Philip Henry started writing sketches while studying Performing Arts and quickly moved on to short stories and screenplays. He wrote a sitcom, The Lodger, while studying music at Barnsley College and a film, Five, a year later. A year after that he wrote Arcane and felt he finally had written something that was good enough to get made. Arcane is being considered for production by a movie company at the moment. Having the positive feedback from Arcane was enough encouragement for him to write a novel. The novel, Vampire Dawn, is due for release in early 2004. Philip Henry lives in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, where he bases all of his fiction. Questions and Answers What are you currently working on? I'm writing my second novel, provisionally titled Perception. It's about a monster killing the students of a high school. Like Vampire Dawn it's set around my hometown but the monster is something that I've never seen used in a horror story before. Watch this space. Who is you favourite author? I'd have to say Stephen King. He's come up with more original ideas over the years than any other writer I've read. He also uses very little blood and violence and still manages to convey menace. If you could give one piece of advice to a would-be author, what would it be? Keep Going! Every writer will tell you that there's a point in every novel where you ask yourself: "Is this any good, or should I give up?" Work through it and keep writing and when you get to the end, read it over and decide what stays and what goes. It's a lot easier to edit than it is to create. When did you first feel that you were an author? It had to be when the publishing contract for Vampire Dawn landed on my doorstep. I don't think it has fully hit me even yet. Maybe when I'm finally holding a copy of Vampire Dawn in my hands I will be able to give you a better answer. Are you for or against e-books? I'm against them personally. I think if you put your novel on the Internet it will end up being downloaded illegally and the authors will suffer from not receiving any royalties. We all want to have enough money to stay at home and write. Hackers can find a way around any safeguard; look what downloadable mp3's have done to CD sales. Are you a music fan? If so, what? I always have music playing when I write so I listen to quite a lot. Mostly I listen to rock music like Manic Street Preachers, Pearl Jam and Feeder. In my more mellow moments I enjoy Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Counting Crows, Coldplay and Sheryl Crow. What gives you nightmares? The possibility of writers block and the reality of threatening letters from my bank manager. Have you ever used real life horrors for inspiration? There's a lot of them in the book I'm working on now. I grew up in the country and me and the other kids were always telling ghost stories and daring each other to go into supposedly haunted places. I think this is where I developed an addiction to fear and the unknown. Given the high quality of horror fiction available, why do you think there are so few great horror movies? Hollywood is run by businessmen in suits. I think if it were left to genuine artists to decide how to produce or direct horror movies they would be a lot better. The last good spooky movie I saw was Identity - if you haven't seen it, do! Is there anything more that can be done with vampires, demons and zombies? Sure there is. Read Vampire Dawn when it comes out - you won't have read anything like it before, I guarantee it. What book are you reading at the moment? I've just started reading Insomnia by Stephen King. I'm trying to do the whole King backlog - just finished Pet Semetery - but I'm only about half way there. Plug away - what do you have coming out? Have I mentioned Vampire Dawn? It should be out very soon and I can't wait to hear what people think of it. Everyone always asks: "Who is it like?" and I don't know what to say except - It's like me! Hopefully I will get my second novel finished in the next month or so and then I'll write the sequel: Vampire Twilight and the final part Vampire Equinox will be somewhere down the line as well. Many Thanks, Phil! Relevant Links Philip Henry Main Bibliography Philip Henry's Website Black Death Books Website