frankbarnard.com

Some of you dipping into this website will be aware of a recurring topic named Derek Robinson, the author of a number of best-selling novels about many subjects but particularly flying in both world wars. Piece Of Cake was nominated for the Booker and made into a popular TV series.

Mr Robinson has a loyal fan base that I’ve dubbed The Robinson Army and from its ranks over the past few years various champions have ridden out to compare my work unfavourably and even to suggest that they are derivative or worse. My protests that I have never read a Robinson novel for fear of being influenced by style or content are disregarded. So, I thought I would go to the man himself.

The following exchange of emails, or extracts at any rate, might be of interest:

From Frank Barnard to Derek Robinson, 9 March 2010
You’ve got a heck of a lot of loyal readers out there and quite a few of them accuse me of stealing your ideas. I’d like to reassure you that I’m absolutely not guilty. It’s quite okay for your fans to say my novels aren’t as good as yours but they are original work and only inspired by source material that inevitably we must share. I was given a copy of Piece Of Cake when I was about to embark on Blue Man Falling but never dared read it for fear of being influenced by prose or plot. In fact I almost junked the MS at an early stage because when I telephoned research at Hendon Aviation Museum and told them what I was planning the researcher said: ‘ Oh yes, Derek Robinson country.’ ‘ Oh my God,’ I said, ‘ you mean he’s covered the same subject?’ ‘ Don’t worry,’ he said,
‘ there’s always room for more.’ On such a small comment turned the somewhat belated career of a budding novelist aged 72. Meanwhile, I’ve borne in mind the fiercely critical comments of The Robinson Army and can only say I’m striving to do better…

Kind regards, Frank Barnard (5066609 LAC Barnard)

From Derek Robinson to Frank Barnard, 13 March 2010
First, let me congratulate you. To make it as a successful novelist at the age of 70-plus says much about your determination, and I reckon determination to be one of the key characteristics of a proven writer. There must be a hundred thousand people out there who said they were going to write a novel when they retired, and as a result there are probably fifty-thousand not-bad half-written novels gathering dust on a top shelf because the writer abandoned them when he discovered how damn difficult the job is.
You are right about my loyal readers and I am constantly surprised and impressed by their passion. I just wrote the books but now I seem to have become part of their lives. One unexpected bonus has been the emails I get from all over, especially the English-speaking countries (but even Finland, Switzerland and Greece). It’s very encouraging-but I can see that The Army’s attitude is a bit hard on you. Look at it this way: it’s just another occupational hazard. One day, some young journalist may be accused of stealing your ideas. Meanwhile I’d like to mention your email in my monthly column called Readers Write on my website. Maybe that will pacify some of the sharpshooters in Robinson’s Army,

Best wishes, Derek Robinson, (2533407 Corporal, acting, paid)

So, an interesting exchange and I certainly recommend Derek Robinson’s lively website, and of course his books. Meanwhile, here’s an anecdote that haunts me. Peter Cook met an acquaintance in Hampstead. ‘ What are you doing these days?’ he said.
‘ Writing a novel,’ said the acquaintance. ‘ Neither am I,’ said Cook. So easy to have gone that way…