A Q&A Interview with Jo Nesbo

What were you like as a child? What were your favourite books?

I played soccer, fell in love with girls, told stories I almost believed myself and I read books. Hmm. I guess I was a little bit like Nilly. My favourite book was Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

You are best known for your crime thrillers for adults, which arevery different to your children’s books. What do you enjoy most about writing for children, and what are the challenges?

I prefer to write about Doctor Proctor and his fríends. The challenge is always the same: to make you believe I’m not lying, not really.

Interviews have described you as having a ‘relentlessly gloomy outlook’ – how do you subdue this for the Doctor Proctor books which are full of jokes and silliness?

In a world where everything is falling apart, I’m desperately trying to make people, and myself, laugh.

What prompted the Doctor Proctor books – was it the characters, or the idea of fart powder?

The characters. Three outsiders who had nobody else, but somehow found each other and ended up being friends – as well as the most unlikely heroes.

Which of Doctor Proctor’s inventions are you most proud of?

Oh, there are so many inventions. The bathtub time machine. The balancing shoes. The French language nosespring. But the best is still Doctor Proctor’s fart powder.

Will there be more adventures for the Doctor, Nilly and Lisa? Can you see yourself writing other books for children?

Yes, a fourth Doctor Proctor book is coming soon. And yes, after Doctor Proctor (I’m not sure how many instalments there will be) I will continue writing children’s fiction.