In conversation with longlisted author Jan Dost

When did you begin writing The French Prisoner and where did the inspiration for it come from?

The inspiration came from a book of Kurdish stories that date back to the nineteenth century. The name of Jaubert, the protagonist a story written by the Kurdish writer Mela Mahmud Bayazidi for the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, came up. Then, I was drawn to the fascinating story of Pierre Amédée Jaubert. I immediately knew that it was well-suited for a historical novel that tackles the intertwining between East and West, the values of tolerance, and the noble ideals that all peoples enjoy. I immediately started gathering material relating to the character of the protagonist who was unknown to me. I checked many historical references and compiled a lot of material that could be the basis for a whole novel. It took about two years to collect material and write the novel.

Did the novel take long to write and where were you when you finished it?

Writing the novel did not take long. I started in April 2022 and finished in August of the same year. I was living in the German city of Bochum when I wrote its last few sentences.

Do you have writing rituals?

Of course, I have some rituals such as suddenly leaving everything and running to the computer to write down a paragraph or idea related to the novel I’m working on. Sometimes I wake up at 4 am to write what I couldn’t finish at night. And so on until I finish the novel. Throughout the writing process, I become very irritable, which is why I prefer to keep to myself until the novel is done.

What is your next literary project after this novel?

A month ago, I finished my seventeenth novel. I cannot say its title without revealing its content. It is called The General in his Last Battle.