Interview with Dr Raymond Fenech author of The Incident of the Mysterious Priest and Other Stories
- At what point did you decide to be an author and what was your path to publication?
When I was 13. I had written an essay, Snow Storm which my English Language teacher had assigned to the whole class. Apparently, she was very impressed as I was still in Form III at Secondary School. A couple of days later, she called me aside and knowing I was taking sciences and had been for three years, she advised me to reconsider taking up arts. She insisted in the essay, she detected I had a unique talent for writing. Well, my English teacher, Kay Abela was bang on target. I took her advice and never looked back.
My life as a writer is all connected and very complicated. It started on a professional basis when I was 17. The first decade was all about working as a freelance reporter with my very first exclusive interview with George Mitchell, director of The Black and White Minstrels’ Show published in a local English political newspaper, The Democrat.
Within 2 years, I found myself working as a full-time journalist with the English leading newspapers, The Times and Sunday Times of Malta. I consider myself a self-taught writer, because in Malta, way back in the early 70s, writing and journalism weren’t even considered a profession. So I learned the trade mostly by trial and error.
Later, I enrolled for my first diploma courses in journalism with two UK based journalism colleges. This period covered almost the first decade of my writing career. When I look back, I sometimes wonder how I survived working for over seven years under the Mintoffian Regime, or as journalists described it at the time, ‘The Reign of Terror’, when Malta’s democracy and freedom of speech were at risk of being wiped out and journalists working for Democratic opposition newspapers risked all sorts of physical and mental abuse.
Six months before I joined The Times of Malta, its offices had been attacked by a group of thugs from the Mintoffian Regime and gutted by fire. The attack was the first of many others including, on the Law Courts, the Archbishop’s Curia, and the Nationalist Party leader of the opposition’s private home.
But I also remember that despite my work didn’t allow me much free time, I wrote still poetry and at 17 started trying to submit my work abroad using the Writer’s and Artist’s Year Book. It was a very slow and painful process, as well as expensive. All submissions had to be prepared on a typewriter, using carbon paper to keep copies of the poems. With every submission, a Self-Addressed Envelope, an International Reply Coupon (stamps to pay for the editor’s reply) and a cover letter to the editor had to be included. It took months, sometimes years waiting and then only to receive a rejection note. Until, the occasional first acceptance slips started to come – from there on, I started to gain confidence and my writing was all the time improving.
- What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel (aka “UP syndrome”) or do you finish your current project first?
Well, I am not just a prose writer, or a journalist but also a poet. It depends what the idea that ‘jumps out’ is all about. If it’s a poem, I have to write it immediately, or else risk losing it altogether. Poetry is not like prose, at least not in my case. What I write comes through to my mind in what I describe as some kind of channeling. The words, the lines start to come to my mind so fast, at times I have a problem to keep up with the speed of the lines as they come. When a poem ‘jumps at me’, even if it’s three in the morning, I have to get out of comfortable bed and go to my study to write it down. Most of these poems arrive almost perfect, and require little or no editing. It’s an amazing process that I cannot explain. Sometimes I think the idea, the whole poem is sent to me from beyond. If I choose to stay in bed, wait for the next day, I wouldn’t even remember a single word from the night before.
As for prose, articles, short stories, memoirs, no those can wait. However, I still have to take note of what I want to write about. Otherwise it’s not the first time I relied on my memory, saying: I’m going to write about some event, or a person who influenced my life and then forget some important details. So in this case, the best is to write short notes, enough to guide my mind and inspiration to the initial idea, story, or the article. The details usually automatically then fall into place like a jigsaw puzzle.
- Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding of your attention and detail as a writer?
There is really no ‘favourite character’ I like writing about. A subject or a theme, yes, but not a character. The subject I like writing about is, everything that’s under the sun. The first thing I learned during my the time working as a journalist was I had to be capable of writing about everything that made news, from a parliamentary report, a mass meeting, a demonstration, a murder, a ballet review, an interview with the famous personalities to a simple car accident.
