English Version

"I’ll be back as soon as I can manage it!"

Interview with Terry Brooks, Writer Guest of Honor 2010

By N. Bosi

LG: Hello Terry, meanwhile we thank you for agreeing to this interview. Let's start with an easy question: How are you? And Judine?

TB: We are both fine.  Life is good – some of it spent in Seattle, some of it on the Oregon Coast.  Both are beautiful.  On top of that, summer finally arrived about two weeks ago, so we are doing our best to take advantage of that.

LG: What books are you working on right now? You're devoting to new adventures in the world of Shannara, or other settings?

TB: I will publish THE MEASURE OF THE MAGIC, the sequel to BEARERS OF THE BLACK STAFF,  late in August.  Right now, I am at work on the second of three books in the future world of Shannara – specifically, about a hundred years after the conclusion of the books in HIGH DRUID.  These books will publish in 2012 & 2013. I expect to have all three done by next summer.  After that, I will writer something unrelated to anything I have written before.

LG: Speaking of Shannara, have you ever thought about writing a series of short novels taking place in the world of Shannara?

TB: I don’t like writing short fiction.  It is hard work for me.  I am much more comfortable with long fiction.  So while I have written a few short pieces of work in the past, I’m not likely to do much of that in the future.  Unless I get too old and tired to write long fiction anymore.

LG: Are you working at other projects? Movies? Comics? In Lucca it was rumored about a possible role-playing game, there are real opportunities to see an RPG set in the Four Lands?

TB: I don’t have anything going on in Comics or Games right now.  But I am hammering out the details of a contract with a major movie studio to do the books in the Magic Kingdom series.  I hope to have that in place by the end of the year.  The people involved are well known and have done lots of successful and interesting movies.  I have hopes.

LG: Now we talk about future plans, what you can anticipate the future of the world of Shannara? Will have a long-lived life?

TB: I hope it will have a long life.  I’m sort of counting on it since I plan to write until I drop over and would like for that to wait awhile.  I have all sorts of projects on the drawing board – some Shannara pre-history, some Shannara future, another Magic Kingdom Book, and at least two book projects which are entirely new.

LG: Let's concentrate on the main subject of the interview: Terry Brooks and his relationship with Lucca. How did you find in our city?

TB: Judine and I spent two weeks in Lucca about five years ago when we came over to do a Maui Writers program in Rome.  Afterwards, we rented a house in Lucca and spent the time there looking around the countryside and enjoying the city.  We liked it enough that when the invitation to visit Lucca arrive, we knew at once we were going.  Unfortunatly, it took us three years to do so.

LG: You have a great experience in the field events, after being the Guest of Honor of the 2010, what do you think of Lucca Comics & Games Show?

TB: It was much bigger than I thought it would be and very well managed.  I was impressed with the organizers and the fans both.  We had a wonderful time both with the show events and just wandering the city and looking around at things.   Lucca is a really charming and fascinating city.  I hope to come back again one day soon.  Of course, I would always be happy to come back anywhere in Italy.

Thanks for the invitation!