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Richard M. Ankers

Richard M. Ankers was born in rural Yorkshire, England. After winning an Authonomy Gold Medal, Richard began to publish the writings he had squirrelled away for many years.

Author of The Eternals Trilogy, a dark fantasy extravaganza, Richard is lucky enough to have had his writing published in many anthologies and magazines of repute.

There will never be enough hours in his lifetime to put all the words he wishes down on paper.

IN THE AUTHOR’S WORDS

Author interview

Interview submitted 13 June 2022.

What inspired you to start writing?

I've always written, even if for years it was in private. A love of books from a young age, and spending all my savings on as many as I could manage, formed a habit that led to my wanting to be like my favourite writers.
The leap to actually showing my writing to anyone, however, came from the sharp shock of finding out a childhood friend had died without my knowing. She suffered with headaches, as do as I, and one of my earliest memories was of her father's passing from the same. The shock of this happening to Peta said to me enough is enough, life's too short. And so it was I started submitting work, and the rest as they say was history.

Who are some of your favorite authors and books?

Some of my favourite authors are: Michael Moorcock, Haruki Murakami, Margaret Atwood, Gene Wolfe, China Miéville and Angela Carter.

Some of my favourite books are: To Kill a Mockingbird, Sailing to Byzantium, Black Narcissus, Norwegian Wood, Nightwings and The Night Circus.

What would you like to tell readers who have just discovered your books, but haven't read one yet?

I would like to tel them to simply sit back and enjoy.

Who is the favorite character you created, and how did they come into being?

My favourite character is the inventor Robert Swift from Britannia Unleashed and many more books to come. If ever one of my characters was me, it's Robert.
Having an unhealthy appetite for the beyond and death in general, Robert's stories within my writings mirror my own desire to beat the unbeatable, or at least lessen the blow when it comes. Robert is a melancholy dreamer, overlooked by those around him, but with so much to secretly offer. He is understated and quiet, and I love writing his interactions with others.

What are your future plans as a writer?

I have a large and very secret project involving all the characters from Britannia Unleashed. Between you and me, I have written it out five times already and not been satisfied with the result. I will not rest happy until the story is perfect, which it will be.