.com Exclusive: Daniel Silva on Writing Portrait of a Spy with a Pencil While on book tour, Ive been surprised to find that readers are fascinated by how writers actually write. Most readers hold in their mind an idealized image of the novelist at worka figure in a trendy urban coffeehouse, a solitary figure walking along an empty beach. The truth, however, is seldom so romantic. Before going any further, let us stipulate that, much like the hero of my novels, the art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon, I am something of a creature of habit. I work seven days a week, from early in the morning until six thirty in the evening, when I stop to watch the evening news. My work clothing never varies: gray sweatpants by Russell Athletic, a long-sleeve T-shirt by L.L. Bean, fleece Acorn moccasins, and discount cotton socks from Marks Spencer in England. Occasionally, visitors to our house will catch a glimpse of this outfit, but, for the most part, my wife and children tend to shield me from public view. As a rule, I dont answer the telephoneunless it is a family emergency of some sortand I dont read e-mail. I nibble rather than eat. Portrait of a Spy, like all the Gabriel Allon novels, was fueled largely by McVities digestive biscuits. I have a computer, of course, but I really do most of my actual writing in longhand, on yellow legal pads. I prefer to work while lying on the floor rather than at my desk. This annoys my wife because she took a great deal of time and effort to have a desk custom made to fit my office. When I showed her a photograph of Muriel Spark, one of her literary heroes, writing in longhand stretched across a floor, she was only partially mollified. Sometimes we talk about living somewhere other than Georgetown. Secretly, the very idea terrifies me. After writing 14 books in the same room of the same house, I am afraid I have lost the ability to work anywhere else. As for my writing instrument of choice, it is unquestionably the pencil. There is something about the sound it makes scratching across the page that, for me, is the essence of composition. The pencil is the antithesis of all things cyber and e, a means of returning, however briefly, to a world that is unconnected and unwired. A pad and pencil do not freeze or crash. There are no viruses or error messages. If a thunderstorm knocks out the power, the words will still be there when the lights come on again. And then, there is the satisfying natural rhythm of the work itselfthe turning of the completed page, the sharpening of the dulled point, the fortnightly disposal of the fluffy wooden shavings. Lately, I have been hoarding pencils. Im not sure precisely when it began; I suspect it had something to do with the death of the typewriter. An irrational fear gripped me, a fear that pencils were next. If the typewriter could go extinct, how could the lowly, environmentally hostile pencil possibly hope to survive in the brave new world? I now order my favorite brandthe Paper Mate Mirado Black Warrior No. 2by the case. I am reasonably confident I now have enough pencils on hand to see me through the next several novelsthough, if I happen to misplace a pencil, I will search the house thoroughly before removing a new one from its special drawer and sharpening it for the first time. To sharpen a virgin pencil is, in a sense, to commit an act of assisted suicide. It saddens me. I wish it were not so. I wish I could write on a computer while traveling on an airplane or sitting in a strange hotel room, but I cannot. I have become a prisoner of my office. I need my floor, and my Mirado Black Warrior No. 2 pencils, and my McVities digestive biscuits. I hoard them, too. I keep them on a special shelf in the storage room, next to my socks from Marks Spencer. Copyright Daniel Silva 2011. All Rights Reserved. 'Allon is the 21st century Bond - elegantly paced, subtle and well-informed. If you haven't read Silva before, try Portrait of a Spy - and then go back and read the series.' Daily Mail 'Sexily brooding Allon... must be the most famous superspy not played by Daniel Craig' Daily Telegraph '[A] top-notch thriller by a writer with the inside track on spying' The Sun 'In true Bauer fashion, shoot-outs, kidnappings and international terror plots follow Gabriel Allon wherever he goes' USA Today 'Silva builds tension with breathtaking double and triple turns of the plot' PeopleFrom the Back CoverIt was supposed to be the start of a pleasant weekend in London for master art restorer and spy Gabriel Allonand his wife, Chiara. But a deadly pair of bombings in Paris and Copenhagen has already marred this lovelyautumn day. Then, before he can stop a man he suspectsis about to launch a third attack in Covent Garden,Gabriel is knocked to the pavementand he can only watch helplessly as the nightmare unfolds.The haunting memory of his failure to stop the massacre of innocents is still fresh when Gabriel is summoned to Washingtonand plunged into a deadly confrontation with the new face of global terror. An elusive American-born cleric in Yemenonce a paid CIA asset whomAllah has granted "a beautiful and seductive tongue"stands at the center of the explosive plague of death and destruction. And the worst is yet to come... how do you want to read Portrait of a Spy (Gabriel Allon)
