Navigating Life and Laughter

Quick-Fire Q&A with Hugh McMillan

Join us as Hugh McMillan, author of Diverted to Split, takes part in our series of quick-fire Q&As!

What is a quick-fire Q&A?

We have our interviewee pick a number at random and we ask them the general question listed next to it.

Shortly after we switch to asking book-specific questions, to give you a brief insight into our wonderful writers and their books.

What would you tell your younger self?

I would probably have said to work harder and not be so lazy.

Where is your favourite place to write?

I like to write when I'm on the move, trains, buses, things like that. I get stimulation from seeing other things.

In transit that's my favorite place.

What music do you like to listen to?

I love traditional music – like Celtic rock.

What is the most difficult thing about being an author?

Not making any money.

I mean, it doesn't make a difference because you've got to write anyway. But it would help to make a living wage out of it.

If you could describe yourself in five words, what would they be?

Lazy, optimistic but essentially funny.

What job would you be terrible at?

Anything with practical skills. I am rubbish at putting up shelves or home improvements.

What was your favourite thing about writing this collection?

I don't know, because the collection sort of wrote itself.

It's just the poems I've been writing over the last year and a bit.

How would you summarise Diverted to Split?

I think I would summarise it as miserable with some humour inbetween.

Why did you choose the title that you did?

Well, it was a title of one of the poems, but that came about because I was going on a plane to Greece, which was diverted to Split. It was actually a sort of a diversion to split, but it seemed like a metaphor as well.

Why did you choose the cover that you did?

Amy [our Luath Press Sales & Marketing Co-ordinator] designed the cover and I really liked it.

What is something people would not know about this book just by reading it?

They probably would not know the kind of things that are going on that underpinned a lot of the book. There were lots of turbulent times going on in our lives.

If the book could have any other title, what would it be?

The original version was called Glass, which was a good choice for a title too.