When Jeffrey Archer lay on the floor: The interview that turned into an argument
A journalist recounts a memorable 2013 interview with author Jeffrey Archer, which took an unexpected turn when Archer performed a dramatic demonstration regarding cricket grounds. The anecdote highlights the unpredictable nature of celebrity interviews.
Why it matters
It provides a human-interest perspective on the personality of a globally recognized author.
There are a dozen ways an interviewee can react when you provoke him a little.
Lying sprawled across the floor is not one of them.
But that is what happened when I went to meet author Jeffrey Archer in 2013 as part of a regular workday while in a previous media organisation.
It was a sunny morning when I sauntered into Taj Coromandel in Chennai, to meet the popular bestselling British writer for Best Kept Secret, the third book in the Clifton Chronicles series. Growing up, Archer’s work occupied prime space on my bookshelf, jostling for space with the works of Sidney Sheldon, Michael Chrichton and John Grisham, and hence, meeting him was going to be extra special.
Also covering this story
10 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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