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Typical, Enjoyable Daniel Silva BookBy C. F FulbrightAn enjoyable book, but consistent with Daniel Silva's formula for the preceding five or six Gabriel Allon books. Allon meets girl. Allon recruits girl. Girl performs mission but is discovered and captured by bad guys. Allon risks himself to save girl and is seriously injured. Allon kills the bad guys and rescues girl - or doesn't (sometimes yes, sometimes she dies).There was a loose end I didn't understand. At one point Mikail and four Sayeret Matkal commandos set off on a 40-mile hike in the dessert to rescue Allon. They never get there, but it doesn't seem anything bad happened to them either. I almost think Silva forgot about them.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Entertaining, engrossing and timely...By Cynthia K. RobertsonEach July I look forward to a new Daniel Silva book, and I'm always amazed at his ability to write quality books year after year. Portrait of a Spy is an entertaining, engrossing and timely tale that is his 14th novel and the 11th book in his Gabriel Allon series.Former Mossad assassin and fine art restorer Gabriel Allon is now retired from Israeli Intelligence and living quietly in Cornwall with his wife, Chiara. Allon and Chiara travel to London so that Allon can evaluate a painting. While walking through Covent Garden, Allon spies a possible suicide bomber and tries to take him out. Before he can shoot, he's wrestled to the ground by several members of British Intelligence. The bomb detonates and kills a number of people--the 4th such attack in Europe in a short period of time. Allon finds himself sucked back into the International Intelligence community, trying to find a new terrorist network. Their leader, Rashid Al-Husseini, was handled by the CIA but has now gone rogue. The CIA wants him eliminated to avoid future embarrassment without getting their hands dirty. Allon needs to find someone who can infiltrate the network, although this proves to be risky for all involved.While the plot has similarities to some of Silva's other books in that art work is used to transfer money, the author makes the story fresh by incorporating current events into Portrait of a Spy. Saddam Hussein is dead and Europe is falling to pieces. "After decades of lavish social spending, much of the Continent was teetering on the brink of fiscal and monetary disaster...Greece was sinking slowly into the Aegean, Spain was on life support, and the Irish Miracle had turned out to be nothing more than a mirage. In the smart salons of Brussels, many Eurocrats were daring to say aloud what had once been unthinkable--that the dream of European integration was dying. And in their darker moments, a few of them actually wondered whether Europe as they knew it might be dying, too." Silva also knows his stuff when it comes to intelligence. "There is a truism about terror networks: putting the pieces in place is not as difficult as one might imagine. But once the mastermind pulls the trigger and carries out his first attack, the element of surprise is lost and the network exposes itself."In Portrait of a Spy, Allon's old team is back to assist him including Chiara, Uzi Navot, Dina Sarid, Eli Lavon, Yaakov Rossman, Mikhail Abramov, Rimona Stern, Julian Isherwood and Yossi Gavish. Even Ari Shamron, former head of "The Office" joins in on the job. Outside of the Israelis, Adrian Carter (the CIA), Graham Seymour (MI5), Sarah Brancroft (CIA) and Nadia al-Bakari (daughter of former terrorist financier, Zizi al-Bakari from The Secret Servant) play starring roles. Because of this extensive list of recurring characters, for as much as I enjoyed Portrait of a Spy, I would recommend that a new reader start at the beginning with The Kill Artist.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. First time Silva reader much impressedBy Char HirschiDavid Silva is a new author to me, but after a friend's recommendation I started with Portrait of a Spy and was not disappointed. As current as today, this book deals with terrorists and those who are out to get them. The sophisticated computer surveillance may be exaggerated, but it certainly makes for a good story. The writing is excellent, the story holds up, and the characters, especially the main Israeli operative and the woman he has recruited to pull a sting, are well developed and believable. Gabriel Allon appears in a series of books--this is number 11. I fully intend to go back to number one and read until I'm up to date. My only complaint, and it's more my fault than the authors, is trying to keep up with a wide range of characters makes it difficult to remember who everybody is and what role they play in this complicated plot. Be prepared to visit such exotic locales as Dubai and a Christys Rare Art auction. This book probably falls in the thriller category and there is no lack of cloak and dagger intrigue and suspense.