It’s why I believe that no matter the genre of writing any aspiring writer decides to specialize in, journalism is the best foundation he could ever receive to bring his writing capability to its very best. I go as far as comparing journalism with poetry. Both have to be concise, to the point, require a startling introduction and leaving out unnecessary adjectives. This also applies to article, short story and novel writing.
My favourite subject is the supernatural, but I love to write about people’s sagas. I believe that every living person has a story to tell. Hemingway, my favourite writer, mostly wrote about personal experiences, and people he met or spoke with.
My poetry belongs to what Canadians would call, people’s poetry. Milton Acorn was the Canadian poet who started the ball rolling using this style of poetry which to start with consists of writing in people’s everyday language. The details and subject matters are those you will find providing joy or the utter most grief to humans in general.
Unfortunately, for many years literary academics quite forgot all about the origins of poetry – that it was actually created to entertain, (Shakespeare and Chaucer being two of the finest examples – and the first people to enjoy this art were the illiterate and the poor. Suddenly, poetry became an elitist art, reserved only for academics, critics and some of the poets themselves most of these all belonging to tight parochial literary organizations that catered only for the privileged few. The fact schools taught poetry in a horrendous manner, making it the nightmare of every child and student until it became probably one of the most hated subjects didn’t help much either. And then we wonder why people cringe no sooner you mention the words, poet or poetry?
- Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?
You know, again, having worked for quite a few years as a journalist, editor, PR and copywriter, I was forced to learn to write without really having much time to plan. But then, you cannot plan a poem really. When you are writing a sonnet, you have to keep the right meter and rhyme, but the theme would be the real focal point of my writing.
As for writing a story, well the inspiration would come usually based on something that truly happened. And good stories don’t need much planning when you are writing straight from the heart about something that truly happened because you have to write it as it happened.
Of course, if I’m writing an article about Vlad the Impaler, you really need to find a good introduction, perhaps a shocking opening that would stun the reader to make sure he does not fall asleep on his couch. Other than that, story writing, if based on true events and I strongly believe these are the best and most successful stories that will stand the test of time, there isn’t that much planning.
- What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
An endless list. Well I think if we are going to aim this reply at kids – I teach kids creative writing – and I always tell them to read the classic authors: Jules Verne, Sir Walter Scott, R.M Ballantyne, Oliver Twist, Thomas Hughes, and Alexander Dumas. For the more adult students I always recommend, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Graham Greene, Franz Kafka, F Scott Fitzgerald, HG Wells, Thomas Hardy, Gustave Flaubert, G.K Chesterton, Anais Nin, Alexander Pushkin, Denis Wheatley, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to mention but a few.
- Tell us what you enjoy most about writing.
Well I’m not sure many people realize that writing is therapeutic to the mind, the body and the soul. Besides being a writer, I am also a qualified poetry and a writing therapist. The first time I wrote something was about my angry feelings at a cruel world that had neither respect for humans, nor for the environment, never mind animals. And I wrote this on a very little diary that had a lock and a key and which was a birthday present from my mother. I remember my anger and I also remember what a calming effect writing about my angry feelings had on my mind and how I slept better having got it all off my chest. I must have been 14 at that time.
In 2006, I came across a book called, The Healing Word by Fiona Sampson. I was doing my bachelor’s degree in creative writing and was inspired to write a thesis on Poetry Therapy. I didn’t know anything about this subject until then, so I wrote to several academic institutions that offered courses in this subject. One of them was the Creative Righting Center, at Hofstra University in New York. I wrote to Professor Sherry Reiter, the director founder of the National Association of Poetry Therapy in the USA to request information about the courses. Alas I remember I couldn’t afford the tuition fees, which were something like $375 per credit hour. The course required 120 credit hours of study. So I wrote back to Professor Reiter and simply told her I couldn’t afford it and if there was some other cheaper way to learn about the subject. I also gave her my reason for not being financially capable of paying that kind of money: at the time I was battling cancer and was unable to work. A week later, she wrote back informing me that the centre was offering me a scholarship.
