Storytelling is in my family. Thirty years ago, my father used to tell my sister Stephanie and me made up tales of two crime-solving friends called Pete and Sam to keep us entertained on car journeys. Whenever I see my mother, she has a book in her hands. Stephanie has published eight novels and is writing her ninth. Members of my extended family have written short stories and screenplays, so perhaps it’s not much of a surprise that I ended up a storyteller too.
Chris Merritt
My family tree has long branches. My mum and grandmothers gave birth in their 40s. So, despite being born in the 1980s, I had a grandfather who was alive in the nineteenth century. My uncle was a tail gunner for the RAF in World War II, and my Irish grandmother grew up in Derry back in 1910 when Ireland was one united country. I love hearing about their lives from my parents.
I used to live in a shipping container. My first career was as a diplomat with the British Foreign Office, and at age 24 I was posted to Iraq. The diplomats and aid workers lived in a military base. Our accommodation was cobbled together from shipping containers with a door on the outside and a bed and sink inside. If you could block out the occasional explosion, it wasn’t that uncomfortable.
Many incidents in The Murder List are based on real life. Some news items or stories I’ve been told are so bizarre, tragic, or even funny you’d think they were fiction. I’ll always modify an event if I write about it, but the fact that something similar has really taken place gives me more confidence to write knowing that the plot is realistic.
I’ve worked with victims and perpetrators of crime. My second career as a clinical psychologist in the NHS has brought me into contact with many people affected by crime. I’ve helped victims overcome all kinds of trauma, while trying to understand what made someone else commit a crime. These experiences give my writing authenticity.
I write anywhere. Since I often need to travel for work now, I try not to be too particular about where I write. If I have my laptop and headphones, I’m pretty good at zoning out from distractions around me and just typing. The Murder List was written on planes and trains, in hotel rooms and cafés as far apart as Brussels, Cape Town, Addis Ababa and Doha – though most of it was written in my flat in south-east London.
I love climbing. When I lived in Jerusalem for my second diplomatic posting, my Norwegian neighbours taught me to climb – and I’ve never stopped. Now that I live in London, most of my climbing takes place indoors, but I still go once or twice a week. I’m addicted to covering my hands in chalk, holding my body sideways or upside-down, and trying to beat a route.
I have three tattoos. I’ve got an Egyptian ibis hieroglyphic to remind me to keep learning, some Arabic calligraphy that reads ‘my family’, and an old French quotation which basically means that life is what you make of it – Three ideas important to me.
I’m not good with royalty. At university I was one of a group of students chosen to meet the Queen when she visited. We had a protocol briefing about how to shake hands and what to say. We were told to address her as “Your Majesty” the first time, and “Ma’am” thereafter (to rhyme with ‘jam’). But as the moment arrived, the occasion got the better of me and when the Queen asked me a question about sport, I just nodded vigorously and replied: “Yeah, yeah.” – much to the amusement / despair of everyone around me.
I often fail. But I always try to work out why something hasn’t succeeded, learn from the mistake and – crucially – have another go at it. This has happened with everything from getting into university to applying for jobs and getting a book deal. But I normally manage to make it work second time around!
The Murder List: amzn.to/2BIuBtN
www.cjmerritt.co.uk
@DrCJMerritt