Henry Chancellor is the author of the highly acclaimed Colditz: The Definitive History and James Bond: The Man and His World-The Official Companion to Ian Fleming's Creation. He has made many documentaries for television, including Escape from Colditz which won sweeping praise and has been shown all over the world. He lives in England with his wife and children. His new book is The Hidden World.

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1. How would you summarize your new book in one sentence?

The Hidden World takes Tom on a journey to the heart of Don Gervase Askary's extraordinary insect kingdom of the future, meeting new friends and old along the way.

2. How long did it take you to write this book?

About a year. I do a lot of writing notes, planning and thinking before I start, and then try and often fail to stick to it.

3. How did you choose your characters' names?

Choosing characters names is great fun. I use old dictionaries, shop signs, the net. There is a scientist called Smoot whom I saw on youtube listening to the sounds of the universe- whose name I shamelessly borrowed for this book. I also like the German tradition of putting two words together to make a new one, which can give you lots of exciting possibilities.

4. How many drafts did you go through?

About ten.

5. Who was the first person to read your manuscript?

First Chloe, my wife, who is a very good reader. Then Louis, my 12 year old son- who is also good- but perhaps a little more diplomatic than I would like him to be!

6. If your book were to become a movie, who would you like to see star in it?

Gosh there are probably lots of young Tom Scatterhorn's about. And Pearl? And Lotus? And Geronimo? I can see them all clearly but I am yet to see someone on screen who is them. Perhaps that is the thing about young characters- they always are on the page first. Older characters are easier: Don Gervase Askary could be Vincent Cassel, or maybe Alan Rickman. August Catcher could be Ian Mckellen, Sir Henry, Charles Dance, Arlo Smoot, Jack Black...

7. What's your favourite city in the world?

Rome, closely followed by many others.

8. Did you always want to be a writer?

I always wanted to tell stories. Writing them down was harder.

9. What was your very first story about? When did you write it?

I am often asked this question and I wish I could remember, because it was probably when I was about six and has long since been thrown away. I made a magazine called Moony - hand coloured in felt tip- which concerned the continuing adventures of Fungus the Bogeyman- who I was very taken with at the time. I wrote many stories about him.

10. What was your favourite book as a kid?

I read loads as a kid. One book that I read countless times was The Spell of Sleep, by Nina Bawden. I think I liked being terrified by the idea of never being able to wake up.

11. If you could be any character from any book, who would you be?

Sherlock Holmes probably- but Pooh Bear has a lot to recommend him.

12. If there was one book you wish you had written what would it be?

Probably Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. It has just over three hundred words, big ideas, brilliant pictures, and has almost certainly been read hundreds of millions of times.

13. If you could talk to any writer living or dead who would it be, and what would you ask?

I would like to ask Homer where he got all his incredible ideas from when he wrote The Odyssey.


14. How do you organize your library?

In hope over experience. Large picture books at the top- small at the bottom. I try to keep reference books very close to hand, but they usually all end up on the floor. I try to keep copies of my own books as far away as possible. Periodically I try to reorganise everything based on usefulness but I am messy by nature and it never works.

15. What's on your nightstand right now?

A book of Travellers Tales, edited by Eric Newby, and Marcovaldo by Italo Calvino. I can't read anything long or too exciting at that time of day.

16. Where is your favorite place to write?

I have a brick shed next to the house. Somewhere I can shut the door so it feels like I have gone somewhere else, even though I haven't. But in the winter I dread going in there as it is perishing cold and has no insulation.

17. Do you have any writing rituals?

Apart from just sitting down and doing it? I try to leave the last sentence I write unfinished, so I know how to start again the next day.
I also do a lot of pacing and doodling when I get stuck.

18. When do you write best, morning or night?

Daytime, most definitely. I start at 9 and just carry on until I have written 1500-2000 words. That could be by lunch- or by 6.30pm- which is more usual. But without some kind of target like that I'm useless.

19. What is the best gift someone could give a writer?

Self confidence. Believe in yourself. Yes its almost certainly all been done before, and better, but who cares? Whatever you do will be yours.

20. What is the best advice someone could give a writer?

I suppose this is connected with the above. Don't get too close to your heroes. If you try to write a book like someone you admire it won't ring true. Writing is a weirdly personal affair and you just have to trust in what comes out of your head.