I enjoy writing not only as a therapy, but because I can immortalize people who I think deserve to be remembered. So many people who have done great things in life pass away after their short journey in this world and no one knows about their good deeds.
Sometimes my blood boils when evil people who have done a lot of harm to others, politicians who have devastated their country by their selfishness, corruption and destructive ego, simply because they have the power are portrayed as legends and heroes. Then they die and their colleagues, even politicians who never agreed with them jump on the same band wagon glorifying their careers. To add insult to injury, the state then gives them a state funeral, the expenses of which are paid from the people’s taxes. These evil characters make excellent material for writing.
- What have you found to be most challenging about writing?
Well I guess the most challenging thing in writing is trying to be as communicative as possible. Keeping your hands on people’s pulses and recognizing what they want to read. That way when I write, they can assimilate their feelings, their own experiences, good or bad, sad or full of joy with mine. I try to do this all the time in all my stories, articles or poems.
- Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in your writing?
All the time. As I said, journalism was for me the best foundation for my writing capabilities because I learned how to write about anything and can do it on short notice and at great speed. Besides that, I met so many different people whilst I was a roving reporter and even more when I was editor of quite a few magazines and anthologies.
Once, I remember I used to work for a business credit rating bureau and even then, the summary one has to write about the company ‘under investigation’ was fun and challenging. This seemed easy for me for example, but proved quite a nightmare for my boss. He just didn’t know where or how to start. That was thanks to my journalistic, copywriting and PR background. Every other job I had was basically in the same league as journalism. Working as a PR and copywriter for one of the largest advertising agencies in Malta again proved easy for the same reason, my past journalistic experience. Then, I went on to set up an in-house advertising agency for one of my own clients, the largest travel agent in Malta. When the proprietor asked me to found a travel magazine, The Globe Trotter, I found it all very easy, great fun and loved writing travel articles. It was the first magazine in Malta that had foreign writers from about eight countries. These writers all came from the previous contacts I had made, either working as a journalist, or when publishing work abroad and getting acquainted with editors of several foreign publications.
- Do you identify with your main character or did you create a character that is your opposite?
No, I do not identify my characters with me, unless of course I’m writing my memoirs – in fact I am at the moment. Characters are based on people I knew, family members or friends, people I met, or people that have been through some strange sagas, accidents, or life’s cruel destiny. I am never the protagonist in a story. The people I write about are the heroes or the main characters.
Having said that, I do believe that my character, my personality, the Christian values and principles I strongly uphold are reflected in my writing. If I’m writing a poem against the building construction mania that has been ongoing for over three decades in Malta, demolishing beautiful houses of character, with no regard or respect for our architectural heritage, our identity, never mind the environment, then yes, you will identify me very easily as one hell of an infuriated, ruthless environmentalist you wouldn’t like to cross swords with.
- Describe the [book/series] in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.
The Incident of the Mysterious Priest and Other Stories is a collection of paranormal experiences based on various personal and other people’s experiences as well as research.
“During my career as a journalist, writer and paranormal enthusiast and researcher, I have witnessed enough supernatural experiences, some of which were personal whilst others were cases passed onto me by other people, too many cases for me to safely say I could debunk. Because a journalist cannot afford to be gullible and because I was a sceptic myself for many years, I now feel I have seen enough proof and more than the eye can see in the tens of thousands of supernatural experiences by so many people from all walks of life. Indeed, it would be foolish to classify all these as cases of insanity or classify as some form of mental illness. To this effect, many researchers, scientists, parapsychologists, paranormal investigators, and genuine psychics have dedicated many years of study in this field.
But this book also contains stories from my personal memoirs and the memoirs of Malta’s foremost veterinary surgeon, who like myself embarked on his career aged 17 after winning a scholarship that took him to communist Hungary, then still one of the East European countries behind the Iron curtain. I have no idea how he succeeded because on arrival he discovered all lectures and text books for the veterinary course were in Hungarian! I only wrote a few of his stories, some are frighteningly strange, others will make you laugh and others have a touch of the Supernatural. The book also includes some very interesting articles, including one about the first Serial killer, Jack the Ripper, the Great Siege of Malta of 1565 and a group of school children who went missing whilst on a guided tour of the Hypogeum Temples in Malta.
- Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
I have always been an open minded person and accept and respect the opinions of other people who are non-believers. But just as I respect their opinion, I expect them to respect mine. There are some self-proclaimed scientists who are totally biased against anything to do with the paranormal. To add insult to injury, they have the gall of labelling millions of people who have had personal paranormal experiences as being psychotic, or delusional.
I have read articles written by scientists that are evidently full of bias against everything that is supernatural, including exorcisms. And this is where I thought these sounded phony, almost as if the authors had some kind of grudge or ulterior motive for sounding so angry and determined to debunk things that are beyond human understanding. Their arguments sounded ludicrous especially when I read some of the criticism by some of their own fellow scientists who had no hesitation whatsoever to declare their drivel as totally biased and unfounded.
These people speak about exorcisms but they never followed a real live exorcism rite. Unlike them, I have. They do not even know the protocol before such a rite can actually take place. An exorcism can be performed only after the subject would have gone through extensive and meticulous medical and psychiatric tests undertaken of course by doctors and psychiatrists. These tests take a long time, months, sometimes even years. Only when science fails to find anything wrong with the subject’s physical or mental health, can the exorcism rite take place. Three years ago The European University of Rome organized an exorcism course which was attended by experts from a number of disciplines: among them, psychologists, medical doctors, priests, lawyers, theologians – and practicing exorcists. I strongly believe a real scientist would not allow his own personal ego to inflate to the point he totally forgets the limitations of the human brain, including his own. A scientist who thinks every single unexplained thing can actually be scientifically explained, does not make allowances for what is beyond our understanding. He is a man living in denial with a serious attitude problem even towards other professionals in his own field.
I have read many books written by great scientists on the paranormal, but the most amazing book was Gifts of Unknown Things by Dr. Lyall Watson. Unlike some other scientists, this one actually travelled to many faraway places to make onsite investigation of reported strange phenomena. The editors in the blurb on the book by this renowned scientist, a distinguished biologist and superb nature writer wrote as follows: “The author recounts the story of his voyage to a small volcanic island in Indonesia where life there is a source of wonder and mystery for the inhabitants of Nus Tarian, as they accept as everyday realities phenomena that are terrifying, miraculous and inexplicable to the average westerner. Theirs is a world in which magical feats are regularly experienced as ‘normal’ occurrences and skills; in which extrasensory perception, psychic healing, precognition and even the survival of death are possible.”
- Do you have any odd (writing) habits?
Well, perhaps the fact at times I have to get up from my desk and walk around the room as if in search of something. Maybe, I’m in search of some ‘ghostly’ idea or that unique inspiration that will trigger a good piece of writing. Other times, I stare for long periods into empty space with a blank mind. I’m not actually aware at the time I’m doing this, I come to my senses after – it’s funny.
- What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author? What has been the best compliment?
Well the toughest criticism, if you can call it that was when at 14, a friend of my sister who was at the University of Malta reading for his bachelor’s degree in English read my first attempts at poetry writing. He was so impressed, he went straight to his mentor and showed him the poems hoping the man would come up with some encouraging comments or perhaps words of advice. Instead, my sister’s friend returned quite disappointed as his mentor claimed: The poems are just youthful enthusiasm and soon it would fade and go away! Of course, despite the fact I was so young, his words didn’t bother me one bit. I was then a very bull-headed and determined young boy, as I always am in everything else I pursue in life. But later on, it occurred to me: how many other talented kids might have asked this self-proclaimed literary critic for his opinion and gave up their writing because of his ‘advice’?
Later, when I was a reporter at The Times of Malta, the news editor in charge seemed on a mission to undermine anything I wrote, picked on spelling mistakes that with the kind of typewriter at my disposition, with missing keys and a carriage I had to hold with my left hand when it came to the end, otherwise it would fly out into the air should have been more sympathetic.
