Interviews: August 2011

In the busy hub of Foyle’s cafe, I meet the winner of this year’s Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, Santiago Roncagliolo. In spite of the building publicity surrounding the Prize over the past few weeks, it is unlikely that any of the other cafe goers would think twice to look at Roncagliolo. A Peruvian-born writer, he moved to Spain ten years ago and his political thriller Abril Rojo (Red April) was awarded the prestigious Spanish literary prize the Premio Alfaguara de Novela in 2006. However, until last Thursday, he has remained, relatively unknown elsewhere in Europe. Now at the age of just 36, he has triumphed once again and has become the youngest ever recipient of the IFFP for Red April.

We talk to poet and author Laura Dockrill about her new book Echoes

Before her debut novel had even come out, Anjali Joseph found herself on The Telegraph's 20 Writers Under 40 list for her 'Sharp yet lyrical' writing in Saraswati Park.

Joe Dunthorne, the brilliant author of a Faber New Poets pamphlet and the stunningly hysterial Submarine, is certainly an author to watch. With his whimsical style, ability to capture snapshots of popular culture with such accuracy and humour, and easy manner, he is surely one of Britain's best young authors.

Renowned in America for being a short story writer and novelist, Joe Meno has recently had his first UK-published novel released, The Great Perhaps- a sardonic look at a dysfunctional family quietly falling apart in the run-up to the 2004 US presidential election. The Great Perhaps manages to perfectly encapsulate a time without being too politically heavy-handed or morose. It manages to use the family dynamic as a metaphor for American society at large, all with humour, warmth and the discovery of a mythical squid.

Philip Wilding is the author of debut novel Cross Country Murder Song. We caught up with him to discuss his favourite American voices, the genesis for his book and what's next for him

We caught up with Josie Long to discuss Kurt Vonnegut, cookbooks and how reading was cool at her school

The winner of the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award is C K Stead. The veteran of the shortlist at 77, and the author of 11 novels, two collections of short stories and 15 books of poetry, C K Stead is New Zealand’s finest living writer.

Victoria Coren is a writer, journalist and broadcaster. Victoria Coren is a poker-obsessive. Which comes first? We caught up with her to found out

We talked to Dr Mark Kermode, critic and broadcaster, about his new book It's Only a Movie, his favourite books based on books and the time he wrote his own novelisation of 2001: A Space Odyssey not realising it was originally based on a novel by Arthur C Clarke