Neville Frankel

Neville Frankel is an Emmy award-winning writer of literary and historical fiction.

A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Neville Frankel immigrated to the US with his family at the age of 14. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and did his doctoral work in English literature at the University of Toronto.

Neville is the author of three works of historical fiction, an apartheid-era novel Bloodlines and The Third Power, a well-reviewed political thriller about the transformation of Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. His latest work of historical fiction, On The Sickle’s Edge published by Diálogos Books in January 2017, is a multi-generational saga set in Russia, Latvia, South Africa and the US. The work is under consideration by the American Library Association for inclusion in its Notable Books List. Excerpts from the novel have been published on Lit Hub, a premiere online literary magazine.

Neville is the recipient of an Emmy for his work on a Frontline/BBC documentary and is a contributor to The Huffington Post and The Good Men Project. He is a 2013 and 2017 Jewish Book Council author and has presented at more than 100 venues across the country. In addition to his passion for writing, Neville is an avid painter and mountain climber. He and his wife divide their time between Boston, Santa Barbara, and Cape Cod.

Twitter: @NevilleFrankel

Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?

I frequently listen to music when I write. What I listen to depends on what I'm writing. I love piano solos, classical guitar, new age. If I'm looking for vocals, I listen to folk music and some country western.

What’s your favorite comic strip or graphic novel?

Calvin and Hobbes. The concept of the stuffed tiger who comes alive when he and Calvin are alone, is brilliant. I love the contrary little boyness of Calvin, mixed with the gems that he spouts. And Hobbes, who basks in his wildness but at the same time manages to be world-weary, sarcastic, and streetsmart.

Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?

I think it's safe to say that every grownup who's good at anything has felt like an imposter at some time. Becoming expert at something takes years--but accepting that one has become an expert is a lot more difficult than it might seem.

Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?

I give a book about twenty pages. If it hasn't tempted me by then, I move on to something else. There are too many books that captivate immediately to waste time on those that don't.

Is there a work of art that you love. Why? Have you ever visited it in person?

A painting that has special meaning for me is Alexander Ivanov's Christ Appears Before the People. It is a massive work, standing 24 feet wide and 17 feet tall, and it took twenty years to paint. It became an integral part of my novel, On the Sickle's Edge.

Vacation druthers… City or Rural destination? Why?

Rural, always. I love to be in wild places, whether on the water, hiking in the mountains or desert. I find that silence, solitude, and nature gives me peace and inspiration.