No sleep til book’s done

How was your 2012?

I’ve no idea! I spent the first half of the year writing the book and I spent the second half touring it. That’s been my year.

Highlights?

I received an outstanding achievement award in London at the British Book Awards – that wasn’t bad. I got to meet Mick Jagger at a party in London. I saw Alice Cooper in concert in Edinburgh, although I didn’t manage to get backstage.

So the year has been consumed by the writing of ‘Standing in Another Man’s Grave’?

They all are. I started writing the book on the 9th January. I finished it at the end of the June. It has been promoted ever since. The BBC have spent the whole year tracking me writing the book for a documentary that came on a few weeks ago (‘Ian Rankin and he Case of the Missing Detective’). It just seems the whole year has been taken up by this book.

Any recommendations of novels released in 2012 for Press readers?

‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn is the best thriller I read in 2012. It’s published by my publisher (Orion), but that’s not why I’m choosing it.

You’re a big music fan, what releases from 2012 can you recommend?

The new Van Morrison (‘Born to Sing: No Plan B’) is very good, so is the new Bob Dylan (‘Tempest’). Young Scottish band Django Django had an excellent first album. I’ve done an ‘albums of the year’ for my website (see below).

How did you spend Christmas?

Incredibly quietly with my family. My wife and I pretty much decided we are cancelling Christmas this year because I’m just back from this tour and I’ve got a big tour coming up so I have no time to do Christmas decorations or shopping. We’re not having a tree, just a very quiet time. That sounds really grumpy…but it’s just that I don’t have time for Christmas.

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Standing In Another Man’s Grave is out now.