Louis de Bernières: ‘I’m kind of a narratological imperialist, I suppose’

The author on the ease of storytelling, his new novel – based on his grandmother’s experience of the first world war – and hallucinogenic snails

Louis de Bernières is the author of 11 books, including the bestselling novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. The Dust That Falls from Dreams is his eighth novel, and was inspired by the story of his grandmother’s first fiance, who died of wounds sustained in the first world war.

Tell me about the genesis of The Dust That Falls from Dreams.
I’ve been writing and planning little bits and pieces of it for 20 years. I hope it’s going to end up as three volumes, which can be read separately. It’s part of a huge project – I’ve already written the last chapter of the last book.

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