Interview Ian RankIn
Best-selling author, Ian Rankin
With
Criminal
Intent
Best-selling crime writer Ian Rankin, award-winning creator of
the Inspector Rebus novels, is busy producing a graphic novel,
Dark Entries, and working on his latest crime thriller. He talks about
life after Rebus and continuing his efforts to encourage
new readers.WoRds: HannaH stepHenson
ritain’s best-selling crime-writer, Ian Rankin, Indeed, his working life is a world away from his
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bid farewell to his most famous character home life in Edinburgh, where he lives with his wife
Inspector Rebus less than two years ago, Miranda Harvey and their two sons, Jack, 16, and 14-
but hasn’t had time to miss him. His hard- year-old Kit, who is severely disabled and suffers from
drinking, anti-social detective may have Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that left
retired, but millionaire Rankin is certainly not going him blind and unable to walk or talk. He attends the
the same way. Royal School for the Blind in Edinburgh.
At 48, retirement is not an option for the award- “When I’m writing books or talking to an audience,
winning Edinburgh-based author, who lives in the then that other part of my life is pushed into a
same street as fellow writer Alexander McCall Smith compartment,” Rankin explains.
and around the corner from JK Rowling. “But then when I come home I’ll be making Kit’s
Even though he doesn’t need to work, he sets breakfast or taking him up to Starbucks so we can sit
himself a punishing schedule, speaking at a range of outside and have a coffee and a bit of cake.”
book events and festivals, supporting charities, sitting Rankin and his wife, who support many disabled
on a literacy commission in Scotland and campaigning charities, are under no illusion as to how fortunate
to encourage young readers, in between writing they are to have the required funds for Kit’s care.
novels. “We can afford care, we can afford equipment. We
Not surprisingly, Rankin simply hasn’t had time don’t have to have a raffle at the pub to get our son a
to miss Rebus, the dour Scottish detective inspector wheelchair. I’ve come into contact with a lot of families
played on TV by Ken Stott and John Hannah. with special needs kids and that’s their day-to-day life.
“There hasn’t been a proper mourning process yet, “I worry on a practical level about the fact that
partly because maybe I think he’s still out there. He’s my younger son is never going to able to look after
not dead, he’s getting on with his life,” Rankin says. himself. He’s now 14 but we knew soon after he was Born in a small mining town of Cardenden, Fife, he
Association Diamond Dagger, and was given an OBE
Rebus isn’t the only one to be moving on. Since born that he was always going to need 24/7 care. wrote and drew his own comic books before going on
in 2002.
his last Rebus novel, Exit Music, Rankin has written “Kit’s always improving but it’s in tiny, tiny degrees. to Edinburgh University to study English Literature.
So famous has his detective become in Edinburgh,
another crime novel, Doors Open, about an art heist, He’ll never talk and although we’re still hopeful that He started to write fiction after graduating in 1982
that there are now tourist walks, a whisky and a beer
and a 200-page graphic novel, Dark Entries, which will he’ll walk, he’s not walking at 14. He can feed himself and his first Inspector Rebus novel, Knots & Crosses,
named after Rebus.
The first five or six books got good reviews but they didn’t
be out later this year. in a rudimentary way but he can’t get himself dressed was published in 1987.
Rankin admits he is pedantic when writing in his
He’s also written a short crime novel, A Cool Head, and we are still toilet training.” “Many a time I thought, I’m not making a go of this.
office at home - the pens all have to be in the right
published earlier this year, which is part of the Quick They recently returned from a week’s break in Publishers in the past would say, ‘Ian’s never going
position, the music has to be on and he has a large
win any prizes or go anywhere near the bestseller list.
Reads series by best-selling writers and celebrities. Bermuda at half term, which Rankin says was an to make it into the big time’ and I was worried Rebus
supply of Snickers bars to keep him going.
The books are designed for people who have lost experiment he’d probably not repeat. wasn’t the character people wanted to read about. The
“You always want the next book to be better than because I’m not a cop. He’s been a cop for 30 years and a quiet retirement. The best case is that he’s working in
the reading habit and for those who struggle with “He’d never been on a six-hour plane journey first five or six books got good reviews but they didn’t
the previous book,” he explains. that’s coloured his impression of the world. He sees a civilian capacity for the police in Edinburgh, maybe
reading. before. They managed to lose his wheelchair at win any prizes or go anywhere near the bestseller list.”
“So even without the pressure from publishers or the world as a series of crimes and crime scenes, and on cold cases, something that retired cops do.
He is also working on another crime novel, set in Gatwick coming back. We got to Edinburgh with no He and his wife, then a high-flying civil servant,
the public, your first critic is yourself. You’ve always that people are up to no good. I’m not like that. “Retirement for him would be a nightmare because
Edinburgh. wheelchair so we had to manhandle him into a taxi ended up living in the Dordogne in France for six years
got to come up with an idea that’s cleverer than the “But some of his character comes from me, like he hasn’t got hobbies, friends or close family.
“I always feel like letting up, but somehow I keep and bring him home and he had to sit in the living where Ian could concentrate more fully on his writing.
previous one and characters more interesting than the sitting in pubs on his own staring at the glass in front “I get the feeling there’s some unfinished business
signing these contracts. People keep offering me room until the wheelchair turned up later in the day.” But all that seems a long time ago now. Rankin’s
previous ones.” of him. That’s fun for me. That’s my idea of a good between us.”
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interesting projects,” he explains. Rankin could have reduced his work commitments, books are estimated to account for at least 10% of
As fans will know, Rebus is cynical, anti-social and time.”
Rankin’s life is a bit ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, slotted into but his reluctance to do so may stem from the fact all UK crime fiction sales and the Rebus books have
downbeat. Is his creator like that? I somehow feel Rankin may not have said his last
Ian Rankin’s Quick Reads book, A Cool Head, is available from Orion.
compartments as he constantly switches from mega- that he did not achieve instant success when he first been translated into more than 30 languages. He has
“Sometimes,” Rankin says. goodbyes to his beloved detective.
His forthcoming graphic novel, Dark Entries, will be published on
successful writer to parent of two teenage boys. started out as a writer. received many awards, including the Crime Writers’
“I mean, I’m not nearly as cynical as he is, but that’s “He’s out there somewhere and I doubt he’s having 25th August by Vertigo.
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