Spike Magazine

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Interview [published January 2002]
Will Self: Biting The Hand That Feeds
Chris Hall serves up a slice of Will Self with the publication of his second
collection of journalism, Feeding Frenzy
Chris Hall: First off, congratulations on the birth of
your new son, Luther.
Will Self: Yeah, little baby Luther. He was born on
August 8, so he’s a couple of months old now.
CH: So I suppose you’ve had people pointing out the
Superman connection with your other son Alexis (i.e.
Lex Luther)?
WS: Yes … It just arose. In my experience with names,
they just arise. I was always quite keen on Dmitri because
Alexis and Ivan so with the third one you could
have the Brothers Karamazov. But Deborah didn’t
think that was funny.
CH: So how do you find the time for all this writing?
WS: Well, I have cycled back quite a lot this year in
that I resigned from The Independent before Luther
was born, so it’s the first time in more or less 10 years
when I haven’t had an ongoing newspaper contract. So,
I took fairly extensive paternity leave. But, you know
now it’s building back up again.
CH: No plans for a regular column again?
WS: I don’t think I’m going to take another weekly
contract of any kind in the foreseeable future. I’ve got
BUY Will Self books online from and
this floating series of interviews with women that I was
doing for the Sindie [Independent on Sunday], none of
which are in Feeding Frenzy but which will get a book
of their own. I must of done 20 to 25 women over the
last two to three years but I wanna do about another ten
before I pick my best women to put in the book. But, I
haven’t found a home for my women yet. I mean, The
Independent were happy for me to do them freelance
but to be frank I just wasn’t interested.
CH: Why did you only interview women?
WS: I like women! Dammit, I like women!
CH: You gave Margaret Beckett the full treatment,
didn’t you?
WS: I was very mean to her. And of course you always
regret it because I think in interviewing there’s a real
sense of ‘did I have a successful bowel movement that
morning’ kind of feeling about it isn’t there? You go in
to interview someone and you’re constipated and you
think they’re the worst person you’ve met and you go
in to see them another day when your stomach is full of
gaily coloured butterflies and you think they’re the best
thing since sliced bread so you grow weary of that as an
451
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