Felicia Yap gives us an interview (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 1980). Yap studied Biochemistry at Imperial College London and did a PhD in History at the University of Cambridge.. Before dedicating himself completely to writing, has worked as a biologist, historian, teacher at Cambridge, theater critic and journalist specialized in technology. We asked him about his first novel The memory game (Maeva editions), thanking the publisher and especially Sara Fernández for her invaluable work as interpreter and translation. GINÉS J. VERA
In certain aspects, some passages of The memory game, especially at the beginning, with Claire's routine, they have reminded me of Fahrenheit 451, to the character of Mildred. Tell us about that parallelism between both dystopias with philosophical reflection on the perfect society model.
My literary agent, Jonny Geller, believes that a good work of fiction should act as a bridge between what is familiar and what is unfamiliar. You are right. That's why I started the book with elements that readers are familiar with., before taking the story along a more dystopian line. Dystopias are a clear reflection of our own world, especially of the darker sides of human nature and behavior, and they make us realize what our own society would be capable of doing. Dystopias have the power to scare us, to make us fear our own shadow, but they also help us better understand facets of ourselves..
There is a passage in the novel where Claire says that housewives like her are forced to measure their daily accomplishments by the number of things they have cleaned or put away.. You can see that halo of a sexist society in this story, Tell us about that machismo as an element introduced in your novel.
I have lots of unproductive days as a writer.. These days include days when I'm not feeling well or when ideas don't come to me.. I would call it “thinker's block.”, days when ideas fail to form. That's when I start counting the number of dishes I've washed., or the number of times I have run the washing machine. That comment probably comes from my personal experience., to think I've wasted the whole day (as a writer) knowing that I have only done some housework.
I think that one of the keys to the fast-paced pace of this thriller is undoubtedly how the novel has been plotted., by using several narrative voices to tell the story and the pulse against time of one of the characters. What was the most difficult thing when writing this novel??
I think my detective Hans Richardson was the most difficult voice to write in the beginning. Maybe because I don't normally put myself in the shoes of a forty-something police officer.. My contact at the Metropolitan Police sent me back ten pages of suggestions for editing his part, highlighting several errors about police procedures and what he would have done (or what not!) Hans Richardson. That helped me a lot. Since I worked harder on this character than any other, There came a time when he became the easiest and most intuitive character to write. Maybe because the things I have to work the hardest on often become the easiest.
Let us share an interesting reflection by Sophia, another key character in the novel, in a passage in which he states that loneliness is for the weak and self-pity is for idiots.
That's what Sophia thinks, of course. She is a character who needs to constantly remind herself to stay motivated., who must continue seeking revenge (and not feel sorry for yourself along the way). He also has the ability to do it because he is the only person in the universe of The memory gamewith complete memory capacity. That's why he says that loneliness is for the weak and self-pity is for idiots..
I found it curious that he introduced a writer among the professions of one of his characters., although what has caught my attention the most is that I would like to be a politician. Why have you introduced the theme of politics in your novel??
Wanted bets by Mark Henry Evans (the writer turned politician of my novel) were as high as possible. In 'The Memory Game', The police are convinced that he was the one who murdered his lover two days before. This threatens to ruin Mark's political career to be MP for South Cambridgeshire.. The bets on politicians in the campaign are usually higher
