming writers.

Enjoy.

Pen Pusher