“Incapable”, “brainless”, “stupid”: writer William Boyd, takes no sheet before the mouth, when it comes to Brexit. With DW, he spoke about his book “the Blind love”, British politicians – and in a Rage.
Since the 1980s, William Boyd novels published and has become one of the world’s most successful English-language authors. He was born in 1952 as the son of a Scottish doctor and a Scottish teacher in Accra, in Ghana and at the time still part of a British colony.
In “Blind love”, Boyd’s latest novel, deals with the life of a piano tuner who is falling in blind love with the wife of a famous pianist. A melodramatic novel of over 500 pages traces the fate of a people in different European locations. But of course, speaks with a British author these days, especially on the current number one issue of the British: the Brexit.
Deutsche Welle: Mr. Boyd, as you are to Brexit?
William Boyd: He is a total disaster. I find the Situation totally embarrassing. It is a disgrace to our political class, a shame for our incompetent Prime Minister, for our inept leader of the opposition. The whole country is only determined by this event that are allowed to develop never would have. The Brexit is now come, after three years of out of control. The politicians seem to be, with few exceptions, to behave like headless chickens. You don’t know what to do.
23. March, many Brits took to the streets against exiting the EU to demonstrate in their country
The Exit Date 29. March has been postponed by two weeks, but I have no idea what is going to happen. Until Recently, I believed that I knew where to go. But after the events of the last two weeks, I can not say it. This is absolutely shocking.
You have followed the March in London last weekend against the Brexit. The Petition for the cancellation of article 50 (a Petition against the EU exit of great Britain, ed. d. Red.) has now been signed by more than five and a half million people. In our country as never before. This shows just how strong the Brexit busy people, as it touches the emotional.
The idea is to leave the EU, but actually only the idea of a small number of conservative member of Parliament, have been calling for decades, the detachment from Europe. Somehow you have the political process is influenced so strongly, and also David Cameron on their side. He has given in. Cameron is the main responsible. It’s his fault, his stupidity. This was then exacerbated by Theresa May, and her incompetence as a political leader. She has made a series of horribly bad decisions. And these are the people we have elected! It is a shame. I must stop now, otherwise I’ll talk myself into a Rage…
William Boyd: “today, We are in this mess because of David Cameron’s complacency.”
You have settled the “Blind love” in different European locations. One could almost say that you were aware of a European novel in mind. This is so?
I started the book long before the Brexit thing. I also do not believe that writers should write novels about contemporary events, as the events overtake you and the books very quickly become outdated. Novels about the Brexit likely to be written in 30 years. All great novels about historical moments have been posted quite a long time after the actual events. It is much to early to take a pen and paper in Hand and write about something in the Form of a novel.
Take, for example, the attacks of 9. September 2001. It has been already written a couple of novels about it, but in the end, it is still too early for that. Since we probably need another 20 years to 11. To understand September. And so will it be with the Brexit – up of dust over Brexit has moved. Someone will then write about a novel – if it is then still interesting enough.
So, I’m not a novel writer who deals with the day-to-day events of life, which has overtaken quickly. I prefer to write about General human things that are timeless. This relates to all people and not just those who live just in this Moment, in London.
In Boyd’s new novel, “Blind love” is a piano tuner main protagonist
In these days, the events in London come thick and fast, followed by a vote on the vote. Do you have any idea how it might go?
I’m always been asked by European Newspapers to write about the Brexit, there were Italian, French, Swiss and Belgian. For whatever reason you have asked me, finally, I’m no expert in such things. But I guess they wanted to novel simply a writer instead of a political journalist. I have always talked a good Brexit Deal. I have always prepared a forecast, in a compromise, the speech – simply because we British were always very good. I believed so, always keep in mind that a Deal would be made – up two weeks ago. I don’t believe that now because of the split in the conservative party is so large, and because the group of “Little Englanders” have taken command…
…what do you mean exactly by “Little Englanders”?
That’s a figure of speech. This refers to people who have a kind of fantasy vision of great Britain, of his “glorious past”, the virtues of the British. It is not so meant as a compliment. The phrase means to dream people, living in the past, from the British Empire, a rose-colored belief. It is a civic group of privileged Englishmen who have liked the never really liked foreigners never. Englishman, living in a kind of mythical British Empire, with ideas of what is allegedly “real British”.
“Obvious incompetence in Governance” – William Boyd about Theresa May
So, what’s next?
I think if next week is not something totally Surprising happens, then anything is possible. There are more than six options on the table currently. My once-confident prediction that we will find a compromise, a so-called soft Brexit, is only one of many possible outputs, and options. At the moment I’m just desperate.
Why do you think the British have voted in the Referendum at all?
First of all: the strange thing about The Brexit vote is Yes, only a third of the population has voted in favour of the Brexit! A third voted against. The remaining third did not vote. If you just say so: “The people have not spoken”, then it’s true! Only a third of the British population has spoken.
At the time, has done a very strange coalition together. The said “Little England”mentality. This group then has at the time of the vote to a second group found that for the Brexit was, namely, the dissatisfied, the suspended part of the working class, a minority even in the case of Labour: people who always have “links” files, but also real problems. Their Jobs were bad, the places where they lived, were neglected. Everyone made Europe for its special problems. This is actually completely illogical and stupid, too: The two groups have nothing in common, apart from the fact that they see Europe as the origin of all their problems.
The Moment David Cameron, who was Worried about a couple of seats in the Parliament at some point in the future. He has, therefore, the Brexit vote on the agenda, especially at a time when the sentiment was anti-European. It’s Cameron’s fault, his responsibility. Today, we are in this mess because of David Cameron’s complacency. This is the brutal consequence of his policy, which has found its continuation in the amazing incompetence of Theresa May. We are currently without any form of control on the open sea – let’s see if we can find again in the safe Harbor.
You are born in West Africa, in Ghana, and grew up in Nigeria, lived there, they were trained in Scotland and England – has to do this internationality something to do with your views today on the Brexit?
Yeah, I’m kind of Africans, I was born there. Africa was for the first 20 years of my life, my home, my home, even if I was trained in Scotland, in the UK. I always felt like an outsider: I was never really Scots. And of course, I’m also not African, although I’ve lived there intermittently.
I think, I was never integrated, and that probably is a very good prerequisite for a writer. I always look at things from the Outside and can see maybe some of the craziness and stupidity a little clearer.
Perhaps this is but only because I was so busy with the British to live like a writer. But I also have to say that about 99.99 percent of all authors do not want to leave the EU and not to the camp of the Brexiteers. The European Union is a very anti-intellectual Position. And so it is deeply frustrating to deal with this mentality of the “Little Englanders”.
The interview conducted by Courtney Tenz and Jochen Kürten.
William Boyd’s new novel, “Blind love” appeared in the Kampa publisher and has 508 pages. ISBN 978 3 311 10004 1.