***Απαγορεύεται από το δίκαιο της Πνευμ. Ιδιοκτησίας η καθ΄οιονδήποτε τρόπο παράνομη χρήση/ιδιοποίηση του παρόντος, με βαρύτατες αστικές και ποινικές κυρώσεις για τον παραβάτη***
He came to Athens as a guest of PSICHOGIOS Publications to talk about his new book, entitled “The sect”. We had the chance to discuss with him about his relationship with Greece, his popular hero, his future travels and the mind voyage that his readers have been reading his books all these years. We met a warm, friendly gentleman whose smile became the beginning of a cordial chat.
We speak about Michael Katz Krefeld. He was born in Denmark in 1966 and he is a successful author of detective novels. He began his career as a screenwriter for short films and television series. He made his literary debut with the thriller ”Before the Storm”, with which he won the 2007 First Book Award of the Danish Police Academy of Literature. In 2012 he was voted Top Dane Author detective story. The book SECTEN (The sect) is the third part of the series starring the same detective. The series ranked third in police books of all time at the Danish Police Book Festival 2017.
Tessy Baila
When did you decide to start writing crime fiction novels?
Actually, my first book was published in 2007 but before that I had been writing for television and films for ten years. I really wanted to write crime but there were no crime shows, so I was writing whatever, comedy, everything. But I really enjoyed reading crimes. I was never in doubt about what I wanted to write. I didn’ t want to write anything else. I knew that crime was for me.
However you began writing screenplays so my question is how big was the distance between screenplays and novels? And what is your preference?
I think it is very big. I mean, there is something I took with me and this is the dialogue. I really enjoy writing dialogues. I also use scenes where people are connected and there is a conflict and things like that I use it from my tv background as well. But for me, the biggest difference when writing a book is that you don’t have anybody to interprete the film and make it into something else. Because you give the screenplay to someday else and put the music and everything else. As a screenwriter it’s interesting to see your things getting ready but for me it is more interesting to have a conversation with the big world you create in a book. Writing a book is much more difficult but it is rewarding.
Michael Katz Krefeld, photo Tessy Baila
Your books have been translated into a lot of languages and they have been very successful. Do you think that a successful translation of a book plays a significant role in the success of a book?
I think it is very important and, of course, it has been very important for me and for the agents I work with to find the right publisher, as their main job is not only to sell the book but to sell it to the right publisher. It doesn’t have to be the biggest publisher but someone decent, a publisher who knows the crime literature, maybe the Scandinavian literature and will find the right translator.
Michael Katz Krefeld,, Amerissa Basta, photo Tessy Baila
Do you communicate with your translators?
Usually, they tell me “I don’t understand this. What this is about?” You know, sometimes the sense of humor is different. But you know the funny thing about the sense of humor is that I’ve never had questions from the translators of the south part of Europe. The questions come from Norway and I thought we had the same sense of humor.
How do you see the success of crime fiction in the Scandinavian countries and what do you think the future will bring to this kind of novels?
The last five years the publishing house say that next year there will be another thing. Actually, new writers turn up every year. Of, course there is Jo Nesbo but people are interested in new Scandinavian writers and I think also the competition between the Scandinavian writers is quite high. I don’t know what is the case in the rest of the world but in Scandinavia writing is quite tough. It’s not just about someone who killed somebody. That’s not enough. There must be a theme, a mystery, the character’s feelings, how the society is. So we try to get these things in the story and sometimes it’s too much but a good novel usually is about creating an interesting character. And the books of the Scandinavian writers are very different. But people still say Scandinavian literature. So maybe the marketing “speaks” about Scandinavian literature but I think this can be appealing to different audience.
Michael Katz Krefeld,, Thanos Psichogios, photo Tessy Baila
What is your relationship with the detective Tomas Raun Raunshold ?
He is my good friend. Many people ask me: “Is it you?” He is not but we share a lot of things in common, we have the same values, we always support our friends. For me he is more like a friend. Also because he does a lot of stupid things, as a friend, and I think we always forgive our friends. So I have the same relationship with friends with Thomas.
Can you describe to us the ideal reader for you? Is there an ideal reader?
When I write I write for myself but when I am publishing I have mails from readers saying nice things and that’s super fantastic and also with the Facebook and the social media I am so available and I answer every mail I get. Not every day but when they are gathered I answer because I enjoy the communication. I think 12000 people follow me on the internet and I am really grateful for it because it means a lot. I like to write about my fictional character but when I finish that I also like to share it with somebody I get love from feedback from people who like the book and ask me “When is your next book coming”…
So, when is your next book coming?
Next year. I am not sure for Greece but in Denmark next year.
Would you like to tell us a few things about your own favorite writers, the writers you like reading and perhaps have been important for you?
As a crime writer I am very interested in the American literature, Michael Connolly, Cormac McCarty, I really enjoy reading them but when I was younger I read more classics. Unfortunately now, as I am writing so much I tend to read less because now I am coming up every year with a book.
Is it easy for you to write a book every year?
No, it takes a lot of time. I work eight-ten hours a day, six days a week. So, it takes a strict schedule, let alone travelling for the promotion of the book, discussion with the publisher.
Do you follow a strict schedule when you write?
Yes and No, because I start saying: “This is the best idea I’ve ever made!” and then I start writing this trying to “sketch” it out and try to find out who the main character is and what they are going to do. I have the theme. And then I write. I have the frame work but when I have the two thirds of the book it doesn’t work. I know that there is something else. The first time it happened I thought I will never finish the book. Now I know that it works like that. It’s not my plot it’s the character that leads the story.
Tessy Baila, Michael Katz Krefeld, Dina Sarakinou, photo Amerissa Basta
Is this your first time in Greece?
No, I have been years ago to the islands. I went to Corfu, to Crete even in Meteora.
What is the benefit of travelling to writing?
Yes, I think it is important for everybody to see the world, to open their eyes as one of our main problems in Denmark is that we are introverted so I think it is very good to open our eyes to see the world.
So, which is the next country you would like to visit?
I have a whole list. I would say Japan as there are many things I would like to see. A totally different civilization.
Do you think that if you visit Japan then it will be an inspiration for a next book?
I know that if I go to Japan I may have that influence.
Do you believe that literature can be the perfect bridge between the cultures and perhaps differences through nations?
I think that’s one thing I like most about it. When I visit countries I get questions about my books but definitely also about the state of Denmark and this is very interesting and as a person I like to see the cultures and I like to see the differences between people in other countries.
Tessy Baila, Michael Katz Krefeld, photo Amerissa Basta
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