I found this very inspiring and encouraging:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/the-art-of-writing-hanif-kureishi-reveals-how-to-succeed-in-the-worlds-of-fiction-and-film-2231223.html

I've just read this. Yes, it's a really good article.

Good article. I heard Kureishi speak as a judge for the Times Short Story competition at the Oxford Literary Festival last year, along with AS Byatt. He was a relaxed and humorous speaker and I could imagine him an inspiring teacher.

By coincidence I was reminded of him again on Saturday when Shirley Anne Field was giving a talk with film clips at the Cinema Museum in Soth London. One of the clips was from 'My Beautiful Launderette'. I also saw 'The Buddha of Suburbia' again on recently.

The points that occurred to me, apart from the very high quality of the writing that made the films so successful, was the very strong influence of his father.

The other point, not unconnected, is how well placed Kureishi was in to follow his inclinations. Although his father's clerking role is downplayed he was in fact a very influential and well-to-do civil servant. They enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. How many writers could so casually dismiss the 'offer' of a career in journalism, especially after dropping out of university, a time when it wasn't so easy to get in?

So yes, he could go for it, but it's not just inspiration that takes care of the pram in the hallway problem -it's having the where-withall that counts, to pay for time in the first place.

Sheila

Anyone who's ever met him and talked to him more than a few times will know that he's abit weird. Anyways...