Sophie Stratford talks to British writer Gavin James Bower about his first novel, Dazed & Aroused, music influences and his second book Made In Britain.

Gavin James Bower is a British writer and journalist. He graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2004 and he has written for FLUX, 3:AM Magazine and The Sunday Telegraph. He has also modeled for John Galliano and Hermes. His first novel, Dazed & Aroused, was published in 2009 and he has recently finished his second, titled, Made in Britain.

Dazed & Aroused is a fine debut. Written in a superior, vivid and ironic tone it illustrates a world where nothing is what it seems and that chaotic despair is never far away. The novel takes you on a high fashion adventure lead by twenty-something model Alex, as he hurtles between London, Paris and Milan and is absorbed in the ruthless world of the catwalk.

Was Alex’s life anything like your own when you were a model?

Alex was much more successful than I was, in terms of his ‘career’, but yes we did share a lot of experiences. His world was something I was comfortable recreating, when it came to giving the book’s narrator depth.

And most of the shoots, castings and encounters with people in the industry are based on my experiences.

Is anything in your book about the modelling world blown out of proportion or is it all true?

Having said that, a lot of it is exaggerated, or just plain made up.

The way Alex cheats his way through London, for instance, is based on my imagination, but the actual scenarios – things that were said, they way people behaved and spoke – were based on reality.

What made you want to write a novel?

I’d started writing during my degree, and the wanting to write a novel grew out of that.

I tried, unsuccessfully, to start a novel during my second year. It ended up just being sex scene after sex scene, and I realised I probably needed to address plot and, failing that, character before trying again.

What do you want people to gain out of reading your book? I want people to enjoy it. I wouldn’t have written a book if I didn’t want as many people as possible to read and enjoy it. It’s entertainment, and a story I wanted to tell.

I also wanted people to think about what happens to Alex, and why, and apply that to life as they know it – whether it’s the city they live in, or their friendship group, or whatever. The book, for me, is about empathy, and the consequences of not being able to feel that.

Where did the music influences come from in the book? Are they some of your favourite songs/artists? Or songs you listened to when you were a model?

The music struck me as appropriate for that world. They’re also songs and artists that I listen to.

A lot of it came from watching hour after hour of Fashion TV, to be honest, just waiting for a glimpse of nipple.

Was the storyline at all influenced by music you were listening to at the time? Any hidden messages?

The refrains throughout the book are definitely there for a reason, yes. But I wouldn’t want to give away any hidden messages…

Do you think music is important in literature?

As a writer I’m massively influenced by music. I listen to music when I write, and it’s very difficult for me to avoid trying to riff with words in the way musicians do. When all else fails, I just reproduce the lyrics verbatim.

For contemporary literature I think it’s very difficult to avoid referencing other aspects of our culture, and art – and why avoid it. It’s all part of the same, and helps tell the story.

Your new book Made In Britain, does this go in a different direction to Dazed & Aroused? If so, how does it differ? (When is it released?)

The book’s being edited right now, and it’s been much harder than D&A in terms of writing and rewriting.

The original draft was easy – a real stream of consciousness thing, which took only six weeks – but I’ve had to refine it. It’s more complex, utilising three narrators, all of whom are children.

It’s a very personal book, less of an indictment and more of a statement on what matters to me – where I’m from, what it’s all about, and why it should count for a lot more than it currently does.

It’s a love-hate story, really, and one I’m proud of.

Buy Dazed & Aroused from Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dazed-Aroused-Gavin-James-Bower/dp/0704371596/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259770368&sr=1-1

Gavin’s blog: http://gavinjamesbower.wordpress.com/