But then one day, another news editor took charge. He was older and wiser. That day, we were full staff: two senior reporters and two junior. There were many assignments, a burglary in a jewelry shop, a shooting and a burglary in a band club in the Capital City of Valletta among other coverages. When I entered my office and went to take a look at the assignment sheet, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw my name was on all the main and most important coverages.
I managed to cover all of them and came up with two of the stories that made it to the front page. Late in the evening, as I handed my last story to the news editor, he chuckled and said: I thought you had it in you son, except no one here ever gave you the chance. Good man, I am ever so satisfied and happy for you! From there on he became my mentor – sadly he passed away, but I’m sure he must be so happy I didn’t let him down.
- Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Perseverance against all odds. Don’t rush into trying to be published and whatever you do, remember that there are no shortcuts to being a properly published author. Creating a blog, or a web site and publishing one’s work on these does not make you a published author – it only makes you a self-proclaimed writer.
Publishing comes with hard work. The greatest satisfaction is when you have competed with other writers, you have been rejected hundreds of times, and you keep pursuing your dream until you succeed.
Unfortunately, today, even journalism has been turned into a farce. Journalism’s main goals in my time was to inform accurately and educate the public. Today, we have turned journalism into sensationalism. To write their ‘news’, ‘reporters’ base their ‘story facts’ on gossip and information they read on internet and social media. They rarely bother to check if this information is factual or not. The newspaper’s primary aim is more concentrated on the number of newspaper copies sold, than being accurate and meticulous in their news reports. We read these disgraceful fictitious news every day and it seems it’s acceptable with the blessings of the editors.
Aspiring writers must remember that their publication credits only count for top magazines and journals as well as proper book publishers, when these have been obtained by submitting their work to magazines and were chosen to be published. Publishing your work on a blog is not bad at all, but keep in mind if you cannot take rejection slips, then you are going to find it even harder when harsh criticism starts pouring in on your blog. And the thing is that criticism might not always be coming from professional in your field, because some blogs are open to all.
Writing is like every other profession, but above everything else, it’s an art. The only way to refine it is by acquiring knowledge through advice by professional editors and experienced writers and tutors. That is why it is a long, sometimes painful and hard road to take. Skipping the initiation, which I call baptism by fire, and proclaiming oneself published will not give you the experience, the technique, or the knowledge and genuine publication credits you need to take your writing to the next level. Yes, there were and will be exceptions but keep in mind, an exception is like winning the lottery.
Writing is 10 % inspiration and 90% perspiration. I used to repeat this to myself every day before I had some notable names of magazines that had published my work. Oh yes, I was many times tempted to jump on the same band wagon and self-publish. And I did in the end, but I had a 25-page list of publication credits by then. After all, a publication credit list proves a point – that you have the talent to compete with the best. But for your own peace of mind, and to feel more confident, you need to know that before you attempt to self-publish.
- What is your favorite line from your book?
Now, I have come to the pleasant conclusion that it doesn’t really matter how long we live, or the way we die. It only matters how we live and the quality we bring into our lives. This quote is taken from the book’s second chapter, The Incident of the Mysterious Priest.
- To date, what is your favorite (or most difficult) chapter you have ever written?
That is an easy answer. I think the first two chapters were the most difficult to write because I had to go back down memory lane to recount my battle against cancer in detail. Recalling all the pain I went through, both physically and psychologically and the negative effects of the aftermath of my illness, the stigma of being ‘a cancer survivor’ that hindered my finding a job were probably the most excruciating.
- What is your take on book boyfriends? Do they actually exist? Or do they set the bar for “real life men” impossibly high?
