What is your book about?
The King of Spain (http://apostrophebooks.com/books/literaryfictio/kingofspain/ ) is about love and hope. Friendship. Technology. Old age. Bears.
How long had the idea of your book been developing before you began to write the story?
About six months
What inspired you to write this particular story?
The fact that so much had been produced, both in fiction and in film, that saw the end of the world coming as one big, fat filmic catastrophe. I think what’s more likely, and in a way more scary, is that the world simply drifts on, along its current path. So basically I wanted to offer another perspective.
How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book?
Little bits.
Tell us a little about your main characters. Who was your favorite?
Hal is my favourite. He’s rude and churlish and he makes me laugh.
Who is your most unusual/most likeable character?
Most unusual: Alan (part man, part kestrel, with a penchant for stock piling antique weaponry). Most likeable: Sam. Or maybe Dr Fell.
Why will readers relate to your characters?
Because they are heartfelt and because they are products of their environment, of the world of the book.
What is your goal for the book, ie: what do you want people to take with them after they finish reading the story?
To provoke thought.
What challenges did you face as you wrote this book?
Very little time. Pregnant wife. Exhausting day job.
Do you think writing this book changed your life?
Writing the book allowed me to start to believe in myself, in the ideas and the hopes and the dreams I have professionally.
How has your background influenced your writing?
Nonsense is integral to my work. A sense of the absurd, a certain sort of madness that is quintessentially British.
Pat Bertram Introduces . . . 
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