I only consider characters in a book as human beings. There are not superman, they are mortal and in my case very real. So yes, most characters existed. I am not a great fan of the modern jargon, like book boyfriends because it does give a total misconception of reality. I was brought up in military discipline by my father who served 35 years, first with the King’s Own Malta Regiment and then with the British Civil Services. He used to tell me: Life is full of twists and turns and be sure you will come face to face with the most unpleasant realities when you least expect it. It’s a bitch and you have to toughen up and be realistic if you want to survive in this jungle! Of course, he was right, and choosing the journalistic career gave me the baptism by fire that probably had to do a great deal even with my surviving cancer and a stroke. Actually I always thought stories should be founded on true events and people. Well, recently I read somewhere that Hollywood film producers are desperate to find scripts based on true stories. I guess that proves I am on the right track.
- Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How did you deal with it?
I consider that as a myth really. It’s just a non-productive period, when I simply don’t feel any motivation to write. It happens when I’m tired, after I have been working on a book and stayed hours on the computer until my neck is killing me and my eyes feel sore. But if I have no natural inspiration and feel I want to write, I just pick a line which catches my eye, or my ears from anything really: a phrase or a word in a newspaper, in a book or on any social media, a conversation in a film, even overhearing people chatting. It’s all useful material to get me going. That serves as an inspiration for either an article, an essay, a poem, or even a story.
- What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing, I love cooking and following complicated recipes. I love animals, especially dogs and cats. I have six cats living in my garden. Unfortunately, I am extremely allergic to their fur and can’t keep them in the house. Still, to make sure they are safe, I built what my friends describe as wooden apartments for them with comfortable cushions where they can take cover from the elements. I feed them every day, sometimes twice sometimes six times, depending on their appetite.
Sadly last week, I lost my favourite called Nero. She was born with two other sister kittens in my garden in one of the wooden apartments. Her mother was also my cat, but she died soon after their birth. Nero was the quietest cat of the lot, was always in the garden and never moved from there. About a few weeks ago, she vanished and returned after two days missing. She looked very thin but came back and settled, and even started to eat normally. But I wasn’t convinced because I noted her breathing wasn’t right. So I caught her and took her to the vet. She was diagnosed with Lymphatic cancer, ironically the same type I overcame. The vet said the kindest thing was to put her to sleep. She had one of her lungs full of water and her heart couldn’t possibly survive an operation to remove the cancer. It broke my heart and I miss her immensely.
Thank God I have the other cats to care for and my best friend, Buddy a 40 kilo Labrador crossed with a German Pointer. I had him since he was five weeks. He is my fourth dog – I’ve had a dog in my life since I was 16 and I always adopt strays. I do take him out regularly and even to restaurants that accept dogs. I’ve been told many times by restaurant owners that he is more well-mannered than some children and their parents.
I am also an Alfa Romeo and Land Rover Enthusiast and obviously I own two Alfa Romeos and a Land Rover. So this hobby also keeps me busy and gives me time off to relax and chill out with other car enthusiasts.
When I’m not busy doing any of the above, I sometimes watch TV, a film on the supernatural, or a chiller thriller.
However, I also keep myself occupied studying and undertaking specialized courses in several fields. At the moment, I have enrolled for another course in journal therapy and another in paranormal studies and parapsychology. Despite I already have a bachelor and doctorate degrees in creative writing, I intend to undertake another with the Open College of the Arts. I am working on the first two courses contemporaneously, and will have to wait to finish these before I start working on my degree.
My writing has sort of intensified lately and it is taking a big chunk of the time I have available. At times, my wife comes into my study and asks me if I’m still alive?
The Incident of the Mysterious Priest: And Other Stories
by Mr. Raymond Fenech
November 25, 2017
About the Author
Thanks for reading my interview Liz. Few people bother to read today. I’m of the old school and it was probably my avidness for reading that created my love affair with writing. Amazing what a close encounter with the Grim Reaper can do to a person. I experienced that whilst battling cancer in 2004. The book is not entirely fiction because even the fictitious stories are based on either newspapers reports in my country or on my own investigations when I worked as a journalist for The Times of Malta.
You’re welcome! I’m of the old school persuasion myself.
I enjoyed your in-depth interview with Raymond French, particularly his discussion of the paranormal.
Liz Gauffreau recently posted…“Surprised by Joy”